Sunday Gathering - August 30

Our worship leader today is our own Robert Nicolson.

August 30, 2020   SUNDAY GATHERING  

Welcome   Your participation with us today is truly a blessing.  

Call to Worship: 
There is an old Irish joke about a tourist, Bob, visiting a church in Rome. He was intrigued by a column with a golden telephone on it. Asking about it, he was told it was a direct line to heaven and that it would cost $1,000 to make a call. So, he declines but then saw the same golden telephone in another location in Europe, where he received the same story with the same cost. So, he was a little shocked when he arrived in Ireland and, at a church there, saw a similar phone with a sign that said, “Direct line to heaven. Make your call for 25¢.” Asking the clergy about this, he was told, “You’re in Ireland now; it’s a local call.”

So, would it be a local call here at Trinity? What might the connection cost here? We gather because, in gathering, we experience the locality of God. We experience God, not as long distance, but as the spirit bubbling up inside us and through our community, to sing and pray, and care and do justice.
We worship.

David Lander at Castleton-Grafton P.C., Grafton, Ont.  

Acknowledgement of Territory
We have come a long way in the work of reconciliation, but there is still a long road ahead. As we prepare for worship, we acknowledge that the land on which our church and community is built is the unceded land of the Kwayquitlum Coast Salish people.

May we work to build and deepen right relationship of thanksgiving and hope for the future. May God bless all with love. Amen  

Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, we gather as a community to pray. We gather seeking new understanding of your power for all humanity, for all God’s children. Open our lives to new experiences. Open our hearts to a greater love so all may be warmed by your presence, today and always. Amen.

Jim McKean, Orillia, Ont.  

The Lectionary for today provides four readings. Following each I have added a brief comment and referenced one of the suggested hymns for those of us who miss that important part of our regular service.  

Reading: Exodus 3:1-15(NRSV)
Moses at the Burning Bush Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in
Then Moses said,
    “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,
    "Moses, Moses!”
And he said,
    “Here I am.”
Then he said,
    “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
He said further,
    “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said,
    “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
Moses said to God,
    “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
He said,
    “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

The Divine Name Revealed

But Moses said to God,
    “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses,
    “I AM WHO I AM.”
He said further,
    “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
    This is my name forever,
    and this my title for all generations.

Comment:
God remains a mystery (unseen) but still expresses concern for those who are oppressed and commits to providing them a land of their own. We discover that while God remains unknowable, God can also be a companion and a helper in time of need.

Suggested Hymn: VU #509 “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky”
CLICK HERE to listen.
 

Second Reading: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c (NRSV)

God's Faithfulness to Israel

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,     
    make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;     
    tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;     
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Seek the Lord and his strength;     
    seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,     
    his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,     
     children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Then Israel came to Egypt;     
    Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
And the Lord made his people very fruitful,     
    and made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,     
     to deal craftily with his servants.
He sent his servant Moses,     
    and Aaron whom he had chosen.
Then Israel came to Egypt;    
    Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
And the Lord made his people very fruitful,     
    and made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,     
    to deal craftily with his servants.
He sent his servant Moses,     
    and Aaron whom he had chosen.

Comment:

There is a problem towards the end of the reading where we hear God turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people. This conflicts with our notion that God grants us all freedom of choice, including the Egyptians. Israel is to be a nation ruled by God’s justice.

Suggested hymn: MV #216 "Wherever You May Go I Will Follow"
CLICK HERE to listen. 

Third Reading: Romans 12:9-21 (NRSV)

Marks of the True Christian

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Comment: Paul clearly points out that we should have no trouble working towards common goals with other faiths that have values similar to our own. We must continue, however, to stress reconciliation and solidarity over nationalism and exclusiveness.

Suggested Hymn: MV #79 “Spirit, Open My Heart”
CLICK HERE to listen.
 

Fourth Reading: Matthew 16:21-28 (NRSV)

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

The Cross and Self-Denial

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Comment: While Jesus’s death may be essential to God’s plan, Matthew points out that those responsible for the crucifixion did so of their own accord. Moreover, Jesus’s mission included confronting the injustice of an oppressive and sinful world. That is the mission to which we are expected to give our all.

Suggested Hymn: VU #375 "Spirit, Spirit Of Gentleness"
CLICK HERE to listen. 

Minute for Mission: August 30

Every three years, Rendez-vous brings together United Church young people for worship, service, prayer, community, and learning.

Thanks to your gifts for Mission & Service Rendez-vous is able to happen every three years in a different part of the country—including in Rendez-vous Reimagined, which took place this past August. CLICK HERE to find out how our meeting happened online this year.

CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing video in the email.

Prayers of the People:

In the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches this week we pray for the peoples of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo.   In our own Pacific Mountain Region of the United Church of Canada we are praying for Edgar Memorial UC, Klemtu; Edgewood Treatment Centre, Nanaimo; Emmaus Community & Abbey Church Plant, Victoria; Esquimalt UC, Victoria; Fairfield UC, Victoria; Fair Haven UC Homes, Burnaby & Vancouver; First Metropolitan UC, Victoria and First UC-Houston, Houston.  

Let us pray:
Holy One, the determination to act faithfully comes with a high cost.

As those around Martin Luther King found out, prejudice and hatred will not be deflected.
As the friends of Oscar Romero found out, the preaching of the powerful ones does not include “freedom for the poor.”
As refugees the world over have discovered, those engaged in warfare have no regard for the civilians in their path.
As local government officials and those who whistle-blow on corporations have found, exposing authority figures may cost them their job.

In our own sphere of action and influence, we have faithful choices to make.
May we give and not count the cost.  

Holy One, the determination to act faithfully comes with a high cost.

Those who stand up against large corporations know this.
Those who have protested against government immigration policies know this.
Those who have been lost among forms, bureaucrats, and voice mail know this.
Those who have been in dispute with health professionals know this.
Those who try to make clear their feelings while lying weak in a hospital bed know this.
Those whose voice has not been heard at the time of personal loss know this.
We pray for those who are suffering at this time, especially those who feel they are not in control.
(time of silent reflection)
We pray for those who have lost loved ones.
(time of silent reflection)

In our own sphere of action and influence, we have faithful choices to make.
May we give and not count the cost.  

Holy One, the determination to act faithfully comes with a high cost.

Clergy whose principles are at odds with the faith community they serve are aware of this.
Faith community members whose principles are at odds with the serving clergyperson are aware of this.
Church leaders and members who take a stand in the local community against a low minimum wage, the exploitation of immigrant workers, or ease of restrictions on drug possession are aware of this.
The issues of global warming, same gender marriages, and the manufacture and use of armaments, have pitted the national church against the government, and there has been a price to pay for their faithfulness to gospel principles.
And in our own sphere of action and influence,

In our own sphere of action and influence, we have faithful choices to make.
May we give and not count the cost.  

Holy One, the determination to act faithfully comes with a high cost.

We find ourselves taking a stand against popular but costly government policies.
We find ourselves speaking out against racially prejudiced jokes and remarks.
We find ourselves not being able to go along with unethical practices at work.
We find ourselves at odds with family members whose value system is very different from our own.
We find ourselves shunned by those who play by self-serving rules.
We find ourselves in dispute with those we count as friends.
Especially in our own sphere of action and influence,

In our own sphere of action and influence, we have faithful choices to make.
May we give and not count the cost.  

Pastoral Prayers to Share (adapted)  

We continue in pray with words Jesus gave to all of his disciples, knowing that you are our Mother, and you are

Our Father . . .                                                                          VU 959

CLICK HERE to listen.

Commissioning:

As the body of Christ,
we prepare to return to the world.
Ready to share with others
our faith in how this world will be.
So let us go, preparing the way
for the reign of Christ.

Sandy Ferguson, Strathearn U.C., Edmonton, Alta.

Announcements and Additional service materials:

Giving:

• if you are already on Pre-Authorized Remittance, thank you.
• we do ask that you continue to offer your financial support even though we are not meeting face to face, our ministry together continues.
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