CCG Hybrid Church, Ninth Sunday After Pentecost, July 30, 2023 

Hybrid Church
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost July 30, 2023 

Presider: The Rev. Deborah van der Goes 

Musician: Dorothy Dittrich 

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. 

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here! 

Welcome & Announcements 

Whether you are gathering in person, on zoom or worshipping at home with the bulletin, welcome! We are one community, one in the body of 

Christ.  

Centering & Stillness   

One: We follow sound into silence and there we meet God (bell)  

(silence) 

Greeting

One: The grace of Christ Jesus, the love of God,    and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And also with you 

(the Christ Candle is lit) 

Hymn: Spirit Divine, Attend our Prayers                                   CP #646 
1Spirit divine, attend our prayers, and make our hearts your home; descend with all your gracious powers; O come, great Spirit, come!

2Come as the light; to us reveal our emptiness and woe, and lead us in those paths of life where all the righteous go.

3Come as the fire and purge our hearts

like sacrificial flame; let our whole life an offering be to our Redeemer's name.

4Come as the dove and spread your wings,

the wings of peaceful love; and let your Church on earth become blest as the Church above.

5Come as the wind, with rushing sound and pentecostal grace, that all of woman born may see the glory of your face.

6Spirit divine, attend our prayers; make this lost world your home; descend with all your gracious powers; O come, great Spirit, come!

The Collect                                                                           (THEME prayer) 

O God, the protector of all who trust in you,

Without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy

Increase and multiply upon us your mercy,

That with you as our ruler and guide,

We may so pass through things temporal, That we lose not the things eternal:

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.  

All: Amen 

The Service of Word
                                                                                                 

Reader: By the gift of your Spirit, calm and quiet our souls that we may hear your Word today and be lifted up to walk with you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen

Genesis 29:15-28 (NRSV)                                    Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce 

 Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?’ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’ Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.’ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And

Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me for another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and ompleted her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

Psalm 128                                                  Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce
Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
 
   who walks in his ways.
 
You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;
    you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine    within your house; your children will be like olive shoots    around your table. Thus shall the man be blessed    who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you from Zion.

   May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem    all the days of your life. May you see your children’s children.    Peace be upon Israel!

Gospel Reading                                      Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.  

Reader: God be with you.   

All: And also with you 

Reader: The Good News of Jesus the Christ according to Matthew All: Glory to you, Christ Jesus. 

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
 
He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’ He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’ ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
 teeth. ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure
what is new and what is old.’
 
          Reader: This is the Gospel of Christ.    

          All:        Praise be to Jesus Christ    

Reflection: “Kingdom Wisdom” 

Hymn: Guide My Feet                                                                 CP #513 
1Guide my feet while I run this race; (x3)

for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

2Hold my hand while I run this race; (x3)

for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

3Stand by me while I run this race; (x3) for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

4I’m your child while I run this race; (x3) for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

5Search my heart while I run this race; (x3)

for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

6Guide my feet while I run this race; (x3)

for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)

Creed         (from Creating Uncommon Worship by Richard Giles adapted DvdG) Let us affirm our faith . . .                

We believe and trust in God our Creator.  

We believe and trust in Jesus the Christ.  

We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.  

We believe and trust in the Three in One. 

Prayers of the People                                                             Susan Brockley 

One: Loving God

All: Hear our Prayer 

The Peace

Passing of the Peace 

One: The peace of Christ be with you!  

All:   And also with you! 

You are invited to turn to those directly around you and share Christ’s peace. Those on zoom, please unmute and share with one another.

 The Service of Holy Eucharist
(Using the Eucharistic Prayer written for the Diocese of Islands and Inlets)  

Offering Invitation (while music is played) Presider: Let us now gather our offerings.              

Doxology (sung as offerings brought forward)                           CP #669 Praise God the Source of life and birth, Praise God the Word, who came to earth. Praise God the Spirit, holy flame. All Glory, honour to God’s name. 

Prayer over the Gifts   

Presider: God of grace,accept all we offer you this day, All: We look toward the glory you have promised. 

          This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.           

          Amen. 

Presider: God is here

All: The Spirit is with us. 

Presider: Lift up your hearts and minds.

All: We lift them to God. 

Presider: Let us give thanks to God the Creator.

All: It is right to give our thanks and praise. 

Presider: It is indeed right that we should praise you, God of love, our source and our fulfillment, or you create all things and in you we live and move and have our being.   

Your wonder is manifest in land and sea and sky.  

You made us in your image. And even though we turn from you, again and again you call us to yourself, and in every age, promise liberation.

As a mother gathers her children, you embraced a people as your own, to nurture them in the way of compassionate love. You sent Jesus among us, incarnate of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary. Jesus revealed your love for all Creation, and showed us the way of reconciliation. Having lived among us - Jesus suffered the cross, died, and in rising again became the firstborn of the renewed family.

And so as we gather around your table,

With saints of every age and your beloved creation we raise our voices and sing

Sanctus                                                                                            MV #203 

O holy, holy, holy God, O God of time and space. 

All earth and sea and sky above bear witness to your grace. 

Hosanna in the highest heaven, creation sings your praise. 

And blessed is the One who comes and bears your name always! 

To you be glory, almighty God, because on the night before he died, Jesus took bread, when he had given thanks,

he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this to remember me. After supper he took the cup; when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said Drink this all of you.

This is my blood of the new covenant, Poured out for you and for many; do this to remember me.

Great is the mystery of faith.

Memorial Acclamation                                                              MV #204 

Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!  

Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again! 

Presider: Recalling Christ’s death and resurrection, we ask you to accept this, our sacrifice of praise. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine that we may be fed with the  

body and blood of your Son.  When all of creation groans, unite us in Christ and give us your hope that we might be strengthened to do your work, as your body in the world.  Through Christ our Redeemer, in the power of the Spirit, all praise and glory be yours, Almighty God, now and forever.  

All: Amen.

The Prayer of Jesus (sung)                                                       VU #959  

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kin-dom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil for the kin-dom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. 

Presider: The One who defeated death and injustice is now present in this bread. The One who offers our life promise and hope is now present in this wine.  

All: Breaking into our lives and community, We ask God for new life in Christ. 

Communion is Shared

Prayer after Communion 

God of grace,

We have received the memorial  of the death and resurrection of your Son. May your love, poured into us, Bring us to your promises.

We ask this in the name of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

All: Amen 

Hymn: Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah                                 CP #565 
1Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,  pilgrim through this barren land;  I am weak, but you are mighty;  hold me with your powerful hand.  Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,  feed me til I want no more,  feed me til I want no more.

 2Open now the crystal fountain,  where the healing stream doth flow.  Let the fire and cloudy pillar  lead me all my journey through.  Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,  be thou still my strength and shield,  be thou still my strength and shield.  

3When I tread the verge of Jordan,  bid my anxious fears subside.  Death of death, and hell's destruction,  land me safe on Canaan's side.  

Songs of praises, songs of praises  

I will ever give to thee, I will ever give to thee.

Blessing 

Presider: Now God keep you in all your days.  

Christ shield you in all your ways.