Home Church, 10th Sunday after Pentecost, August 1, 2021, Rev. Karen Hollis

Home Church, 10th Sunday after PentecostAugust 1, 2021, Rev. Karen Hollis

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

Preparing the Space Around Us

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

Welcome if you are gathering on zoom or if you are worshipping at home with the bulletin. We are one community and all part of the body of Christ. I invite you to prepare the space around you so that for the next hour you can be fully in this worship experience, not to keep out the realities of the world, rather to focus us in the midst of it all on God. If you need to go and get something or shift something around you, feel free. We’re continuing this week with Jesus’ teaching in the gospel of John on the Bread of Life . . . we’re invited to think about the ways in which Christ (as the Bread of Life) is nourishing to us.

Preparing the Space within Us

Let us prepare now the space within us for a time of worship. I invite you to sit quietly, perhaps with feet on the floor, taking a couple of deep breaths and bring yourself into this moment. Open yourself to the presence of God who is with us and within us . . . as you intentionally open yourself to God, open yourself also to what you need from this time of worship.                                  

Greeting                                                         
One:    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, 

            and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All:      And also with you     

Call to Worship                     

One:    We heard something, O God, we heard that people are being             healed, that Jesus is the source of this healing.

All:      We came to him and he fed us in the most personal and             miraculous way. 

One:    We gather in this place because we are hungry again for hope,   hungry for connection, hungry for healing, hungry for life.

All:      We seek Jesus because he is the source of nourishment that     will sustain us always.

Opening Prayer                     

God of Abundance, you nourish us with the bread of life and sustain us with the peace that sets our longing hearts at rest. Come and fill us in this time of worship with the things we need today, the things that truly sustain us . . . come and fill us so that your love may overflow from us, into this needy world. In Christ Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

Hymn: We Come Now Lord -  MV #192

We come to seek your presence, Lord

you are the Living Bread.

We come to seek your presence, Lord

you are the Living Bread.

You are the Living Bread,

let ev’ry soul be fed:

and now may ev’ry soul be fed with Living Bread

Prayer of Confession  -  U.N. Environmental Sabbath, edited

Gracious God, 

who made the covenant promise with our ancestors, 

we gather here today a hungry and rebellious people. 

We want to act out your intentions for us, 

but we keep getting mixed up

with all the glitter of the world that looks like sustenance. 

You tell us to honour creation, 

and we use other people and animals and plant life 

to satiate our wants. 

You offer daily bread to every living creature, 

yet our way of life steals from others. 

You call us forward with promises of new life, 

and we shrink back from it in fear. 

We come before you now to name and acknowledge places in us that are the most hungry for love and transformation . . .

Silent prayer of confession

Assurance of Grace 

Receive God’s grace today and be assured that God is not angry with our brokenness, with the ways we try and fill ourselves up . . . rather offers love that is specific for you, God offers love for our specific places of need . . . may we all receive the love and grace God offers today.

Peace of Christ 

Whenever we gather, Christ is present with us. Let us share the peace he brings. Please unmute and let us share the peace of Christ with one another. 

            A-M: The Peace of Christ be with you!

            N-Z: And also with you!

 

First Reading: 2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a   -   Reader Don Moser

When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’ Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.         

Psalm 78:23-29  - Reader Paddy Waymark

Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.

Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; he let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings.

And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.

Gospel Reading  -  Reader Paddy Waymark

One:    God be with you.          

All:      And also with you.

One:    The Good News of Jesus Christ according to John;

All:      Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:24-35

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

One: This is the Gospel of Christ; 

All:   Praise be to Jesus Christ

Reflection:    (attached)                       

Silent Reflection

Apostle’s Creed 

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

Prayers of the People                                                                          Betty Schultze        

One:    Loving God,

All:      Hear Our Prayer

Lord’s Prayer  - Ecumenical Version

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom 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 kingdom, the power, 

and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

 

Offering  - Christine Blackburn

Offering Prayer 

Let us pray . . . 

Gracious and Loving God, it is so good to live in community! We are so grateful that during this season of covid we have been able to stay connected and engaged in each other’s lives even in small ways. We give thanks for emerging opportunities to hang out together, to get to know each other more deeply, to strengthen the bonds between us, and have some fun. You are with us and between us through it all. Amen.

Hymn: Let Us Talents & Tongues Employ - VU #468

1 Let us talents and tongues employ,

reaching out with a shout of joy:

bread is broken, the wine is poured,

Christ is spoken and seen and heard.

[Refrain:]

Jesus lives again,

earth can breathe again,

pass the Word around:

loaves abound!

2 Christ is able to make us one,

at the table he sets the tone,

teaching people to live to bless,

love in word and in deed express. [Refrain]

3 Jesus calls us in, sends us out

bearing fruit in a world of doubt,

gives us love to tell, bread to share.

God (Immanuel) everywhere! [Refrain]

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing  -   Iona Community

If you are with another person, you’re invited to bless each other, taking every other line.

One:      The Creator’s blessing be yours on your road, on your journey,  guiding you, cherishing you.

Male:     The Son’s blessing be yours, wine and water, bread and stories,  feeding you, challenging you.

Female:The Spirit’s blessing be yours, wind and fire, joy and wisdom,               comforting you, disturbing you.

All:        The Angel’s blessing be yours, on your house, on your living, guarding you, encouraging you. Let us walk together, a community on a journey, sustained in God’s blessing. Amen!

One:      Let us go now in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All:        Thanks be to God! Alleluia!