Home Church 17th Sunday after Pentecost September 27, 2020 Rev. Karen Hollis

Home Church 17th Sunday after Pentecost September 27, 2020 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 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.

Preparing the Space within Us

We are currently in the Season of Creation that is observed both by the United and Anglican churches. This is a time to reflect on creation and our relationship with it. Our worship during these 5 weeks is be based mostly on Earth Gospel by Sam Hamilton Poore, which outlines a

 4 week series of daily readings, reflections, and blessings on this topic.

We are observing the following themes: Creation, Wisdom, Humankind’s Vocation, Sin and God’s Recreation, and Sabbath. Now let us prepare 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.

Opening Words     Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Love all God’s creation,

the whole and every grain of sand in it.

Love every leaf,

every ray of God’s light.

Love the animals,

love the plants,

love everything.

If you love everything,

you will perceive

the divine mystery in things.

Once you perceive it,

you will begin to comprehend it better every day.

And you will come at last to love the whole world

with an all-embracing love.                

Opening Prayer      Christian Conference of Asia 1991
Creator God, breathing your own life into being,

you gave us the gift of life:

you placed us on this earth

            with its minerals and waters,

            flowers and fruits,

            living creatures of grace and beauty.

You gave us care of the earth.

Teach us, Creator God of Love,

That the earth and all its fullness is yours,

The world and all who dwell in it.

Call us yet again to safeguard the gift of life. Amen

Hymn: Spirit of the Living God    VU #376

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mould me, fill me, us me.

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

 

Spirit of the Living God, move among us all;

make us one in heart and mind, make us one in love:

humble, caring, selfless, sharing

Spirit of the Living God, fill our lives with love!

Prayer of Confession     Sam Hamilton-Poore

Set me free, O God,

from my empire-prison

of human self-importance.

Help me to serve you and your creation

with energy, intelligence, imagination and love.

Silent Prayer of Confession

Assurance of Grace

May you experience anew God’s great Yes to you and to creation –

and may this Yes set you free to live and love abundantly.

Peace of Christ

Christ is with us and in the space between us. 

Let us share the peace he brings!

              The Peace of Christ be with you!

              And also with you!

First Reading: Genesis 1:24-31    Translation by Robert Alter  (Paddy Waymark)

Listen for the word of God to you this morning . . .

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of each kind, cattle and crawling things and wild beasts of each kind. And so it was. And God made wild beasts of each kind and cattle of every kind and all crawling things on the ground of each kind, and God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let us make a human in our image, by our like-ness, to hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and the cattle and the wild beasts and all the crawling things that crawl upon the earth.

And God created the human in his image,

in the image of God He created him,

male and female He created them.

And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it, and hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and every beast that crawls upon the earth.” And God said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth and every tree that has fruit-bearing seed, yours they will be for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens and to all that crawls on the earth, which has the breath of life within it, the green plants for food.” And so it was. And God saw all that He had done, and, look, it was very good. And it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All:   Thanks be to God.

Second Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 9:1-4a NRSV  (Betty Schultze)

‘O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy,
who have made all things by your word,
 and by your wisdom have formed humankind
to have dominion over the creatures you have made, 

 and rule the world in holiness and righteousness,
and pronounce judgement in uprightness of soul,

 give me the wisdom that sits by your throne

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All:   Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading: Philippians 4:4-9   NRSV  (Betty Schultze)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All:   Thanks be to God.

Reflection:   Rev. Karen Hollis ( see attached)            

Silent Reflection

A New Creed: Let us affirm our faith . . .

We are not alone,
    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:
    who has created and is creating,
    who has come in Jesus,
       the Word made flesh,
       to reconcile and make new,
    who works in us and others
       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

We are called to be the Church:
    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

Prayers of the People (Paddy Waymark)    (see attached)                 

One:    God of Compass,

All:      Hear Our Words

Lord’s Prayer   New Zealand Prayer Book – Jim Cotter

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all

that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God,

in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of

the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come one earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen

Offering   (Lisa Griffith)

Let us pray . . .

Loving God, you are with us always, and in the spaces between us.  In this season of precautions, of distancing and of isolation, we look to you for connection and hope.  Draw us together in community, where we find the connection that nourishes and brings light to our darkest places.  In Christ Jesus we pray, Amen.

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.

Hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me    VU #567

Will You Come And Follow Me
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Go Where You Don’t Know
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Let My Love Be Shown,
Will You Let My Name Be Known,
Will You Let My Life Be Grown
In You And You In Me?

Will You Leave Yourself Behind
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Care For Cruel And Kind
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Risk The Hostile Stare
Should Your Life Attract Or Scare?
Will You Let Me Answer Prayer
In You And You In Me?

Will You Love The ‘You’ You Hide
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Quell The Fear Inside
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Use The Faith You’ve Found
To Reshape The World Around,
Through My Sight And Touch And Sound
In You And You In Me?

Christ, Your Summons Echoes True
When You But Call My Name.
Let Me Turn And Follow You
And Never Be The Same.
In Your Company I’ll Go
Where Your Love And Footsteps Show.
Thus I’ll Move And Live And Grow
In You And You In Me.

Blessing

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!

 

 

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