Home Church Service Sixth Sunday, after Pentecost July 12, 2020

Home Church

6th Sunday after Pentecost

July 12, 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 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

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    

Opening Prayer  Read the prayer slowly.                               

Psalm 119:105-108  Lynn Bauman

No step I take without the lamp-light of your word upon this darkened path to guide my way. Your light I’ll follow faithfully as right and good. This is the promise of my heart and mind to you. Even in the midst of deepening pain, it gives me life. Revive me, Lord, according to your word. Accept from me the veneration of your name, and in it teach me all I need to know.

Let us pray: Today we worship with our hands as well as our hearts and voices. With our bodies, we celebrate God’s word given to us, in literal words, and God’s Word to us made flesh in Christ Jesus, and known to us in our experience of life in creation. We open ourselves to you in this space and in the space within us, may they be good soil, ready to grow the seeds you sow. Amen.

Hymn: Open My Eyes that I May See    VU #371

1 Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

2 Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear;
and while the wave-notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

3 Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Invitation to Confession

Coming before God in a spirit of confession is a gift of our traditions to teach us how to offer to God the things that are too heavy to bear alone. Regrets and old hurts can weigh heavily on us . . . God is abounding in grace . . . one of the hardest things is forgiving ourselves and offering ourselves compassion.

Prayer of Confession    ~ Buddhist Prayer

If I have harmed anyone, in any way,

either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions,

I ask forgiveness

If anyone has harmed me, in any way,

either knowingly or unknowingly through their own confusions,

I forgive them

And if there is a situation I am not yet ready to forgive,

I forgive myself for that

For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle myself,

judge or be unkind to myself through my own confusions,                    

I forgive myself                                                                                         3

Silent Prayer of Confession

Assurance of Grace

God’s love walks with us and supports us in this challenging work of being human. Whoever you are and whatever you carry, God offers love and compassion and grace in response to everything we bring. Thanks be to God!

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:  David Soy

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

Isaiah 55:10-13

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Gospel Reading  Harold Jenner                          

One:    God be with you.          

All:      And also with you

One:    The Good News of Jesus Christ according to Matthew

All:      Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"  "Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

One: This is the Gospel of Christ;

All:   Praise be to Jesus Christ

Reflection:  Seeds & Soil (sermon 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     Paddy Waymark    (see attached)                 

One:    God of Light

All:      Hear Our Prayer

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

Due to this COVID season, we will be worshipping over zoom at least through September, and continue to do congregational life in socially distanced ways. This way of being church is providing significant challenges and is offering valuable gifts. I want to lift up this morning three particular ministries that continue on during this season – I will lift up other ministries on another day. The building committee has continued maintenance on the building – Loretta has done beautiful work on the grounds outside. Members of the building committee check the building a few times a week for insurance purposes. The Visioning Team continues to have weekly meetings and will soon have content for the congregation to engage. Communications is always a big role, and in this season, we have been leaning on Hilary more to help us to stay informed and connected. This is a marathon, not a sprint . . . and we are grateful for these contributions and many others to our congregational life.

Let us give thanks: Holy God, we look to you for sustenance throughout our lives and particularly in this season. We look to you for nourishment until our cup overflows for others. Bless all of the hands and feet in our midst and the hearts that serve in your name. We offer ourselves freely, for the service you call us to is a blessing. In gratitude 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: You Shall Go Out with Joy   VU #884

You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you.
There'll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands.

And the trees of the field will clap their hands,
And the trees of the field will clap their hands,
And the trees of the field will clap their hands,
While you go out with joy.

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.

First name A-M:

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

First name N-Z:

              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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