Hybrid Church, 6th Sunday after Pentecost, July 17, 2022 Rev. Karen Hollis

Hybrid Church, 6th Sunday after Pentecost, July 17, 2022 Rev. Karen Hollis

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! 

If 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. 

Welcome & Announcements

Centering & Stillness

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                                                                                                  enfleshed

One:  May we land in our bodies

All:    and soften our spirits

One:  to meet the Living God in our midst.

All:    The Holy Spirit is present within us,

One:  between us, and beyond us.

All:    Like a caring elder, the Spirit moves kindly, and wisely.

One:  Let us worship God, our comfort and our strength.

Opening Prayer                                                                                          enfleshed, adapted

Faithful One, systems of oppression strive to make us believe our dreams for living in right relationship are far-fetched. But we live in a long lineage of prophets, elders, and accomplices who have been tilling the soil of Life Abundant. Holy Spirit, thank you for those who have been tending the garden of Revolutionary Love long before us; guide us with Wisdom as we pick up the trowel. For our spiritual ancestors are with us and our dreams of living our interconnectedness are possible. Amen.

Hymn: Open My Eyes, That I May See (organ)                         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!

Prayer of Confession:                                                                        BAS

Most Merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Assurance of Grace

Thanks be to God for the love that meets us right where we are. Thanks be to God for the courage to tell the truth and hear God speak once again, I love you forever and ever.

Passing of the Peace

Jesus said to his disciples, “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Let us share his peace with one another:

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.

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

First Reading: Amos 8:1-12 (Alter)                Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce

Thus did the Master, the Lord, show me: And, look, a basket of summer’s-end fruit. And He said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer’s-end fruit.” And the Lord said to me:

The end has come upon My people Israel.

       I will no longer forgive them.

And the palace’s songstresses shall howl

       on that day, said the Lord:

            “Many corpses flung everywhere. Hush!”

Hear this, who trample the needy,

       destroying the poor of the land,

saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain, and 

       the sabbath, that we may trade in wheat?”

to use a short ephah measure and an oversize shekel-weight

       and to tilt cheating scales,

to buy the indigent with silver

       and the needy for the price of sandals,

            and we may sell chaff as grain.”

The Lord has sworn by the Pride of Jacob:

       I will never forget their acts.

For this should not the earth shudder

       and all its dwellers mourn?

It shall rise, altogether, like the Nile,

       heave and sink like the Nile of Egypt.

And it shall happen on that day, said the Lord,

       I will make the sun set at noon

            and darken the earth on a day of light.

And I will turn your festivals into mourning

       and all your songs into lament,

And lay sackcloth on all loins

       and every head a shaved pate.

And I will make her as the mourning for an only child

       and her end as a bitter day.

Look, days are coming, said the Lord,

       when I will let loose famine in the land,

not famine for bread

       and not thirst for water

            but for hearing the words of the Lord.

And they shall wander from sea to sea,

       and from the north to the east they shall roam

to seek the Lord’s word,

       but they shall not find it.

Psalm 52 (Robinson)                                                                     Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce

“My people” are a mess!*

Some of my people are such mess they brag about it.

Some of my people ignore the demands of good—

Some have tongues like razors.

Some put their trust in material things

and protect them fiercely.

They just don’t get it.

Some of my people are doomed to die.

They will get snatched out of their protective tents 

and hung out to dry.

And the rest of my people will say—

“You see…We’ve been trying to tell you…”

Some of my people are planted like little trees 

in the house of God

They trust in the steadfast love of God

They thank God forever.

And proclaim God’s name to those who can hear.

(They will also die in their time, but for now, 

May I identify with them, and thrive.)

*Some South American Indians talk about the facets of self as “my people.”

Gospel Reading                                                                          Reader: Christine Blackburn

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 Christ according to Luke

All:          Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:38-42 (NRSV) 

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."         

Reader: This is the Gospel of Christ.   

All:          Praise be to Jesus Christ       

Reflection        

Silent Reflection

Iona Affirmation of Faith

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

We believe in God above us, Maker and Sustainer of all life, 

of sun and moon, of water and earth, of male and female. 

We believe in God beside us, Jesus Christ, the word made flesh, 

born of a woman, servant to the poor, tortured and nailed to a tree. 

A man of sorrows, he died forsaken. 

He descended into the earth to the place of death. 

On the third day, he rose from the tomb. 

He ascended into heaven to be everywhere present, 

and His kingdom will come on earth. 

We believe in God within us, the Holy Spirit of Pentecostal fire, 

life-giving breath of the church, spirit of healing and forgiveness, 

source of resurrection and of eternal life. Amen

Prayers of the People                                                                                    Mona Smart             

One:  Loving God,

All:    Hear Our Prayers

Lord’s Prayer (spoken)         

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.

Invitation for Offering 

Lay Assistant please come forward

Doxology (organ)                                                                                                                CP #669

Praise God the Source of life and birth,

Praise God the Word, who cam to earth.

Praise God the Spirit, holy flame.

All Glory, honour to God’s name.

Offering Prayer                                                                                                  enfleshed

Spirit of Christ, grant us sustained focus on what is life-giving so that restoration, joy, and mutuality may flow in our lives and in our communities. According to our abilities, we offer each other gifts of money, relationship, and labor that it may be so. Amen.

Invitation to Communion

This table of bread and wine is now to be made ready. It is the table of company with Jesus; it is the table of sharing with the poor of the world, with whom Jesus identified himself; it is the table of communion with the earth, in which Christ became incarnate; it is the table of radical welcome in the name of our God. Come to this table, whether you are online or in person; it is Christ who invites us to meet him here.

The Great Thanksgiving                                                                        enfleshed

The Holy One be with you

And also with you

Open your hearts to the One who is Love

We open our hearts to you, O God

Let us give thanks to God, who gathers us together

To the One who welcomes us to the table, we give thanks and praise

God, your invitation to come and feast in your presence is but a taste of the love you extend to us every day. By your very nature, you are always seeking us out – searching for ways to connect us and connect with us. You meet us in the most ordinary of places and you make them sacred. By your grace, we come to recognize the holiness that dwells in the world around us, in our neighbours, in our own internal depths.

Therefore we join our voices with your people on earth and all the company of the heavens, singing praise to you,

Sanctus (a cappella)                                                                   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 heav’n, creation sings your praise.

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

Blessed are you and blessed is your eternal table. You welcome all who thirst for justice and hunger to grow in love. You ask us to extend this same welcome to all our neighbours, but God, since our beginning, we have struggled.

And so in your love for us, you took on flesh in Jesus. Through his life, you pointed to your presence on the margins. You revealed the sacredness in all life. You showed us how to live together, even among forces of destruction.

Believing it could transform the world, Jesus proclaimed the Good News. He called for the captives to be set free. He spoke of the lowly being lifted up. He talked of redistributing wealth and eradicating the causes of poverty. His commitment to practising love knew no bounds – not even the bounds of death.

On the night of his arrest, Jesus shared a meal with his companions.

He took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to his disciples and said:

“This is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.”

After the meal, he took the cup, blessed it, and shared it saying:

“This cup that is poured out is the new covenant.”

In remembrance of all you have done to save us,

we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

Christ was birthed among us.                     

Christ was killed among us.

Christ rises again among us. 

Pour out your Spirit on these gifts, O God. Make these ordinary elements into the Sacred gift of your presence with us once again. May they awaken us anew to your everlasting invitation into a life of resurrection. Aliven us in our pursuit of a world where all needs are met, power is balanced, and the worth of every creature and creation is celebrated.

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

all glory is yours, 

Almighty God now and forever, 

Amen

Breaking the Bread

One:  “I am the bread of life,” Jesus says. “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry; whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

All:    Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who trust in him!

One: These are the gifts of God for the people of God.

All:    Thanks be to God.

One:  Let us all who are gathered here receive Christ in our hearts. Those gathered in the sanctuary are also invited to receive a wafer.

Those on the socially distanced side of the sanctuary, please remain seated to be served in the pew. Those on the non-socially distanced side, please keep to your right as you process up behind the communion table to receive and continue around, back to your seat.

Communion Hymn: Break Thou the Bread of Life (organ)                                                          

Prayer After Communion                                                                    enfleshed

God, by the bread of heaven and the cup of life, you make us one body. Bind us together by your spirit that we might live into your hopes for us, a community centered in Christ and rich in compassion, commitment, courage, and care. May it be so.

Hymn: How Great Thou Art v. 1,2,4 (organ)                                  VU #238

1 O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

consider all the works thy hands hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander,

and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]

4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration

and there proclaim: "My God, how great thou art!" [Refrain]

Thank You

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.

A-M:  The Son’s blessing be yours, wine and water, bread and stories,

          feeding you, challenging you.

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!

 

Christine Robinson: She is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister, living in Albuquerque, NM. She describes herself as a human being, mom, wife, and friend. She is intrigued with technology and how it can help us minister to each other and our world. She says this about her improvisation of the psalms: "The Book of Psalms is one of the most beloved of the prayer books of humanity, and with good reason. Its 150 chapters cover a multitude of spiritual moods and issues and is a foundation of Christian spirituality. These improvisations of the Psalms were the result of three years of daily spiritual practice, now several years ago. To improvise is to use a theme in a way that is recognizable but fresh. I hope I have achieved that. I share them with the prayer that they might speak to other people of faith--and doubt-- and enrich their lives and experience of the divine."

Cover Photo: Shane Rounce on Unsplash