Hybrid Church, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, July 31, 2022, Rev. Karen Hollis

Christ Church Gabriola

A Collaborative Anglican – United Church

Open to All

Hybrid Church, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, July 31, 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

Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth (organ)                              VU #226

1 For the beauty of the earth,

for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth

over and around us lies,

[Refrain:]

God of all, to you we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

2 For the beauty of each hour

of the day and of the night,

hill and vale, and tree and flower,

sun and moon, and stars of light, [Refrain]

3 For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth and friends above,

for all gentle thoughts and mild, [Refrain]

4 For each perfect gift sublime

to our race so freely given;

graces human and divine,

flowers of earth and buds of heaven. [Refrain]

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 & Opening Prayer                          Jan Jorgensen, adapted

One:  As we gather and breathe into your presence, we remember our gratitude, O God.

All:    We thank you for mother earth, our home;

One:  We thank you for the heavens and the starlight;

All:    We thank you for all the plants, fellow creatures, soil, water,

          fire, air;

One:  We thank you for forests, plains, mountains, deserts, tundra, and oceans.

All:    We thank you for being a God of liberation, for you are ever

          seeking to bring us into the joy of your salvation; into a just,

          equitable, and holistic celebration of life.

One:  We thank you for your compassion, which holds each and every

          one of us.

All:    We thank you for coming to us as Jesus, our teacher, brother,

          and friend―for dying on the cross and breaking the power of

          death in order to bring us back into harmony with you and all

          of Creation.

One:  And now, when so much of the world is threatened with

destruction, help us to walk always with humility and gratitude among all these sacred gifts from you.

All:    Creator, thank you for your truth and wisdom, and for inviting

          us to travel the healing path with you; we offer you our hearts

          and minds so that we might embody your grace and share

          your blessings with all who live upon the earth. Amen.

Prayer of Confession                                                                       

Loving God, we confess before you today that we are most comfortable with our own way of doing things. 

Still, we don’t always know the best way… we don’t know the impact of our ways on others… we speak when we need to listen… we judge when we need to be curious.. we try to lead when we need to follow … we overreach when it is not our place.

We pray that you may teach us how to be good neighbours who live in

right relationship.

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy

silent prayer of confession

Assurance of Grace

God is gracious and merciful. God offers each of us healing for the past and a new way forward. Thanks be to the Living God for offering us new life!

 

Hymn: We Gather Together (organ)   The New Century Hymnal #421

1 We gather together

to ask the Lord's blessing,

to live in community,

seeking God's will.

We come now, as sisters

and brother, confessing

the sins that divide

and the wrong in us still.

 

2 Beside us, forgiving

enabling, sustaining,

you call us, O Savior,

to life that is new.

You draw us away

from self-centered complaining.

You lead us and guide us

in ways that are true.

 

3 All praise to the Spirit,

provider, defender.

You offer us freedom,

to follow or stray,

Empowering all by

the hope you engender.

Grant wisdom and courage

to follow your way.

Passing of the Peace

Those on zoom, I invite you to unmute. Jesus came to teach us about God and God’s ways. Jesus came to teach us about reconciliation, about doing the difficult things that make us more whole, more one. His is not a quiet or still peace, it is a dynamic peace that heals and makes all things new.

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: Hosea 11:1-11 (Alter)                                                      Reader: Angela Nutter

For Israel was a lad and I loved him,

       and from Egypt I called to My son.

They called to them,

       yet they went off from them.

To the Baalim they sacrificed,

       and to the idols they burned incense.

Yet I taught Ephraim to walk,

       took him by his arms,

       but they did not know that I had healed them.

With human cords I tugged them,

       with bonds of love,

and I became to them

       like those who lift an infant to their cheeks,

            and I bent over them and fed them.

No! He turned back to the land of Egypt,

       and Assyria was his king,

            for they refused to come back to Me.

And the sword shall swoop down on his towns 

       and destroy his limbs

            and devour because of their counsels.

And my people cling to rebellion against Me.

       When they call him on high,

            he does not rise up.

How can I give you over, Ephraim,

       surrender you, Israel?

How can I make you like Admah,

       set you like Zeboiim?

My heart churns within me,

       My compassion altogether is stirred.

I will not act in My blazing wrath,

       I will no more destroy Ephraim.

For I am God and not a man,

       the Holy One in your midst,

            and I do not desire to root out.

After the Lord they shall go,

       like a lion He shall roar.

When He roars,

       the sons shall hasten from the west.

They shall hasten like a bird from Egypt,

       like a dove from the Assyria’s land

            and I will settle them in their homes, said the Lord.

 

Psalm 107:1-9 (Voices United)                                                          Reader: Angela Nutter

O give thanks, for God is gracious;

       God’s steadfast love endures for ever.

Let the redeemed of God say so,

those redeemed from trouble,

       whom God gathered in from the lands,

from the east and the west,

       from the north and the south.

Some lost their way in desert wastes,

finding no place to settle;

       hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

Then they cried to you, God, in their trouble;

you rescued them from their distress.

       You led them by a straight path,

       till they reached a place to settle.

Let them thank you, O God, for your steadfast love,

for the wonders you do for us.

       For you satisfy the thirsty,

       and fill the hungry with good things

 

Gospel Reading                                                                                 Reader: Angela Nutter

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 12:13-21 (NRSV) Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Reader: This is the Gospel of Christ.   

All:          Praise be to Jesus Christ       

Reflection: Learning Gratitude (There are 3 attachments accompanying the sermon.)

Silent Reflection

New Zealand Creed

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

You, O God, are supreme and holy.

You create our world and give us life.

Your purpose overarches everything we do.

You have always been with us.

You are God.

              You, O God, are infinitely generous,

              good beyond all measure.

              You came to us before we came to you.

You have revealed and proved

your love for us in Jesus Christ,

who lived and died and rose again.

You are with us now.

You are God.

              You, O God, are Holy Spirit.

              You empower us to be your gospel in the world.

              You reconcile and heal; you overcome death.

              You are our God. We worship you.

 

Prayers of the People   Paddy Waymark (attached)

One:  God of Truth,

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.

Offering

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

Living Christ, you tell us stories about how to have spiritual abundance—welcoming the stranger, attending to those who need medical care, sharing what we have, spending time in soulful solitude. May we live out your legacy of practical and extravagant love. Bless our offerings to this purpose. 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: Touch the Earth Lightly v. 1,3,4 (piano)                                 VU #307

1 Touch the earth lightly,

use the earth gently,

nourish the life of the world in our care:

gift of great wonder,

ours to surrender,

trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

3 Let there be greening,

birth from the burning,

water that blesses and air that is sweet,

health in God's garden,

hope in God's children,

regeneration that peace will complete.

4 God of all living,

God of all loving,

God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,

teach us, deflect us,

Christ reconnect us,

using us gently, and making us one.

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!

Organ Postlude