HYBRID WORSHIP, Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 30 AUGUST 2026, Lay Led

HYBRID WORSHIP

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

30 AUGUST 2026

Lay Led

Music: Frances Armstrong

We acknowledge that 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!

Words for Worship

Words of response are in bold & italics

Prelude

Gathering Words

Acknowledgement of the Land                                         Susan Brockley

Centering and Stillness

Be still and know that I am God.                                                   (Psalm 46:10)

(invitation to sit in silence)

Gathering Prayer            (Christine Longhurst, Assistant Professor of Worship and Music                                                          

                                                                                           Canadian Mennonite University (adapted)

Holy God we come before You this morning with open hearts and open hands, eager to hear Your Word, and eager to know Your will.

Through the power of Your Holy Spirit,
move within us and among us as we worship.
Open our eyes to Your presence;
open our ears to Your call;
open our hearts to one another.
And then send us back out into the world,
to live and work as Your faithful disciples.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, Amen.

Lighting of Candle

Christ is our Light.

            Thanks be to God!

Opening Hymn: Come and Find the Quiet Centre                                 VU #374

 

Prayer for Forgiveness

Gracious God,

as people called to be your presence in the world,

we search our hearts, and ask your forgiveness;

for opportunities not taken, for care not given,

            Forgive us we pray.

For sorrow not shared, for joy not celebrated,

Forgive us, we pray.

For love not offered, forgiveness not extended,

Forgive us we pray.

For those failings we cannot speak aloud.

Forgive us, we pray.

(silence)

Assurance of Grace                                                         (United Church of Christ)

God’s mercy extends beyond the bounds of even our collective imagination.

God’s love seeps through any wall we could ever put up. 

God’s goodness holds more power than the sum of all sin.

It is because of that extensive, seeping, powerful and bold love

We declare in the name of the blessed and holy Trinity: 
That God forgives us all our sins.

Thanks be to God.

Affirmation of Faith

Hear the teaching of Christ:

You shall love the Lord your God

With all your heart

And with all your soul

And with all your mind

And with all your strength.

This is the first commandment

And the second is this:

You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

Peace of Christ

May the peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Let us share the peace of Christ with one another.

Prayer Before the Reading of Scripture                                       Elizabeth Beale

Holy Mystery,

In the darkness and silence of our prayer you call to us.

Help us to listen and to hear. Help us to respond.

Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:1-15 (NIV)                  Reader: Elizabeth Beale

Moses and the Burning Bush

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.                                                        

This is the Word of God.

            Thanks be to God.

Psalm 105 (part one)                                                                            VU #828

[Refrain]

Bless God, my soul. Hallelujah!

Give thanks and call on God's name.
Make known to the nations what God has done.

Sing, O sing the songs of praise,
tell of all God's wonderful deeds.

Exult in God's holy name;

let those who seek God be joyful in heart. [R]

 

Turn for help to the One who is your strength;

seek God’s presence continually.

            Remember the marvels the Most High has done,

            the wonders and judgements God has given.

O children of Abraham and Sarah, God’s servants,

            O offspring of Israel, chosen of God [R]

You are the eternal God,

            your justice reaches every corner of the earth.

You are ever mindful of your covenant,

The promise you gave to a thousand generations,

            the covenant you made with Sarah and Abraham,

            The oath you gave to Isaac.

You confirmed it for Jacob as binding.

To Israel your everlasting covenant you declared,

            “To you I give the land of Canaan,

as your appointed inheritance.” [R]

 

Epistle: Romans 12:9-21 (NIV)                                                           Reader: Pat Armstrong

Love in Action

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is the Word of God.

            Thanks be to God.

Hymn: What Wondrous Love Is This                                                   VU #147

Gospel Reading                                                                                                    Reader: Pat Armstrong

As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.

God be with you.

            And also with you.

The Good News according to Matthew.

            Glory to you, Christ Jesus

Matthew 16:21-28 (NIV)

Jesus Predicts His Death

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief

priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

This is the Gospel of Christ.

            Thanks be to God.

Reflection: Spiritual Courage - Expressing Love in Action   L. Jackson

Hymn: Fire of God, Undying Flame                                                      VU #209

Life and Work of the Church

Prayers of the People                                                                              Susan Brockley

God-with-us

Hear our prayer.

Lord’s Prayer                                                                              CP #684

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

 

Offering

(While offerings are gathered, quiet music is played.  Monetary offerings are brought to the front and the congregation sings)

Doxology

Praise God the Source of life and birth,

Praise God the Word, who came to earth.

Praise God the Spirit, holy flame.

All glory, honour to God’s name.

Prayer of Dedication                                                        (Earth Gospel p.137)

God of wholeness,

you have created us bodily,

that our work and faith may be one.

May we offer our worship

From lives of integrity;

And maintain the fabric of this world

with hearts that are set on you,

through Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Closing Hymn: When Heaven’s Bright with Mystery                       VU #93

 

Blessing and Sending                                                                            (Earth Gospel p.165)

May the Creator

give us eyes to see

the new creation spring forth –

May Christ

give us ears to hear

The laughter of new life –

May the Spirit

set the feet of our hearts

dancing to the rhythm

of resurrection.

 

References

Poore, S.H. (2008) Earth Gospel. Upper Room Books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God.
But only those who see take off their shoes;
The rest sit around and pluck blackberries.

 

                               - from Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning