September 8, 2024 – 11:00am
Congregation of Hope United Church
2550 Danforth Ave.
Worship - Rev. Brian Stevens
Music Director – Marc Michalak
Prelude -“Harmony of The Angels” - by Friedrich Burgmuller
By Autumn Smith
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LAND
It is with respect that we acknowledge the world views, spirituality and history of Canada’s First Peoples. Hope United is residing on the Ancestral lands of the Huron Weyandat Nation and the Treaty lands of the Seneca Nation and the Haudensaunee Confederacy.
We thank the Mississauga of the Credit and the Anishinabek Nations who are the current Protectors of this land. We also thank All Indigenous Canadians for sharing this land. We affirm our commitment to ensure that Hope United Church continues to live in Right Relations with all First Peoples. Let it be so.
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GATHERING “Don’t Be Afraid” (3X)
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger.
My love is stronger than your fear
Don’t be afraid… My love is stronger and
I have promised, promised to be always near.
CALL TO WORSHIP
(adapted from: Ministry Matters.com)
How wonderful it is to be in a dwelling place for God! The refreshing springs of God’s love cleans and restore us. There is a place here for everyone. No one is turned away. The least and the lost;
The homeless and hopeless
All are always welcome in God’s house.
Praise to God who invites and shelters us all.
Praise to God who heals and sends us forth to serve. AMEN.
OPENING HYMN MV #84 - “In You There Is a Refuge”
In you there is a refuge, in you we find our peace When all we know is chaos may our trust in you increase In you there is a silence, in you our minds are clear. When all we hear is discord, may your quiet draw us near.
In you there is a vision, in you we earn to dream.
When all we see is desert may you be our living stream. In you there is a future, in you we find our way.
When hope has shed its brightness may you show us a new day.
OPENING PRAYER
(Daily Common Worship)
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all, to you be glory and praise for ever. You founded the earth in the beginning and the heavens are the work of your hands.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image, and in these last days you have spoken to us in your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us, may the light of your love always shine in our hearts, your Spirit ever renew our lives and your praises ever be on our lips. Blessed be God, Creator, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
We light this candle as a symbol of love, care,
peace and. May all who open themselves to this
light, walk always with an open heart, in the light
and love of the Lord. Amen.
“Touch Us With Your Light”
Light from this candle burning bright,
Light our way through dark of night.
Help us find our way to you,
Guide us, touch us with your Light, O Lord.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
(Hampton United Church Church)
God, the Creator of all there ever was and of all that ever will be, had created us—humanity—as a loving partner in the fullness of creation on earth. Yet, we —each individually, and all collectively—have fallen
short of the Caretaker’s call and treated the Earth as our own possession. Creation itself cries out. Let us seek right relationship with all of God’s creation.
Creator God, thank you for your creation. We confess that we have exploited the gifts within nature, and that we selfishly dominate the richness of creation for our own comfort and recreation. God, forgive us for our grasping, and open our eyes so that we can see your living spirit in all the works of creation. Amen.
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GLORIA – VU # 37 (3X)
Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia!
May the Peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
FIRST READING - James 2:1–10, 14–17
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
The Word of the LORD.
Thanks be to God.
VU # 849
Refrain: Those who trust in God,
stand fast forever.
Those who trust in God are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So God, you surround your people now and forever. Refrain
The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
on the land assigned to the just,
Lest the just should put out their hand to do evil.
Do good, O God, to those who are good,
To those who are upright in heart.
As for those who turn aside into crooked ways,
Our God shall lead them away with evil-doers;
But peace shall be upon Israel. Refrain
GOSPEL READING Mark 7:24-37
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
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Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly.
Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The Word of the Lord!
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
MV # 161 - “I Have Called You by Your Name”
I have called you by your name, you are mine;
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you;
all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called, and chosen; you are mine.
I will help you learn my name as you go;
read it written in my people, help them grow.
Pour the water in my name,
speak the word your soul can claim,
offer Jesus' body, given long ago.
I know you will need my touch as you go;
feel it pulsing in creation's ebb and flow.
Like the woman reaching out,
choosing faith in spite of doubt,
hold the hem of Jesus' robe, then let it go.
I have given you a name, it is mine;
I have given you my Spirit as a sign.
With my wonder in your soul,
make my wounded children whole;
go and tell my precious people they are mine.
SERMON: “Trusting God: with our fears & joys” - Rev Brian Stevens -
“Sing A New Song Unto The Lord”
by Dan Schutte
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Sovereign God, receive our offerings for the nurture and expansion of your kingdom. May they be magnified and the spirit of generosity among your people amplified so that all may do well. Amen.
DOXOLOGY: VU # 540 - “Grant Us, God the Grace”
Grant us God the grace of giving, with a spirit large and free, That ourselves and all our living, We may offer faithfully.
PASTORAL PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER
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 those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom…
and the power, and the glory…forever and ever. Amen.
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VU # 480 - “Let Us Break Bread Together”
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.
When I fall down on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
Oh, Lord have mercy on me.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
When I fall down on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
Oh, Lord have mercy on me.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
When I fall down on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
Oh, Lord have mercy on me.
LITURGY OF COMMUNION
God be with you…
And also with you!
Lift up your hearts…
We lift our hearts in prayer
Let us give thanks to God
It is good to give God thanks and praise!
Loving God, source of all, we thank you and praise you with our lips and with our lives, that, having created us and all things through your word, you welcome our prayer and praise. For the goodness of creation and the glory of redemption we praise you. For your risen presence on this day we thank you as we are grateful for the law and prophets who came before you. Therefore, with all that is seen and unseen, and with all the faithful of every time and place, we join in this hymn of praise and thanksgiving…
.
MV # 203 – “Holy, Holy, Holy”
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!
Loving God, Holy one, we offer our praise and thanksgiving over this bread and cup, because in Jesus Christ you have joined yourself forever with us, uniting heaven and earth. Now, therefore, we gratefully remember:
Jesus’ birth into our humanity,
Baptism for our sin,
Compassion for our suffering,
Intimacy with our fragility,
Rebuke of our pride,
Bearing the cross with its death,
And rising from the tomb by the power of God.
On the night before he died, Jesus took a loaf of bread, gave you thanks, broke it and said Take, eat, this is my body broken for you. Each time you do this, remember me.
Then Jesus took a cup, and having given thanks, he passed it to his friends saying: Drink. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this in remembrance of me. Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
MV # 204 – “Memorial Acclamation”
Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come a-gain! Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come a-gain!
Loving God, come to us and bless these gifts of bread and wine that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ; the sign and seal of our forgiveness in him and our adoption as the children of God. As we eat and drink together, on this happy day, make
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us one with Christ and one in Christ, a sign of his
eternal reign in the world.
This sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving we offer you, loving God, though Jesus Christ our Saviour, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Life-giving God may we who share in Christ’s body live his risen life;
We, who drink this cup, bring new life to others;
We, whom the Spirit lights, give light to the world.
MV # 205 – “Great Amen”
Amen, amen O Holy One! Hosanna and Amen!
Amen, amen O Holy One! Hosanna and Amen!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday Lunch n’ Learn – September 12th at 12:30pm
Danforth Village Children’s Choir - September 12 at 4:15pm. This is a community children’s choir for ages 7- 13. The tuition fee is $200 per semester. Register: danforthvillagechildrenschoir@gmail.com
September 16th, 6:30pm – 8pm - Join MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon in the Auditorium at Hope United for a panel discussion with Michael Garron Hospital. Please RSVP: https://mmmbey.com/community conversations-a-healthcare-heart-to-heart/
Keep Hope Alive Concert Saturday, Sept 21st at 7:30pm. A concert of spoken word & music. The theme is ‘Lands on & Around Hope up to 1914’. Tickets are $10. Save the date – more details to follow soon!
Grassy Narrows River Run – September 18th @ 12 noon. Show solidarity with the people of Grassy Narrows in their fight for Indigenous and environmental justice. For more info & to register: https://freegrassy.net/grassy-narrows-river-run-2024/
CLOSING PRAYER
(adapted from United Church of Christ)
Holy One, we confess our tendency to exclude rather than to include, to form closed groups rather than open communities, and to prioritize comfort rather than embrace curiosity. Help us to truly love our neighbor, whether family, friend, stranger, or foe, as ourselves and with the love you demonstrate toward us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
MV # 28 - “God of The Bible”
God of the Bible, God of the gospel
Hope seen in Jesus, hope yet to come,
You are our centre, daylight or darkness
Freedom or prison, you are our home.
Refrain: Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise God always faithful, you do not change.
Fresh as the morning, sure as he sunrise
God always faithful, you do not change.
God in our struggles, God in our hunger,
suffering with us, taking our part,
still you empow’r us, mothering Spirit,
feeding, sustaining, from your own heart.
Refrain: Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise God always faithful, you do not change.
Fresh as the morning, sure as he sunrise
God always faithful, you do not change
Those without status, those who are nothing,
you have made royal, gifted with rights,
chosen as partners, midwives of justice,
birthing new systems, lighting new lights.
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Refrain: Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise God always faithful, you do not change.
Fresh as the morning, sure as he sunrise
God always faithful, you do not change
Not by your finger, not by your anger,
will our world order change in a day,
but by your people, fearless and faithful,
small paper lanterns, lighting the way.
Refrain: Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise God always faithful, you do not change.
Fresh as the morning, sure as he sunrise
God always faithful, you do not change
Hope we must carry, shining and certain
through all our turmoil, terror and loss,
bonding us gladly one to the other,
till our world changes facing the Cross
Refrain: Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise God always faithful, you do not change.
Fresh as the morning, sure as he sunrise
God always faithful, you do not change
BENEDICTION
(United Church of Christ)
Go into the world as agents of healing
Appreciating the wonder of creation
In all forms, expressions, and ways
Boldly embracing the fullness of humanity
Welcoming the stranger, ad considering the other as friend. Go in peace.
CHORAL BLESSING - “Walk In Love”
Walk in love as you go into the world,
Walk in peace with everyone you meet,
May God’s grace touch your heart, mind and soul… This day and evermore, Amen. Amen, Alleluia and Amen!
POSTLUDE - “In The Spirit” - by Christopher Norton
Please join us downstairs for hospitality
following the service.
Hope United.ca
Church Office
416-691-9682
Office Hours
Wednesdays and Thursdays
10:00am – 2:00pm
HopeUnitedChurch@gmail.com
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