Ninth Sunday After Pentecost July 9, 2022 – 11:00am
Congregation of Hope United Church 2550 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Worship Leadership
Rev. Brian Stevens
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Interim Music Director
Dr. Alexandra Weiss
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PRELUDE:
“Prelude In G Minor” - By Florent Schmitt
Frank Polson
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LAND
With respect, we acknowledge the world views, spirituality, history, and stewardship of the Mississaugas of the New Credit, Wendat, Haudenshonee and Anishnaabe, on whose traditional lands our church resides.
We thank and honor the other indigenous peoples who share this land. As followers of the Jesus Way, we affirm our commitment as a people empowered to work in restoring broken relationships.
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Gathering Hymn
MV # 4 - “All Who Are Thirsty”
All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the fountain.
Dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As deep cries out to deep.
We sing…
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come.
All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the fountain.
Dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As deep cries out in deep.
We sing…
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come.
Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come
Used with permission Gathering Pentecost 1 2023 Wetaskiwin Writers
We open ourselves to the One who gave us life. We bring ourselves before God our Creator:
Settlers, new immigrants, and First Peoples: pilgrims all. We come to pray, to sing, to dance with God's Spirit.
Settlers, new immigrants, and First Peoples: pilgrims all. Come, followers of Jesus, people of God.
Settlers, new immigrants, and First Peoples: pilgrims all. Let us worship God, who is the centre of our circle, the source of reconciling love.
Settlers, new immigrants, and First Peoples: pilgrims all. We are all called to service in Christ's name.
MV # 156 - “Dance With The Spirit”
Dance with the Spirit early in the mornin’,
Walk with the Spirit throughout the long day.
Work and hope for the new life abornin’,
Listen to the Spirit to show you the way.
Move with the Spirit early in the mornin’,
Move with the Spirit throughout the long day.
Work and hope for the new life abornin’,
Listen to the Spirit to show you the way.
Sing with the Spirit early in the mornin’,
Sing with the Spirit throughout the long day.
Work and hope for the new life abornin’,
Listen to the Spirit to show you the way.
Dance with the Spirit early in the mornin’,
Walk with the Spirit throughout the long day.
Work and hope for the new life abornin’,
Listen to the Spirit to show you the way.
(United Church of Christ)
O God of Heaven and Earth, who is glorified in the wisdom of children—the experts of presence and oneness. May we evoke your humble heart within us. May we wonder what it might mean to feel our exhaustion and your love, at the exact same time. May we consider all you’ve tried to show, give, or say to us that we weren’t yet ready for. Prepare our souls to yoke with yours, to share in the Good News that revives every living thing. We ask this in your name and energy, Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
We light this candle…
a symbol of peace…
a symbol of Christ’s light in the world
a symbol that love is more powerful than the darkest of nights. May it burn brightly within us all. 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
(United Church of Christ) Spirit of God, you are always among us, and yet at times we don’t notice or get caught up in our judgments. Not recognizing you in the stranger on the street or the stranger in me—who does not do the
things I want, but rather the things I hate.
Perhaps we thought our certainty would
keep us safe or ignorance would keep us
pain-free, but you show us the way of trust
and awareness is what paves the path of
peace. Forgive and help us, O God, by the
power grace and connection. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF GRACE
No matter the weight of our burdens or the age of our weariness, let us come before our rest-giving God. Rest for our shame and unbelief. Rest for our bootstraps, egos, and false idols. Rest to open us up to grace that says, I feel so much better since I laid my burdens down. Rest for the receptivity to our yes. Yes to forgiveness, yes to repair, and yes to being fearfully and wonderfully made. Amen.
VU # 37 – “Gloria”
Gloria! Gloria!
In excelsis Deo!
Gloria! Gloria!
Alleluia, alleluia!
THE PEACE OF CHRIST
May the Peace of Christ
be with you always.
And also with you.
FIRST READING
Genesis 24:34–38, 42–49, 58–67
So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’
“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” and if she says to me,
“Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
“She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter, are you?’
“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshipped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.
So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you increase
to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess
the cities of their enemies.”
Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Refrain: God has blessed you forever and ever.
VU # 769
My heart overflows with a noble theme
I utter the song I have made for the king
my tongue like the pen of a ready scribe.
You are the fairest, the most handsome;
God endows your speech with grace;
God has blessed you forever. Refrain
Gird your sword on your thigh, O hero.
In splendour and majesty.
In your majesty ride on to conquer
In the cause of truth and justice.
Let your right hand teach by awesome deeds,
Arrows sharp in the heart of royal enemies.
The nations shall fall at your feet.
Your divine throne endures forever.
Your royal sceptre is righteousness;
You love right and hate what is wrong.
Your God has anointed you
With more oil of gladness than all your peers.
All your garments are fragrant
With myrrh, aloes and cassia;
Out of the ivory palaces
Stringed music make you glad. Refrain
SECOND READING
ROMANS 7: 15 - 25
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
GOSPEL READING - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
“‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
The Father Revealed in the Son
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Hear the Good News of Christ!
Praise to you, O Christ.
“I’m Gonna Lay Down My Burden”
I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside.
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I aint’ gonna study war no more
Aint gonna study war no more… study war no more
I aint’ gonna study war no more
Aint’ gonna study war no more… study war no more.
I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside.
SERMON “Laying Down Our Burdens” – Rev. Brian Stevens MUSIC MINISTRY - Dr. Alexandra Weiss
OFFERING PRAYER
(United Church of Christ)
Our God plays the flute for us.
Do we not hear it? Shall we not
respond with a dance? Shall we
not come to each other with
thanksgiving, and in turn share
the gifts that we have? How might we be abundant? And in what ways are we still in need? Let us bring it all as an offering, through our faith and humanity.
For that which weights us down doesn’t just disappear in the wind, but rather lightens because the load is shared. So, God of Our Yoke, may we prosper in solidarity. May what feels hard, be the “right” kind of hard—one that strengths us in growth and connection. Let the cycle of suffering finally have its last day, and the Year of Jubilee begin with us. Amen.
Doxology: VU # 549 - “For All Your Goodness, God”
For all your goodness, God
We give you thanks
Thanks for the food we eat
And for the friends we meet,
For each new day we greet
We give you thanks.
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE
OF THE WORLD
(adapted from lutherancore.website.com)
Let us lift our hearts, hands, and
voices in prayer to God on
behalf of all people.
A brief silence…
Creator God thank you for the presence of Jesus in our lives. He is our friend, companion and yokefellow. Thank you for soul’s refreshment and heart’s ease; for mind’s nourishment and body’s rest. Thank you for the countless blessings we so often take for granted.
Lord, in your mercy…
Please hear our prayer this day.
Grant that your Church should always be as gentle and lowly of heart as its Savior. May is be a place where those with heavy burdens, find love and support… that they might lay their burdens down and walk with freer, lighter hearts Let the Church’s mission – faith toward you and fervent love toward others – be a light and joyous burden to bear.
Lord, in your mercy…
Please hear our prayer this day.
Give encouragement and respite to your persecuted, where there is war… may there be peace. Help us, who are richly supplied with your good gifts, to share generously with them. Teach us to pray for, as well as speak and act for those who have had their voices silenced.
Lord, in your mercy…
Please hear our prayer this day.
For all those in need of your healing Love; those we name aloud or hold in the stillness of our hearts…and for all intentions offered at this time
Lord, in your mercy…
Please hear our prayer this day.
Hear our prayers, O Lord, as they touch your heart through the Spirit who searches our hearts. For the sake of your beloved Son, answer them as may be best for us and give you glory. Amen.
Let us join our voices with the words Jesus taught us…
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
thy kingdom come, thy 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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today we welcome Dr. Alexandra Weiss as our interim Music Director.
This past week the work shifted to the upper section of the Danforth window with a 50’ scissor lift. This has been a project we have been preparing for; as the window has been due for restoration for some time. The approximate cost will be $80,000 or $200 per square foot..
We welcome your creative ideas and input as we seek ways to gather resources to fund the restoration. Our first project will be counting the rectangle panes of glass. With a donation of $50.00 for each rectangle of leaded glass, we can cover a significant portion of the cost. You will find more information on the table by the entrance.
Lord... help us to lay down our burdens at your
feet… To carry those we must, to tarry with a
lighter heart, knowing your presence in our lives
lifts the weight of life’s yoke from our shoulders
and heart. Remind us that our rest is in you, that
we may have peace of heart as we journey.
Amen
VU # 420 - “Go To The World”
Go to the world! Go into all the earth.
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life's worth,
baptizing as the sign of our rebirth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go into every place.
Go live the Word of God's redeeming grace.
Go seek God's presence in each time and space.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go struggle, bless and pray;
the nights of tears give way to joyous day.
As servant Church, you follow Christ's own way.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go as the ones I send,
for I am with you 'til the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry 'Amen!'
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
BENEDICTION
(adapted from Worship Blogspot – Rev Gord)
God of Grace,
we come as people who live through that Grace.
Through your presence in our lives
we rejoice in being set free,
as we dance along the path that leads us home.
We give thanks for the healing we have received,
and relax in the knowledge that we are a forgiven people.
Let us lay down our burdens and live as people of Grace. Amen.
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:
“Toccata per L'elevazione” - By Girolamo Frescobaldi. Please join us downstairs for fellowship following the service!
Thank you to everyone who assisted with our
Service of Worship. Blessings to all!
Church Administrator – Megan Stone
hopeunitedchurch@gmail.com
416-691-9682
Church Office Hours:
Wednesdays &Thursdays
9:30am – 4:30pm
Hope United.ca
