September1st, 2024

15th Sunday after Pentecost

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
     Worship Leader: Phyllis Fleming
     Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
     Lay Leader: Debbie Potts

Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung words: bold italics.
Asterisk * Indicates when the congregation may stand if able.

We Gather 

PRELUDE
“Sonata K. 333 2nd Mov’t” - W.A. Mozart

GREETING (2 Cor. 13:13)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all!
And also with you!

The CHRIST CANDLE (JGS)
The light of Christ is with us always!
The light of Christ is in this place!
The light of Christ fills us with hope and courage
and gives us strength for the journey ahead!
   (the candle is lit)
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ!

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

OUR COMMITMENT to SAFE SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
We believe all people are made in the image of God and are entitled to dignity and respect.  At Grace United Church we try to offer a safer, inclusive and generous space for all who are seeking a faith community.  We offer full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, all races, ages and abilities in the life and work of the ministry.
Grace United Church is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Petun, Huron-Wendat, and Mississauga peoples, located within the boundary of the region of Treaty 18 of 1818. We humbly acknowledge the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Canada as traditional stewards of the land on which we work and worship and are committed to working actively toward genuine restitution and reconciliation.

CALL to WORSHIP (RW)   
The work of God is love.
Loving God is our work.
Let us work together.
In love, let us work together with God.
And may this time of worship inspire the loving work God calls us to do.

*HYMN:  VU #226
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
(tune Dix, VU 81)

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,
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,
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For each perfect gift sublime
to our race so freely given;
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven.
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

OPENING PRAYER (RS)
God of grace,
compassionate beyond our knowing,
patient beyond our imagining,
persistent beyond our comprehending:
you invite us to imitate your love,
to reflect in small measure your forbearance,
to act, however we can, as your agents in the world.
Gather us now to attend to your word and to sing your praise, as, in Jesus’ name, we come and worship you. Amen.

*HYMN:   #585
“Jesus Bids Us Shine”
(Summer Throwback Hymn)

1. Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light,
like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world of darkness, so let us shine,
you in your small corner, and I in mine.

2. Jesus bids us shine, first of all for him;
well he sees and knows it if our light grows dim:
Jesus walks beside us to help us shine,
you in your small corner, and I in mine.

3. Jesus bids us shine, then, for all around,
many kinds of darkness in this world are found:
sin, and want and sorrow; so we must shine,
you in your small corner, and I in mine.

PRAYER of CONFESSION (GD)
God whispers to us in the rain and the wind,
but we feel only storm and fury, notice only gloom and shadows around us.
God speaks to us from the pages of the newspaper,
yet we read only words of despair and of tragedy, finding only pictures of destruction and of conflict.
God tugs within our hearts with words of invitation,
while we seem only to feel the weariness in our bones, the heaviness in our limbs, the lethargy of our will.
God commands,
and we turn away.
Yet you keep insisting, prodding, beckoning, O God.
We turn within to find our fear of the unknown, terror at changing how we’ve always done things, worry that we’re not made of the right stuff.
Still God, in Jesus, says, “Follow me.”
We offer, then, our inner failings, the ways
we have ignored your calling, O God, trusting your invitation is still ours to become.

(a time of silent prayer)

ASSURANCE of GOD'S GRACE (GD)
God whispers to us in the rain and the wind,
so that now, forgiven and transformed, we discover the promise of life and of growth.
God speaks to us from the pages of the newspaper,
so that disturbed and motivated by what we notice,
we reach out in self-giving to change the world,
to foster right relations even with strangers a world away.
God tugs within our hearts with words of invitation,
so that in joy we respond with discipleship,
finding a divine companion in the Spirit,
rejoicing in our new-found freedom to journey in faith.
God commands,
so that in Jesus we find our road map,
following the resurrection promise into new life.
Thanks be to God!

We Listen 

PRAYER for ILLUMINATION (BWJ)
Without the guidance of your Spirit, O God, these stories would be mere words on a page or fantastic tales of long ago.
Inspire our receiving; quicken our faith, so that they may become a message from you, O Holy One. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
New Revised Standard Version

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
"So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the LORD your God with which I am charging you. You must observe them and perform them, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!' For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? "But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children--

James 1:17-27
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God's righteousness.
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash, and there are also many other traditions that they observe: the washing of cups and pots and bronze kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?"
He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' "You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand:
there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

RESPONSE
May these words from the past help us grow into our role in the Body of Christ today. 
AMEN.

INTERLUDE
“Prelude in D flat” - R. Glière

MESSAGE

We Respond 

*HYMN: VU #231
“I Sing the Mighty Power”
(tune Forest Green, VU 530)

1. I sing the mighty power of God
that made the mountains rise,
that spread the flowing seas abroad,
and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained
the sun to rule the day;
the moon shines full at God’s command
and all the stars obey.

2. I sing the goodness of the One
that filled the earth with food;
who formed the creatures with a word
and then pronounced them good.
O God, your wonders are displayed
where’er I turn my eye;
if I survey the ground I tread,
or gaze upon the sky!

3. There’s not a plant or flower below
but makes your glories known;
and clouds arise and tempests blow,
by order from your throne;
while all that borrows life from you
is ever in your care,
and everywhere that I may be,
you, God are present there.

PROFESSION OF FAITH A New Creed                                      

PRAYER of DEDICATION for OUR OFFERINGS
O God, let the gifts we make be blessed, for we seek the growth of your love among us. Let our own faith and spirit life be blessed so that our lives may be lived abundantly. And may your ministry flourish in the world through Mission and Service. In the name of Christ we give. Amen.

Donate online:   www.graceunitedthornbury.ca,  select “Give” 
     or contact the office by email: accounting@graceunitedthornbury.ca
     or  phone: 519-599-2438 to arrange a cheque pick-up, or an e-transfer.
     Mail: Grace UC, 140 Bruce St. S. PO Box 219, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0
     or  Offering Plate at the back of the sanctuary.

Tap your debit card at the door of the church, or Donate to Grace United Church through CanadaHelps.org.  Our account is set up with them now and it is easy to register.  Tax receipts are given automatically at the time of giving.

Care, Prayer, Share

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE & the LORD’S PRAYER (VU 910)

PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
The Peace of Christ be with you.         
And also with you.
We share the peace of Christ by typing in the chat box.
You may also think of one person with whom you would like to share the peace of Christ.

MUSIC for PASSING the PEACE
Improvisation on a Hymn - C. Burton

A BACK-TO-SCHOOL PRAYER
for Grandparents, Neighbours, and Other Friends

God of Wisdom, God of Words and Knowledge, we remember the variety of feelings we experienced when going to school.
Sometimes we were excited.
Sometimes we were afraid.
Sometimes we were overwhelmed.
Sometimes we were bored.
We remember school friends and beloved teachers, favourite subjects and those that caused us stress.
As the children around us return to school, we know that they too are experiencing a variety of emotions. Bless them all: those for whom school is a joy they enthusiastically embrace, those who would rather not be there, and those for whom school is a challenge for a variety of reasons. May a path for learning be opened for each one.
Bless the teachers, the administration, and all the staff who offer their time, energy, and skills to the young people. Sustain, encourage, and inspire each one.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who was both student and teacher. Amen.

What’s Up at Grace?

We Go Out 

*HYMN: VU #660  
“How Firm a Foundation”

1. How firm a foundation, you servants of God,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can be said than to you has been said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2. "Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed!
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen and help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand.

3. "When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress.

4. "When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply:
the flame shall not hurt you, I only design
your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.

5. "The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not -- I will not desert to his foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I'll never -- no, never -- no, never forsake!"

*COMMISSIONING (RW)
God has conceived of us as children of light and grace.
God has conceived of earth as a place of communion and hope.
God sends us from here as midwives for God’s holy dream.
May God grant us strength and faith to labour with God and all the world
as we await the birth of justice and goodness. Amen.

BENEDICTION

*SUNG BLESSING
“Go Now in Peace”

Go now in peace. Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day,
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true,
Know God will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there, *within, around, above.
Go now in peace, in faith and in love.
Amen, amen, amen.

*alternate words: watching from above

POSTLUDE
“Trumpet Voluntary” - J. Clarke

*****

LITURGY SOURCES: The following are used with permission: