Grace United Church | United Church in Thornbury, ON

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July 14, 2024 - Sunday Morning Service

Rev Dr John Smith

Sunday, July 14, 2024

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July 14th, 2024

8^th Sunday of Pentecost

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Minister: Rev. Dr. John Greg. Smith
Guest Musician: Camryn Ruthven
Scripture Reader: Heather Dickson

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

We Gather

PRELUDE
“Fear Not” - Christ Tomlin, 2014

WELCOME & INRODUCTION

The CHRIST CANDLE
As we come to worship in this Pentecost season
We turn to light the candle which reminds us:
Christ’s Spirit is always with us!
Christ's spirit fills us, heals us, and completes us.
Christ’s light enlivens us, and gives us strength,
for the living of these days.
May it be so! Amen!

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
Today we stand on the threshold between all that has been,
and all that will be.
It is a liminal time. It is a moment in time, pivotal, and thrilling.
It is a discernment time.
It is a time rich with possibility and potential.
We stand here courageously and hopefully, seeking to follow God’s way.
We stand here knowing there is an invisible string connecting us to the source of Life and Love.
We stand here in the presence of God, knowing that when we are held in God’s Eternal Love,
we can move forward with confidence and courage.
As we embrace this threshold time,
May we learn to see Christ more clearly,
May we learn to love Christ more dearly,
May we learn to follow Christ more nearly.
Amen! May it be so! Amen!

* HYMN: VU #232
“Joyful Joyful We Adore You”

1. Joyful, joyful we adore you,
God of glory, life and love;
hearts unfold like flowers before you,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away;
giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.

2. All your works with joy surround you,
earth and heaven reflect your rays,
stars and angels sing around you,
centre of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
sound their praise eternally.

3. You are giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Source of grace and fount of blessing,
let your light upon us shine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.

4. Mortals join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward
in the triumph song of life.

OPENING PRAYER
May there be, in my heart and my soul,
a still place of light, O God.
And in that still place, may I find O God,
the center-point of your love.
Help me to orient myself to your light and your love,
Finding my centre point deep within.
Shine your love throughout the cells of my body.
Shine your peace into all the achy parts,
Shine your divine light into the calm place in my heart,
And send your calming presence into the troubled waters in my mind.
Radiate your love throughout all my thoughts and actions.
Radiate love through my daily routines.
Radiate love in my words with others;
Radiate love in my outreach to those in need.
O God, our world is caught in darkness and grief.
There is fear and despair in many places.
People are lost, are starving, are spiritually empty –
So make a heart-centre here in our church.
Make a heart-centre here as the centre-point of light and love
For our community
And for our world….

(a moment of quiet prayer)

As I live every day,
I want to be a channel for peace.
May I bring love where there is hatred
And healing where there is hurt;
Joy where there is sadness
And hope where there is fear.
I pray that I may always try
To understand and comfort other people
As well as seeking comfort
and understanding from them.
Wherever possible, may I choose to be
A light in the darkness,
A help in times of need,
And a caring honest friend.
And may justice, kindness, and peace
Flow from my heart forever. Amen.

*HYMN: VU #341
“Fairest Lord Jesus”
(Summer Throwback Hymn)

1. Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God to earth come down:
thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,
thou my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.

2. Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
who makes the troubled heart to sing.

3. Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
and fair the twinkling, starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
than all the angels heaven can boast.

4. All fairest beauty heavenly and earthly,
wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;
none can be nearer, fairer or dearer
than thou, my Saviour, art to me.

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READINGS

2 Corinthians 6:   1 – 13     Good News Translation
In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. Hear what God says:
“When the time came for me to show you favor,
    I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
    I helped you.”
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties.
We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed;although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you.
Open your hearts wide!

Mark 4: 35 – 41 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the east side.” So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.
Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.
Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?”
Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

RESPONSE
These words from scripture are meant to guide us, nurture us, and teach us.
Thanks be to God!

SPECIAL MUSIC
TBA - Camryn Ruthven

SERMON: “Liminal Time”

We Respond

*HYMN: VU #374
“Come and Find the Quiet Centre”

1. Come and find the quiet centre
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.

2. Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being, face to face,
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we’re shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun.

3. In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other’s pain,
let our loves and fears unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
there’s a place for deepest dreaming,
there’s a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit’s lively scheming
there is always room to spare!

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER: (VU 910)

PRAYER of DEDICATION for OUR OFFERINGS
The work of creating a world that works for all,
Requires many gifts, many talents, many resources.
We bring all that we have, our courage, our strength,
Our prayers and our dreams,
Our gifts of time and treasure,
And all the love and acceptance we embody,
To create God’s world of justice and joy.
Thanks be to God. 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.

Care, Prayer, Share

What’s Up at Grace?

We Go Out

*HYMN: VU #651
“Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah”

1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.

2. Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side:
songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.

*COMMISSIONING

*SUNG BENEDICTION
“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.