Page not found – Dayspring Presbyterian Church

Sunday (Zoom) message: Seeking certainty in a shaky world

Minister — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 19:43:41 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost,

August 23, 2020, 10 am MDT

Minister: The Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf

Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes

Worship Arts Coordinator (Guitarist): Gord McCrostie

Pianist: Binu Kapadia

Soloist: Binu Kapadia

Gathering

Music: Jesus life of all the world

Jesus, life of all the world,
source and sum of all creation,
Son of God and Son of man,
only hope of our salvation,
Living Word for all our need,
life you give is life indeed.

Life of freedom, gladness, truth,
all our guilt and fear transcending,
life that leaps beyond the grave,
God’s own life that knows no ending;
life eternal, gift unpriced,
freely ours in Jesus Christ!

Yours is life that makes us stand
firm for truth, all wrong defying;
yours the strength by which we strive,
on your holy arm relying;
yours the war we wage on sin,
yours the pow’r by which we win.

Jesus, life of all the world,
you are Lord of ev’ry nation;
by your Holy Spirit’s pow’r
make your church your incarnation
till our lives of truth and grace
show our world your human face!

Words: Margaret Clarkson; 1983, © The Hymn Society, Hope Publishing Co.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements

Call to Worship
L: We give You thanks, O Lord, with all our hearts
P: for your faithful love endures forever.
L: We sing your praise, O Lord, with all our might
P: for your promises speak of your goodness to all the earth.
L: We place our trust in you, O Lord, with full confidence
P: for your salvation continues from generation to generation.
And so we come to worship You, O Lord, and lift up our hearts in praise.

Music: Be still and know

Be still and know
that I am God

words: Psalm 46
music: J. Bell; © WGRG 1998 Iona Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayers of Approach and for God’s Help and Prayer of Confession
Eternal God, You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and yet You come to us afresh each new day. You breathe new life into what has grown tired and discouraged. You offer healing for what is broken and worn. You restore hope for what seems impossible. You are the source of life and love for us and all your creatures, and so we worship you as Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, one God, now and always.

As we turn to You for wisdom, we pray to You, Source of all wisdom and understanding, in the midst of all our distractions, still our hearts and minds. Amid competing voices, let us hear your word for our times. By the gift of your Holy Spirit, help us discern your will and follow your path.

Merciful God, we confess that we have strayed from your purposes. You set a path for us to follow, but we conform to the ways of this world. You offer us your transforming love, but we cling to familiar patterns and habits. You give each of us gifts to use for the work of your kingdom, but we wait for others to do what needs doing. Forgive us for taking the easy way out and failing to serve You with eager hearts. Now we turn to you in a few moments of silent prayers of confession…

Assurance of God’s forgiveness: Minister
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn us? Only Christ – and Christ died for us. Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. So, let us make a fresh start today!

Music: Open our eyes, Lord

Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch him
And say that we love him

Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus

Words and music: Bob Cull; © Maranatha! Music 1976; The Copyright Company
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Children’s time: Lynn Vaughan (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music offering: Breathe on me breath of God Binu Kapadia

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

Words: E. Hatch; Music: R. Jackson; public domain
arr. © Philip Keveren 2003; Hal Leonard Corp.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Scripture reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Music: Glory to the Father

Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning
is now, and will be forever
Amen, amen, amen

words: trad.; music: J. Weaver 1978
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Message: “Seeking certainty in a shaky world”

Human beings can be quite resilient. When our world becomes shaky and goes topsy turvy we have the ability to get back at it and adjust so that life can go on. We know how to fix things and how to find people who can fix them for us.

But there are times when everything goes haywire. You can be in a car accident and for a while, you lose all your bearings and can even suffer from the shock for months and even years afterwards. The question arises, “Where is God in this?”

There are even times when folks lose their job, slip on the proverbial banana peel, end up using or abusing substances and before they know it, lose all their sensibilities.

What about landing in quicksand? I’ve never encountered quicksand and have only read about it. This is, however, a situation where one can get stranded and if you’re alone it can take a long time to get out of it. It’s as if the sand sucks you in, and we’ve seen it in the films. A man is caught in quicksand, begging onlookers for help, but the more he struggles, the further down into the sand he is sucked until eventually, he disappears. All that’s left is sinister sand, and maybe his hat. There are so many films featuring death by quicksand, from Lawrence of Arabia to The Monkees. In the 1960s one in every 35 films had a scene with quicksand in them.^[i] Shaky for sure! Where is God in all of this, or is there really a God? This type of question lingers under the surface.

Then there is the uncertainty that the year 2020 brought us. We all know about it. Will we survive it? How is the pandemic going to affect me, we ask? We try to live safely and make the most of all sorts of safety measures and protocols. Still, what about the long-term effects? What about airlines, are they going to go broke? Our pension funds, will they be able to remain stable? What about the futures of our children and grandchildren? Then there is this alarming tendency for suicide to be on the rise. Are people saying it doesn’t help to believe in God?

The world has indeed become a weird and wild place. Is there any direction? Can anyone tell me where things will be going? Who is going to pull me out of the suction of the existential quicksand? There are signs out there. Though, it seems that they just show all directions and there is no direction to take. Do I go see a general practitioner or a psychiatrist? Do I keep my children out of school and home-school them? What if I go and study, will there be a work for me? Different folks deal with uncertainty in different ways. Some become stronger in their approach to life, others succumb to mental issues. Some become grumpy and even angry. “There can’t be a God if things go like this!” we might be tempted to say.

This brings me to our text for today. “(Jesus) said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:15-16, NRSV).

This isn’t just a speculative thing that Simon Peter says. He isn’t just putting out some kind of assumption or theory of some kind. Nor is it some kind of slippery, muddy statement that is floating in many directions.

Simon has a second name, it is Peter. In Greek, the word “petra, and petros” refer to “rock.” Now it doesn’t really seem that Peter is as solid as a rock. It may indeed mean that Simon Peter’s statement is based upon the real rock, the God of steadfastness, the cornerstone, the foundation, and even the stumbling block. How about it referring to Peter’s confession of faith in the Rock, the reliable One?

There is very little certainty to be found in the world we live in. Yes, we can still create some form of certainty. But in my estimation, there is the overpowering stability to be found in the One whom Peter is referring to. It appears that God, in the end, is the only real certainty.

When all the foundations, all the reliable financial plans, all the predictable outcomes start failing, there still remains this One, the rock-solid God who has been, is, and will always be. What an assurance!

Is this an awareness that everyone has? Unfortunately, not. How does it become a reality in one’s own awareness? I don’t think it is “something” to “have” or to “not have”. It is more a sense that grows in a person. It is God who makes us aware. “…flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (Peter), but my Father in heaven” we hear in the 17th verse.

Yes indeed, it is a place we come to through the work of God, and not by our hard work or efforts. In a way, it happens to us. God reveals this acknowledgment in our inner being, so that we just know.

I personally find that it isn’t really a matter of I don’t care, it is more a matter of I trust. Trust and faith go hand in hand.

Do I tell others to believe the same way I do? I don’t think I can. Each of us goes through our unique struggles. When Jesus sternly orders the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah, this may be what Jesus refers to. People need to discover that Jesus was the anointed one on their own in their own time and in their own pace. It is not for us to shove these discoveries down others’ throat. Nor is it for us to expect everyone to believe the way we believe. God has a unique way of revealing this to human beings.

We are, however, assured that there is certainty in a very shaky world. To me, it seems to be a certainty that goes way beyond this life on earth.

Amen

Music: With the Lord as my guide

With the Lord as my guide
I will walk through the desert,
rest by the water, run in the wind.
With the Lord by my side
I will stand on the mountain,
drink from the fountain of love deep within.

With the Lord as my guide
I will see all the talents,
accept the balance of who I am.
With the Lord by my side
say yes to the calling,
fear not the falling, trust in God’s plan.

With the Lord as my guide
I will work with my sister,
care for my brother, bend with their pain.
With the Lord by my side
we will rise up together,
strengthen each other, courage regain.

With the Lord as my guide
I will rise in the morning,
praise for the dawning beauty of day.
With the Lord by my side
I will sing, sing forever,
always a lover, seeking God’s way.

Words and music: Jim Strathdee; © 1977, Desert Flower Music
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer of gratitude

Reflection on giving:
We give to support the ministry and mission of our congregation.
During this time of COVID-19 restrictions, our members have been generous.
Thank you for that generosity. However, because we have lost the contributions to our budget from the organizations that use our building, we are running a shortfall.
So we all need to dig deep.
We do our giving in the various ways described on the screen and in the Dayspring Weekly News.

Music: Now thank we all our God

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things has done
in whom God’s world rejoices

words: M. Rinkart; music: J. Cruger
public domain

Prayer

Blessing: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Music: God to enfold you

God to enfold you, Christ to uphold you
Spirit to keep you in heaven’s sight
So may God grace you, heal and embrace you
Lead you through darkness into the light

Words: J. Bell, G. Maule; © WGRG Iona Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

^[i] Can quicksand really suck you to your death? and article at https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160323-can-quicksand-really-suck-you-to-your-death

Copyright 2020 – Heinrich Grosskopf, Minister of Dayspring Presbyterian Church
Use back button to return to main page.

Special Notices: Food Bank Depot, World Vision Child, etc. plus see ACTIVITIES

John — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 22:00:36 +0000

DAYSPRING IS A FOOD BANK DEPOT

Thursday Afternoons, 3:30-5:00: Dayspring Volunteers staff this service to the community. The Dayspring congregation makes donations of items on a regular basis to supplement the food boxes provided by the Edmonton Food Bank. The process has been reorganized so as to observe COVID-19 distancing requirements. Click here for a list of Items regularly needed.

WORLD VISION CHILD

Sponsored by our Sunday Church School …..

See https://dayspringchurch.ca/activities/

WEDNESDAY FELLOWSHIP LUNCHEONS

First Wednesday of every month except July and August (currently in hiatus)

Sunday (Zoom) message: Persistence and faith can make a powerful pair

Minister — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 20:08:51 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost,

August 16, 2020, 10 am MDT

Minister: The Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf

Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke

Worship Arts Coordinator (Guitarist): Gord McCrostie

Pianist: Binu Kapadia

Instrumental Soloist: Kathleen de Caen

Gathering

Music: Be thou my vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art

High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

Words and music: Irish traditional
Music harmony copyright © 1975, Hope Publishing Co.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements

Call to Worship

L: Let the people praise You, dear Lord;
P: let all the people praise You!
L: Let the nations be glad and sing with joy,
P: for You guide the nations upon earth.
L: Let the people praise You, dear Lord;
P: let all the people praise You!

Music: I waited on you, Lord

I waited, I waited on you, Lord
I waited, I waited on you, Lord

You bent down low and remembered me
When you heard my prayer

words: Psalm 40
music: J. Bell; © WGRG 1987 Iona Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayers of Approach and for God’s Help and Prayer of Lament

Dear Lord, we come into your presence with praise and thanksgiving. You have searched us, known us, cared for us, and welcomed us as daughters and sons. In You, we find our home. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, and the inspiration of your Word, continue to work in us and through us. Transform us into your image. Make us signs of grace and hospitality to the world around us, so that your kingdom would come and your will would be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. We pray for an end to the waste and desecration of God’s creation, for access to the fruits of creation to be shared equally among all people,
and for communities and nations to find sustenance in the fruits of the earth and the water God has given us. We pray for all nations and people who already enjoy the abundance of creation and the blessings of prosperity, that their hearts may be lifted up to the needs of the poor and afflicted, and partnerships between rich and poor for the reconciliation of the world may flourish and grow.

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

God of all the ages, as we gather to listen to your Word today, silence the thoughts that distract us. Open our hearts to hear the challenge and the comfort You offer us in the name of Jesus Christ, your Living Word.

Hear our cry, Almighty God.
Listen to our prayer.

How long will we have to hide in our homes from this invisible enemy? Where will it strike next? And whom? And what if…? Our screens relay a continuous escalation of suffering and death around the world. Panic and anxiety abounds. Our souls are weary from the strain of the life-altering unknowns. Heavenly Father, from the depths of our pain and confusion, we cry out to You. From fear-filled hearts and anxious minds, we plead with You. Rescue us, Father of compassion and grace. We lift up our eyes to You, Lord God, the One who sits enthroned in heaven.

On all who have contracted the virus,
Lord have mercy

On all who have lost loved ones to this sickness and are in mourning and anguish,
Lord have mercy

On all who are unable to earn an income because their jobs have been suspended
Lord have mercy

Assurance of God’s faithfulness

Nothing can separate us from the Lord’s unfailing love and kindness, not even sickness or the fear of tomorrow. The Lord is our Light as we walk in this darkness. We will remember to celebrate the beautiful gifts the Lord has given us in this present moment.

Music: Open our eyes, Lord

Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch him
And say that we love him

Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus

Music: Open our eyes, Lord

Children’s time: Lynn Vaughan (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music offering: Prelude from J.S. Bach’s unaccompanied cello suite #1 Kathleen de Caen

Scripture reading: Matthew 15:10-28

Things That Defile

¹⁰Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: ¹¹it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” ¹²Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.^[^a^] And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

²¹Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Music: His truth is marching on

Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
His truth is marching on

African American spiritual
public domain

Message: “Persistence and faith can make a powerful pair”

In a world where almost every single thing has changed due to a tiny virus, we might do well to know that there is One who hasn’t changed and never will change. It seems clear that admitting that God, our creator has and never will change.

We might feel like things have changed irreversibly, or something along these lines. God, I still believe, as believers have done throughout the centuries, will not change. God still remains faithful and almighty.

What does it mean to have faith in this faithful God? “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews said in the 11th chapter. Looking closer at it, there are three words in this statement that jump out at me. They are “assurance”, “hoped” and “conviction.” These are strong words.

When you’re in dire trouble as most of us are at this point in history, and you are being assured, of things hoped for, right there you have a lot!

And then to have a “conviction” of things not seen, this too makes a person able to persist. The best is that this type of faith is given to each believer by God. There is no way in which we can muster it up.

Jan Koum is the founder of WhatsApp which sold to Facebook for 19 billion dollars. He grew up very poor in Ukraine and didn’t even have running water. After finding his skills in Silicon Valley he was almost hired at Facebook but got passed over in the last interview. Instead of sulking, Jan went on to found WhatsApp. Jan is quite the epitome of hard work and never giving up.

What I learn from this is: Don’t take no for an answer. If you believe in yourself keep going towards your goal. Know that once you complete it you will have the satisfaction of succeeding when others doubted you or told you it was impossible. ^[i]

This is just one example. There are many more. Just page through the Old Testament of the Bible, and Moses persisting in getting the Israelites freed from Egypt’s Pharaoh. It took persisting through ten plagues. Ruth is another one. When her mother-in-law, Naomi, lost her husband and both sons she just didn’t give up. Naomi told her to stay in the country of Moab. But Ruth persisted. She ended up becoming the grandmother of King David and therefore became part of the lineage of Jesus.

The Canaanite woman that we read about in the gospel reading from Matthew, is one more example of a woman with persistence.

Just in the previous piece Jesus had been teaching the crowds and the Pharisees, along with the disciples that a person becomes polluted not by what she puts in her stomach, but by that which comes from inside her heart and which shows up in her life. The implication of what Jesus said, is that one’s race, ethnicity, gender, disability or class doesn’t make a person unclean or defiled. We might be surprised by Jesus’ silence and his response to the Canaanite woman. First, Jesus lets the Canaanite woman down by not acknowledging her plea for mercy.

There is something interesting that happens in our reading. Jesus’ response to the disciples’ urging to send her away, seems to affirm the disciples’ desire to dismiss her. He says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” What? How can Jesus be saying this?

Mitzi Smith from Columbia Theological Seminary ^[ii] speculates that Jesus is taking the disciples up on their view so that the Canaanite woman needs to struggle against the statement. This way she can demonstrate her persistence and faith against all the odds.

Life is never a straight and easy road. It’s complicated and often tough.

But so many anonymous women like the Canaanite woman have persisted as lone minority voices among a majority of authoritative and powerful men. She persisted!

Here at Dayspring, we too are invited to persist, especially from a place of weakness. It is God who will equip us with faith. Is it perhaps the other way around? That faith brings about persistence, or maybe persistence feeds faith. You see, whichever way we do it, persistence and faith make a powerful pair.

Whether it’s someone who is disenfranchised in whichever way, in trouble, struggling against impossibilities, persistence can take us to the opening up of new possibilities.

It doesn’t matter which congregation finds themselves in dire straits, the chances are that we will be like a seed that goes into a crack in a rock, with the sun blazing from above. Under normal circumstances, we might not make it. But with God’s help in nurturing our faith and persistence, we could still forge through and come out on the other side with renewed strength.

Nobody ever said it would be easy. In fact, it is going to be hard, it is going to be very much against all odds. Let’s leave aside complaints and moaning. Let’s live the love that Christ brought into this world. Let us be grateful and responsible for what we have. We are invited to look after each other and the communities we live in.

These times are uncertain and totally unpredictable. Nobody has it easy. Let’s support each other by spending locally. Help your friends’ businesses whenever possible. Help keep small businesses in your community going.

We may have limited chances to live out Christian love, and there may actually only be now to do it. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Today is the time to let our light and our love shine.

Amen

Music: Come my way, my truth, my life

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a way as gives us breath;
Such a truth as ends all strife;
Such a life as killeth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a light as shows a feast;
Such a feast as mends in length;
Such a strength as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a joy as none can move;
Such a love as none can part;
Such a heart as joys in love.

Words: G. Herbert
Music: R. Vaughn Williams. © Stainer and Bell Ltd. 1911
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer of gratitude:

Reflection on giving: ………….

We give because we are the recipients of God’s overflowing love. We give because our givings support our minister and the church staff who enable us to be a community of Faith and Care. We give in order to take care our building – an inheritance from those who have gone before us and from the Presbyterian Church in Canada – and the means by which we offer care to our community. We give in order to be able to meet together for worship via the internet. We give in order to support the ministry and mission of the Presbyterian Church in Canada across our nation and throughout the world. And in these days of COVID-19 distancing, we do our giving in the various ways described in the Dayspring Weekly News. Thank you all for your generosity.

Music: In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful
In the Lord I will rejoice
Look to God, do not be afraid
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near

composer: Jacques Berthier; 1991 © Taize Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer and blessing: Minister

Music: God to enfold you

God to enfold you, Christ to uphold you
Spirit to keep you in heaven’s sight
So may God grace you, heal and embrace you
Lead you through darkness into the light

^[i] 8 Inspiring Perseverance Stories to Make You Never Give Up, at https://www.inspireyoursuccess.com/inspiring-perseverance-stories/

^[ii] Mitzi J. Smith, (2020) Commentary on Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28, at workingpreacher.org

Copyright 2020 – Heinrich Grosskopf, Minister of Dayspring Presbyterian Church
Use back button to return to main page.

Sunday (Zoom) message: Out, and into the world

Minister — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 17:37:14 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost,

August 9, 2020 10 am MDT

Minister: The Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf

Welcoming Elder: Jane de Caen

Worship Arts Coordinator (Guitarist): Gord McCrostie

Pianist: Binu Kapadia

Vocal solo: Glynnis McCrostie

Gathering

Music: She comes sailing on the wind

She comes sailing on the wind,
her wings flashing in the sun;
on a journey just begun, she flies on.
And in the passage of her flight,
her song rings out through the night,
full of laughter, full of light, she flies on.

Silent waters rocking on the morning of our birth,
like an empty cradle waiting to be filled.
And from the heart of God the Spirit moved up on the earth,
like a mother breathing life into her child.

Many were the dreamers whose eyes were given sight
when the Spirit filled their dreams with life and form.
Deserts turned to gardens, broken hearts found new delight,
and then down the ages still she flew on.

To a gentle girl in Galilee, a gentle breeze she came,
a whisper softly calling in the dark,
the promise of a child of peace whose reign would never end,
Mary sang the Spirit song within her heart.

Flying to the river, she waited circling high
above the child now grown so full of grace.
As he rose up from the water, she swept down from the sky,
and she carried him away in her embrace.

Long after the deep darkness that fell upon the world,
after dawn returned in flame of rising sun,
the Spirit touched the earth again, again her wings unfurled,
bringing life in wind and fire as she flew on

Songwriter: Gordon Light; 1985 © Common Cup Company
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements:

Call to Worship

L: Give thanks to the Lord!
P: We will tell everyone we meet what God has done!
L: Let us bring praise to the name of the Lord!
P: We will honour God’s holy name with shouts of joy!
L: Be mindful of all that God provides for us.
P: We will remember the world of wonders God has made!

Music: Be still and know

Be still and know
that I am God

words and music: anonymous
public domain, arr. G. McCrostie

Prayers of Approach and for God’s Help and Prayer of Confession

Surprising and mysterious God, You come to us when we least expect it, calling us out of our routines and our plans, inviting us to follow Christ on a great journey of faith.

We praise You for the many ways You comfort and guide us. In our moments of fear, You speak to us with words of reassurance. In our moments of doubt, You reach out your hand to save us. In our moments of turmoil, You bring calm to the storm. We place our trust in You this day and every day, and worship You as our Redeemer and Saviourin the name of Christ, our Lord and friend.

Gracious and loving God who hovers over the pain of your world. We pray for all who suffer or experience pain through the chemical explosion in Beirut yesterday. We remember especially this day the people of Beirut. Help the injured, protect those in danger, support the dying, bring comfort to the grieving and soothe the anxious whose families and lives are forever changed by grief and loss. Bless with your strength and comfort those who have survived the trauma and devastation of this disaster. We ask your blessing on all those who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their security and their hope. Strengthen and guide doctors, nurses, and all those who serve in emergency services and all who bring comfort and relief. God of wisdom, as we gather to hear your Word this day, calm our spirits and still our minds so that we are able to receive the fullness of your message and respond with faithfulness.

Merciful and patient God, we confess that we still live in fear and doubt, even though we have been touched by your saving grace. You call us to live with courage and perseverance, yet we give up too easily and opt for the safer route. You encourage us to be bold in our faith and steadfast in our fight for justice, yet we remain silent in the face of inequality and violence. Forgive us all the times we have let You down. Renew our lives through your mercy and grace. Amen

Assurance of God’s forgiveness: Minister

Rest assured, God’s forgiveness and saving grace are for everyone. Accept these gifts for yourselves and offer forgiveness to others in the name of Christ our Lord.

Children’s time: ……………. Darlene Eerkes (Lord’s Prayer)

Music offering: Forever Glynnis McCrostie

Give thanks to the Lord our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong
Forever God is with us, forever and ever; forever

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise; sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong
Forever God is with us, forever and ever; forever

Songwriter: Chris Tomlin © Universal Music Publishing Group
Reprinted with permission under CCLI, License #3095377. All rights reserved.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from CCLI

Scripture reading: Matthew 14:22-33 (New Revised Standard Version)

Jesus Walks on the Water

²²Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,^[^a^] for the wind was against them. ²⁵And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Message: “Out, and into the world”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught (Peter), saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Just before Jesus started walking over the Sea of Galilee, He had retreated to go up the mountain to be by Himself to pray. I’ve often had similar feelings to the ones, I think we sense in what Jesus was doing in our Scripture reading. When I want to flee into my own little fort, away from all the buzz, it’s just for my own sanity and serenity. Sometimes the busy-ness of all the daily things of life simply become a little bit too much. As one example, I have found the lovely flowers of summer that we have in our garden at home, to be a way of finding some form of escape from the madness of life.

Jesus was on the stormy Sea of Galilee and decided to try once again to find some solitude. He went up the mountain by Himself to pray.

Jesus is in need of a fort this week, I think. He wanted to get away from everything that was pressing in on Him.

As we saw in last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus, having heard of the gruesome murder of the man who baptized Him, John the Baptist, Jesus tries to get some time alone with his grief. But large crowds seek Him out, desperate for his healing, and so He tends to their sicknesses and their need for food to eat. This week, Jesus tries again for some alone time. He sends away the crowds and the disciples and goes up the mountain alone to pray. He was in search for some isolation, some time in his own little fort, so to speak.

What else is a lockdown than building forts, living in our own places of safety, away from all the danger, all the outside forces that bring fear into our lives? The pandemic has different effects on each person. Two people in a marriage, or mother and son, even brother and sister, can have radically different views on the coronavirus pandemic.

A parent would fully comply with children’s play parks being closed down and know it’s safer. Then there is another parent that wants children to play safely and develop naturally. One person might feel rather relaxed about protocols, while the next may indeed be fearing that the worst might happen to them. The one may wipe every surface down and the other may act quite oblivious to all these acts of the “new normal.”

One may see empty restaurants as the right thing to do, the other may be exuberant when restaurant patios start opening up.

It was during such an alone time that Jesus sent his disciples out on a boat onto the lake to go and fight the waves, rowing as hard as they can.

What if this boat full of disciples is the church? That the boat on the water is the church not only then, but also now, today in 2020? In our own times, the church is rocked by storms of one kind or another, from inside or from outside. There are forces of chaos and uncertainty that make us tremble at times. Financially, so many churches find it hard to get by. Viewing church attendance decade after decade one notices how it keeps dropping to lower levels. Can anything be done? And now the pandemic.

Early that morning, Jesus came walking toward the disciples struggling on the sea. The disciples saw this happening and were terrified, they said, “It is a ghost!”

Upon Jesus’ assurance, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid”, Peter replies, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus encouraged him to come on over. But when Peter noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

At this point Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him.

Peter was brave, but the heaving and tugging of the wind made him lose some of his bravado. We as the church of our Lord during this pandemic time can also lose a lot of our bravado. Nobody can blame us.

However, God wants to make things happen.

It is not the end. The church isn’t just collapsing. God has something in stall for us. God, Jesus’ Father, also reaches out his hand and catches us. Our own hands are in God’s. God uses us in the work that God’s church is called to do.

Jesus doesn’t stay on the mountain, or in the tent, even though He no doubt really wants to sometimes. Jesus strolls across the sea and out into the world. He shows compassion for the sick and the poor, hangs out with sinners and misfits, and acts with sacrificial love in life and ultimately in death.

Jesus also calls us out of our forts of security and calm and into the messy business of living out justice and mercy in the world. That is as true now as it was before the pandemic. Of course, “going out to the world” looks different now—we make connections over Zoom, or several feet apart in backyards and on patios. We preach on livestreams, and we wear masks wherever we go.

The world still belongs to God. The coronavirus pandemic that spews out Covid-19 and causes devastation, remains subject to the rule of God, whether we can see that or not. One day it too will pass, and the world will still be there. We, the people that follow Jesus Christ, will still, with the power of God’s Good News, continue to have a difference to make in a world in need of healing and repair. Amen

Music: There is a redeemer

There is a redeemer
Jesus, God’s own Son
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Holy One

Thank you, oh my father
For giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit
‘Til the work on Earth is done

Jesus my redeemer
Name above all names
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Oh, for sinners slain

When I stand in Glory
I will see His face
And there I’ll serve my King forever
In that Holy Place

Prayer of gratitude:

Reflection on giving: ………….

We give to support the ministry and mission of our congregation. During this time of COVID-19 restrictions, our members have been generous. Thank you for that generosity. However, because we have lost the contributions to our budget from the organizations that use our building, we are running a shortfall. So we all need to dig deep. We do our giving in the various ways described on the screen and in the Dayspring Weekly News.

Prayer:

Faithful God, bless the gifts we bring to you today. Use them and us to plant seeds of faith, hope and love in the world so that your goodness will grow among your people, and your name be honoured for Christ’s sake. Amen

Blessing: Minister

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Music: God to enfold you

God to enfold you, Christ to uphold you
Spirit to keep you in heaven’s sight
So may God grace you, heal and embrace you
Lead you through darkness into the light

Words: J. Bell, G. Maule; © WGRG Iona Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Copyright 2020 – Heinrich Grosskopf, Minister of Dayspring Presbyterian Church
Use back button to return to main page.

Sunday (ZOOM) Message: “Feeding the Five Thousand”

John — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 18:01:21 +0000

Leading Worship: Elder Bill Davis and the Rev Dr. John Carr
Pre-recorded Music provided by Gord McCrostie and Binaifer (Binu) Kapadia

Gathering

Music: As the deer

As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after you
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you

Songwriter: Martin J. Nystrom; 1984 © Maranatha! Music, The Copyright Co.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements:

Welcome to this Worship Service with the Congregation of Dayspring Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – whether you are nearby or far away.

We celebrate the Lord’s Supper, today, so we invite everyone to have a piece of bread or a cracker and some wine or fruit juice available, so that you can share in Communion. Please note that our children share with us in the Lord’s Supper.

Additional Announcements …

Call to Worship

L: Each day God opens to us new doors of potential and hope.

P: God offers us new challenges and a new call to commitment and service.

L: God offers us fresh possibilities for deepened relationship.

P: In worship, we hear the challenge voiced, gain strength for the tasks ahead, and learn and grow in our faith.

ALL: We are here to worship God!

Prayer of approach: We pray …

Loving God, in You we know the power of redemption. You stand among us as Light and Life even in our darkest times.

Elusive God, Companion on the way, you walk behind, beside, and beyond. You catch us unawares.

You break through the disillusionment and despair when it is clouding our vision so that we may find our way and journey on.

You stand with us and are hoping for us even when we find it difficult to hope for ourselves.

Prayer of confession

We are mindful, this day of the fact that we stand before you revealed in all our weaknesses and faults. You know what goes on in our minds and you see the way we behave towards each other in the human family.

We are mindful also of the ways in which our environment cries out in pain because of the many wounds with which we have afflicted it.

Now, we reflect on the way we have lived our lives and, in the silence of our own hearts, we confess our personal sin and waywardness …

Prayer for God’s help

We know that we as individuals – along with organizations and institutions – have a role to play in the healing process. But we also know that Your love and care is, itself, a healing balm for human pain and for the consequences of human sin.

And so we live with trust and faith, knowing that Your loving “arms” are around us and Your loving “hands” are underneath our world. AMEN.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

We receive God’s full forgiveness when we own up to our sin. To confess a sin means to uncover it and call it exactly what God calls it. This honest confession must include the willingness to forsake the sin. God promises not only to forgive us but also to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To God be the glory. AMEN.

Children’s time: Heather Tansem (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music: I will trust in the Lord

I will trust in the Lord
I will trust in the Lord
I will trust in the Lord
’til I die

African American spiritual public domain

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:13-21 (NRSV)

13 Now when Jesus heard about the tragic death of John (the person who had baptized Him), He withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When He went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, along with many women and children.

Today’s Message: “Feeding the Five Thousand”

The Revised Common Lectionary lists several passages for today. The message is informed by three of those passages but, as you will have inferred, I am focussing on the passage from Matthew. However, I did do a lot of thinking about the interplay among three of the listed Scripture passages in preparation for worship, this morning:

Isaiah 55:1-5: An Invitation to Abundant Life
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21: God’s Compassion for us Humans
Matthew 14:13-21: Feeding the Five Thousand

Three things stood out for me as I reflected on these passages.

God wants the best for God’s people.
God is thoughtful about our situation as humans.
God wants us to look after one another in the human community.

First, a comment about the last verse in the passage from Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew is telling the story from a Jewish perspective, and from a Jewish perspective, households were under the control of the husband/father. We don’t think of families in that way – so the language is a bit awkward for us. But Matthew is basically saying that there were 5,000 families there.

Secondly, it is unlikely that 20,000 people would have gathered together on the shores of that lake. Undoubtedly the crowd was large – leading to the recording of that figure. But storytellers of that day were prone to embellishment of reality – speaking figuratively, not literally. So, at the literal level, there were just a lot of people there.

While Jesus’ teaching and compassionate care for those who were sick is important, Mathew’s emphasis seems to be on the way in which the people who gathered on that day were fed.

Jesus really wanted to spend that day grieving the death of his friend and mentor, John the Baptist. However, the needs of those who came were great and Jesus’ loving heart caused Him to set aside his own need and be the pastor to all those people.

It’s difficult for us to understand how a large crowd could be fed on five loaves and two fish. There are two ways in which theologians explain this.

That this was a symbolic act – much like modern day observances of the Lord’s Supper. People were fed spiritually, not physically.
That the fact that some offered up the food that they had brought created a cascade effect – with everyone who had food sharing with those who did not.

I prefer the second explanation – which really reflects what happens in everyday life.

One person acting kindly towards others creates a ripple or cascade effect. That is, at least some who see another behaving kindly and with care for others are motivated to do the same – and the ripples spread out into the surrounding community and even have the power to transform culture.

It seems to me that that ripple effect has continued to be experienced by many throughout the world as the years and centuries have unfolded since those days when Jesus was among us humans in the Middle East.

I have not been involved personally in Dayspring’s Food Bank Depot. But I know from stories Audrey and others have told how the act of serving others in that way impacts on those who have been served – as well as on those who provide the service and on others of us who are supportive in various ways of the Thursday afternoon teams.

The same can be said of the “Jam and Butter project” which Darolyn inspired us to get involved in – providing breakfast materials for young kids who come to school without having had breakfast.

As a congregation, we love to eat together. And that’s a good thing. There’s an even better thing about that. Did you know that, a few years ago, when a couple of Food Bank clients saw that we were having a congregational dinner, they wandered in and asked if they could have some food? Immediately, they were provided with more food than they could eat and it seems to me that they might even have taken some extras home with them.

And then there is the experience that our young people had, feeding the clients of The Mustard Seed in Edmonton’s City Centre – and the gallons of soup Dsypringers have donated over the years to the Edmonton Urban Native Ministry.

Also, many of the folks of our congregation help to “feed others” in other ways, literally or figuratively, emotionally, physically – individually and through people-serving organizations. For example:

playgrounds for children
scholarships
supporting Kids on Track (a community-building organization that provides hope, direction, and ongoing support for children, youth, and their parents)
summer programs for children during COVID-19
lunch programs for less advantaged children
helping or performing music at senior centres
making a turkey dinner at Christmastime for 6 teenage girls who had just come off the streets
making Christmas dinner for 20 women who were in a safe house with their children in December
and that’s just a small sampling based on some very limited research

Beyond these local service contexts, we contribute to Canada Food Grains Bank and Presbyterian World Service – doing our part to feed the hungry of the world and helping to create conditions that enable people to feed themselves.

So maybe “feeding five thousand” is actually an understatement. As a direct result of Jesus’ ministry hundreds of millions have been fed during the last two millennia because followers of Jesus, fed by Jesus through our participation in communities of faith and care gathered around Him, have reached out in care for others.

“And those who ate were about five thousand families.” Given what has happened since, I think we could add a few zeros.

Music: Freely, freely

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name,
and in Jesus’ name I come to you
to share his love as he told me to.

He said:
‘Freely, freely you have received;
freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe,
others will know that I live.’

All power is given in Jesus’ name,
in earth and heaven in Jesus’ name,
and in Jesus’ name I come to you
to share his power as he told me to.

songwriter: Carol Owens, 1972 © Lexicon Music Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

The Lord’s Supper

Invitation

When our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took bread, blessed, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.

Luke 24:30, 31

We invite you, each in your own homes, to recognize and experience the presence of Jesus.

This celebration of the Lord’s Supper is not a Dayspring celebration.

Neither is it a Presbyterian celebration.

It is a celebration for all humankind – for men and women, girls and boys, who are seeking, or have found, a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We believe that we are not in charge of the Lord’s Supper – rather that Jesus is – and Jesus says that all are welcome.

And now we pray …

As we partake of this bread and wine, we honor Creator and creation.

As we bless and share these gifts, we celebrate the Table fellowship of Jesus and know that all are made worthy by Jesus – adults, teenagers, children – and that all are welcome!

We celebrate the communion and community of all humankind.

In Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life and the True Vine, You feed us with the Word. You nourish us with Your Love poured out in abundance upon us.

O present Spirit, help us recognize the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread.

You feed us and all the world with this bread.

You bring joy with this wine and grape juice.

Bread and Wine are leaven, salt, and life in us – a community of faith strengthened by this symbolic meal.

We pray in the name of Jesus who came among us – a deep mystery of faith. AMEN.

Music: Come now you blessed

“Come now, you blessed, eat at my table, “
said Jesus Christ to the righteous above.
“When I was hungry, thirsty, and homeless,
sick and in prison, you showed me your love.”

When did we see you hungry or thirsty?
When were you homeless, a stranger alone?
When did we see you sick or in prison?
What have we done that you call us your own?

“When you gave bread to the earth’s hungry children,
when you gave welcome to war’s refugees.
When you remembered those most forgotten,
you cared for me in the smallest of these.”

Christ, when we meet you out on life’s roadways,
looking to us in the faces of need,
then may we know you, welcome and show you
love that is faithful in word and in deed.

words: Ruth Duck, 1992 © GIA Publications Inc.; music: Emily Brink; 1994 © CRC Publications
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Offering of Bread and Wine

Because there is one bread,
we who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread. I Cor. 10:17.
When we break the bread,
it is a sharing in the body of Christ. I Cor. 10:16.
When we bless the cup,
it is a sharing in the blood of Christ. I Cor. 10:16.
The wine, like Christ’s blood, is poured out as a declaration that we can have life and have life more abundantly.

Communion

Offering of the Bread: “The Bread of life is for all who come in faith.”
Offering of the Wine: “Christ’s love is poured out for all of us.”

Prayer after Communion

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us symbolically and we have experienced your Real Presence.

We thank You for all those who have shared in this mystery, and thus in You throughout two millennia.

And we offer ourselves, and all that we have in the service and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Reflection on giving: Welcoming Elder

Intercessions

Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs.

Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our prayers for those of our congregation, or those who are the family members or friends of our members, whose names are listed in our weekly mailing …

We think, especially, of those in our congregation who are dealing with the frailty of our bodies as we grow older. …

And about those who grieve the death of loved ones …

We offer our prayers, also, for those in our wider community, province, nation, and world who are struggling, many of them not knowing how they will survive …

Words are able to accomplish much, but actions speak louder than words. So, along with our prayers, we commit ourselves to acts of care, justice-seeking, and peace-making.

Commissioning and Blessing

Go in peace. Love and serve the Lord.
And know that God Is with you each step of the way. Amen

Sunday (Zoom) message: Small starts, surprising force

Minister — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 17:19:42 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost,

July 26, 2020 10 am MDT

Minister: The Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf

Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem

Worship Arts Coordinator (Guitarist): Gord McCrostie

Pianist: Binu Kapadia

Gathering

Music: God we praise you

God, we praise you for the morning;
hope springs forth with each new day,
new beginning, prayer and promise,
joy in work and in play.

God, we praise you for creation,
mountains, seas and prairie land.
Waking souls find joy and healing
in your bountiful hand.

God, we praise you for compassion,
all the loving that you show;
human touching, tears and laughter,
help your children to grow.

God, we praise you for your Spirit,
Comforter and daily friend;
restless searcher, gentle teacher,
strength and courage you send.

God, we praise you for the Saviour,
come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising,
Christ is Lord of our days.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Christ is Lord of our days!

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements

Call to Worship

L: Give thanks to the Lord and call on God’s name!
P: We will praise our God and tell of all God’s wonderful works.
L: Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
P: We will give glory to God’s holy name!
L: Seek the Lord, God’s strength and presence continually.
P: We will remember God’s mercy and justice in worship and praise.

Music: God of the sparrow

God of the sparrow
God of the whale
God of the swirling stars
How does the creature say Awe
How does the creature say Praise

God of the earthquake
God of the storm
God of the trumpet blast
How does the creature cry Woe
How does the creature cry Save

God of the rainbow
God of the cross
God of the empty grave
How does the creature say Grace
How does the creature say Thanks

God of the hungry
God of the sick
God of the prodigal
How does the creature say Care
How does the creature say Life

God of the neighbour
God of the foe
God of the pruning hook
How does the creature say Love
How does the creature say Peace

God of the ages
God near at hand
God of the loving heart
How do your children say Joy
How do your children say Home

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayers of Approach and for God’s Help and Prayer of Confession

Prayer of Approach

God of the past, present and future, we marvel at the wonder of your creation.
We praise You for the blessings of this season, for gardens growing, birds singing,
shouts of joy in times of play and restful evening sunsets.
Such good gifts all around us remind us of your faithfulness to us.
You promise us a life beyond anything we can hope or imagine,
a kingdom marked by grace, love and justice for all.
In Jesus’ name, by the power of the Spirit breathing within us,
We praise You for your loving kindness and the hope it brings to us day by day.

Prayer for help

God of wisdom, you teach us with your love, you touch us with your mercy, and you challenge us with your truth. Send us your Holy Spirit to help us understand the depths of your Word speaking to us through the scriptures this day.

Prayer of confession

As we consider your faithfulness to us,
we cannot but help think about the ways we have not lived faithfully.
So we confess together:

Merciful God, we confess that we feel more comfortable with the way things are,
rather than live out the challenges we meet in Jesus.
Tempted by the promises of our culture,
we rely on the status quo to protect and prosper some but not all.
Turning away from the cries of the hurting,
we fail to stand up for the justice they seek.
Afraid to speak of our faith and hope in you,
we remain silent and complacent.
Forgive us all the ways we let you down.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness: Minister

Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn us? Only Christ— And Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. Thanks be to God!

Children’s time: Lynn Vaughan (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music: Sing a new song

Sing a new song unto the Lord;
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord,
Singing alleluia.

For God’s people dance for joy.
O come before the Lord.
And play for him on glad tambourines,
And let your trumpet sound.

Rise, O children, from your sleep;
Your Savior now has come.
He has turned your sorrow to joy,
And filled your soul with song.

Glad my soul for I have seen
The glory of the Lord.
The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised.
I know my Savior lives.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Scripture reading: Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52 (New Revised Standard Version)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³²it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

³³He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in withthree measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” …

Three More Parables

⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ⁴⁸when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Treasures New and Old

⁵¹“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Message: “Small starts, surprising force”

Last weekend my dear better-half, Carina, decided to bake the equivalent to bannock on our new barbecue. She started out with some flour and prepared some dough in a wide plastic dish. Then she added in a tiny bit of yeast and kneaded it. I was upstairs and went down, and she was on her way up. I remarked “wow, you had quite a workout” upon which she said “yup” and continued walking upstairs.

After a little while, the leavened dough had expanded beyond any reasonable expectation and Carina was hard at it, rolling out pieces, cutting them up and carefully putting them on cookie sheets.

Wow, there were a lot of pieces to bake! She asked me to get the barbecue ready and sure enough, these risen pieces of dough were a lot and we all had about a week’s supply of “roosterkoek”, the Afrikaans word for “bannock” as we call it here, yumm! They’re the very best when they are fresh off the grill. It started off with a little flour which became just a little bit of dough, but when the tiny bits of yeast were mixed in thoroughly, it multiplied immensely into a huge amount of leavened dough!

According to the 33rd verse, Jesus told them another parable among the many: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in (or, actually literally, “hid in”) with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how something so small that it is invisible to the eye can grow rapidly and exponentially into a destructive force that consumes all our attention and resources, as individuals, communities, nations, and as a world.

As Holly Hearon puts it, “…the passage from our Scripture reading offers an image that counters this destructive force. The parables describe how the kingdom of heaven emerges from something almost invisible to the eye and grows exponentially, offering us sustenance. It’s a treasure worthy of all our attention and resources. ^[i]

Looking at this passage, we find it hard to pick up a specific focus. The first two parables in 13:31-33, about the mustard seed and the yeast both point towards enormous growth coming from tiny beginnings. Also, in a likewise fashion, the two parables in 13:44-46 both describe how discovering something of such great value would cause us to be willing to sell everything we have, to possess it. To top all of this, the two pairs of parables are linked by the word “hide” (krupto), because in the parable of the yeast the woman hides the yeast in the flour, while in the parable following this, the treasure is hidden in a field, Hearon continues. ^[ii]

So, guess what, in a very similar way, aren’t we at Dayspring the same in God’s eyes? It’s not up to us. In God’s eyes we are more than worthwhile. Through small beginnings, this parable teaches us, as Barclay puts it, “that with Jesus Christ and his gospel, a new force has been let loose in the world. Silently, but inevitably, that force is working for justness in the world. Isn’t God working God’s purpose out as year upon year follows up on one another?” ^[iii]

What does this perhaps mean for us as a congregation? We don’t know what the future holds. However, there is promise in the leaven. What we do know from the negativity of Covid-19, is that things that are small, can not be stopped or contained. What we do know from the growth of Good News, is that it too can not be stopped or reined in. This is a form of wonderful hope that the parable of the yeast in the dough brings to us.

As William Barclay puts it, “The whole point of the parable lies in one thing — the transforming power of the leaven. Leaven changed the character of a whole baking. Unleavened bread, bread baked without leaven, is like a water biscuit, hard, dry, unappetising and uninteresting. Bread baked with leaven is soft and porous and spongy, and tasty and good to eat. Introducing leaven causes a transformation in the dough. The coming of the Kingdom causes a transformation in life.^[iv] Interesting that this is a pastime that so many are rediscovering during this time of the pandemic. Let’s take note of this reality of God. Let’s observe how God works in spite of us. While we can’t just sit over backwards and wait for things to happen, so much of micro-managing, we have learned lately, also has very little guaranteed results.

We can plough, till and clean out the rocks in the soil, but it is indeed God who causes the miraculous growing process.

It’s indeed small starts, which we might be foreseeing in the future, that can bounce back with surprising force. Never underestimate God’s power. Never look down upon the work of God in a congregation with so much going for us.

Also, perhaps we need to allow God to do what is realistic for who we are.

William Barclay, in his The Daily Study Bible (on Matthew), also says, “The Kingdom, the power of Christ, the purpose of God is like a great river, which for much of its course glides on beneath the ground unsee, but which ever and again comes to the surface in all its power and its greatness, plain for all to see in its action. The parable teaches both that the Kingdom is for ever working unseen, and that there are times in every individual life and in history when the work of the Kingdom is so obvious, and so manifestly powerful, that all can see it.”^[v]

We can dream small, and God might cause the surprisingly forceful new beginnings.

The glory will always belong to God.

Amen

Music: Lord Jesus you shall be my song

Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.
I’ll tell everybody about you wherever I go.
You alone are our life and our peace and our love.
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.

Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.
May all of my joy be a faithful reflection of you.
May the earth and the sea and the sky join my song.
Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.

As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant.
To carry your cross and to share all your burdens and tears.
For you saved me by giving your body and blood.
As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant.

I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
but courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.
And with all of the family you saved by your love,
we’ll sing to your dawn at the end of your journey.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer of gratitude

Reflection on giving: ………….

Prayer: Minister

Blessing: Minister

^[i] Hearon, H. (2020) Commentary on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, July 26, 2020. From http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4512
^[ii] Hearon, H. (2020) Commentary on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, July 26, 2020. From
http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4512
^[iii] Barclay, W. (1965) Gospel of Matthew Volume 2 – The Daily Study Bible, p. 91-92.
^[iv] Barclay, W. (1965) Gospel of Matthew Volume 2 – The Daily Study Bible, p. 88.
^[v] Barclay, W. (1965) Gospel of Matthew Volume 2 – The Daily Study Bible, p. 93.

Copyright 2020 – Heinrich Grosskopf, Minister of Dayspring Presbyterian Church
Use back button to return to main page.

Sunday (Zoom) message: “Wait…and watch what God is up to”

Minister — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 20:05:17 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost, July 19, 2020, 10 am MDT

Minister: The Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf

Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke

Worship Arts Coordinator (Guitarist): Gord McCrostie

Pianist: Binu Kapadia

Soloist: Linda Farrah-Basford

Gathering

Music: Jesus, life of all the world

Jesus, life of all the world,
source and sum of all creation,
Son of God and Son of man,
only hope of our salvation,
Living Word for all our need,
life you give is life indeed.

Yours is life that makes us stand
firm for truth, all wrong defying;
yours the strength by which we strive,
on your holy arm relying;
yours the war we wage on sin,
yours the pow’r by which we win.

Jesus, life of all the world,
you are Lord of ev’ry nation;
by your Holy Spirit’s pow’r
make your church your incarnation
till our lives of truth and grace
show our world your human face!

Words: Margaret Clarkson; 1983, © The Hymn Society, Hope Publishing Co.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements:

NOTE: Welcoming Elder always indicates that this is Dayspring Presbyterian Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Call to Worship

L: We gather in the presence of God;
P: We gather to worship and praise.
L: We gather in joy and expectancy;
P: We gather in beauty and wonder.
L: Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening;
P: Speak your Word of life to us, dear Lord.

Music: With the Lord as my guide

With the Lord as my guide
I will walk through the desert,
rest by the water, run in the wind.
With the Lord by my side
I will stand on the mountain,
drink from the fountain of love deep within.

With the Lord as my guide
I will see all the talents,
accept the balance of who I am.
With the Lord by my side
say yes to the calling,
fear not the falling, trust in God’s plan.

With the Lord as my guide
I will work with my sister,
care for my brother, bend with their pain.
With the Lord by my side
we will rise up together,
strengthen each other, courage regain.

With the Lord as my guide
I will rise in the morning,
praise for the dawning beauty of day.
With the Lord by my side
I will sing, sing forever,
always a lover, seeking God’s way.

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayers of Approach

Creator God, in you we live and move and have our being: You alone have been our help and guide through good times and bad. You alone give us the strength we need to face the challenges around us. You alone will be rest for our bodies and souls. To you we turn for wisdom; in your presence, we will find the peace and comfort we long for. Fill us with your Spirit in this time of worship; Open our minds and hearts, so that we may see as you see, love as you love, and follow your ways for the sake of Christ our Lord.

Prayer for God’s help:

Lord, we know how much we always need to rely on You for strength. We pray for wisdom, for patience during these pandemic times. Would you guide us as peacemakers in a world of so much hatred and division. We pray for many who are dealing with illness, those who want it kept quiet, as well as those whom we now bring before you… We pray for peace and comfort for Chris Thomson while she is receiving home care. We also for Louis from Fort McMurray who is having radiation treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute. God of wisdom, your thoughts are not our thoughts, your ways are not our ways. As we listen to the scriptures, stir our hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit so that we understand your desire for the world and resolve to do your will in Jesus’ name.

Prayer of confession:

God who sees and knows our inmost thoughts and our thoughtless actions, The truth of our lives is this: we are often impetuous and do not seek your wisdom; we are often stubborn and do not practice mercy; we are often arrogant and do not act with love;

we are often anxious and do not trust in you. Forgive who we have been, amend who we are, and direct who we shall be. For the sake of Christ, our Lord.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness:

Dear friends, remember that God is slow to be angry and quick to forgive; kind and gracious to all. Know that your sins are forgiven through the grace of Jesus Christ, and forgive those who have sinned against you as he taught us.

Children’s time: Saúl Carvajal (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music offering: On eagles’ wings – Linda Farrah-Basford

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

For to His angels He’s given a command
To guard you in all of your ways
Upon their hands they will bear you up
Lest you dash your foot against a stone

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Scripture reading: Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 (New Revised Standard Version) Gina Kottke

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

²⁴He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” …

… Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴²and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Message: “Wait…and watch what God is up to”

I love it when the gospel speaks with lots of hope into our times. The many ways in which God works in our world can inspire us with awe. The parable of the weeds among the wheat is another inspiring parable. However, at first glance, it wouldn’t appear to be so hopeful.

It is so much easier to look at the parable by starting to think in “either-or” categories, a type of binary way of thinking, bad or good, evil or devout, weed or wheat, unsuccessful or successful. The problem with this is that we are only working with absolutes. Think of a successful person, does one only get that category, and then the opposite, unsuccessful? Of course, it doesn’t make sense. There is everything in between. There is always room for growth, at the beginning of one’s career, for example, there is a moderate measure of success. Later on, it could increase. Eventually, as a person matures, they could be described as fairly successful and sometimes very successful.

This is just a way of getting at the binary thinking that happens quite a bit in our society, making the people in the middle actually feel like they might not be measuring up.

God, through the parable of Jesus, is up to something else. God doesn’t work in binary terms. God loves us all just as we are, and will always, through Jesus Christ, love us fully. Of course, doing justice counts. Doing justice we see as a result of something else that happened first. When we do justice we are thanking God for first loving us so incredibly and unconditionally.

Now, when we look at our parable that we read this morning, we see that there is another party involved in Jesus’ description. There is an enemy. Matthew says, “while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed seeds among the wheat and then went away.” Without anybody being aware of it happening, the seeds sowed among the wheat occurred overnight.

Yesterday evening they weren’t there and this morning they appeared as if out of the blue. That feels quite unsettling.

There are three other times that we encounter the word “enemies” in the Gospel of Matthew. The first time is in 5:43-44, where we hear that we are told to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This should give us pause: If these enemies are destined for a “furnace of fire” as our parable describes it in verse 42, why should we love them in the here and now? Further, God – the one who judges all of us – causes the sun to rise on both the evil and the good (5:45), without distinction. What do we do with this paradox?

The second reference to “enemies” is in 10:36, where Jesus tells the disciples that He is sending them out as sheep among wolves, where “one’s enemies will be members of one’s own household.” This too stops us right in our tracks. What does it mean that deep divisions can exist even among those to whom we feel closest, including our church families? What would make us enemies of one another? And in such a situation, how do we know if we are the enemy or the good? What is it that shows which one we are, enemy or good?

The third occurrence of “enemies” is in Matthew 22:24, where Jesus speaks of the prophecy of David with respect to the Messiah, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” Ultimately, according to this parable, the enemies who sow weeds among the wheat will be defeated. They will be cast out from the presence of God where they will weep and gnash their teeth. Clearly, we can’t just turn “enemies” into nameless opponents on the other side of a sort of great divide. Rather, when Matthew speaks of enemies, it all points to something much more complex. The lines are blurred. ^[i]

Bear further in mind that “zizania” for weeds in the original language is a plant that grows in Palestine which resembles wheat in many ways but is worthless.^[ii] Some translations prefer the word “tares” for these weeds. Checking into that, I found that “tares” are actually darnel, a seed hardly identifiable from the wheat seed, and immature wheat and darnel look alike. To try and destroy the darnel would mean destroying much of the wheat, and separating one from the other would be beyond the servants’ abilities.^[iii]

By trying to pull out these weeds between the wheat would just be very foolish, Jesus says. Pulling out weeds prematurely could have many meanings. Wait!

Don’t be too hasty in judging over the people in this life. Wait, wait…!

You see, it’s so easy to read this scripture as though Jesus was simply talking about different kinds of people. But when we read it closely, it seems more that Jesus is describing two “natures” within one human being. Paul says something very similar in Romans 7 that we heard two weeks ago, on July 5, when John was leading worship. Paul describes the desire to do good inside yet also the sin that is at war against it within his body. Jesus recognizes that every human has the inclination to do both good and evil, to be both “wheat” (nourishment and seed of God) for the world and “weed” (bitterness and death) in the world.^[iv]

What’s really tricky, is that they both not only can exist and grow together at the root of our personality but sometimes the two can be unrecognizable. Sometimes it’s hard to see which one is which, especially in a complex world and in complicated situations.

That’s why only God, as Jesus explained it, has the ability to judge a good plant from a weed in the final harvest.

What examples do we have? In talking with a friend, he mentioned how easily we confuse a person’s role in politics with the person’s personality. It doesn’t matter which stripe or colour we are, we are often caught just wanting to axe some persons. Is that really the way to go? It turns out to show how impatient we are, we aren’t prepared to wait.

The wonder of it all is that God is up to something really different. Let us rather wait. God is indeed able to change weeds into wheat. It might well be a matter of God who has so much patience for us that is such that we might stop acting on God’s behalf and watch for what God is truly doing to set this world right again.

The chaos, all the disruption,^[v] is beyond what we would normally be able to fix. We want to weed the garden and the gardener is saying, “Wait! Watch what God is up to.” Amen

Music: I heard the voice of Jesus say

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, O weary one, lay down
Your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
So weary, worn, and sad;
I found him in a resting place,
And he has made me glad.

Take my yoke upon you
And learn of me
For my yoke is easy
And my burdens are light.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water, thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
Look unto me; your morn shall rise,
And all your day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till traveling days are done.

Music arrangement Ralph Vaughn Williams; © Oxford University Press
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved

Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer of gratitude:

Lord, our thanks go out to You for being the patient One, walking with us. You guide us from a state of being weed, towards maturity, toward what You want us to be. Thank you for your Son’s restoring work in our lives through the spirit. Thank you for the means of worshipping through Zoom. Thank you for life, for the beauty of summer, the beauty of sunrises and sunsets, for the birds in the air, the flowers in bloom. Thank you for each season, also for fall, winter and spring as they each bring forth the good that you have in mind for your children. Amen

Reflection on giving:

Let us pray: Minister

Gracious God, we offer you what we have, at least a part of it, thankful that your love is overflowing. Bless these gifts with your love so that their goodness will overflow to meet the needs of those who cry out to you and to us, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Blessing: Minister

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

^[i] Commentary on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, by Holly Hearon, on workingpreacher.org

^[ii] A description of what weeds (“zizania”) are at https://biblehub.com/greek/2215.htm

^[iii] How “tares” or “darnel” is used in the “parable of weeds among the wheat”, https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/5075Darnel.html

^[iv] The Complex Human, by Lori Wagner on sermons.com

^[v] “Stop Weeding and Start Watching” by Joy J. Moore on workingpreacher.org

Use back button to return to main page.

Sunday (ZOOM) Worship: Message “The Best is Love” (Darlene Eerkes)

John — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 19:59:03 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship: July 12, 2020 at 10 am MDT
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Leading Worship: Darlene Eerkes

Gathering

Music: The love of God comes close

The love of God comes close
where stands an open door,
to let the stranger in,
to mingle rich and poor.

The love of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the love of God is here to stay.

The peace of God comes close
to those caught in the storm,
forgoing lives of ease
to ease the lives forlorn.

The joy of God comes close
where faith encounters fears,
where heights and depths of life
are found through smiles and tears.
The grace of God comes close
to those whose grace is spent,
when hearts are tired or sore
and hope is bruised and bent.

The Son of God comes close
where people praise his name,
where bread and wine are blest
and shared as when He came.

Words: J. Bell, G. Maule; © Iona Community, GIA Publications Inc.
Music: public domain
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements

Welcome to this Worship Service with the Congregation of Dayspring Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – whether you are nearby or far away.

Call to Worship

L: We come together today to hear your words, O Lord
P: To hear your words of challenge and opportunity
L: To hear your words of comfort and encouragement
P: To know your presence is with us in every circumstance.

Music: What wondrous love is this

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this,
That caused the Lord of bliss,
To lay aside his crown,
For my soul, for my soul,
To lay aside his crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, Who is the great “I AM, ”
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing!
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

American folk hymn
harm.: © World Council of Churches

Prayers of approach and for God’s help and Prayer of confession

Loving God – When we see and hear the news of conflict around our world we are often overwhelmed with many emotions. We wrestle with problems in our society that are so big and systemic that it is hard to know how to react and what to do.

God – We wonder if we would act differently if we saw YOU in each face we encountered in our days?

If we saw YOU in each face, would we do a better job of listening?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we see past race? age? deformity?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we verbally put down another person?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we accept the bullying or destruction of others?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we find a way to understand and bless those we meet instead of rushing to our next task?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we want each one to know YOU and understand how this world belongs to YOU?
If we saw YOU in each face, would we work and live so that all people feel valued and loved?

God – We confess that we do not love our neighbour as we should. Amen.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

God knows our failures. God understands our struggles. God is merciful to us, embracing us with a love that is beyond all measure, beyond all words. Because of God’s love we are forgiven. Love is the greatest gift God gives us.

Children’s time: Lynn Vaughan (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music: Jesus loves me

Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me…
The Bible tells me so.

Anna Bartlett; William Bradbury
public domain

Scripture reading

Today’s readings are taken from the New International Version of the Bible and The Message translation.

Our first reading is from Galatians 5: 14-15 and verses 22-23: “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Verses 22 and 23 state: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Our second reading is from the Gospel of John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
And our final reading is from the 13^th chapter of 1 Corinthians – a text showing us the Way of Love. Lynn has already shared many of the ideas in the first section of this chapter so I will highlight only the completion of 1 Corinthians. These words are taken from The Message translation:

“Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing God directly just as God knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”

Message: The best is love!

Darlene Eerkes

God loves you! God loves all people. We play a role in the Greatest LOVE story imaginable! You have just listened to a selection of Scripture verses that are likely quite familiar to many of you. As followers of Jesus we seek to be wise and faithful, living out God’s hope for the world. We heard in these scriptures that God shares with us the gifts of Spirt of God. And, that LOVE is the best.

We all know that there are times when loving is easy.

For example, as I hold my little granddaughter one and a half years old, I feel the power of love. One day she was not feeling well, she was cranky and needed lots of comfort and love. I was holding her as she was falling asleep. I held one of her tiny hands and I was humming softly. It was a very quiet moment – a connection moment. I felt her little heart beating against mine. And then She looked up into my eyes and I was looking into her dark brown ones. We gazed at each other – Time stood still. In that moment I felt LOVE – beyond words. My granddaughter, in spite of not feeling well, smiled a slow gentle look. She felt it too! “Love your neighbour” does not feel like a command to be obeyed when I look into the eyes of any of my grandchildren.

To “love others” is a command for those times when loving is hard, when Love compels us to give up something or to make tough decisions in the name of love. For example: A previous colleague of mine is a very passionate man who has been active for many years in Christian education. Just over two years ago, my friend was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Part of his treatment was a bone marrow transplant which severely impacts a person’s immune system. His medical health is fragile and his life holds great uncertainty. Covid-19 is particularly serious for people in his situation.

In a recent Twitter post my friend said: Those who protest wearing a mask b/c they feel it is the gov’t taking away their personal freedom are forgetting that the only real freedom comes when we love others. It is what we are created and commanded to do. Having the mind of Christ compels us to put others first.

My friend reminds us that real love means thinking about the needs of others. At times it may mean wearing a mask even when we don’t want to OR following the directional arrows in a grocery store OR completing the multitude of questions asked of you before being admitted to a place of business OR allowing your temperature to be taken as you wait for service OR waiting in line ups so social distancing can be maintained. Love motivates us to find new ways of connecting with our families and neighbours while trying to keep everyone safe. Loving our neighbour means all our neighbours, not just the ones we find it easy to love.

The Scriptures today speak of many fruits of the Spirit of God in us/with us – but the BEST of these is LOVE. Faithful followers of Christ will ACT in ways that reflect God’s love to the world around us, even when doing so is difficult. We will love and protect our neighbours in the same way we would love and protect our families and ourselves.

Our call to love has never been more urgently needed than it is in this time of distancing and fear and fragmentation. Every day, each of us make decisions about what it means to be loving.

In listening to the news you are aware that there is an increasing threat of a different kind of pandemic in our world, based on the colour of our skin, and we hear about the violence which erupts in society because of the deep systemic lack of equity bred by racism and poverty.

We are called and committed to follow Christ… to love as Jesus loved.

God invites us to breathe hope – goodness – beauty – joy and love into the world.

We are invited to join in the work of transforming the world and all of creation.

This work of reconciliation is NOT easy!

In this invitation to follow in the ways of Christ is also the promise that God is always with us.

God embraces ALL of us. That is every single person. Every community.

God invites “all nations” to come together in justice, in peace and love.

God is with us as we proclaim with all our strength that every single person is wondrous and valued and loved.

I am reminded of a statement by Desmond Tutu: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.

The Great News of God’s love for each of us, should propel God’s people of all faiths to stand together and proclaim that every single life matters… there are no scum, there are no losers, there are no people who are beneath our notice. All are valuable and loved in the heart of God – loved beyond measure or words.

To love one another means standing in solidarity with one another.

It means crossing all geographic – political – racial – religious divides.

Love means combatting racism – promoting diversity, equity, inclusion.

It means building just educational communities together, joining hands with our neighbours, standing firm and rooted in the gospel of love.

With this in mind I have asked our Youth Coordinator, Saúl, to share the experiences of some of our youth and young adults a few weeks ago as they stepped forward to act out a little of what it means to “love your neighbour.”

Saúl Carvajal (Youth Coordinator)

On Thursday June 4, 2020, I sent a mass text to all of the Dayspring youth and young adults reminding them of our Youth connect taking place the following day in the evening. That same day, most of the youth replied telling me that they would not be able to make it because they were planning on attending the “black lives matter ” peaceful protest at the Alberta Legislature. Instead of feeling disappointed because most of us couldn’t attend the Youth connect, I felt excitement and pride, for they were choosing to take a stand for justice, speaking out against racism and inequity.

On Friday June 5, 2020, a crowd of roughly 10,000 people rallied in a peaceful protest at the ALberta legislature, joining a chorus of voices across North America demanding an end to systematic racism against black communities in the wake of the death of George floyd. As Darlene mentioned earlier, there is an increasing threat of pandemic in our world, one that is based on the colour of our skin.

The speakers at the protest represented a diverse cross-section of Edmonton’s black community. There were school teachers. In fact, one of the main speakers was my sibling’s Highschool social and Phys ed teacher. There were poets, musicians, artists, professors, and various other activists. And of course, amongst the 10,000 + crowd, were most of Dayspring’s youth and young adults practicing safe social distancing.

As the program took place at the legislature grounds, we were asked to take a knee in a very moving moment of silence in order to remember the legacy George Floyd left behind. As everyone took a knee in solidarity and as a sign of respect, there were a couple that stood out within the crowds that remained standing. Of course, in a crowd of 10,000 people kneeling, the ones that remained standing stood out. Some people around them questioned their behaviour, but those on stage reminded everyone saying: “this is a peaceful protest… please do not pay any attention to any negativity that might occur”, and they continued by saying, “we can only fight hatred with love”

LOVE… such a simple word, yet a challenging task.

LOVE… this is what some of our youth have to say about love as a prominent theme in their experience at the black lives matter peaceful protest:

”Love is free, why hate?”

“There can be no love without Justice”

“Love is a movement, and I am glad to be a part of it”

“As humans, we see others through the same lens that we see ourselves… it is important then to love ourselves within before we try to share that love”

And of course, a reminder that comes from a very prominent and familiar spokesperson about justice during his time… “love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

On June 5th, 2020, Dayspring youth reminded me, and it should also remind us, that praxis guided by an ethics of care and love, and ultimately empathic solidarity is, in fact, the service of transformative justice.

Darlene Eerkes

Loving our neighbour is more than just saying the words, there must be action.

We journey together, following in the ways of Jesus, in partnership with God, to love our neighbour, all our neighbours. We do not walk this journey alone. Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Music: A new commandment

A new commandment I give unto you:
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.

By this shall all know that you are my disciples:
if you have love one for another.
By this shall all know that you are my disciples:
if you have love one for another.

Words: John 13:34-35
Music: anonymous; arr. © from the Australian Hymn Book; 1977
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE

Prayer of gratitude

Creator God, from YOU every family in heaven and earth takes its name. You have rooted and grounded us in your love – a love that is unmeasurable and beyond words. We are empowered by your Spirit to speak the truth in love, and to walk in your way towards justice and wholeness. Strengthen and guide us to better “love ALL our neighbours” so that we may grow into the fullness of Christ, who is our light and our life. Amen.

Reflection on giving

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord, we know you see the great confusion in our world and in our hearts. Yet your words of promise provide us comfort and encouragement. Thank you for the times when loving is easy. Thank you for your many blessings and abundant mercies which are new every morning. Thank you for your Spirit that draws us back to you even when we wander far from your ways and are blinded by our own desires and perspectives. We give thanks for people who work to find solutions for disease, sickness, poverty, and inequities. Thank you for all who work to bring justice, reconciliation and peace into all situations. Thank you for your patience as you continue to teach us what it means to love all our neighbours. Thank you for being with us – our Emmanuel. Amen.

Blessing

And now – receive the Benediction:
Whenever we love … God shines through us.
Go and love your neighbour – all your neighbours! Amen!

Visiting

Thank you for joining us..

Questions you might ask yourself …

Where did you see God this week – in people “loving a neighbour”?
What can you give thanks for in this past week?

Sunday (ZOOM) Worship Message: “The yoke that makes our burden light” (John Carr)

John — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 18:18:57 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 5, 2020

Leading Worship: The Rev Dr John Carr Welcoming Elder and Reader: Nick Nation

Gathering

Music Prelude: All things bright and beautiful

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their little wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day.

words: Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander; English folk melody public domain

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements:

Welcome to this Worship Service with the Congregation of Dayspring Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – whether you are nearby or far away.

Call to Worship

L: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth
P: God’s steadfast love endures forever
L: Lift up your hearts!
P: We lift them up to the Lord!

Prayer of approach

We pray: Loving God, in You we know the power of redemption. You stand among us as Light and Life even in our darkest times.

Elusive God, Companion on the way, you walk behind, beside, and beyond. You catch us unawares.

You break through the disillusionment and despair when it is clouding our vision so that we may find our way and journey on.

You stand with us and are hoping for us even when we find it difficult to hope for ourselves.

Prayer of confession

We are mindful, this day of the fact that we stand before you naked and revealed in all our weaknesses and faults. You know what goes on in our minds and you see the way we behave towards each other in the human family.

And we are mindful also of the ways in which our environment cries out in pain because of the many wounds with which we have afflicted it.

Now, we reflect on the way we have lived our lives and, in the silence of our own hearts, we confess our personal sin and waywardness …

Prayer for God’s help

And so we live with trust and faith, knowing that Your loving “arms” are around us and Your loving “hands” are underneath our world. AMEN.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness:

Children’s Time: Lynn Vaughan (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music meditation: When we are living

When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
we belong to God; we belong to God.

Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving, or when receiving,
we belong to God; we belong to God.

‘Mid times of sorrow and in times of pain,
when sensing beauty or in love’s embrace,
whether we suffer, or sing rejoicing,
we belong to God; we belong to God.

Across this wide world, we shall always find
those who are crying with no peace of mind,
but when we help them, or when we feed them,
we belong to God; we belong to God.

Words translation: E. Eslinger, R. Escamilla, G. Lockwood; Music: Hispanic folk song; public domain
Words translation © 1989, United Methodist Publishing House
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A735555. All rights reserved.

Today’s Message: “The yoke that makes our burden light”

Introduction

The message is being shared, this morning, in a format that is different from our usual approach.

In a moment, Nick will read the passage from Romans 7 that is listed in the Order of Service. Then I will reflect on that passage for a few minutes. Next, Nick will read the Psalm 145 and Matthew 11 passages. Following that, I will do a concluding reflection.

These passages provide perspectives on the Christian life that need to be held in tension and in dialogue, the one with the other. That was the intention of those who constructed the Revised Common Lectionary and specified this combination of passages for today.

Friends – let’s listen to Romans 7:15-25a.

Romans 7:15-25a (CEV) Read by Welcoming Elder

This is the Apostle Paul talking about his struggle to be the kind of person he knows Jesus wants him to be.

… I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. Although I don’t do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good. So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

I know that my selfish desires won’t let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don’t do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.

Reflection 1

I doubt that there is anyone who is participating in this worship service who has not experienced what Paul was writing about. Living the Christian life is not easy. There are many things that we do that we know are not pleasing to God. And there are so many things that we know God would like us to do that we just screw up on. Our lives are marked by sins of commission and sins of omission.

Many people think that they need to hide these “dark” aspects of our personalities; to sweep sins of commission and omission under the carpet; to pretend that “I’m all right, Jack.” (no offence intended to the “Jacks” in the congregation)

However, here, in Romans 7, we see a leader of the early church being upfront about his struggles – and in a letter which was intended for wide circulation.

The thing is – it’s OK to acknowledge our shortcomings because having shortcomings is a normal aspect of being human. Some of us have more difficulty with this than others – but we just aren’t perfect and never will be.

And God isn’t going to come down on us like a ton of bricks for being imperfect or for fronting up about that. The authors of Psalm 145 and Matthew 11 knew this.

Psalm 145:8-14 (CEV)
You are merciful, Lord!
You are kind and patient and always loving.
You are good to everyone,
and You take care of all Your creation.

All creation will thank You,
and Your loyal people will praise You.
They will tell about Your marvelous kingdom
and about Your power.

Then everyone will know about the mighty things You do
and about Your glorious kingdom.
Your kingdom will never end,
and You will rule forever.

Our Lord, You keep Your word
and do everything You say You will do.
When someone stumbles or falls,
You give a helping hand.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 (CEV adapted)

In this passage, Jesus is challenging the sincerity of the adoring fans who had gathered to hear Him talk. He said:

You people are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other, “We played the flute, but you would not dance! We sang a funeral song, but you would not mourn!” John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, “That man has a demon in him!” But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, “That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.

Then Jesus began to reflect on these things.

And He said –

My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.

My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.

Then Jesus said to the gathered people: If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

Reflection 2

A few years ago, quite impulsively, I bought myself a new knapsack. For a couple of decades previously I had used a knapsack as my carryon luggage on my many airline trips to conferences, professional meetings, and overseas events. That old knapsack was purchased before I started lugging around my laptop computer to these gatherings.

I had the knapsack with me when I was visiting the Taj Mahal and it still bears the mark of a pigeon flying overhead. (Better the knapsack than my head.) So I was reluctant to trade in this old friend even though I knew that it was no longer doing the job.

But the time came when I realized that I had to. And my new knapsack fit perfectly. It was designed for carting around the electronics that I took to my meetings – and made my burden feel an awful lot lighter than did my old pigeon-marked bag.

This knapsack talk is by way of illustrating what is meant in Matthew 11 when Jesus is reported as saying that His “yoke is easy to bear, and [His] burden is light.”

It’s highly synchronous that Nick is reading the Scriptures today – because he is a veterinarian who has done a lot of work with large animals. So we had an email conversation about “yokes” and about some of what is involved in fitting beasts of burden with a yoke.

Yokes were made out of wood. They were as light as possible so that they did not add unnecessarily to the burden but were strong enough for the tasks the ox had to do. They were shaped to fit the ox comfortably and enable it to pull a plow or a cart without irritating the skin of their shoulders.

More than that, Nick wrote, “a poorly fitted yoke will cause, over time, damage to the radial nerve supplying the front legs which will result in lameness and, in really bad cases, paralysis that makes the animal unfit for service.”

Keep in mind, that Jesus’ father was a carpenter and Jesus undoubtedly learned about these things when working with His father.

Jesus is telling us that hard as it is, sometimes, for us to live the way that we know we are intended to live – to be the person we are intended to be – Jesus really just wants us to take on what we are able to take on. And he is assuring us that He will be, for us, what we need Him to be.

I’m saying that Jesus is the yoke that makes our struggles and burdens light – that we can “put on Jesus” – that we can be “Christ-bearers” – and because that is what we are intended to be, we will be able to navigate whatever it is that we have to navigate. Jesus is a good “fit.” I see that in many of you as we pull together to make Dayspring a vibrant community of faith and care.

Now as to how you “put on Jesus” – how you live life as “Christ bearers” – that’s something you might want to discuss in the breakout rooms at the end of worship. For now, let’s listen to, and maybe sing – each in our own home – this song by Fred Kaan and Ron Klusmeier.

Music Meditation: To show by touch and word

To show by touch and word
devotion to the earth,
to hold in high regard
all life that comes to birth,
we need, O God, the will to find
the good you had of old in mind.

Inspire our hearts to choose
the things that matter most,
to speak and do the truth,
creating peace and trust.
For every challenge that we face
we need your guidance and your grace.

Let love from day to day
be touchstone, guide and norm,
and let our lives portray
your Word in human form.
Now come with us that we may have
your wits about us where we live.

The Lord’s Supper

Invitation

When our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took bread, blessed, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. Luke 24:30, 31

We invite you, each in your own homes, to recognize and experience the presence of Jesus.

This celebration of the Lord’s Supper is not a Dayspring celebration.

Neither is it a Presbyterian celebration.

It is a celebration for all humankind – for men and women, girls and boys, who are seeking, or have found, a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We believe that we are not in charge of the Lord’s Supper – rather that Jesus is – and Jesus says that all are welcome.

And now we pray …

As we partake of this bread and wine, we honor Creator and creation.

As we bless and share these gifts, we celebrate the Table fellowship of Jesus and know that all are made worthy by Jesus – adults, teenagers, children – and that all are welcome!

We celebrate the communion and community of all humankind.

In Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life and the True Vine, You feed us with the Word. You nourish us with Your Love poured out in abundance upon us.

O present Spirit, help us recognize the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread.

You feed us and all the world with this bread.

You bring joy with this wine and grape juice.

Bread and Wine are leaven, salt, and life in us – a community of faith strengthened by this symbolic meal.

We pray in the name of Jesus who came among us – a deep mystery of faith. AMEN.

Song: Here is bread, here is wine

Here is bread, here is wine
Christ is with us, he is with us
Break the bread, drink the wine
Christ is with us here

Here is grace, here is peace
Christ is with us, he is with us
Know his grace, find his peace
Feast on Jesus here

In this bread there is healing
In this cup there’s life forever
In this moment, by the Spirit
Christ is with us here

Here we are, joined in one
Christ is with us, he is with us
We’ll proclaim, till he comes
Jesus crucified

Offering of Bread and Wine

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. I Cor. 10:17.

When we break the bread, it is a sharing in the body of Christ. I Cor. 10:16.

When we bless the cup, it is a sharing in the blood of Christ. I Cor. 10:16.

The wine, like Christ’s blood, is poured out as a declaration that we can have life and have life more abundantly.

Communion

Offering of the Bread: “The Bread of life is for all who come in faith.”

Offering of the Wine: “Christ’s love is poured out for all of us.”

Prayer

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us symbolically and we have experienced your Real Presence.

We thank You for all those who have shared in this mystery, and thus in You – here and in many places through two millennia.

And we offer ourselves, and all that we have in the service and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Reflection on giving:

Intercessions

Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs.

Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our prayers for those of our congregation, or those who are the family members or friends of our members, whose names are listed in our weekly mailing …

We think, especially, of those in our congregation who are dealing with the frailty of our bodies as we grow older. …

And about those grieve the death of loved ones …

We offer our prayers, also, for those in our wider community, province, nation, and world who are struggling, many of them not knowing how they will survive …

Words are able to accomplish much, but actions speak louder than words. So, along with our prayers, we commit ourselves to acts of care, justice-seeking, and peace-making.

Commissioning and Blessing: Go in peace. Love and serve the Lord.

And know that God Is with you each step of the way. Amen.

Visiting

Sunday (ZOOM) Worship Message: “Replenish, Renew, Reach Out” (Lorraine Wheatley)

John — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 19:21:49 +0000

Dayspring ZOOM Connect Worship, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost,
June 28, 2020 10 am MDT
Welcoming Elder: Iris Routledge Leading Worship: Lorraine Wheatley

Gathering

Music Prelude: As the deer pants for the water

As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after you
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”

Welcome and announcements: Welcoming Elder (Iris Routledge)
Welcome to this Worship Service with the congregation of Dayspring Presbyterian Church in Edmonton, Alberta Canada – whether you are near at hand or far away.

A special welcome to Lorraine Wheatley, one of our members, who is leading us in worship, today. Starting on June 14 our own musicians, Gord and Binu have been providing the music. We also hope to have some soloists in upcoming weeks.

A reminder that help is always welcome at the Food Bank. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a difference where there is a huge need. They minimize physical contact, making for a safer process. We still need more volunteers to help on Thursdays. If you wish to help, contact either Jim Jeatt or Audrey. The contact details are in the DWN.

The Rev. Heinrich Grosskopf will be on holidays for three weeks from June 22 until July 12. The Rev Harry Currie will be covering Pastoral Care. Please notify him of an illness, surgery or emergency at 780-232-1160 while Heinrich is away.

A notice went out earlier this past Monday regarding virtual summer camp at Kannawin. Please check your email for the details.

Call to worship:
L: The church lives to praise God.
P: We have no higher calling than to offer God our lives in worship day to day, Sunday by Sunday, now and always.
L: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
P: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, to the ages of ages! Amen.

Music meditation: To show by touch and word

To show by touch and word
devotion to the earth,
to hold in high regard
all life that comes to birth,
we need, O God, the will to find
the good you had of old in mind.

Inspire our hearts to choose
the things that matter most,
to speak and do the truth,
creating peace and trust.
For every challenge that we face
we need your guidance and your grace.

Let love from day to day
be touchstone, guide and norm,
and let our lives portray
your Word in human form.
Now come with us that we may have
your wits about us where we live.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Lord God, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

From north and south, from east and west, drawn by your majesty we come to worship you, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

For the gift of this new day, fresh from your hand, we rejoice.

For the renewal we discover in your friendship in Christ, we praise you.

In the Spirit’s energy, blessing us in each moment, whether joyous or difficult,

we place our hopes.

Lord God, we trust that all of life is your gift, so give us glimpses of your splendor, glory, and love in this time of worship.

Accept our praise, Lord God, Creator, Redeemer and Holy Spirit.

Lord of all life and each life,

Forgive us when we forget that life is a gift and that you are with us in both our struggles and our achievements.

Forgive us when we ignore the value of each person you have created and for the pain we have caused to others.

Bless those who have been hurt by our actions and by our inaction with your healing love.

Heal us, too, of the hurts and harm we carry and forgive us the grudges that weigh us down.

Restore our faith in your goodness and free us to live with you and with each other in reconciling grace through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Jesus said, Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Friends, trust that peace and forgiveness are God’s gifts to you this day. Be renewed by the power of the Spirit that moves with you into each new day.

Children’s Time: Heather Tansem – Reaching Out (Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)

Music meditation: I the Lord of sea and sky

I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky,
I Have Heard My People Cry.
All Who Dwell In Dark And Sin,
My Hand Will Save.
I Who Made The Stars Of Night,
I Will Make Their Darkness Bright.
Who Will Bear My Light To Them?
Whom Shall I Send?

Here I Am Lord, Is It I, Lord?
I Have Heard You Calling In The Night.
I Will Go Lord, If You Lead Me.
I Will Hold Your People In My Heart.

I, The Lord Of Snow And Rain,
I Have Borne My People’s Pain.
I Have Wept For Love Of Them,

They Turn Away.
I Will Break Their Hearts Of Stone,
Give Them Hearts For Love Alone.
I Will Speak My Word To Them
Whom Shall I Send?

I, The Lord Of Wind And Flame
I Will Tend The Poor And Lame.
I Will Set A Feast For Them,
My Hand Will Save
Finest Bread I Will Provide,
Till Their Hearts Be Satisfied.
I Will Give My Life To Them,
Whom Shall I Send?

Prayer for Understanding

Spirit of wisdom, be our guide as we listen for God’s Word speaking in the scriptures. When we are puzzled, grant us clarity. When we resist hearing, open our hearts. Guide us to measure our understanding by Christ, God’s Living Word and Witness. Amen

Scripture reading:

Matthew 10:40-42 (New Revised Standard Version)

About Rewards
⁴⁰“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous;
⁴²and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward

It has been about three months since the start of the pandemic. We watch the news, listen to the statistics of the pandemic, of people infected, people healed and people who died all around the world and

Wonder – when will it end.

Wonder – how will it end.

Wonder – will it end.

We have closed businesses, schools and churches. We no longer go out for dinner, meet a friend for coffee at our favourite coffee shop, drop in on our families or meet in our church to worship together on Sundays. It is unlikely we will return to normal until a vaccine is created. We are waiting for the new normal.

In the past few months I’ve heard people say since they’ve had more time at home they have spent time on replenishing their relationships with their families. If nothing else, this pandemic has thrown us a curve. It has thrown a sharp curve in that we’ve had to pause in our daily lives and take stock of where we are at and what is most important to us. This pause, it seems, has been more positive than negative. Of course there have been and still are many negative repercussions but for a moment let’s look at the positive.

REPLENISH

This has been a time where we can replenish ourselves, to pause and take time out of our hectic lives to think about who we are. It has been a time to sit with ourselves and take stock of the journey we are on in our daily physical lives as well as our spiritual lives.

An earlier chapter in Matthew tells us to loosen our hold on earthly treasures. This is not easy is our consumable society. It is too easy to get lost in what he have, what we want, what we think we need and forget about our spiritual selves. As we move forward think about taking some time to focus on your spiritual self and replenish your faith.

RENEW

This has been a time to renew our relationships, spend time with our families and our children. We have the opportunity to spend time together, read together, watch television together, play board games and simply listen to each other.

For the past few weeks as we read through Matthew we see how Jesus groomed the disciples and helped ready them to continue Jesus’ work. As we hear these passages we might think about our own calling with more of an open mind.

We are all called to continue Jesus’ mission. Our mission is to reach out. The way we do that will be different for each of us.

A photo was taken by Alex Taliadoros of food baskets in the pews of the main sanctuary of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, DC. It appears the church has renewed part of their mission.

In these uncertain times people and business and churches are looking at ways to renew their mission. They found a different way to renew their mission and reach out.

REACH OUT

This has been a time for us to reach out and help those in need.

Jesus prepares his disciples to follow him. They watch as he ministers to crowds of people asking nothing in return. They watch as Jesus travels with no money or gold, no food no extra clothes and no possessions. They watch Jesus depend on others for food and shelter. He tells his disciples the journey will be sometimes difficult, there will be times when the disciples will be turned away and will face hardship but they must continue on. Jesus has instructed them where to go and who to speak to. The disciples have been given the tools they need; the power to heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead.

He taught the disciples and gave them specific messaging telling them to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and then sent them out to continue the mission. A couple of weeks ago in Matthew 9:37 we read, “The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few.” We are also asked to reach out and continue Jesus’ mission. What does it mean to be sent?

Does it mean we step forward? Will you raise your voice with a group of others like those protesting world-wide against the horrific death of George Floyd at the hands of those who swore to uphold the law. Will you speak up, will you step forward when you see injustice?

All acts of service whether large or small matter.

Reach out to people you know well and maybe those you’ve just met and invite them to worship in our church community on Sunday. While we meet online we can invite guests to worship with us online. We can reach out and bring our church to others instead of waiting for people to find their own way through our doors. People are waiting to be asked. People are waiting for good news. People want to belong to a community.

St Francis of Assisi said “Preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words.”

We can share our faith.

We can share our time.

We can share our possessions.

I see people reaching out with compassion when I see the front-line workers and grocery store clerks.

I see people reaching out with compassion when I see the truck drivers and many others who continue to do their jobs. When we reach out we are continuing Jesus’ mission.

As we review Jesus’ words in Matthew once again, “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward,” reminds us that this simple act is meant for each one of us. Even small acts of kindness and compassion go a long way.

Music Meditation: The love of God comes close

The love of God comes close
where stands an open door,
to let the stranger in,
to mingle rich and poor.The love of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the love of God is here to stay.2. The peace of God comes close
to those caught in the storm,
forgoing lives of ease
to ease the lives forlorn.3. The joy of God comes close
where faith encounters fears,
where heights and depths of life
are found through smiles and tears.4. The grace of God comes close
to those whose grace is spent,
when hearts are tired or sore
and hope is bruised and bent.

5. The Son of God comes close
where people praise his name,
where bread and wine are blest
and shared as when he came.

Prayer of gratitude:

Lord God of heaven and earth, with joy and thanksgiving, we praise you for you create, sustain, and redeem all things.

For making us in your image to love one another and to care for your creation, we give you thanks.

For the gift of your Son whose life is the pattern for our lives and learning, we give you thanks.

For the energy of your Spirit to inspire us in times of challenge and change, we give you thanks.

For those who serve as teachers, healers and caregivers in these stressful days when their work is so demanding.

For our friends and families whom we love, and with whom we grow and journey.

Strengthen us in these difficult days to show your love to others as we pray for the church and those who lead as we adapt to new ways of worshiping and being together.

Hear us now as we pray in silence for situations on our hearts this day. ………………

God eternal, keep us in communion with your people across all times and in all places. May we serve you faithfully, blessing others as we have been blessed by your love through Jesus Christ.

Jesus teaches that even the gift of a simple cup of water is a gift worthy of his disciples. Fellow Dayspring members, whatever we can give to God can bless the world in Jesus’ name. Give so that others may taste God’s living water.

Reflection on giving: ………….

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Generous and gracious God, we receive so much from you. What we return to you this day has first come to us from you. By your Spirit, multiply our gifts so that those who are in need may taste your abundance which we know already in Christ, our Living Lord. Amen.

Blessing

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Visiting