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
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And 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. 18 And 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. 19 I 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.” 20 Then 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
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