Call to worship:
One: Give thanks to the Lord for he is Good
All: His love endures forever
One:The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid
All: His love endures forever
One: The Lord is with me, He is my Helper
All: His love endures forever
One: the Lord is my strength and my song
All: His love endures forever
One: The Lord is God, and He has made his light shine upon us
All: His love endures forever
One: You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God and I will exalt you. Give
thanks to the Lord for He is good
All: His love endures forever


Scripture readings:
Deuteronomy 10:12-21

New International VersionFear the Lord12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.
Romans 8:18-26
New International VersionPresent Suffering and Future Glory18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.


MESSAGE

"So what are we afraid of?"
We as a society, both local, national and international, are experiencing something unprecedented in our generation. A world-wide disease pandemic that threatens to take many lives, and indeed has taken many lives. So far, the measures taken to save lives and protect the vulnerable, have had massive repercussions on the daily lives of millions of people. Many people live in fear of becoming sick. A lot of the measures that the authorities and individuals have taken are based on that fear.

As I thought about it, it occurred to me that FEAR is the "expectation of loss". The fear of sickness, fear of death etc is actually the expectation of loss of life, of loss of health, loss of relationship with loved ones, loss of normal everyday life, loss of control of our life as we know it.

Even before the current situation erupted in March, I had been thinking about the concept of FEAR. We are used to fear, we deal with fear every day; words like "fear" and "afraid" populate our vocabulary. "I am afraid I can't make it"; "I planned to paint the shed, but I am frightened it is
going to rain" "I am afraid you are too old for the reduced price ticket.." thousand of ways we use the words afraid, frightened, or fear in our everyday speech.

I recently concluded a certification as a Herbalist. A herbalist defines disease or sickness as an "abnormal state" or a condition where the cells and tissues are not functioning as "normal", rather than a state whereby a foreign element has been introduced. In order to treat disease, a herbalist uses plants and natural elements to assist the body in regaining a healthy, or normal, condition. A support mechanism, if you will, rather than an attack on the diseased cells with a substance toxic to the body.

I thought in a way, the state of fear is similar: a condition where we expect loss or lack of what we believe we need or are entitled to. Fear is an abnormal state, a state where we are lacking peace and wholeness, and one that threatens or challenges the condition of our lives, or our very life. Indeed, living in fear can actually affect the state of one's physical and mental health.

At the moment, authorities are warning that one of the consequences of the pandemic, even for those who were not actually sick with the virus, is mental illness, or to look at like it a herbalist would, a state of lack of complete mental health.

The Bible talks a lot about fear. In fact, churches have a not-so-good reputation of capitalizing on fear in order to keep people under control. We have all heard the phrase "put the Fear of God into you". The many empty churches perhaps tell the story that this method did not work in the long run. People are tired and fed up of being controlled by fear. Being told we have to behave or "God with get you" or God will punish you, or take away the things or people we love.

Is this true? Is this what God does? The Bible does tell us to "fear God". Let's look at what it actually says:

Deut. 10:12-21.
Here God actually gives us some definitions of what "fear of God" looks like. Speaking to the tribe of Israel at the time, He said that all He asks of His people is to fear the Lord your God. In fact, if God IS Love, then the command to "fear" Him, is given in our best interest, for our protection.

He goes on to say: love Him, serve with all your heart and soul, observe the Lord's commands. Then we are safe, under HIS umbrella, if you will.
Prov 8:13 to fear the Lord is to hate evil

Ps 11:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, all who follow His precepts have good understanding

Prov 10:27 the fear of the Lord adds length to life
Prov 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death
Prov 15:33 the fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honour
Prov 19:23 the fear of the Lord leads to life, then one rests content, untouched by trouble
Prov 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe

From these verses we see that the Fear of the God isn't quite the shaking in our boots type of fear that we are led to believe it is. It is actually a decision to obey Him, to follow His ways and seek Him. Rather than the former mentioned kind of fear, it is the respect and honour given to a God who is all-powerful, who is the One in charge of life, and who ultimately is the one who gave Himself for us that we may have abundant life.

We read in Ps 27, that the Lord, whom we respect and honour as the all-powerful, the one who holds life in His hands, is our light and salvation, the stronghold of our life. Therefore, whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid? Certainly not the giver of life.

How do we enter into this condition of peace, of not having fear of circumstances, of experiencing the strength of God, his light and salvation?

I would like to read some verses from Psalm 34 and 37. When you go home today perhaps take some time and read carefully through both Psalms. I think you will find they are almost a checklist of what we can do to claim this protection and the peace it brings. Not only that, we can implement that promise, by speaking our commitment to God.

Psalm 34 has special importance to me, as at one point in my life at a
time of fear and stress, this psalm gave me the strength and hope to believe that God would look after things and all would be well. Which it was.

The Bible tells us that perfect love drives out fear (1John 4:16-19). Jesus has given His life for us, and there is no greater love than this (John 15:13). Perfect love comes from God, who actually says "God is Love". Jesus actually tells his followers "do not be afraid". He calls us to trust Him, that He is our comfort and in the midst of all the troubles of life, He brings us peace.

The kind of peace that doesn't make sense, that no one can really understand. Though things don't always go smoothly, and life is never perfect, there is the peace that comes from knowing that in Jesus, there is really nothing to lose. And that is essentially what we fear. Fear of losing what we have, losing our way of living, our loved ones, our life.

As the Apostle Paul said, "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21) Death is no longer something to be afraid of (1Corinthians 15:55 "Where O Death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?").

In Christ I have the promise of true life, assurance of eternity with Him, and I need not fear for anything. The everyday circumstances that challenge us really cannot remove us from that place of peace, knowing that our very lives are in the hands of the One who loves us most. The Lord will not forsake his faithful ones, those who take refuge in Him, they will be protected forever.

CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 46) Randy

God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of
trouble
So we will not be afraid if the earth shakes, or if the mountains fall into the sea.
​We Will not fear even if the oceans roar and foam, or if the mountains shake ​at the raging sea.
There is a river which brings joy to the city of God. This is the holy place where God Most High lives.
God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken, God will help her at dawn.
Nations tremble, and kingdoms shake. God shouts and the earth crumbles.

CANADA DAY LITANY:  Nancy
This is God's land. From coast to coast, from the far off reaches of the north, to the windswept shores of east and west, to the border with our southern neighbour, God is present in this land

Here are God's people. From Aboriginal Nations to recent immigrants, from fifth generation farmers to newly arrived professionals. God's people surround us.

Now is God's time. Even amid our limited ability to travel and be with others this
summer, God is with us, amid the bird song, the fresh smells of summer and the limited
way we can gather together, we honour this holy day together.
This is a time to honour God. Let us give thanks and praise

CANADA DAY PRAYER: 0 God, we gather in worship after many months of being apart. We
reflect on our nation this Canada Day Sunday. We reflect on the people within it and our
ways of building and being a better community. We look for ways to be Your people in
this community and in this country. We seek a renewed understanding of what it means
to be a country of compassion and to form a land of principles, integrity and justice.
May we live with confidence and hope in our service to one another, strengthened for
this service by the gifts of Your Spirit, this day and every day. Amen

PRAYER:      
God of hope and love, as our world seems more and more chaotic in this time of pandemic, help us open our hearts and minds to Your peace. Sometimes, when we are alone, bombarded by news and statistics, we may feel lonely, scared, apprehensive and afraid that nothing will ever be the same again. In those moments, be with us so that we may feel Your love surrounding us and help us to remember that You will never leave us.

Give us the strength to reach out to other people to share our feelings and fears and to listen to theirs so that together we may find calm in knowing that we are your people and You give us all we need, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. In all things and no matter how we feel, give us the knowledge and wisdom to always give thanks to You that the gift of gratitude may help us return to You and overcome the fear that threatens us. Bless us God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Offertory Hymn:        
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below:
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Offertory Prayer:       
God of Promise, many of us have trouble discerning the Living
Christ in our lives. Use these gifts to quiet the traffic and turmoil of life's stresses. Enable us through our faithful giving to discover a deeper reverence for the humble and gentle message of Jesus Christ. Lift our heavy burdens so we can prayerfully respond to the peace and calm repose that You provide for us today and forever. in the name of Jesus
Christ, we pray. Amen.

Song with Kevin Harvey
​

Scripture reading
Lamentations 3:17-26
New International Version17 I have been deprived of peace;
    I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
    and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”
25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
​

Romans 8:18-30
New International Version 
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[b] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

​
Philippians 4:4-9
New International Version 
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

MEDITATION : Yes God is among us.

Yes, God Is Among Us
Let us begin with prayer: This hour we turn to You, 0 Lord, in full knowledge of our frailty, our vulnerability and our great need as your mortal creatures. We cry to you, as one human family, unsure of the path ahead, unequal to the unseen forces around us, frightened by the sickness and death that seems all too real to us now. Stir up Your strength and visit us, 0 Lord; be our shield and rock and hiding place. Guide our leaders, our scientists, our nurses and doctors. Give them wisdom and fill their hearts with courage and determination. Make this time, 0 Lord, a season of blessing for us, that in fear we find You mighty to save, and in illness or death, we find the cross to be none other than the way of life. All this we ask in the name of the One who bore all our infirmities, Jesus Christ, our Risen and victorious Lord. Amen.

For the past 4 months we have been living in a new reality. As Christians we believe that God is in control, has a grand plan for us all. So it's easy for us to question why a pandemic has engulfed the entire world and caused such chaos. Life is different from what we've known. We've had to self isolate, keep 2 meters distance, no social interaction. It's been a difficult time for everyone.


Fifteen years ago, during the SAM outbreak, we were still able to attend our places of worship. This time, we have to protect ourselves and others in an attempt to slow down this virus. Shutting down restaurants, community centers, schools, businesses and churches has been enforced to keep our social distances. There have been postponed weddings and no funerals. it has been a social duty that we've had to accept.


The wisdom of our faith allows us to say: Yes, God is among us. We didn't need to be in church to be with God, but it sure feels great to back this morning, even though our service is being celebrated in a different way.


Social distancing means we are restricted on what we can do and where we can go. And even though things are starting to open up, we still need to be vigilant. This is hard on all of us. I've missed my children and grandchildren, but I'm thankful they're well and safe. I've missed my church family and wish I could give each one of you a great big hug, but that will have to wait.


I Peter 1:5-7 says: In this you greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that reality of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


We really don't know how strong our faith is until it is put to the test. The testing of our faith produces patience and patience is the ability to persevere, to hold up and continue when others are ready to give up.


It's been a scary few months. Even if you're healthy and at no risk, you could unwittingly be a carrier and expose someone who is vulnerable. That is why people have had to work from home. We have not been able to visit our loved ones in hospitals or care homes. It's been hard for so many, but necessary for overall safety of everyone.


Perhaps some of us are questioning our faith and asking ourselves, "Why did God allow this to happen?"


God is letting us know just how vulnerable we mortals are. But think about this: if it wasn't for God's mercies, we would experience even more threats to our existence. Right now the world is not what God intended it to be. The world and its people have lost sight of their faith and the goodness of others. We move too quickly through life and this makes us vulnerable.


The wisdom of our faith and the witness of the church throughout the ages is to say, "Yes, the Lord is among us." We don't need to be in church to be with God. God's presence is not quarantined.


God is letting us experience just how much we are not in control of our
existence. We tend to think we can make plans, work the plans, and the plans will all lead to the goal, the future, we ourselves have imagined for ourselves. It just doesn't work that way. And God is letting us experience that fact.


God is using this crisis to minimize our divisions and dissidence. The last few years have witnessed communities and nations being torn apart. The spreading of Covid 19 is bringing us together to face a common threat. I believe God is using it to help people experience again what it feels like to work together for the common good.


God is showing us, once again, that when we all start looking out for each other, life is fuller. Even if we are still motivated by self-interest. Hoarding all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the grocery store is self-defeating; it only makes it harder for others to be healthy. People are beginning to think of the consequences for everyone. Just think, if we could learn to look out for the whole community in non crisis times what a better world this would be!


God is bringing us to a place to cry out for healing. This crisis has been
difficult for our medical systems to handle. We need help from beyond the systems and people who wouldn't have normally prayed are now praying big time!


In this time of physical distancing to stop the spread of the virus, we are
discovering more about how deep our human longing is for community. We live in a society with great divisions and we all know of people who are alone in a time of despair and anxiety. We must take the love that God has given us and reach out to others in the ways that are available to us. This is not something we do to earn the favour of God. Instead, staying in contact with others is how God blesses us, letting us be a conduit of grace to those we call, write and meet with online.


The current state of our world is uneasy at best. It seems each one of us is choosing to handle the Covid 19 crisis differently. We see memes popping up all over social media making light of a dire situation. Friends and family in medical professions work on the frontlines of this pandemic every day. Parents isolate with their children, seeking protection from exposure. Others are going about things flippantly as if there isn't any actual threat to human life. It has created a sense of helplessness. Collectively we seem uncertain of where to turn. Society at large has lost a perceived sense of control, and the realities of death and grief seem to be staring everyone in the face.


But in the midst of uncertainty there is One who is in control. There is One we can turn to. There is One who holds the whole world in His hands. God is graciously reigning over the world in the midst of fear and panic. He is not threatened by this pandemic, nor is He surprised. Our suffering from disease should be expected in the Christian faith. The Bible speaks clearly of Jesus' authority over sickness.


While the Covid 19 virus is certainly serious, we as Christians can put our trust in the fact that God is in control. Jesus has the authority and power to heal who He wants, when He wants and how He wants. We may not fully understand God's plan in the midst of this pandemic, but we can trust that His plan is always for our good and His glory. Even as our plans change, the purpose of the Lord remains faithful. In this trial, Jesus does not leave us, the cross remains our only hope of assurance.


God will not leave us or forsake us now or ever. He made sure of that
through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. If you believe the gospel and seek to live in the light, then you can take heart that Jesus, in all His power and might, is walking with us during this time of uncertainty.


Let us pray: We have come before You today knowing that You are with us. In this time of persistent change and unknowing, we crave Your ever present grace. In this time of many questions and few answers, we are desperate for Your truth. In this time of confusion and uncertainty we desire Your constant love. Speak peace to the fears we name in our hearts and minds. Calm the inner and unspoken anxieties we carry. Soothe our wearied and worried souls from the incessant apprehension. For those who bodies bear illness, we pray. For those whose spirits are devastated by isolation, we pray. Help us remember that You are with us, for You alone give us strength. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

BENEDICTION & CHORAL AMEN:        (Thessalonians 2:1647)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. Now may the Lord of peace himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance, The Lord be with you all.