PRELUDE:                 Chenaniah


CALL TO WORSHIP:                                                                  Glorious God, we come together as Your people.                                  We come as a praising people, singing Your goodness.                          We come as a hungry people, longing to be fed.                                  We come as a praying people, bringing our needs and our joys.              We come as a journeying people, looking for direction.                        In this sacred place of worship, empower us to be faithful. Let us worship the God of Life!

WELCOME:
          
SPECIAL MUSIC:     “Sing, Sing, Sing”   Norm Rennie & Rob Ireland

​
​WE LOVE TO SING:

CRIPTURE READINGS:    Psalm 149:1-6a                                      Ephesians 5:15-20 
Colossians 3:12-16

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH:
Together let us confess our faith. Do you believe in God, our Creator?   I believe in God, creator of all things, whose heavenly song sent the planets into motion. Even when we go astray, God calls us back, showing us the fullness of life and giving us new songs of praise for each new day. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?                                  I believe in Jesus Christ who lives for us and among us, healing the sick, easing the burdens of all people, and teaching us the new song of God’s kingdom. He showed His love for all God’s children in His death and the hope for eternal life in His resurrection.                                      Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?                                                  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of life who sings God’s grace through all time and space. I believe that God has a song for my life as well. Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC:     “Joy is Like The Rain”        Gordon Furey
                

WHAT ARE YOU SINGING ABOUT? 

​SPECIAL MUSIC:     “I’ll Walk With God”          Howard Welburn
​

THANK YOU GOD FOR THE SOUND OF MUSIC:

​HYMN:     A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Vs. 1, 2 & 4  This hymn was written by Martin Luther 


SOLI DEO GLORIA:                       
HYMN:         
I’ve Got The Joy
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, 
Down in my heart, down in my heart,             I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart,                                                              Down in my heart to stay.

Refrain:        
And I’m so happy, so very happy,                       
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart,               
And I’m so happy, so very happy,                     
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart...

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart..
I’ve got the wonderful love of the Blessed Redeemer 
Deep down in the depths of my heart....


CLOSING PRAYER:
CLOSING HYMN:                 Shine, Jesus, Shine
​
BENEDICTION & CHORAL AMEN:       
POSTLUDE:  Chenaniah

Bible reading:
 
Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…..
 
Jeremiah 29:11-14
God says, “I know my plans for you,  plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord and will bring you back from captivity..
 
 
 
Karma will get you
 
After the Ormstown Fair, it was reported that someone had stolen several hanging baskets of flowers from one of the barns. Apparently the baskets were loaned to the exhibitor to decorate their stall area, by a local business. In BC we had a farm shop, every year we hung up baskets of red and white flowers, which grew to be very beautiful, and featured in lots of photos from visitors from around the world. Every year at least 2 or 3 baskets out of about 20 that we had specially done for us at a local nursery, were stolen. The thieves even broke the light in the ceiling of the porch where the baskets were hanging, to do their work under cover of darkness. One year we used zip ties to fasten them, the next year we wired them to the hooks. You really have to wonder what is in a person’s mind when they make the decision to steal flowers. I have a hard time imagining the thieves enjoying the baskets without even a twinge of guilt. 
Do they hang them on their porch, then look at them and say “Oh look at my stolen flowers, aren’t I clever?”
 
One of our neighbours said “Ah well. Karma will get them”
 
Now Karma is part of the Hindu and Buddhist belief system about cause and effect. That your actions directly cause whatever happens to you thereafter, including the theory that there are many lives that we live, in reincarnation, and that what we have done in one life will affect our next life. So according to this belief system, the flower thieves will have something happen to them as a direct result of their theft, plus endanger the peace and success of their next life.
 
Christianity of course does not hold this world view, but rather teaches of one earthly life and after that, eternal life with God.  Christians are taught that actions have consequences, but not quite in the same context as Hinduism.  God has given mankind a Saviour, who knowing our fallibility as humans, stepped in on our account and paid that ultimate price. We are not required to keep returning to this life in order to continue learning lessons that will one day bring us to the ultimate state of peace, or oblivion, becoming one with the universe. In other religions, the onus is on the human to reach a standard or goal in order to be good enough. The problem with that belief is setting the standard. Who sets the standard? Which human gets to be the one who says their standard is the one? The one we are to emulate? The unfortunate truth is, there is no such thing as a human who is infallible. It has to be set by someone who is truly infallible, who is truly without any blemish. Christianity acknowledges that we will never be good enough so God needed to intervene on our behalf, and sent Jesus, who as God is infallible, and as man, can be sacrificed as the pure lamb without sin, for the world.
 
Even though Jesus taught that God is Love, there is a tendency in the broader Christian world to believe that God is a God of retribution who will “get you” in the end, and mete out His punishment. Or at the very least, allow things to happen in order to “teach us a lesson”.
The pastor of our church in BC became afflicted with prostate cancer, and later also suffered a small stroke. So many people asked him “What do you think God is trying to teach you? Why did He do this to you?”. His response was always NOTHING! We live in a fallen world where sickness and disease happens, so it happened to me”.
 
God did not tell us we are immune to all the ‘stuff” the world throws at us, but He did promise to always be at our side. The message about the Judgement Seat of God seems to be a powerful one that sticks in the mind. Once I was talking to a couple of friends in Switzerland about Christ-and in Switzerland there is no separation of church and state, so all young people attend Catechism and are confirmed in the church, either protestant or catholic- and at one point one said something to the effect that if a person didn’t meet the standard, “God would punish them”.
 
It is too bad though if our only perception of God is one of a fierce and remote God who is just waiting to punish us for our sins, and that Christian life is nothing more than just a long list of “Thou Shalt Nots”
 
Is that it? Is Christianity just a list of rules, and the breaking of them leading to punishment? is the “stuff” that happens in our lives really sent to punish us for sins, or to teach us lessons? I just heard yesterday that a colleague from the cheese-making community in BC died in a hiking accident last week. A lovey Christian guy, with a wife of 30 years, 3 great sons. Is God trying to teach someone a lesson? Of course we have the opportunity to learn from our experiences but do these things happen for that reason only?
 
God tells us in His word that He is a God of love, and it is because of this great love that He sent His son Jesus to actually die for us, so that, covered by His blood we will not be judged for those sins.  Jesus took them all upon Himself in our stead. So how do we bring these two pictures together? The powerful Judgement Seat of a God of retribution that we so often hear about and see in the great works of art etc, and that of a loving Father who gave his all to save us?
 
God tells us over and over again that He is our Father. Think about what that means. How many Fathers do you know who make rules for their children, for the sole purpose of punishing the children when they break those rules. Rules created just so the father can punish them? Meaning basically the father is just a mean tyrant looking for excuses to punish his children. I think as parents we can agree that is not the way it is, though we cannot deny there are certainly bad fathers.

Why do we give our children rules? We as fathers and mothers, and God as our Heavenly Father, have certainly established “rules”. The rules are there, not to find excuses for punishments, but to keep our children safe, because there is so much they do not yet know, so much their experience and maturity is not able to process. Rules are there to protect them from dangers they are not aware of, to allow them to grow and develop in safety, to enjoy balance and freedom and blessing as adults, rather than suffer from the consequences that certain behaviours can deliver.
 
Proverbs 4:1-4 “ Listen my sons to a fathers instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning so do not forsake my teaching. When I was a boy in my fathers house, still tender and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said,”Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live”.  These words were written by Solomon, King of Israel, whose father was David. The famous David who killed Goliath; shepherd, poet, musician, singer, warrior, leader, and King of Israel.. and one who was not perfect either. But he learned his lessons, and passed them on to his son, for his son’s sake, not his own.
 
The book of Proverbs is a great place to look for truths about life. It includes a lot of warnings about the consequences of behaviours, and rather than listing the various punishments God is just waiting to lay on us, it instead lists the many promises that come our way. In fact the book of Proverbs is the source of so many of our good rules for society, government and relationships.
Such as:

• it is wrong to use dishonest scales
• it is wrong to show partiality in judgement
• it is not good to brag about yourself, you should let others praise you
• it is not good to eat or drink to excess
• It is wrong to move a boundary for your own profit, and by extension do something like in the film or book by Marcel Pagnol, Jean de Florette. for those who don’t know the story, it is about an unscrupulous farmer who knew about a spring of fresh water hidden on an neighbours property. When the neighbour who had inherited the property returned after the war, his plans to farm it and have a peaceful life were constantly thwarted by the farmer in order to drive him off so he could get his hands on the land and the spring. He was finally successful, the man and his family had to leave out of poverty, the man died, and the farmer became rich from growing flowers for the lucrative market. Then retribution came in the shape of the man’s daughter Manon. She returned and found out what had happened to her poor father. and found the source of the spring. She blocked the spring and the whole community was suddenly without water. Karma truly “got” him.  Until they repented and made things right.
• It is wrong to treat the poor, the widow or disadvantaged with meanness, for God is on their side
• generosity will be blessed
• liars will not go unpunished
• and advice such as: starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out
• and one of my favourites: even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut…the young woman I trained as cheesemaker was going to a provincial meeting to establish a BC cheese society. She was very nervous about being around all the “elite” of the craft, until I told her just to do a lot of listening, no one will know what you don’t know unless you speak.

 
 
In the book of Proverbs there is also a huge list of things that will bring a person into danger. God says He “hates” these things. We should look at the list from the perspective of a warning, that He cannot protect us if we engage in these behaviours. We remove ourselves out from under the umbrella of His protection. It must break His heart, to have his beloved children purposely remove themselves from His protection, with no concern for the very real consequences. God hates these behaviours because they bring harm to His children. Just like any parent hates the street drugs that can destroy a beloved child, God hates behaviours that destroy His children. In fact in Proverbs 9:35-36 he says: “Whoever finds me finds life and receives favour from the Lord. Whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death”
​
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. That means God will protect and deliver us if we throw ourselves into His arms.
 
Matt 6:33-34 says: But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Isn’t that the truth! I don’t think Jesus is saying here to live in an irresponsible manner, but to trust in God for those things we absolutely have not control over. Like what might happen tomorrow.
That kind of worrying is essentially saying “God I do not believe you. Instead I believe you want to hurt me, and leave me vulnerable and unprotected…”
 
2 Corinthians 9:8 God is able to make a grace abound toward you, that you may have an abundance, and having all that you need, will abound in every good work.  Notice he offers us His grace, out of His love for us, but also that out of that position of grace, we can reach out to others.
 
Some of the many promises of God are:
-   long life if we respect the Lord, our parents and elders.

• success from being diligent
• respect from being kind-hearted
•  healing from listening to the words of the wise
• hope for the future
• peace even where there is struggle
• the presence of God always in our lives
• He will meet all our needs, if we simply cast all our cares upon Him

 
 
If we doubt this, God has also reminded us of the fact that it is actually He who is in charge:
Isaiah 55: 9-13..As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts……
 
God does have a plan for us. and He also adds that it is His will that none should perish. He is interested in Eternal Life for us human beings.
 
Another famous Bible passage, Psalm 23, promises the following:
That God will supply our needs
He gives us refreshing and peace
He is our guide
He removes fear
He comforts us
In spite of negative circumstances, he looks after us
He shows us how much we are loved and cherished
He promises us a life of goodness and a future
 
So it appears that though some may fear the Karma will “get” them, the Lord tells us otherwise. It appears that he allows certain things to happen, with the goal of always leading us to Himself, to be there for eternity.
Clearly this is not a God who is just waiting to “get us” for being bad, but a God of Love who never tires of telling us what we are worth to Him, and the lengths He will go to bring us to Himself and keep us there.
 
 

ALL TO WORSHIP  (congregation reads words in bold)
Come and worship!
Be still and aware of God’s presence
within and around you.
 
(Pause)
 
Come and worship!
Be still and aware of Jesus’ presence
within and around you.
 
(Pause)
 
Come and worship!
Be still and aware of the Spirit’s presence
within and around you.
 
(Pause)
 
Be still and know the presence of the Triune God,
the Father to whom we come,
the Son through whom we come,
the Spirit by whom we come.
 
(Pause)
 
Hear his word:
Be STILL and know that I am God.
 
Message:  Let it Be   Colossians chapter 3 
 
 Introduction 
 This morning I would like to see ourselves as “God seekers“  I am going on the assumption that we are here this morning wanting to know more  of the God we serve.  Wanting to know more of who he is and what he wants from us. 
 
 Question one. Where do you see yourselves and you’re  seeking? 
 In other  words, how’s your life going how was your Christian journey? 
 Perhaps it would help if we could Magine the Lord Jesus himself asking you. How are things? 
 
 Going further on this premise of us being “seekers/followers of Christ, who want and desire  to live victorious and have success.
 
 If heaven is ultimately what we seek. How are we achieving it? Do we have a plan? 
 It’s a fair question.  Most people plan for their future. Job, housing, family, where to go to school, where to live etc. And we should. But what about our eternal state? 
 
 Some feel it’s out of their control the eternal question. Oh well do your best. When asked the deep questions  if anybody should have the answers it should be us! We have the word of God with all his promises.
 All too often we hear expressions like “just do your best“ God knows my heart.  These are all truths, but incomplete truths that can lead us down the wrong path. 
 How many times have we heard people say “I’m a good person“ what they really mean is I’m better than so-and-so.
 Remember we’re talking about eternity. Let’s not take it lightly! 
 
 Then again  some field as long as we are religious or we are well disciplined. That’s the key...
 
 On and on I can go with countless ideas, religions, philosophies that propose to be the method, the way. So I’m going even further and teach well, all roads lead to heaven or to God. 
 But that’s not what the Scriptures teach. 
 
 My point today is not to judge but to see what the Scriptures say what they declare. What Jesus taught. In this case what the apostle Paul taught by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and his letter to the Colossian church and  to us this morning. 
 
 The epistle of Colossians can be outlined this way. Who Christ is. What he is done  for us. How we ought to be. 
 Chapter 1 verse 9 ff  The preeminence of Christ 
 Verse 13. Delivered, conveyed redeemed 
 
 Verse 15. He is the image of the invisible God. 16 creator of all things. 17 sustainer. 20 reconciler 
—————-
 Chapter 2 vs 1ff not philosophy but Christ.
 Verse 11 and following. Not legalism but Christ 
 Chapter 3 verse 1. not carnality but Christ 
 So what then? 
 
 The answer  to the problems in our life and our Christian walk is that we have to put on the new man. We have to let it be. 
 When you can see Christ for who he is.  When you realize deep in your soul what he is done. When you know what he can do. Then you will have victory 
 Here is the key verse. Set your mind 
 Chapter 3 verse 12 to 17 
 Then it’s the picture  of something we do every day. Dressing and undressing. Putting off the old man. Putting on the new Man.
 Let it be, let it be. Let the love of Christ. Notice how love is the glue that holds all these things together. 

OPENING PRAYER & THE LORD'S PRAYER: Loving God, we come together on this Father's Day, reminded not just of our earthly fathers, but of You. You tell us that all who believe in You shall be called Your children, and You invite us to address You simply as "Our Father." For the wonder of Your love, we praise You. Prepare our hearts to receive Your Word and our spirits to respond in eagerness to serve You, as together we pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
​

TRIBUTE TO FATHERS: STRENGTH OF A MOUNTAIN:
God took the strength of a mountain, the majesty of a tree, the warmth of the summer sun, the calm of a quiet sea, the generous soul of nature, the comforting arm of might, the wisdom of the ages, the power of the eagle's flight, the joy of a morning in spring, the faith of a mustard seed, the patience of eternity, and the depth of a family. Then God combined these qualities. When there was nothing more to add, He knew His masterpiece was complete. And so, He called it................................ Dad!

SCRIPTURE READINGS:         Proverbs 2:1-5             
                                          Luke 18: 18-30​

​Father's Day Litany

Blessed are You Lord, our God, Creator and Redeemer of all. You father
us from all eternity, giving life to creation and pouring Your love into all You have made.
From the beginning we have known You as "Father" and all our families have their origin in You. Through the love of earthly fathers You give us a glimpse of Your everlasting love.

We give thanks for those fathers who strive to balance the demands of work, marriage and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. And we pray for those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become good fathers themselves.

We thank You for those fathers who by their own account were not
always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support.

We also give thanks for those fathers who, despite divorce, have
remained in their children's lives and for those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has offered healing. We thank You for those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation of fatherhood and earn their step-children's love and respect.

And we ask Your special blessing on those fathers who have lost a child to death, and who continue to hold those children in their hearts.

We also give thanks for those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as if they were their own. We pray for those men who have "fathered" us in their role as mentors and guides. We ask Your blessings on those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.

And we continue to pray for those fathers who have died, but live on in
our memories and whose love continues to nurture us.

MEDITATION:   Shopping

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and he hid it again in the field. The man was very happy to find the treasure. He went and sold everything that he owned to buy that field.

Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. One day he found a very valuable pearl. The man went and sold everything he had to buy that pearl. (Matthew 13:44-46)

Jesus taught many parables about the kingdom of heaven. He taught that the kingdom of God is a treasure more precious than anything in this world. Our little church is precious and valuable because Jesus paid for the Christian church with His life.

Children, and even adults, like to hear stories about treasure, and I'm sure Jesus caught the attention of His audience when He began talking about a man finding buried treasure. The man in the parable somehow stumbled upon a treasure. He didn't own the field where he found it, so it's possible to assume that he was working in the field for someone. He might have been planting or building something. Whatever he was doing, it must have been a huge surprise to find a buried treasure.

We don't know what the treasure was, but it might have been a pottery jar full of money or jewels. The people of the time often did this to keep their valuables safe from thieves. Perhaps the person who hid it had died without telling anyone where the money was buried.

We know that the man who found the treasure thought it was worth
everything he possessed, and, as the scripture tells us, he joyfully sold everything he owned in order to buy the field.

When we truly realize the worth of our salvation, we will joyfully give up everything to serve God. Anything that we give up will be nothing in comparison to the treasure of God. The kingdom of God is the reign of God. The parable teaches us that the kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything we possess on earth in exchange for getting into the kingdom of heaven, is nothing less than a joyful sacrifice.
 
Anyone who receives the kingdom of God treasures it more than anything else. You don't have to buy it. You get it freely. Earlier in the book of Matthew he says: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It's not easy to think of doing this sort of thing in our society today. We can be tempted to ignore the parable and treat it as just a story, but as Christians we can't.

Let's recap this mini parable. A man finds a jar or box in a field filled with coins, jewels, gold silver — we can only speculate. He covers it up again and he joyfully goes out and sells everything he owns in order to buy the field where the treasure is hidden. Why does he do this? Because the treasure is worth 10, 20 or maybe 100 times more than what he possesses. He sold, or exchanged what he had for something that was so much more valuable.

We're going to pause for a moment and present this parable in a modern day format. This little skit is called Present Day Parables: Hidden Treasure and was written by Rob Courtney and Ryan Shirck.

Just like the man in the parable, Ron stumbled upon a treasure of some
kind. And when you stop to think about it, there are some people who stumble upon God. Perhaps they accept a friend's invitation to come to church. Or maybe there's an illness, or even the death of a loved one that might suddenly lead them to God.

There are other people who search for God, knowing that there's something missing in their life but not knowing how to fill the void. Some might try reading the Bible. Others may go to different churches, trying to find the right fit. Hopefully, these people will finally find the truth a find the love of God. And it's this kind of searching that happened to the merchant in the second mini parable.

A merchant is someone who is experienced. He's always looking for things to buy and sell. The merchant in the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value probably already had great wealth, and when he found the precious pearl he immediately recognized it's value. He was ready to sell everything he owned to buy it.

Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom of heaven was like the merchant, and he was trying to find pearls of good quality. Finally, he found a beautiful pearl, a perfect pearl, but it was very expensive. So he went and sold everything he had and then went and bought the pearl.
 
That precious pearl is like the kingdom of God. The merchant gave up
everything he had to own it. The kingdom of God is so valuable that we'll want to give up everything to be in it.

How many of you like to go shopping? Sometimes, when shopping for
necessities like groceries, it can be a bit of a chore. But shopping for something special, a new outfit, a baby shower gift, new furniture, or maybe a new pair of shoes can be fun and exciting. However, there's a down side to shopping — you need money. You can buy just about anything if you're willing to spend enough money. Suppose you're not willing to spend your money. Or maybe you don't have the money to spend. What then? Well, you'll just have to do without. You know, I heard the other day of some gold nuggets which anyone can have if they want to pick them up. May be you won't have all you want of them, but you'll have some, and then you can spend them just as you do money.

They'll buy about almost everything money can buy. Doesn't it sound interesting? Would you like some of these gold nuggets?

I can tell you where the map is that will help you find them. All you need to do is look at your watch or clock. Don't tell me you're disappointed. But let's see if seconds and minutes and hours aren't really gold nuggets.

People talk about spending time. If they spend it, then they must get something — that's common sense. When we spend money we get something for it too. Well, when you spend time we get something for it too. The value of the thing we get, either for money or for our time, shows how much of a businessman we are.

I can think of a lot of things we can get if we are willing to spend the time. We can get health, we can get knowledge, we can get music, we can get friends, we can get happiness, just to name a few. Unfortunately, some people spend time for other things, like lying, stealing, cheating and being selfish or a bully, or things too awful to think about. These people are poor businessmen because they let themselves be cheated.
 
Would you throw away sixty dollars a day, just throw it away like you often throw away sixty seconds? I certainly hope not. God's minute is worth as much as 3600 dollars and more, much more. We think that because we have "X" number of years to live, it doesn't matter if we waste a few. Well friends — it does matter. Hours are God's gold nuggets and they buy our way into the kingdom of heaven if we spend them wisely.

There are many wonderful things we buy and treasure here on earth, but the greatest treasure that we could ever obtain is the kingdom of God. As Christians, we should be content to give up our earthly treasures so that we can store up our treasures in God's kingdom.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, You challenge us to set ourselves high goals. We are seeking Your salvation, living in obedience to You and sharing the Good News of the Kingdom with others. God, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

BENEDICTION & CHORAL AMEN:   The amazing grace of Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

ALL TO WORSHIP        (congregation reads words printed in bold)
Welcome, friends, to this holy day.
We come to offer thanks; we come to sing and pray.
Welcome, friends, to this time set apart,
A time to remember those we love, and time to remember the holy promises of God.
Welcome, friends, to this table of remembrance and joy,
The table where we are fed, the feast we share with many.
Welcome, friends, and let us worship God.
WORDS OF WELCOME
OPENING HYMN:           “We Are One In The Spirit” 
OPENING PRAYER
Scripture:  Exodus 16: 1-5

SERMON:                          “Leaving Hungry” 
          
        WE PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNION
 

Revelation 21:1-6 & John 13:31-35
​
An elderly couple passed away and found themselves at
the pearly gates. Peter was there to welcome them. First
he showed them their mansion. The husband,
overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of it all, asked, "How
much does this place cost per night?" Peter replied, "Sir,
this is heaven, it doesn't cost anything." Then Peter took
them to the dining room where table upon table was piled
high with the most delicious foods you could imagine.
Again overwhelmed by the glory of it all the man asked,
"How much for the meals?" Peter said, "You forget, this is
heaven, it's free." Peter then took them out back where
they saw a fantastically beautiful golf course. As the man
stood there open-mouthed Peter said, "Now before you
ask, there are no greens fees, this is heaven, everything is
free." The man looked at his wife and said, "You and your
confounded bran muffins, I could have been here 10 years
ago!"
 
Indeed, we imagine heaven to be a glorious, peaceful,
beautiful place, and this vision we heard just a few
moments ago from John's Revelation gives us an idea of
why we imagine heaven in the ways that we do. And
doesn't it sound truly amazing?
Beautiful like a bride dressed for her groom. No pain. No
tears. No death. Yet did you notice the fact that John's
revelation doesn't include pearly gates, or streets of gold,
or golf or mansions filled with succulent food? And in this
final imagery of heaven in the Bible, something else is
emphasized; something, which I find to be far more
glorious —a new heaven and a new earth, joined together
around a Holy City, and at the center of this new city sits
God, living (again) among humankind. Now that really
sounds like heaven!
 
But for us to really appreciate the vision of heaven that we
get in this passage from Revelation, I think we have to
contrast it with the world we live in now.
For example: 5 years ago, right around this time of year, 2
young men committed a heinous act of terror at the
Boston Marathon, that took the lives of 5 people, injured
scores of others and drove an entire city into chaos and
fear. The entire Watertown neighbourhood of Boston was
locked down while a search went on for the suspects.
People hunkered in their houses, afraid to go outside.
And what about us? What are some of us going through
this morning? Is there pain in your heart that is nearly
unmanageable? Has someone hurt you deeply? Are you
suffering from an illness, a disease? Do you have a daily
battle with depression and anxiety? Are you so disgusted
today's seemingly continual occurrences of hate-filled
acts: acts of terror, shootings at schools, churches and
 
other places of worship. Acts designed to make us cower,
to make us afraid. Do you weep over the state of the
world? Do you feel like you can't go on, like you'll never
make it?
A woman shares a story about her 7-year old daughter,
Jessica. Jessica is a deep thinker when it comes to
theological questions. Recently, as they were re-reading
the story of Adam and Eve and how sin came into the
world, Jessica and her mother discussed why bad things
happen. Later that week, Jessica was sick and had to stay
home from school. Feeling quite miserable, she told her
Mom, "If only Adam and Eve hadn't eaten the fruit, I
wouldn't be sick." And before her mother could answer,
Jessica added, "Of course, if they didn't eat it, we'd all be
sitting here naked!"
 
innocence, that purity, has been lost and distorted
because of the ways and events of the modern world:
Because of sin.
We live in a broken world. Every time we turn on the TV or
open the newspaper, our hearts are torn out of our chests.
We read about children who have been abducted and
trafficked, or mass shootings, or devastating earthquakes
or weather. It's just about too horrible to even imagine.
And yet, this is the world we live in.
But the promise of John's vision is that we can have hope
in something far better, and at the center of it all is God,
"the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."
The Presbyterian author and Minister Eugene Peterson
said: "The biblical story began, quite logically, with a
beginning. Now it draws to an end, not quite so logically,
also with a beginning,"
 
"The sin-ruined creation of Genesis that we know and
experience is restored in the sacrifice-renewed creation of
revelation," The result in the first creation was "the
heavens and the earth." And the result in this ending
creation is a "new heavens and new earth."
And friends, this is not just some rosy description of
heaven that prompts one to comment, "Oh, isn't that
nice?" This is a passage of strength and hope for
desperate times! This is a promise about something
better, far more wonderful than we can imagine.
This vision is about change, and newness, and wholeness,
and life! This is a promise that can lift us out of whatever
devastation we may be experiencing and strengthen us
with the knowledge that something new and wonderful
lies ahead.
 
The description we have of this new heaven is a Holy City.
But why a city? Cities are busy, and impersonal, and
stressful. Cities are where gang fights and bombings
happen.
True, very, very true. But look: Following the tragic events
of the Boston Marathon bombing, there was a well-
circulated photo of a police officer carrying two gallons of
milk last Friday to a home in Watertown under lockdown:
In it lived a family with a small child who had run out of
milk. On that same day in that same community, a gigantic
parking lot was filled end-to-end with federal agents, cops,
emergency responders, and soldiers. They were working
together, methodically going door-to-door in a twenty-
block radius in what was an unprecedented manhunt. On
the evening news that night, looking exhausted and
 
defeated, the chief of the Massachusetts State Police
shared the disappointing news that there was still no
apprehension of the bombing suspect. But within an hour,
a break came, and less than an hour after that, the suspect
was in custody. And then did you see what happened?
People in the community flooded the streets and they
clapped and cheered as all those cops, and soldiers, and
agents cleared the area and headed home.
It was beautiful; a picture, I think, not unlike the one John
paints for us here.
The New Jerusalem. A Holy City. And perhaps we can
understand better now why. Because cities are places
where people live together in dependence on one
another. A city works when everyone in it does something
to contribute to its welfare: when a cop delivers some
milk, when a citizen reports suspicious behavior, when
citizens emerge from their homes to cheer the first
 
responders and civil servants who have helped keep them
safe.
A city can be a place that works. A city can be the welcome
place where people arrive home at the end of a long and
confusing journey.
And, John's Revelation tells us, this Holy City is where God
lives. And it is because of God's presence that pain,
suffering, mourning, and crying are ended. Through Jesus
Christ, God wipes away everything that terrorizes us.
In fact, the vision describes the Holy City (in one way, at
least) by noting what is not in it. After the first heaven and
the first earth have passed away, John says, "the sea is no
more."
 
The sea is often a powerful biblical symbol for chaos, and
for good reason: You see, the Israelites and new Christians
in the ancient Middle East were not seafarers. They were
more or less land-locked, and except for the fishermen
who would row a little ways out and drop their nets, they
were not equipped to handle the tumultuous waters of
the open seas. They didn't know how to pilot great ships,
most people didn't even how to swim. To them, the sea
was a dark and scary place full of evil. And the sea also
represents what separates humans from one another.
So part of the beauty of this dry, new Jerusalem is that
there are no stormy seas to terrorize lives and keep people
from one another. Here, God and human beings live in
peaceful, harmonious relationship with one another.
And this is where we really get to the wonderful promise
of this passage. The sea was the terror of these ancient
peoples, but we all deal with different terrors today.
 
Relationships grow cold and sour, and end; hurt and
disappointment come from those we love; life seems to be
unjust or senseless; we don't get the answers we hope for;
failure and discouragement mar our great intentions. We
know chaos and terror quite intimately: John reminds us
that we know all too well the reality of tears, pain,
sadness, darkness, suffering, and death.
But here is our hope.... Here is the great promise of John's
vision: Just as God takes away the sea that was the sign of
such chaos in the ancient world, in the new heaven, God
promises to take away our modern chaos—the bombs, the
explosions, the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the
depression everything, all the way through to death.
If we can have faith in that truth, then the words that we
hear today in Revelation have the power to become such
life-altering words for God's people, and especially for all
who find themselves in the midst of struggle and turmoil.
 
"Then the one seated on the throne said, 'Look! I'm
making all things new.'...Then he said to me, "All is done. I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."
These are words that matter at the heart of life, where we
question who we are and who God is. These are the words
that give hope when all seems lost. They promise us that
there will be a new day when all that has hurt us will be
gone, and we will live face-to-face with the God who loves
us immeasurably.
"Behold! I am making all things new!"
Praise be to God. Amen.

Introduction
Today we take a look at the life of Paul. Starting with his conversion in Acts chapter 9. I wanna look at his relationship with his Savior. Jesus had specific plans for him. Plans it would ultimately take him to many parts of the world to testify concerning The Lord that would ultimately, Nate and him going to Rome. I want us to take note how Paul reacts to being faced with the resurrected Christ!

Title
Who are you Lord?. What do you want me to do?

Sauls conversion acts chapter 9:3-7/. 
Sauls conversion was three hours out of the resurrection of our Lord. 36 AD
Acts chapter 9 verse 15-16
A. Gentiles
B. Kings
C. Children of Israel
D. Suffer for my namesake
The lesson for us. We can go to people before us and testified bear witness to what the
Lord has done and will do as well
——--
Paul went to the Gentiles. Pivotal moment
But  he went to the Jew first then to the Greek
Acts ch 13: 44-47
——--
Acts 23:11-21
Here we read of the plot to kill Paul
Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must also bear
witness at Rome.
The lesson for us. Though it seems like everything‘s against us. When we are for Christ.
He is standing right by us. He has a plan for you, and he will fulfil it. The Lord is standing
right by us. I will never leave you nor forsake you said Jesus. 
——--
Paul before Felix. 59 AD ish
Acts chapter 24:11-21
Here we see Paul accused of sedition by the leading Jewish authorities and religious
leaders
What is Paul‘s main defence? “The resurrection of the dead“
24:16-21
——--
What kind of person is Felix?
Procrastinator
Corrupt
Fearful
Yeah unrepentant or unwilling to believe./ on the contrary what kind of people are we. Or
ask yourself what kind of person am I?
Act 24:24-27
——--
Fast forward, Festus two years later.
Paul appeals to Caesar 25:11-22
——--
Paul testifies to King Agrippa 26:1-21
What is a testimony. Former life. Conversion. Present life
—-
God has a plan for Paul to go to Rome and testify before Cesar
It was an amazing thing that Paul was under house arrest in Rome. Has he gone to Rome
as I can with the preacher his message more than likely would’ve been just one among
many other preachers. And got lost but he was under house arrest in Caesar’s
household. Speaking to the praetorian guard relatives of Cesar great and intellectual
people
God’s ultimate plan for him was achieved
If you are a believer but your faith in Christ learn how to model this example. Everywhere
you go you can testify of your former life. Your conversion and your life now. Trust in
him he has a plan

And if you’re on the fence. Why?.
Ask yourself. Who is this Jesus? Who are you Lord? What do you want me to do?
Those are the two greatest questions we can ever ask. They are so important eternity
depends on it!

Special note from the webmaster: That morning upon entering the church, we were told about Nelson's passing. The atmosphere in the Church was quite somber as the last we had heard,  Nelson was in good spirits and fighting against that terrible cancer...

​Beyond Our Horizons


(I dedicated this service to Nelson Weippert, my favourite preacher and good friend. Nelson was a true Christian gentleman, unselfishly giving, together with his wife, Sharon, to the community around him. Nelson looked at God not as the grand old man with a long white beard, but more like an unseen deity without regard to gender or any other human limitation. This is made clear by the benediction Nelson always used, which I include after this message).

When I was a young boy living on Argyle Ave. in Verdun, my father and I had an interesting talk about the future, specifically my future. I had asked him a few questions in the past, but those were the questions of a toddler, like “Will I keep growing until I hit the clouds?” or “will I be hundreds of years old some day?” He had answered all my questions, but sometimes he’d say, “OK, that’s enough. Let’s pick this up another time.” I sensed a degree of frustration at times like that.

But this time, it was different. This time I wasn’t a toddler any more, but a regular young man of around 10.This time he was asking me questions. Questions like, what did I want to be when I grow up? Where did I want to live? Have I thought of being a farmer, or a scientist? And so on. Well, after a little thought, I said to him. I think I want to be an engineer, and I want to build cars. I’ll work for a big company like GM. I’ll make a good salary, get married, have kids, and buy a nice house, maybe a split-level, and when I turn 65 I’ll retire with a good pension.

This kind of floored him for a bit, but then he bit into a question I’m sure he figured I couldn’t handle. He said, “What about after that?” “After that,” I said, “I’ll have a really good retirement for ten years…and then I’ll die.

Say what? Ten years old! He wasn’t even asking me a question about it. No, I laid it all out for him. This was the master plan by the 10-year-old master. He didn’t really want to question it because for the 1950’s it wasn’t really such a bad plan.

So, let’s fast-forward 65 years, shall we? That would be to today! If the master plan by the 10 year old were to be fulfilled, some time this year you folks would be singing, “Nearer My God to Thee” over my casket. 

But let me be frank. Given a choice, I’d sooner stick around a bit longer.

Is that any different for any of us? Even the strongest believer wouldn’t say, hey! Take me. I want to be with God. Not if we’re still in reasonable health. Not if we’re not suffering. Not if we still have loved ones close by. You see, God made our earth for our pleasure. He made it for us not only to exist from day to day, but so that we can take pleasure in His creation. He never meant for us to make it easy to leave. God gave us this wonderful earth so that we can immerse ourselves fully in its fruits. And that includes using all our talent, all our skills, all our waking moment to appreciate what we have and to make sure it is preserved for the next generation, and the one after that, into a limitless future.

At least that is what I believe!

We are approaching Lent, a time when Jesus Christ looked carefully into his coming ministry. He knew the hour of ministry was at hand. He knew it had to start, that he had to make a start. But he had to be very clear he would go about it right. He already knew that he was about to embark on a journey greater than any man – or any woman – had ever taken before. He also knew that the end of that journey would culminate in a great sacrifice, one that would require him to go to the covenant, the agreement made by the prophets with God, that he, Jesus Christ, would give up his life on God’s altar. 

Isn’t that a humbling thought? And for what? What possible reason would Christ have to give up his own life in such a manner. 

He said:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

There is our answer. Jesus gave up his life out of love for us, his children, his brethren, his friends. He did it out of love. Maybe that’s what drove the apostles from the upper room, when they too realized that Christ’s reason for such a sacrifice was unselfish love to all of them, to all of us. When the apostles were troubled by the seeming finality of their lord’s coming death, he said to them in John 14, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Yet we are still troubled. We don’t see this place. We don’t see the Father. We think of him as remote, as in the clouds or in the ether somewhere. We refer to him as a ‘He’ because Christ referred to him in that way. But why should we get bogged down by gender? 

I have mentioned before that when my mother-in-law was close to death she asked me in these very words: “What do you suppose happens when you die?” Yes, what do you suppose happens? It was a tough question. I myself have allowed that question to be asked in my prayers, in my meditations, in my dreams. The answer I gave her came out of those meditations, out of those dreams. I said to her, “I believe you come face to face with God in the most amazing experience you have ever known. You become one with God.”

And she said, “I hope  so,” and her eyes told me she was content. Remember these words by Christ in John 17. Jesus prayed for all of us, not only for his apostles, but for everyone. For you. For me. For every man, woman, and child under creation
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [j]will believe in Me through their word;  (In other words, by their example, they will show their belief) He goes on to say “21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

See, the answer again is found in love. We leave our doubts behind when we cross the street to help another in any unselfish way we can. When we concentrate on the needs of our neighbour over our own, when we reach our hand to the refugee, when we offer food to the starving, when we push a stranded stranger out of a snow bank, when we strive to remember a name (one of my personal challenges}, when we turn our attention to the elderly, when we begin to realize that there is no colour barrier, that there is no gender inequality, when we speak to our children as equals, when we decide to say every day as we rise, “I believe, I believe, I believe.”

This life here on earth, in our material world, is not all there is. In the late 1800’s in Concord, Massachusetts, a group of men and women met to meditate and to pray. They called themselves, the transcendentalists. Quite a mouthful, I know. They were the first of the hippies, in a sense. They were the legacy of the apostles in another sense. They studied the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu holy book which included the thoughts of the Hindu religion. They found that Christ’s words resonated throughout this book also. And why shouldn’t it? The truth about God is a universal truth. The truth about love is a universal truth. These men and women, Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and others were philosophers. They were vegetarians. They were Spartan in the simplicity of their lives. And they were deep believers. Bronson Alcott, the father of Louisa May Alcott who wrote the classic novel, Little Women, was so strict that at one point in his life he and his family refused to wear leather shoes because leather came from animals. Bronson kept himself and his family in poverty because he truly believed what we often say only in prayer, that God will always provide. Let me quote these line from a book I have read in the past, “In the bitterness of one harsh winter, such as we are familiar with, the Alcotts ran out of firewood. Bronson brought his family together and asked that they all pray for help to God who never failed them. The next morning, looking out on the snow-covered road, the family saw a huge jumble of tangled firewood. With shouts of joy, Alcott’s ‘little women’ gathered it up. During the night a cart laden with firewood had collapsed and the carter had gone on empty with his  disabled wagon. While it may have seemed like an accident to some, to Bronson it was no accident but the hand of God.
Too often, nowadays, we fail to see the hand of God in our daily lives because we are impatient, we don’t slow down to measure the pulse of the universe, of God himself, living within us. This is not a male God, nor a female God, but the God of love. And we must approach him in a way that acknowledges his oneness with us. When David Thoreau, another of these transcendentalists lay dying, a friendly caller dropped in on him and said, “Well, Mr. Thoreau, we must all go – nice man, what? The sick man looked up with a smile and said faintly. “Yes, but death is as near to you as it is to me.”
Now, God may decide not to take me yet, so my master plan of age 10 may not turn out exactly as I foresaw it in 1954. In fact, I won’t be disappointed if I messed up miserably with my prediction because, in the words of Robert Frost, the American poet, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Nelson’s Benediction: May the love of God, our father, the comfort of God, our mother, and the joy of Jesus, our brother, be with each of us as we leave this place. Go now, in peace.



When I was looking through my computer notes for some inspiration to write about Nelson, I came across this file simply labelled ‘Nelson’. I opened it up to see what it contained and found a poem I had written two years ago but had forgotten. At the time, I had seen and heard Nelson a couple of times, but couldn’t remember his name:


Nelson -

One day I went to church when I wasn’t going to,
and I heard a man with a message, 
and I saw him loud and clear.
You see, it wasn’t the content or the way he said it,
it wasn’t the scripture though he knew it well.

It was the man himself, he spoke like a friend
and I saw in his eyes - I see them clear -
I saw a small twinkle like a jolly Kris Kringle
and I knew that this coming to church to just hear him
was the event of my day, this one holy Sunday.

Now, this man made me feel like I’d known him forever,
and yet I’d just seen him a time or two before.
And this day when he spoke he spoke of a whole people
who suffered together beset by the strong.
I turned to my wife, ”Do you remember his name?”
“Who?”

“Who? Why him. The one with the beard like the Baptist.
The one up there in the pulpit, speaking of injustice.
Speaking in a way I picture Christ himself might speak,
kindly, and softly, not like a preacher, but drawing a picture,
more like a neighbour speaking of crops, telling a story
of a great man in Africa, one called Mandela,
who suffered in jail a very long time.”

“No,” she replied, “I don’t remember his name.”

But then he kept talking, and he spoke of his subject again,
this Mandela who suffered more than any ten men should,
but survived, and forgave, and showed the world
the profile of a real Christian, one who perseveres like Job
and loves like Christ…and then…and then I remembered.
The man he referred to with whom he shared a name.

And the name, it was Nelson. And I sighed. 
I was finally satisfied.

• Joe Hevesy, Apr.2, 2017

CALL TO WORSHIP:
ONE: The darkness is gone
ALL: Bright light floats into this new day of hope.
ONE: Those who went to the tomb received good news.
ALL: Christ was not there!
ONE: Christ is risen in our hearts and in our spirits.
ALL: Christ is risen from the dead! Alleluia!
WELCOME: Greetings and peace from our Lord, Jesus Christ! He is Risen! He is Risen
indeed! Welcome to all who have come to celebrate with us this Easter morning. We are
thankful that you are here at Rockburn Presbyterian Church to celebrate the resurrection
of our Lord and Saviour. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice
in it.
OPENING HYMN:   Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
OPENING PRAYER & THE LORD'S PRAYER:
Loving, Powerful God, joy floods over our souls on this day! Christ is risen! Fear is vanquished! Open our hearts and our spirits to receive fully the joy which has been given for us! Let us celebrate the victory of Christ and the hope for the future. Lord, help us to live in the hope and grace of Easter Sunday every day. Christ is Risen: the world below lies desolate. Christ is Risen: the spirits of evil are fallen. Christ is Risen: the angels of God are rejoicing. Christ is Risen: the tombs of the dead are empty. Christ is Risen indeed from the dead. Glory and power are His forever and ever. And because He lives, we pray together: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

EASTER CANDLE LITURGY:
ANTHEM:            Above All

SCRIPTURE READINGS: I Corinthians 15:1-11
I Thessalonians 4:13-18

A PRAYER OF HOPE, JOY, LOVE AND LIFE: This prayer was written by Halley Gerth.
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of hope You gave us on Easter morning. Because of You we know that no problem is too difficult, and even death does not have power over us. 

Thank You for the gift of Joy You gave us when You were resurrected. Because of You we know that no matter how challenging life may be, in the end we will rejoice again. Thank You for the gift of Love You gave us when You laid down Your life. Because of You we know that there is no sin too great to separate us and we are incredibly valuable to You

Thank You for the gift o Life You gave us when You left the tomb. Because of Easter we know the world is just the beginning and we will spend forever in heaven with You.

We celebrate You, Jesus, with hearts full of praise and gratitude for who You are and all You've done for us! Amen.

OFFERING: 
The greatest offering comes from God, whose love is unending. Our ministry is to spread the Good News that Jesus Christ is alive. Our offerings help us to share the News, so that people who are longing for a living God, may come to know Jesus.

Give, that we might share the Great News with our words, our ministry and our lives. We give in the name of the Risen Lord! Offering Received:

Offertory Prayer:
God of all ages, You have emptied the tomb and set us free from our burdens. Hope has overshadowed fear. Faith has gained victory over doubt. Today, we recommit to offering comfort, hope and faith as your generous disciples to others who are driven by fear, neglect and doubt. We offer these gifts in honour of Your Easter promise. Alleluia and Amen.

HYMN:                           The Day Of Resurrection

A NEW CREED:
This is a creed that is an affirmation of faith based on a contemporary
view of Christianity. Let's say it together:

We believe in God, the power of life, love and being that flows through the universe. We believe in Jesus, who revealed the Good News of our connectedness with God and with all people, who was compassionate and stood up for justice, even if it meant losing His life, and who gave people an experience of God by demonstrating this power of life, love, hope and being.

Through His words and example, we believe that we, too, have this power and the capacity to give people an experience of God by living life fully, loving with our whole heart and striving to be all we can be. We believe in the communion of saints, who are a people walking together, engaged in the search for meaning and the quest to be connected with the Source and Sustainer of all that exists.

MEDITATION:           The Hope Of Easter

Welcome to Rockburn. This is the best place you can be on this
Resurrection Sunday. This is exactly where God wants you to be this morning. We are all gathered here together on the most important day of the Christian year.

Those of us who are here this morning are filled joy and hope as we
celebrate the Risen Christ. But there are a lot of people who are looking for joy and hope in this world today. Unfortunately, most never ask the question, can we find hope in the Bible? Did you know that the word hope is mentioned 129 times in 121 verses in the Bible? The Bible is very specific about the definition of the word hope. In the New Testament most of the verses refer to hope as salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

It is made clear that Jesus is our hope, as He is the Word of God. I Peter 1:3 says; "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

In the period of Lent leading up to this most miraculous day we talked
about renewal and reflected on the trials and tribulations that faced our Lord. 
Throughout the whole time Jesus was preparing us for the hope of new life — a rebirth that would guide us and comfort us so that we might reach the kingdom of God. The center of our faith is knowing that God is in each and every one of us.

We followed Jesus to the cross and now we are here, celebrating the Risen
Christ. The resurrection of Jesus changed the world. All the sins of every single person were paid for by Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. Today is a day of life — a day of hope.

There have been so many disturbing stories in the news in recent weeks
and months. Stories of terrorism, white nationalism, natural disasters, plane crashes, and the list goes on. When we hear this kind of news we have to ask ourselves, "What kind of world do we live in?" We watch the news and can't help but ask that question. On the other hand, when we watch a beautiful sunset, or see a child playing, or take a walk and see the flowers blooming and hear the birds singing, the question, "What kind of a world do we live in?" has a totallydifferent meaning.

The world of war, persecution, famine, racism does exist. I have heard it
referred to as a 'Good Friday' world. Jesus was tortured and crucified on Good Friday, but He rose again on Easter morning, bringing hope to His followers.

The story of the empty cross and the empty tomb is a source of hope and joy for Christians around the world. All our hope as Christians is based on the Resurrection. The Apostle Paul said, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." John tells the story of the Resurrection from the point of view of somebody who was actually at the empty tomb, and as somebody who actually saw the Risen Christ. John's words are still heard today.

We hear him saying to us, along with Mary Magdalene, "I have seen the Lord!"

And now there is no doubt — we have a hope and a future.

Let's listen to the story of Jesus' resurrection:

The women who had seen where Jesus was laid had gone home that sad evening to prepare more spices and ointments for the body of Jesus, because in the fading day it had been hastily prepared by Joseph and Nicodemus.
Now early in the morning they came, bringing their precious spices. They didn't know that Pilate and the Jews had sealed the tomb and set a guard of soldiers there. As they came through the darkness, they said to one another, "Who shall roll away the stone from the door of the tomb?"

But one of them came before them. Mary Magdalene, alone, but unafraid, approached the place just after the angel of God had rolled away the stone and the Master had come forth in glory. The Roman soldiers, white and trembling, had fled from the scene. All was still when Mary came.

(Verse 1 of "In The Garden")

In the early dawn, Mary Magdalene saw that the stone was rolled away from the door of the tomb. In great fear she turned and ran to find the disciples.

She found Peter and John, and she said to them breathlessly, :They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and where they have taken Him I do not know."

At once Peter and John started running toward the tomb. Meanwhile the other women came to the tomb and found the stone rolled back from the door.

They ventured in, but found no body of Jesus where they had seen Him laid two days before. They didn't know what to think.

But suddenly there stood by them two angels in dazzling white. They were frightened, but the angel said to them, "Why do you look among the dead for Him who is alive? Remember what He told you while He was still in Galilee, He must suffer death, but that He would rise the third day?"
Then they remembered, and leaving the angels, they fled back to the city.

They found the disciples, with others of the company, and they said to them, "The Lord is risen!" And they told them what they had seen and heard. But the disciples didn't believe them.

Peter and John, however, were running as fast as they could to the tomb.
John outran Peter, and came to the open door, and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there folded; but he didn't go in. Peter, coming up, passed him and entered. John then joined him, and they stood looking in wonder and awe.

Then they remembered what Jesus had told them, and they believed. And they ent back home.

Mary had followed them, but she could not go so fast as they. And now she stood alone at the mouth of the tomb. She wept. Stooping down, she looked in. 

And there through her tears she saw two angels in white, one sitting where Jesus' head had lain, and the other at the place of His feet. And they said to her, "Why are you weeping?" She answered, "They have taken my Master away, and don't know where they have laid Him."

(Verse a of "In The Garden")

Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't know it was Jesus. He said to her, "Why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?"

She thought it was the gardener, and she said, "If it was You, Sir, who
carried Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will take Him away."

"Mary!" said Jesus. She turned and said, "Master!" and fell at His feet. But He said to her: "Do not detain Me; for I have not yet gone up to My Father. But go and tell my brethren I am going up to My Father and your Father, My God and your God."

Then He disappeared.

(Verse 3 of "In The Garden")

The Resurrection reminds us of our union with Christ. The Resurrection is central to the message of the Gospel. The Resurrection gives hope beyond this life. The Resurrection joins us to an eternal kingdom. The Resurrection motivates us to live a godly life by fixing our hope on the future in Christ. The Resurrection affirms an immortal life in God's presence. The Resurrection declares the ultimate triumph of Jesus over sin and death.

If we nurture our Christian lives in hope, we can be prepared for what
comes by living in the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham spoke of the hope of the resurrection. He said: "There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance and security in the midst of the despair of today's world. There is hope that Christ will come again. There is hope that there will come a day when the kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ. Eternal life is yours if you believe in Jesus Christ and invite Him into your life."

Let us pray: Our Father, we thank You this morning for the triumphant
Christ and His glorious victory over death. The resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. May the hope and joy of Easter, and all the blessings of Easter, be with us this day and all the days to come. Amen.

​Palm Sunday (Luke 19: 28-40) The Path to the Kingdom

We have spent the last several weeks, through our Lenten journey, listening to Jesus' words as he preaches the Sermon on the Mount. This morning, as we observe Palm Sunday and Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we come to the final portion of his great sermon.

So as we hear these closing remarks from Jesus this morning, our task is to figure out how this all fits together; how Jesus' preaching on the mountainside relates to his final march to the cross, and where we stand in the midst of this great kingdom which Jesus established through his life, death, and resurrection.

This period of the Christian year places a large focus on one of Jesus' most important orations: The Sermon on the Mount . In it, Jesus advises us on the ways of the kingdom: What it truly means to be blessed and to share that blessedness as we live as salt and light in the world.
His words help us consider the call to perfection and the radical love that it requires, and the humble practices that keep us focused on the Lord of our lives.

This is a lot to take in, and as we consider all these lessons of this greatest Sermon, we should place it all in the context of the events that happened on this week roughly 2000 years ago. It was on this very day so long ago, that the gospels tell us Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem.

This was the beginning of the end of his ministry. For three years, he had traveled all over the Galilean countryside. He had devoted himself to teaching about God's Kingdom and offering a glimpse of it through healing, forgiving, and serving. He had touched people with the good news of God's love, and had given them renewed hope that God was yet upholding his promises.

And now those people are praising Jesus, the Son of David. As he entered Jerusalem, he was hailed as King and treated as royalty, with people spreading palm branches, and even their own clothes, before him.

But this is where Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount become so crucial. Those people who had watched Jesus' ministry unfold, some of whom may have even heard him as he preached on the mountainside; those people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with great fanfare...these are the same people who in just a few days will be judging Jesus. 

But they don't just judge him, they also condemn him! And yet, here in the ending of his great sermon, Jesus could not be clearer, "Do not judge." he says. "Don't worry about the speck in your neighbor's eye until you have taken care of the plank in your own eye."

I think Jesus understood that humans would judge one another. He saw how we set ourselves up as moral guardians and critics of one another. When Jesus tells us not to judge, I don't think he means that we shouldn't have high standards of behavior for ourselves and our world, but that the temptation to look down on others for their moral failings is itself a temptation to play god, and thus to lose touch with the true Lord of our lives.
And I also think Jesus knew he would fall victim to human judgment in the vilest way. But therein lies both the mystery and the greatness of what happened on this week so long ago; Jesus takes human sin and self-righteousness, he exposes them for what they are, he deals with them in a violent death on the cross, and yet allows mercy to triumph over all! But that mercy is empty if we continue to act like we are the supreme judge, if we refuse to acknowledge God for who he is, the merciful judge of all. And how different would our lives be if we lived without rendering judgment on others and instead made our sole focus bearing witness to God's mercy? 

Ultimately, that's what this whole sermon has been about; the transformation that occurs in our lives because we follow Jesus, because we imitate his love and his mercy, because we bear witness to all that he is and does. Being a disciple, being a Christian means far more than simply affirming that Jesus is a great prophet or teacher. Being a believer means that we do more than just call Jesus "Lord." Being a Christian means that Jesus really is the Lord of our lives! 

You know, 2,000 years ago, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, the crowds that had followed him for so long came with him. They rejoiced to see this king entering his great city, and they cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 

Hosanna in the highest!" It sounds a lot like those folks that Jesus talks about here at the very end of his sermon, doesn't? "Not everybody who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter." 
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was the last leg on his way to the kingdom, and he was surrounded by people who were saying, "Lord, Lord!" And again, at the end of the week, they cried out Jesus' name over and over again when Pilate gave them the choice of who would be crucified. 
Following Jesus on the way to the kingdom requires much more than just saying his name. It is so easy to fall into this temptation to call Jesus "Lord" without actually obeying him; to hear his words without actually acting on them. 

Do you see that? This is the point that Jesus is driving home as he draws his sermon to a close. Being a part of God's kingdom is a whole way of life. It is not just another thing to do, one check on a long list; it is a response to God who shows us how to live through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is affirmation in Christ our Lord, but it is also faith; it is following all of Jesus' instructions from the Sermon on the Mount, and as Jesus tells us so plainly, it is doing the will of the Father. 

So what is the will of the Father, what is the ultimate way to the kingdom? It's what we've been talking about for the past few weeks, all these things that we have learned from Jesus as we have listened to him preach the Sermon on the Mount. It is the way of faithful endurance that follows Jesus in every step, even when it involves suffering. 

And in case we have forgotten, he reminds us one more time right here at the end of the sermon. Jesus' teachings, demanding though they are, offer the only path to true life. So what is required? "Ask...seek...knock..." Have faith in God to provide for what you need, seek him above all else in prayer, do not worry about the troubles of this world, but know that God will take care of you. Yet even more than that, treat others just the way you want to be treated. 

We serve others because we are grateful to God who loves us. And in that love, we are reminded that this life is not all about us. It is about what God is up to in this world, building his kingdom, and calling each of us to be a part of that as we share his love with others. "On this hang all the law and the prophets." 

"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged." 

Love your neighbors, but love your enemies, too. Remember this: 2,000 years ago, Jesus was revealed as a king, not because crowds of people followed him around and hailed him as king, but because he hung on a cross and died out of love for all people, and especially those who put him there. 

That is the way of the kingdom: Not empty prayers and praises, not selfish seeking, but pure love lived out in our lives every single day. 

(Palm Sunday Prayer) 

God of transformation, we are reminded this day that Jesus' ride into Jerusalem was more than a show, more than a simple provocation, more than the beginning of a cute celebration. It was a signal that things are changing, an unmistakably potent message to the powers that be that the world as we know it is becoming the world as it should be. It was a radical act of defiance directed against those in his day who wielded power through violence, oppression, and tyranny. 

It is no less radical, and no less tame, for those who do the same today. This simple ride reminds us — and tells the whole world — that you are indeed coming to make all things new. You are coming to turn weapons of war into instruments of peace. You are coming to release those who find themselves in all manners of bondage: chains injustice; chains of addiction; chains of conformity and apathy. 

You are coming to provide for the poor: food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. You are coming to assure the dignity and equality of all who are marginalized or oppressed. You are coming to end violence and divisions, to provide safe communities and opportunities for education. You are coming to offer healing and wholeness, comfort, consolation, and hope. You are coming to transform all that we know. You are coming to save us. 

But like humble Jesus riding into town on a lowly colt, you aren't coming in grandeur, you aren't coming with thunder and lightning, you aren't making an epic entrance. You're coming through the mystery of love incarnate, through your church empowered by your Spirit, through lives transformed and inspired, through ordinary people like us, blessed by you to do extraordinary things. 

Come, gracious God into a world that longs for change, a world that needs your love, a world full of your own children, a world ripe with hope and potential. Blessed are those who come in your name, 0 God. 

We have come.
We will go.
​ AMEN 








​
 

​Today, we have a celebration!
We celebrate the Baptism of Hollianna Lewis Neverett
Proud Parents: Emma Langlois & Jordan Neverett
Godparents: Diane Lewis & Kristopher Neverett
Grandparents:  Yvonne Langlois & Michel Langlois
         Karen & Harry Neverett
Minister: Rev. Randy Barrington
 

Scripture Reading: Lamentations 3:21-26
Romans 5:1-8
Love in Action
 “The church needs to understand this-we aren’t called to attend services once a week and sing a few songs, try our best, pay our tithes and our taxes and go to heaven when we die...that’s not the gospel”. I read these words in a book I purchased entitled “A Little History of Religion”.
 So what are we called for?
 We have recently celebrated Valentine’s Day, the special day meant to be all about love. So I thought it would be interesting to look at the “concept” of love in light of the Bibles teachings.
Has anyone read the books The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell? Have you seen the TV series The Durrell’s in Corfu? The one son who is the writer is the author of that series. Essentially all 4 books of the Alexandria Quartet tell the same story but from the differing perspectives of the various main characters. It is meant to be an exploration of the kinds of love.  However through all the portraits of the characters and the various relationships and inter-relationships they experience, he never touches on the love of God. Just human love, in all its forms.
But - is love actually a human trait? We like to say, “just be human” or “treat someone with humanity” and with that we mean that we should treat one another with goodness, respect and selflessness. Unfortunately we can look anywhere in human history and around us in the present time and we can see that it is definitely not working. Indeed some of the most hateful behaviour is exhibited in the area of religious disagreement. The author of the book I mentioned  “A Little History of Religion”, suggests that the reason religious war is worse than any other, is that both parties believe the authority for their position comes from a higher power, giving a sense of righteousness, the right to be right. When we are convinced we are right on moral or ethical grounds, we believe we have not only the right, but the duty, to fight. Or to kill, as is evidenced in the news this week. A horrific attack on other humans for what?
There are wars and wars and wars. Human hate and greedy selfishness everywhere. Even Greece and Macedonia are fighting over the name of the country of Macedonia. Greece believes it owns the name Macedonia which is the name of the northernmost province of Greece, and holds the position that the country to the north of them doesn’t have rights to it. So it seems it is worth a fight. Thankfully that fight stayed off the literal battefield.
When we look around us in our own everyday lives, it can seem that somehow the spoken and unspoken rules of civility and respect are no longer the ultimate guide to human social behaviour.  It doesn't take much to unleash it. Full on personal attack at any given opportunity. And Canada is of course not immune.
No, as much as we want to believe it, it doesn’t seem innately human to love.
In Romans 3:13 Paul writes: “There is no one righteous, not even one: there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good not even one. Their throats are open graves: their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips, Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes”. 
Whoa. Picture these words put into a painting. It’s stuff horror films are made of actually. These are extreme words, ones we don’t want to believe. And, we say: aren’t humans essentially good? Aren’t we born good, and get taught badness? Nature and nurture? Not according to God’s word, no.
We know though that humans can do good, that in so much of life on earth, goodness prevails, good works that care for others are performed all over the globe. Small or even large acts of charity and love that can transform one or many lives… It’s just a fact. 
There are a lot of people who do not even believe there IS a God, let alone believe that God is responsible, as God says He is, for giving us the gift of love, the gift of Himself. Why is it then that those people can also experience love and all its attributes, such as kindness, gentleness selflessness etc? There are countless people who do good, and innumerable charitable organizations around us in all the world, selflessly working to serve others, to show love and compassion to those less fortunate, giving not only of themselves but of their money and other resources.  And not all of them are Christian groups.
So if we humans - even those who completely reject the idea of God - can love, experience love, practice love, where does it come from then?  Especially when Paul emphatically tells us how totally hopeless we are, with no good in us at all?
The Bible teaches us that God’s spirit created the world. His spirit hovered over the void and brought life into what was nothing.
Things went wrong fairly quickly however. In the first generation of humans, Adam and Eve decided they knew better than God, in the second generation their son Cain committed murder of his brother, and humans just went from bad to worse, until God intervened with the flood. He chose Noah because Noah believed and obeyed God so God was able to use him to help clean things up. Some time afterward when the flood ended and things dried up again, God chose a small tribe of people to perform sacrifices on behalf of all humanity. This was in preparation for the coming of Jesus, the ultimate and final sacrifice. So Jesus, the Son of God, was born, lived and taught wherever he went. And when Jesus was crucified and taken up to heaven the disciples were pretty distraught as they were afraid of being without Gods guidance. But Jesus said “Don’t worry - after I leave, my Father will send His SPIRIT to dwell amongst you on the earth”.
So now God’s Spirit is on the earth, and ALL humanity and in fact the Earth itself is affected by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of love. So the spirit of Love actually dwells among all of us on the earth at this time. Every human’s ability to love and not hate comes from this presence of the spirit of God. Whether we know it or believe it or not.
Gal 5:22 says the fruit of the SPIRIT of God is love. (also joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, faithfulness, self-control etc). 
Let’s look to the Bible for some definitions of Love.
The most well-known passage is 1 Corinthians 13. There we read that:
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love does not envy
Love does not boast
Love is not proud
Love is not rude
Love is not self-seeking
Love is not easily angered
Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs (in other words love doesn’t hold a grudge)
Love rejoices with the truth
Love always protects
Love always trusts
Love always hopes
Love always perseveres, or doesn’t give up
Love never fails
​All of these attributes can be summed up in Jesus’ words “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and mind, and neighbour as yourself”

Love also also means don’t judge one another. We humans are really good at judging one another. There are SO many opportunities in a day to judge or NOT judge others. I recently flew to Vancouver to visit a friend. I took my laptop along to work on this message. I was pretty tired as I got up at 3:30am and drove to the airport. Once settled in the plane, I almost immediately fell asleep, you know how it is when sitting up, your head kind of falls forward, or your mouth falls open…well I did that then realized I could lean my seat back for more comfort while sleeping. As soon as I put my seat back the person behind me made a sort of huffing sound and pushed his knees into my back. So. Did I think, “oh I am so sorry for disturbing you, I know it must be uncomfortable for you back there etc etc”. No. I thought “ if you wanted more legroom you should have paid for the premium seats, so get over yourself”. So much for kindness and not judging! Fail.
 
We have 5 children. Every morning as they were growing up, we would have breakfast together before the school bus came, and I would read a Bible passage and discuss how it could possibly apply to their everyday life at school. When Jesus said Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might, and your neighbour as yourself, He basically said everything necessary to manage our everyday lives. The one lesson we taught the kids was to “Be Kind” which to me sums up exactly what Jesus is saying. So we would think out scenarios at school or wherever there was interaction with others, and discuss how to apply the “Be Kind” message, including with one another.
 
One day an amusing thing happened. George and I decided one Sunday afternoon to escape for a few hours on our own. so we gave the kids their instructions, like get your homework done,  practice your piano lesson, check the sick cow in the pen, etc. When we were about to leave I asked the usual “And what is the family rule?” Of course they all rolled their eyes and chanted “Be Kind”, but just as we were going out the door, George turned and said “and no french fries!” The kids were completely baffled (as they often were by their Dad’s rather abstract thought patterns) as it would have never occurred to them in a hundred years to make french fries..then he told them a story that happened in his North Yorkshire village. A family had a fish and chips shop, and one day the mom had to go to work, but the kids, (all boys) wanted to watch a football game on TV so stayed home. At one point they decided to make some chips, or french fries, so put a pot of oil to heat on the stove. Well I think you can guess what happened. In the excitement of the game they forgot the oil on the stove and burned down the house. So now we have a revised family rule…be kind, and don’t make french fries..
  
So how is the Spirit of Love working now on our planet?
 
Love is a FORCE. We usually think of Love as a sort of touchy-feely thing, but God says in   Heb.1:2-3 “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, (that nature which we know is Love-my words) and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”  So it follows then, that when Love, or the Spirit of God, is removed from the world, the world will actually cease to be “upheld”. Doesn’t sound good.
 
Lam 3:22 tells us that “because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed” which again, begs the question, what would happen WITHOUT the love of God?? I am afraid to imagine the world once the spirit of God has been removed, as the Bible teaches it one day will be.  All those dystopian stories and movies will become the reality. Think back to the scripture we looked at earlier-all the horrifying attributes. They will rule.

God’s love is long-lasting. In Deut 7:9 …we are told that if we serve God, His love will be with us for a thousand generations. If you consider 1 generation is maybe 30-35 years, that is 35,000 years.

It is encouraging to know God’s love is not short-term, or for just one generation or for certain people only.  Also that He is patient and not inclined to remove His Spirit anytime soon, though that date is known only to God.
 
Love has POWER: 2 Tim. 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”. I don’t think we realize the power of God that exists in us through His spirit.  In fact, that power is available  to help us enact the love of God in our everyday lives.
 
1 John 3:11,16,18 “we should love one another, Christ laid down his life, do not love with words, but with actions and truth”. How do we love with an “action”?
 
I think we know in our hearts what a love action looks like. If we look around us this morning, just sitting here, think of all the acts of love that have occurred just to bring us here today.  Someone who made your coffee, or made sure there was bread or porridge in the house for your breakfast. Or went out early to warm up the car or shovel the walk. Or the acts of service that benefit you and me. Someone who made sure the furnace was working and the snow was cleared from the front step. A grandparent who made sure your parents went to church as they grew up, who spent time teaching you the word of God. Or a kind and supportive word that was spoken maybe even 20 or 50 years ago that affected your life.  A donation, however small, that helped create a place for the lost to find shelter. Love is everywhere though we don’t always recognize it. 
 
In early February I went to BC to visit my friend Blazenka.  She and her family emigrated from Croatia, worked very hard to succeed in the new world. Her physiotherapist credentials were not recognized in Canada, so she went back to university, achieving another degree, while raising 2 children and working 3 jobs. Her daughter, who now has her masters degree in physiotherapy, was, at the age of 14, my first employee in the cheese business we had, and Blazenka dragged her massage table to my house sometimes twice a week to use her skills to relieve some of the muscle pain I had from lifting those heavy cheeses. In October, at the age of 54, my friend was diagnosed with colon cancer, which had already metastasized into her liver and lungs.
 
We had a good visit. I told her I was working on a message for our church. She said, “Debra you tell them that there is nothing more important than love. Nothing is worth anything, not work or striving for success, not things or money, nothing, except love.  Love of and for your family, friends, and for others. She said, “be sure to tell them that from me”. My beautiful friend died 12 days later. The house she lived in will be lived in by others, her special presence no longer with us, her belongings dispersed.  So what is left of her? The love she showed others, her legacy of service and goodwill; those will remain in the hearts and lives of those who knew her, and those seeds of love will grow and spread. That’s how it works.
 
Being kind tells the person on the receiving end of kindness that they are worthy of love. Even that thought can change a person’s day or even life, who knows? Stewart told us a few weeks ago that we are thoroughly and brilliantly loved. So what are we going to do with that? It’s not enough to just wriggle in delight because we are so well loved. Whenever and wherever we are in our day, in any and all circumstances, we have the opportunity to apply the command to love. To Be Kind.
 
Also did you know that an act of kindness is an act of love not only to the recipient but also to ourselves? Seems selfish, but in a good way. Being kind makes us feel good, gives us a sense of being more, a sense of having a purpose bigger than daily life. It opens our hearts to more love, and is good for our own health too!
​
The church needs to understand this-we aren’t called to attend services once a week and sing a few songs, try our best, pay our tithes and our taxes and go to heaven when we die...that’s not the gospel. We are called to love one another.
 
Christ showed us the way by giving Himself for us, and calls us simply to follow His example and love one another. Be kind. 
 

CALL TO WORSHIP:
ONE: Christ is calling you as disciples.
ALL: Lord, Jesus, let us follow you faithfully.
ONE: You will be led into fields of mission and service. ALL: Lord Jesus, where you lead us, we will go.
ONE: Listen for Christ's call to you.
WELCOME:

OPENING PRAYER & THE LORD'S PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You call us to follow You as disciples. Help us to respond wholeheartedly without counting the cost. You invite us to proclaim Your gospel of hope and salvation here at home and to all the world and its peoples. Teach us to be faithful in word and in action.

Lord, You have given us every spiritual and material blessing. Show us how to share our gifts with others, and inspire us always to follow Your example of generous self-giving. Teach us to give with a joyous and grateful heart that we may provide hope, consolation, and pastoral care to Your people thereby giving glory and honour to Your holy name. Now in the words you gave us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR LENT: Father, through our observance of Lent, help us to understand the meaning of Your Son's death and resurrection, and teach us to reflect it in our lives. Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, or?God, forever and ever. Amen.

Offertory Prayer: We give You this offering today and with it we worship You and give our whole selves to You. Please take it and use it for Your kingdom and Your glory. May it be a great blessing to many. We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
​
SCRIPTURE READING:   Luke 9:57-62      The Cost Of Following Jesus
They were all going along the road. Someone said to Jesus, "I will follow You any place You go." Jesus answered, "The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests to live in. But the Son of Man has no place to rest His head."
Jesus said to another man, "Follow me!" But the man said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the people who are dead bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God."
Another man said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say goodbye to my family." Jesus said, "“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

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MEDITATION:           

Symbols of the Apostles
Christianity is a worldwide religious tradition with diverse representations, beliefs and practices, but the common thread is Jesus. For many years the stories of Jesus, His teachings, and the disciples, were told by word of mouth. It was only after the death of Jesus that the first stories were written.
However, only the well educated were able to read and write and this trend continued for centuries. It wasn't until the 20th Century that the common person had the privilege of education.

So symbols were used to depict certain events and people. Stained glass windows in churches were designed so the common people could depict the Bible stories through the pictures and symbols. This morning we'll talk a little about the symbols representing each of the apostles.

Simon Peter was an unlikely candidate to lead a religious revolution, but at the moment Jesus called him as a disciple, the life of Peter the fisherman changed dramatically. He became not only the most prominent of Jesus' disciples, but later, he became the leader and principal spokesman of the new Christian church. Peter preached to the Jews and was crucified head downwards in Rome in AD 68. The symbol for Peter is the crossed keys. They symbolize the keys of heaven entrusted to Simon Peter. In Matthew 16:19, Jesus says to Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

John and his brother James were among the first disciples called by Jesus. Though his brother James was the first apostle to be martyred, John continued for a long time as a prominent leader in the early Christian church. John preached in Asia Minor. He lived in Epheus and wrote five (5) books of the Bible. He died about AD 100. Legend has it that an attempt was made on John's life by placing poison in his chalice. Actually, he was the only one of the twelve to reach a ripe old age and die a natural death. His symbol is a chalice and snake.

Philip is depicted in the Gospel of John as a loyal and earnest follower of Jesus. Philip preached in Palestine and Asia Minor, where he was stoned to death by the priests of the serpent-worshippers. His symbol is two loaves of bread, often in a basket. The basket refers to the feeding of the multitude about which he was much concerned. Philip gave up his life for Jesus who is the Bread of Life.
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Thomas is best known for his response to the resurrection of Jesus. He had trouble believing Jesus had risen and he wanted proof, thus giving him the name "Doubting Thomas." He preached in Syria, Persia and India. He was killed by a shower of arrows while he was praying. His symbol includes a carpenter's square. Tradition recounts how he erected a church in India while carrying on his ministry there. The arrow in the symbol tells the story of a painful but brave death.

According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was the first person to become a disciple of Jesus. Not a lot is known about his ministry, but it is believed that Andrew preached in Greece, Russia and Asia Minor. He was crucified at Patrae on the cross which is used as his symbol.

There is little known of James the Less. He may have preached in Egypt. It is said that he was sawn to death after being stoned.

Nothing is known of Bartholomew's work. The Bible and flaying knife are his symbol. Flaying knives were used to skin fish, as well as people. Bartholomew had a firm faith in the Word of God which he freely preached. He met his martyrdom by being flayed alive.

Simon identified himself as a zealot. Simon and Jude went together. It is said that they were two of the shepherds who came to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. Both Simon and Jude were martyred in Persia on a missionary journey. A relentless fisher of men through the power of the Gospel, Simon is symbolized by a fish, often lying on a Bible.

James the Elder was the first apostle to be killed. He was beheaded by Herod in AD 44. A pilgrim's staff and wallet show he was a traveller.

Jude most likely had become a travelling missionary after the resurrection, spreading the gospel throughout Palestine and beyond. Jude, also known as Thaddeus, is supposed to have preached in Assyria and Persia. It is said that he was clubbed to death by Persians, about AD 80. A ship with a cross on the sails pictures heroic Jude on missionary expeditions accompanied by his friend Simon.

Matthew's writings emphasize Jesus as one who taught with great authority, so much so, that his listeners were astounded. Matthew preached and died in Ethiopia. The three money bags show that he was a tax collector. He was killed by an axe.

Apart from being identified as the one who betrayed Jesus, Judas Iscariot plays no distinguishable role in the New Testament. Judas' symbol is a blank shield of yellow. He killed himself after betraying Jesus. There are two accounts of his death. According to Matthew, he repented, confessed his sin, tried to return the money and then hanged himself. But in the Book of Acts, Judas is said to have fallen headlong and "burst open in the middle and all of his bowels gushed out."

After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the disciples drew lots to determine who would replace Judas Iscariot. The lot fell on Matthias. He was well versed in the Scriptures. His symbol is a Bible. After dauntless work as a missionary in Judea, he was beheaded with a scimitar which is a short sword with a curved blade that widens toward the point. The scimitar is the symbol of Matthias.

This is just an overview of the symbols and the apostles. I'm sure we could easily spend the next 12 or 13 weeks talking about each disciple. But their stories are readily found in the Bible. Take a little time and find out more about these brave and devoted men.

What Jesus taught His disciples and all His followers is that love is the greatest thing in the world. He taught that to be humble is to be great and that to give is more blessed than to receive. And He also taught that to minister to others, instead of asking others for service, is the greatest and noblest mark of the Master's disciples.
Let us pray: Eternal God, You have shown Yourself to us as a God of steadfast love and fidelity. You gave us Jesus that we might know Your endless love. We come to You as a community of disciples. May our hearts be consumed by Your marvelous love, and in turn, may we become faithful disciples of Jesus.
Father, we also pray that You will bless all our endeavours, especially for the Annual Meeting following this morning's service. Guide us in our discussions. Enlighten our minds in every decision that we make. Bless our plans and projects, so that we may achieve our objectives as Your disciples and for Your greater glory. All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen