Bulletin – October 24, 2021

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Approach

Lighting the Candle

As we light this candle today, we feel the glow of God’s love in the glow of this one candle. We feel the glow of Christ’s presence in the glow of this one candle. We feel the glow of the Spirit’s inspiration in the glow of this one candle. As we light this candle we are reminded that God’s presence, Christ’s love, and the Spirit’s inspiration are with us, around us, and between us always.

Call to Worship

One:   Take heart! For we are gathered in God’s presence
All:      to proclaim the wonders of God.

One:   Get up! For we are called by the Risen Son
All:      to respond to grace undeserved.

One:   God is calling us! For we are united by the Spirit
All:      to follow Jesus on the way.

One:   Come, let us worship God,
All:      let us worship in word, prayer, and song.

(adapted from Steven Fearing)

Hymn – “Praise to the Lord”

Praise to the Lord, all of you, God’s servants,
Blessed be the name of our God now and ever.
From the rising up of the sun may the Lord be praised,
Praise to the name of the Lord.

There is none like our God in the heavens or on earth,
Who lifts the poor from the dust, seating them with the mighty,
Who stoops to raise the weak and low:
May the Lord be praised, praise to the name of Lord.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Loving God, our Provider, we worship you as the one who meets our needs, who grants our daily bread, who restores our humanity. We worship you as your people, in a world where wealth is mixed with poverty; where we have all we need, but don’t know how to share. Where want, and hunger and thirst and humiliation are hidden from those with the power to offer challenge and bring change.

Show us how to worship you, our crucified God, our risen God, God who provides. Yet there are many times when we don’t see others around us, when we don’t see those who struggle for their basic needs, when we would rather not see the difficult places in the world. So, open our eyes. Not only that we learn sad facts about the world. But open the eyes of our heart, that we may feel our place in this world, as your people.

Where there is need, teach us to learn where our wealth lies, and help us to give. Where there is injustice, teach us to learn the causes, and help us to fight. Where there is brokenness, teach us to learn of our own brokenness, and help us to bring wholeness. Teach us to truly be your people, this we ask in the name of the one who walked among us, Jesus. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Hymn – “Amazing Grace”

Amazing grace!  how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

Time for All Ages

The Word

Scripture Reading:           Job 42:1-6, 10-17

¹ Then Job answered the LORD:
² I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
^{3 ‘}Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴ Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’
⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
⁶ therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
¹⁰ And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. ¹² The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. ¹⁵ In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. ¹⁶ After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. ¹⁷ And Job died, old and full of days.

Scripture Reading:           Mark 10:46-52

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God!

Meditation – “To be healed!”

Anthem – “Healer of My Heart”

The Response

Prayers of the People

One:   Eternal God, You have been our resting place through the ages. Generations come and pass away, but You abide forever. We praise you for Your presence among us. You bring us comfort amid our trails, clarity where confusion persists, peace in the midst of conflict, and hope of eternal life. Hear us now as we pray for Your Church and the needs of the world, for You are the God of our lives. Lord, hear our prayer…
All:      and in Your love, answer.

One:   We pray for the Church of Jesus Christ; that, begun, maintained and promoted by the Holy Spirit, it may be true, engaging, glad, and active, doing your will. Let Your church be always faithful, O God, and ready to promote the cause of compassionate love and peace. Lord, hear our prayer…
All:      and in Your love, answer.

One:   We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world. We pray that everywhere upon this earth there may be justice and peace. Lord, hear our prayer…
All:      and in Your love, answer.

One:   We pray especially today for the well being of people in parts of the world affected by drought, famine, and other natural disasters. We continue to pray for peace in the places of war and strife. Lord, hear our prayer…
All:      and in Your love, answer.

One:   Lord, we pray for all people in their daily life and work—for our families, friends, and neighbours, and for those who are alone. We name before you individuals and families experiencing personal hardship or facing an uncertain future, those who are separated from loved ones, those who grieve this today, and those who are sick in hospital and ill at home. Hear us Lord as we now lift up these people and those situations you have placed upon our hearts…Lord, hear our prayer…
All:      and in Your love, answer.

One:   Lord, in Your love, hear all our prayers—both the spoken and unsaid. May our prayers further Your purposes for us all, and bring us to that place where we may experience the joy that has been given to your faithful down through the ages—as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us:
All:      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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn – “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”

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

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

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

Benediction

May God, who comes to us in the things of this world, bless your eyes an be in your seeing.

May Christ, who looks upon you with deepest love, bless your eyes and widen your gaze that you might look on the world with that same love.

May the Spirit, who perceives what is and what may yet be, bless your eyes and sharpen your vision to see all the possibilities that might yet be.

May the Sacred Three bless your eyes and cause you to see, and in that seeing, cause you to act.

As you go into the world know that the Sacred Three, God of infinite presence, Christ of infinite love and the Holy Spirit of infinite inspiration go with each and every day. Amen.

Response

Amen, amen, amen.