Bulletin – Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Blessing of the School Supplies

Sunday, September 3, 2023
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Blessing of the School Supplies

Approach

Lighting the Christ Candle

One:   We light the Christ candle with great expectations.
All:      It is a symbol of hope and eternal love.

One:   We light the Christ candle to acknowledge the One who walks among us.
All:      The candle reminds us that Christ will never die.

One:   We light the Christ candle to make clear the path forward.
All:      The candle is our guide as we journey through life.

Call to Worship

One:   Come faithful people, come.
All:      We are here to praise and glorify God’s name.

One:   Sing and speak words that resound to the heavens.
All:      Our voices ring out in adoration.

One:   Listen, God’s children, to the voice that speaks today.
All:      We have ears that will hear and hearts that remain open.

One:   Thanks be to God for this day!
All:      Thank you, God, for this day!

Hymn – “Praise God for This Holy Ground” (MV #42)

Praise God for this holy ground, place and people, sight and sound.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  God’s goodness is eternal.

Praise God in whose word we find food for body, soul and mind.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  God’s goodness is eternal.

Praise God who through Christ makes known all are loved and called God’s own.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  God’s goodness is eternal.

Praise God’s Spirit who befriends, raises, humbles, breaks and mends.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  God’s goodness is eternal.

Though praise ends, praise is begun where God’s will is gladly done.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  God’s goodness is eternal.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

One:   With human limitations, we face you almighty God. Our prayer is that we will remember who we are in the light of all that is Divine.
All:      In pursuing our goals, dear God, we sometimes forget to pause, we forget to find our source of being in you. We are sometimes weak; we are often tempted and our focus strays to things that don’t matter in your eyes. Help us to remain faithful to you and your teachings. We trust your loving arms to bring us back to the fold whenever we stray. Forgive us and give us the strength to be all that you intended. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Blessing of the School Supplies

One:   Let us pray.  God of Wisdom, God of Words and Knowledge, we remember the variety of feelings we experienced when going to school.  Sometimes we were excited.  Sometimes we were afraid.  Sometimes we were overwhelmed.  Sometimes we were bored.  We think of school friends and beloved teachers, favourite subjects and those that caused us stress.  Bless all of those who are returning to school this week:  those for whom school is a joy they enthusiastically embrace, those who would rather not be there, and those for whom school is a challenge for a variety of reasons.  May a path for learning be opened for each one.  Bless the teachers, the administration, and all the staff who offer their time, energy, and skills to the young people.  Sustain, encourage, and inspire each one.  We ask you to bless these supplies, generously shared, that they may be signs of your love in the world.  Amen.

adapted from Susan Lukey, High River U.C. Gathering 2023

Hymn – “Walk With Me” (VU #649)

Walk with me, I will walk with you
And build the land that God has planned where love shines through.

When Moses heard the call of God he said, “Lord, don’t send me.”
But God told Moses, “You’re the one to set my people free.”
Walk with me, I will walk with you
And build the land that God has planned where love shines through.

Now Peter was a most unlikely man to lead the flock;
But Jesus knew his holiness and he became the Rock.
Walk with me, I will walk with you
And build the land that God has planned where love shines through.

Young Mary Magdalene was sure her life could be much more,
And by her faith she dared to let God’s love unlock the door.
Walk with me, I will walk with you
And build the land that God has planned where love shines through.

And when you share your faith with me and work for life made new,
The witness of your faithfulness calls me to walk with you.
Walk with me, I will walk with you
And build the land that God has planned where love shines through.

 The Word

Scripture Reading:           Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c – VU pp. 828-829 Parts One and Three

Part One (1-11)

One:   Give thanks and call on God’s name.
All:      Make known to the nations what God has done.

One:   Sing, O sing the songs of praise; tell of all God’s wonderful deeds.
All:      Exult in God’s holy name; let those who seek God be joyful in heart.

One:   Turn for help to the One who is your strength; seek God’s presence continually.
All:      Remember the marvels the Most High has done, the wonders and judgements God has given, O children of Abraham and Sarah, God’s servants, O offspring of Israel, chosen of God. 

One:   You are the eternal God, your justice reaches every corner of the earth.
All:      You are ever mindful of your covenant, the promise you gave to a thousand generations, the covenant you made with Sarah and Abraham, the oath you gave to Isaac.

One:   You confirmed it for Jacob as binding.
All:      To Israel your everlasting covenant you declared, ‘To you I give the land of Canaan, as your appointed inheritance.’

Part Three (23-26)

One:   When Israel came to Egypt, when Jacob settled in the land of Ham, there you made your people fruitful, stronger than their foes.
All:      But when you turned their hearts to hate your people, to deceitful dealing with your servants, then you sent your servant Moses, and Aaron, whom you had chosen. 

Scripture Reading:           Exodus 3:1-15

¹ Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness and came to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight and see why the bush is not burned up.” ⁴ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, ⁸ and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹ The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰ Now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” ¹² He said, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

¹³ But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Scripture Reading:           Matthew 16:21-28

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

²⁷ “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

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

Meditation – Holy Ground

Hymn – “God Says” (MV #172)

God says, “Be still so you may hear the words I whisper in your ear.
If you will listen, you will know I’m with you always where you go.”

God says, “Look up and see the prize I’ve placed here right before your eyes.
Find beauty in the things of earth, a cause for wonder and rebirth.”

God says, “Come here!  I need your voice.  Please teach my people to rejoice.
In who you are, in what you do, your life will show my love for you.”

God says, “Reach out!  The world’s in need and wants a word, a song, a deed.
I send you forth to speak, to sing, to act for Christ in everything.”

Offering

We have been given so many blessings, generous God. With gratitude we offer our gifts of time, talent, and money to further your work. We pray for wisdom as we continue the stewardship of your church. Amen.

Offering Response

Grant us, God, the grace of giving
With a spirit large and free
That ourselves and all our living
We may offer faithfully.

The Response

Prayers of the People

One:   When you hear “Lord in your Mercy” please reply with “Hear our prayer.

One:   Dear God, in the daily bustle of our lives, help us to find Holy ground. Help us to seek your guidance and direction for our lives. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   We are facing a world that is filled with natural disasters, O God. We pray for our country and beyond that is coping with fires, flooding, and hurricanes. With these warning signs, we pray that climate change will be taken seriously and that we will find ways to reverse some of the damage. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   We pray, generous God, for those facing life without the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. Help us to be there as their beacon of hope as they struggle to survive. May our love shine as we show Christ’s compassion to all who are in need. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   There is so much discord in our world, loving God. We pray for peace and justice for all those who face oppression in such places as the Ukraine, Sudan, and many other parts of the world where war never seems to end. Give these people hope and help us to stand beside them as they face so many atrocities. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   Healing God, we know that you care for us when we face illness. Be with those among us who may be struggling either physically or mentally. We pray for comfort and strength to meet each challenge that we may face. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   Thank you God, for sending Jesus to guide and teach us. We have been blessed to have a glimpse into your gracious plan of a new heaven and new earth through the saving power of Christ. Help us to live out this vision as we find new ways to serve and continue your work. May we continue to say this prayer that Jesus taught with fresh meaning and understanding.
All:      Our Father/Mother, 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 – “Bless Now, O God, the Journey” (VU #633)

Bless now, O God, the journey that all your people make,
The path through noise and silence, the way of give and take.
The trail is found in desert and winds the mountain round,
Then leads beside still waters, the road where faith is found.

Bless sojourners and pilgrims who share this winding way,
Whose hope burns through the terrors, whose love sustains the day.
We yearn for holy freedom while often we are bound.
Together we are seeking the road where faith is found.

Divine Eternal Lover, you meet us on the road.
We wait for lands of promise where milk and honey flow.
But waiting not for places, you meet us all around.
Our covenant is written on roads, as faith is found.

Benediction

One:   Whatever we may hear on the news, whatever the critics may say, God is in control and God loves us. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit that blows us in directions Divine and Christ dwells within to be our guiding light. We are a people of hope as we face the world in all its complexities.
All       We go from this sanctuary knowing that God will be with us as we greet each day. We are strengthened knowing that the Holy Spirit has been freely given as we meet many challenges. Christ is our friend, confidante and teacher who brings his message of salvation for all. We go forth renewed and refreshed to walk in God’s path. Amen.

Response

Show us Christ in one another.
Make us servants strong and true.
Give us all your love of justice
So we do what you would do.
Let us call all people holy.
Let us pledge our lives anew.
Make us one with all the lowly.
Let us all be one in you.