Bulletin – Sunday, August 20, 2023 – Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Sunday, August 20, 2023
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Approach

Lighting the Christ Candle:

We light this candle as a symbol of the fire that burns in our hearts for the love of God. This flame represents God’s love, power, and nature burning bright in us and shining through us so that our neighbours, and the world may know the wonder of God’s love. May the light of God’s word live in us, and always kindle our desire to walk with god, serve God, and be a witness for God. As we light his candle we glorify his holy name.

Call to Worship:

One:   Come and worship, all you who love and serve the Lord
All:      outsiders and insiders, old-timers and new-comers, the young, old, and the in-between.

One:   Come as you are, for this is God’s house.
All:      A house of prayer for all people, and God welcomes each one who comes.

Hymn –“Eternal, Unchanging, We Sing” (VU #223)

Eternal, Unchanging, we sing to your praise:
Your mercies are endless, and righteous your ways;
Your servants proclaim the renown of your name
Who rules over all and is ever the same.

Again we rejoice in the world you have made,
Your mighty creation in beauty arrayed,
We thank you for life, and we praise you for joy,
For love and for hope that no power can destroy.

We praise you for Jesus, our Master and Lord,
The might of his Spirit, the truth of his word,
His comfort in sorrow, his patience in pain,
The faith sure and steadfast that Jesus shall reign.

Prayer of Approach and Confession: Unison

Merciful God, we confess that, just like Jesus’ disciples, we too sometimes lose patience with people who need our help and support. Like the disciples, we find ourselves wishing that they would just go away and leave us in peace.

In Your mercy, forgive us. Remind us again of the deep love You showed toward us when we were still in need—a love so deep that it sent You willingly to the cross on our behalf.

Show us how to love others as You have loved us. Teach us Your compassion, so that we may be Your hands and feet to those in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Words of Assurance:

Hymn – “Spirit, Open My Heart” (MV #79)

Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving, Spirit, open my heart.

God, replace my stony heart with a heart that’s kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear to your grace I now surrender.

Write your love upon my heart as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed, may my living bring you glory.

May I weep with those who weep, share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ, may we welcome one another.

The Word

Scripture Reading            Genesis 45:1-15

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. ³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay. ¹⁰ You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.’ ¹² And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. ¹³ You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” ¹⁴ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

Scripture Reading:           Matthew 15:21-28

²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

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

Meditation

Hymn – “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (VU#602)

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The unity of heart and mind is like to that above.

We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear;
And often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

This glorious hope revives our courage on the way;
That we shall live in perfect love in God’s eternal day.

Offering Dedication

Offering / Response: VU #540

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:   Merciful God, in love You created us, and in love You sustain us, day after day. So it is with confidence that we bring our prayers to You, knowing that You will hear and respond. We pray for those who are estranged from spouse or family, friends or neighbours; who find it difficult to forgive past wrongs done to them. Lord in Your mercy.
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   We pray for those who for years have carried feelings of guilt regret for something they did or something they neglected to do; who find it difficult to ask for forgiveness or forgive themselves. Lord, in Your mercy,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   For those who themselves are far away from You, struggling to overcome their doubts or disillusionment, and who wonder how to find their way back. Lord, in Your mercy,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   For those watching someone they love try to cope with serious illness or injury, and who long for your miraculous intervention. Lord, in Your mercy,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   For the many others in our world who are suffering this day—from grief, or loneliness, hunger, poverty, violence or illness. Lord, in Your mercy,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   Today, spread Your love and healing to those in our community and the greater world (prayer list). Lord, in Your mercy,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   Sustain all those who look to You in hope. And strengthen us—Your people—so that we may be a light to all those who find themselves in darkness. In the name of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.

Hymn – “We are Pilgrims” (VU #595 verses 1-4)

We are pilgrims on a journey, fellow travelers on the road,
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.

Sister, let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

I will hold the Christ light for your in the night time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow, till we’ve seen this journey through.

Benediction

So now we leave this space of worship and while so much of the road ahead is uncertain, the path constantly changing, we know some things that are solid and sure as the ground beneath our feet, and the sky above our heads. We know God is love. We know Christ’s light endures. We know the Holy Spirit is there, found in the space between all things, closer to us then our next breath, binding us to each other, until we meet again. God in peace. 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.