Prelude: The Tree of Life My Soul Hath Seen CP 488
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit, and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.
His beauty doth all things excel.
By faith I know, but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
'tis found in Christ the apple tree.
I'm weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow I will be
of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Acknowledgement
Welcome
Gathering Hymn He Came Down CP 368
He came down that we may love;
He came down that we may love;
He came down that we may love;
Hallelujah for evermore.
Leader: Why did he come?
repeat stanza
He came down that we may know peace;
He came down that we may know peace;
He came down that we may know peace;
Hallelujah for evermore
Leader: Why did he come?
repeat stanza
He came down that we may know joy;
He came down that we may know joy;
He came down that we may know joy;
Hallelujah for evermore
Leader: Why did he come?
repeat stanza
Gathering (loosely based on the hymn “We Stand in Awe”)
As we gather ourselves, our thoughts and focus on the supreme mystery that is God we look all around us at the great cosmos, observe the wonders of the sky the beauty of nature and listen as it sings
This earth, our home is diverse and wonderful and constantly changing
Sometimes the wonders of nature sound harsh especially when the winds howl and animals roar and yet despite the predatory and destructive nature we listen and hear the harmony
Rebirth is constant, refreshing and gives vibrancy to the earth
Within the re-birth, there is a promise that new life will proceed
And here we find that we are received, accepted so that dreams can grow and we feel surrounded by awe that is God sharing the sacred dream
So gathering as we do in our sacred places, we pause again to reflect, to feel, and to commit
to thoughtful and mindful intention.
(Silence)
We wonder again about the ebb and flow of this living, breathing, expanding universe…
And of this community.
(Silence)
We give our attention right now to each other, to new beginnings, to this time, to this season.
Jubilate Deo by Fred Dunn
Jubilate everybody
serve the Lord in all your ways
and come before His presence singing
Enter now his courts with praise
For the Lord our God is gracious
and His mercy’s everlasting.
Jubilate jubilate jubilate deo
Jubilate everybody
serve the Lord in all your ways
and come before His presence singing
Enter now his courts with praise
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Listen for the leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Psalm 22.24–30 Refrain All the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord.
For God does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither turns away from them; * when they cry to the Lord, they are heard.
All the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord.
My praise is of God in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship the Lord. The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall give praise: * “May your heart live for ever!”
All the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before God. For sovereignty belongs to the Lord, * who rules over the nations.
All the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord.
To God alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before God. My soul shall live for God; my descendants shall serve God; * they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever
All the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord.
A Reading from the first letter of John 4.7–21
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Listen for the leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Gradual Hymn Love Is The Touch MV89
Love is the touch of intangible joy;
love is the force that no fear can destroy;
love is the goodness we gladly applaud:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the lilt in a lingering voice;
love is the hope that can make us rejoice;
love is the cure for the frightened and flawed:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the light in the tunnel of pain;
love is the will to be whole once again;
love is the trust of a friend on the road:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the Maker, and Spirit, and Son;
love is the kingdom their will has begun;
love is the pathway the saints all have trod:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John 15.1–8
Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
The Gospel of Christ R:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
The Homily
An Affirmation of Faith (Liturgies for the Journey of Life by D. McRae-McMahom)
In response to the word, let us affirm our faith:
We believe in God, who when there was nothing
planted the seeds of life in all creation,
green in the desert, blossoms in the trees
and breath in the clay of human life.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
eternal seed of life, who entered the deaths of our existence,
trod deeply into our earthiness,
took into his body all our painfulness,
and lifted it into the victory of love.
We believe in the Holy Spirit
who waters our grief with tears,
nourishes us in the buds of life,
and tenderly cherishes our growings
until they break forth into the fruits of hope and faith. Amen
Offering Hymn I Am The Bread (by Brian R. Hoare/ Hope Publishing)
I am the bread, the bread of life, who comes to me will never hunger;
I am the bread, the bread of hunger.
I am the bread, the bread of Heaven;
Who feeds on me will never die.
And as you eat, remember me, my body broken on the tree;
My life was given to set you free,
And I’m alive forever more.
So I am the vine, and living vine; A part from me you can do nothing.
I am the vine, the real vine;
Abide in me and I in you.
As you drink, remember me my blood was shed up the tree;
My life was given to set you free,
And I’m alive for ever more.
So eat this bread, and drink this wine, and as you do receive this life of mine.
All that I am, I give to you, that you may live forever more.
Prayer over the Gifts
Gracious God, you show us your way and give us your divine life. May everything, we do be directed by the knowledge of your truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen
Prayers of Intercession (written by Terri and posted on RevGalBlogPals http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.ca/ )
For all the blessings of this life, families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and strangers, who nurture us, so that the love of God may grow within. That Your love, your Word, like a seed, may grow to produce in us, good fruit.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
For the leaders of the nations, provinces, cities and towns that they may lead with strong hearts and gentle hands and generous spirits, with compassion and mercy, with wisdom and grace.
May they reflect your will guiding all their actions and decisions.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
For those who serve in harms way, those who live in dangerous places, those who live in areas of war and strife, those who live in fear, those who worry about employment, bills, food, and struggle just to find dignity in life. May your grace bring peace and safety to all people, one to another.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
For those who suffer from any illness or disease of mind, body, or spirit.
Restore these, and all those we carry in our hearts, to fullness of health that only you, O God, can bring.
May your mercy shower each of us with healing mercy and love.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
For those who are dying, and for those who have died and send your comforting love.
Give solace to those who mourn, Console those who grieve.
May your grace surround us like a mantle upon our heads, a shawl upon our shoulders, a hand, to hold our hand.
May your love, be like a seed, taking root and growing strong. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Collect
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
The Blessing
Closing Hymn It Only Takes A Spark (Kurt Kaiser/ Budjohn Songs)
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in its glowing
That's how it is with God's love
Once you've experienced it
You spread God’s love to everyone
You want to pass it on
What a wondrous time is spring
When all the trees are budding
The birds begin to sing
The flowers start their blooming;
That's how it is with God's love
Once you've experienced it
You want to sing it's fresh like spring
You want to pass it on
I wish for you, my friend
this happiness that I've found
on God you can depend
It matters not where you're bound
I'll shout it from the mountain top
I want my world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on
Dismissal (Rex Hunt Liturgies)
As we leave our gathering and time of celebration: may we remember that each day offers more things than we can do.
So let us go now as those who would see not only what the world is but what we can make it be,
and may our hands, our hearts, our voices be turned toward making it so.
We Go in Peace! Thanks be to God, Alleluia
Come, thou Font of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious measure,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
O the vast, the boundless treasure
Of my God’s unchanging love.
Here I make faith’s affirmation;
Thus far by thy help I’ve come,
And I hope, by the compassion,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger;
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave God I love
Take my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
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