ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
AUGUST 27 2023
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP
We give thanks to the Lord with all our hearts,
for God’s faithful love endures forever.
We sing praises to the Lord, with all our strength,
for God’s promises declare God’s goodness to all the earth.
We place our trust in in God with full confidence,
and so we come to worship with hearts full of praise.

HYMN 321 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

OPENING PRAYER
Eternal God, you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and yet
you come to us afresh each new day. You breathe new life into what has
grown tired and discouraged. You offer healing for what is worn or
broken. You restore hope when things seem impossible. You are the
source of life and love for all your creatures, and you renew us to put our
love for you into action for the wellbeing of your creation. And so we
worship you, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, offering our prayers and
praise to you, eternal and ever-present God, now and always.
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, we confess that we have strayed from
your purposes. You set a path for us to follow,
but we conform to the ways of this world. You
give each of us gifts to use for the work of your
kingdom, but we wait for others to do what needs
doing. Forgive us for taking the easy way out,
and renew in us the eagerness and energy to
serve. In Jesus name AMEN

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn us? Only Christ –
and Christ died for us. Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us,
Christ prays for us. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by
God’s generous grace. So let us make a fresh start today!

THE PEACE
HYMN 635 Brother, sister, let me serve you

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 138; 
Romans 12:1-8

SERMON a matter of grace…
I love bumper-sticker theology. One of my favorites is, “Life is hard -
read the instructions.” Those of you who have assembled toys or
furniture may have discovered this principle the hard way. I’ve neglected
to count the parts. I’ve put things together upside down or backwards.” I
suspect that I am not alone in this.
I believe we have heard a lot of stories and comments this past week -
if not “READ the instructions”, it has been “OBEY the instructions.”
Too many people ignored the instructions! The Shuswap wild fires –
road closures and evacuation orders have certainly been in the
forefront of the news – locally, provincially and nationally . I’m not
going to list details. We are all aware of the difficulties erupting over
angry disagreements flaring up between local residents, and some not so
local - and the personnel working so hard to bring the fires to an end.
However we give thanks that cooler wetter weather prevailed for a
couple of days and Fire activity remains decreased although increasing

temperatures this coming week ramp up concern. BCWS crews
continue to work in priority areas
From time to time most of us lose touch with who we really are and
what we really want. Instead of following our God ordained desires, we
tend to be more concerned about what people think rather than what God
thinks. We even go so far as to think about what other people think we're
thinking. It’s often the fear of people that keeps us from hearing and
listening to the voice of God. We let expectations of others override the
desires God put in our hearts.
A little emotional intelligence goes a long way – that’s your ability to
identify, assess, and control your emotions. Emotions are a gift from
God. As we grow in a relationship with him, so does our emotional
awareness and emotional intelligence. They express themselves as
empathy for others.
This “transformed thinking” must take the shape of communally
oriented enrichment. Intertwining these God-given roles and functions
for the sake of the benefit of fellow believers is a safeguard from
allowing one individual’s ego to become overinflated.
Our epistle reading today begins with Romans 12:1& 2 Therefore I
urge you ..,in view of Gods mercy to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices ,holy and pleasing to God -This is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind

These verses are undoubtedly two of the most difficult verses in the
Bible. Paul clearly states God means to give it all : your body, your
thoughts, your actions, your service, your word, all you have. Whatever
you have and whatever you do, sacrifice it to the Lord. That sounds
unreasonable until you realize that God gave all he had. He gave Jesus to
us who sacrificed all he had for our salvation. When it comes to God,
there are no half measures. How about spending a day of surrendering

and giving all you have to the Lord? All your tasks around the house,
give it to God. Your work on the job, give it to God. All your acts of
pleasure, give to the Lord. In other words, all you think, say, or do,
dedicate it to the Lord
Paul compares the working of the church to the working of the human
body. He turns our attention to body-language. This body-language
matches the appropriate mind-set for those who “live according to the
Holy Spirit” (Romans 8:5b). - here it is “renewed,” which means a full
makeover (12:2). Body and mind are interconnected in a social and
relational matrix
Paul’s vision of the moral life is wholly encompassing of body and
mind. He appeals to the believers to “present” their bodies as a living
sacrifice, “that which pleases God.” Paul expects that believers will be
shaped in such a way that they will be able to discern what God desires.
Therefore each person must determine what God is calling them to be
and do.
Too many people wait for a personalized neon sign with flashing arrows.
But we already know in a broad outline what God wants us to do, he
wants us to love our neighbors! And furthermore, to show that love in
practical ways. Most of the time we should just open our eyes to the
obvious. That’s often God’s way of steering us to opportunities to put
our gifts to use. Find a need and fill it
Paul continues with the topic of “right thinking” by first exhorting “ I
say to every one of you - Do not think of yourself more highly than you
ought... Proper discernment of the “good and pleasing and perfect” will
of God is a disposition of appropriate humility.
Believers see the world differently and encounter the world through a
new set of lenses. Reading history, experience and future hope through
this interpretive perception leads to new habits and practices.

As God created those desires and you, he wants to speak to you through
your desires. To ignore them is to ignore God’s voice. So how do we
figure out what those desires are? We might need the help of a wise and
trusted friend, mentor or spiritual guide. That’s why God has put people
in our life.
Now, God can speak through a donkey, but more often than not, he uses
people. In the Bible, he used a prophet named Nathaniel to rebuke King
David. He used an uncle named Mordecai to inspire Queen Esther. He
used a spiritual father named Paul to encourage Timothy. God also puts
people in our life to influence us. It’s our family and friends, coaches
and teachers, and, I’d like to think, sometimes - pastors. Don’t think that
these people are in your life by chance. To do that would underestimate
the sovereignty of God. He wants to use them to speak into our lives,
and he wants to use you to speak into theirs.
We have this cloud of witnesses in our life that includes anybody and
everybody who has influence in our lives. People play a significant role
in the life of a believer. One of the ways that we live out the presence of
God with each other is to be there when someone needs to share what’s
going on in their life. People are here to help us see our blind spots. We
need somebody who’s willing to say things that need to be said. We need
spiritual fathers and spiritual mothers who’ve ‘been there and done that’.
We need friends who have permission to speak the truth in love.
Paul also says that real worship that is pleasing to God is the offering of
our everyday lives to God. “Do not conform to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We don’t live
in a perfect world. Before we can truly decipher God’s desires it’s
important for us to remove some of the obstacles.
We have different gifts according to the grace given us [6] When you
have been given a gift, a talent, in combination with your personality
and your experience, God often plants a desire for something greater
within you

The purpose of spiritual gifts is “to build up the body of Christ, until all
of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” [Eph. 4:12-13]
The apostle tells us to use our God-given gifts in the pursuit of our
desires. And he identifies 3 traits that should define how we use our gifts
as followers of Christ: generously, responsibly, and gladly
The word “generously"; comes from a Greek word which means going
above and beyond the call of duty. It’s the extra mile.
The word “ responsibly” is about attention to detail. It shows care and
conscientiousness in everything we do. It hints at continual
improvement. But diligence and or responsibility also means delighting
in what we do. And when we do that… we actually worship.
The word “gladly” has the idea of whistling while we work. It’s that A-
game attitude
We are impatient people. We want to find out instantly. But with God
things, it usually doesn’t happen at the touch of a button. God gives us
salvation in Jesus Christ. God gives us the Holy Spirit just for the
asking. But - like all other living things - the gifts of the Spirit only grow
when the conditions are right. Still it’s actually a pretty straightforward
process.
Step one is to pray and study. Seek, as Jesus said, and you will find.
Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will
make your paths straight.” [Pr 3:5,6] Read the Bible - AKA the
instructions - the owner’s manual - pray, and listen for what God is
impressing on your heart and mind. Studying the lives of characters in
the Bible helps, too. You will probably identify more with some than
with others. You might say, “that sounds like me. Maybe that’s how I
should consider stepping out to explore my gifts.”

God uses our desires in order to help guide us yet our desires easily get
derailed. Here are a few cautions:
Check Your Ego at the Door - did you know that you could actually be
doing the will of God and God could oppose it? It sounds silly but it’s
true. “God opposes the proud.” Having pride is letting your ego have the
loudest voice. Attempting to do God’s will in a spirit of pride is 2 steps
forward and 3 steps back.
If you want something too much, you might want it for the wrong
reasons - it’s often an indicator that you’re not ready for it. Why?
Because it’s become an idol in your life.
Emotion is a great servant but a terrible master - don’t make decisions
when you’re in an emotional frenzy or funk. It’s about impulse control,
self-control… If you don’t feel in control when you’re trying to
understand your desires, you may need to put some time in between.
That’s when you say things or do things you’ll regret. Ever written that
email that you wish you never sent? You get the idea.
Through the readings of Paul’s letters we’ve been trying to get at the
heart of how God speaks to us. Perhaps we can call it a Kairos moment.
A moment in time when God tries to get your attention. Chronos is
sequential-past, present, future. It’s linear, moving in one direction.
Chronos is a human construct. It’s how we humans measure time, but
God exists outside of the space-time dimensions he created. So we have
to be very careful not to put him in our clock, in our box.

In conclusion may I say -read and obey the instructions You can only be
blest and have peace and sweet rest as you yield to God your body and
soul. Our amazing and loving God has showered you in grace .Give God
all you’ve got, watch and give thanks for all your blessings. AMEN

HYMN 648 I’m gonna live so God can use me

OFFERING
Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that we all have gifts to share.
When we give, let us offer what we have generously. When compassion
opens our hearts, let us share cheerfully, so that God’s good work may
continue.
DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

OFFERTORY PRAYER
O God, bless what we offer today as well as the time, talent, and concern
we will offer you this week. We trust that, with your blessing, your Holy
Spirit is able to accomplish more than we can ask or imagine in Christ’s
name. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Life-giving God, you equip your people with gifts to work for your
kingdom, bringing justice and peace to every land and community. We
thank you that you will work through us, even when we don’t feel equal
to the task. Help us recognize your Spirit at work among us. Source of
all wisdom and understanding, amid so many competing voices, let us
hear your word for our times. Send your Holy Spirit to help us discern
your will and follow the path Jesus sets for us as your Living Word
Through your Spirit, O God, you give the gift of prophecy. With this
gift, empower the church to speak words of justice and truth into
situations where people are exploited or treated unfairly. Guide us to
bring change for good in the world, and bring hope to the hopeless.
In the example of your Son Jesus, O God, you give the gift of serving.
With this gift, encourage your servant Church to work with those made

vulnerable by structures of power and privilege. Show us how to share
the abundance in our country with lives and communities that often lack
even basic resources.
This past week has been another one of fear and confusion as over
30000 people remain out of their homes and away from their
communities Other communities are overflowing with all these folks
needing shelter – food and comfort. Thousands of firefighters are
battling the ongoing blazes . We continue to thank you for their safety
and for help in the physical, mental and emotional strains they are all
burdened with. We give thanks O Lord that progress is being made
through the cooler wetter weather but with weather changing back to
above seasonal, fears again rise. We pray dear God that you will give
guidance and wisdom to all the agencies involved in this devastating
time in our province, the NWT and indeed around the world . Comfort
those who are now homeless and lead them to people and agencies
which will help them to restore their lives in an acceptable manner .
Lord we give grateful thanks that there has been no loss of life in the
many places of immense fire.
With the inspiration of your Spirit, O God, you give the gift of teaching.
As a church that values teaching, engage us to support access to
education for every child. We pray for teachers and students as they
prepare for another year of working together. We pray for our university
and college students who are preparing for studies away from home,
remembering in particular first year students who are leaving home for
the first time. Help us encourage each person who shares in a learning
community this year.

Through the love and compassion of Christ, O God, you give the gift of
encouragement. As a congregation, show us where and how to reach out
to hearten any who are struggling. Give us the words and actions to
comfort those who morn, to be companions to those coping with mental
or physical illness, and support any who feel isolated or left behind.

Through the examples of prophets and apostles, O God, you give the gift
of leadership. Call leaders within the Church to build up our ministries
and model respectful ways of living and loving together. Call leaders in
our nation and neighbourhood who model respect and attend to the
common good and the needs of the earth itself.
Bless Trish and John as they say their wedding vows this weekend
and bless all the relatives and friends of the families as they spend a
joyful week-end in celebration
Gift-giving God, we are grateful for all the people in whom we meet
your gifts. Inspire us to add our energy and experience to the care of
creation as the loyal followers of Jesus who taught us to pray together:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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. 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,
and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN 757 Come sing,, O Church, in joy

BENEDICTION
Consider the particular gifts God has given you, and find ways to offer
yourself with generosity, diligence and cheerfulness. And may the God
of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound

in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
CLOSING SONG

Lead me Lord, lead me in your righteousness
Make your way plan before my face
For it is you and you God only
Who makes me dwell in safety.

Threefold Amen