St. Andrew’s,  Salmon Arm

February 12th, 2023

Lighting the Christ Candle

 

Welcome and Announcements

Thank Rev. Ena van Zoeren for leading and guiding us through worship this day. We at St. Andrew’s pray that this hour may be a blessing to you as you begin another week.

Called to Worship: 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
All that we are
All that we have been
All that we hope to be,

We give ourselves to you Lord.
WE  give ourselves to you,
In joy and in sorrow
In sickness and in health
In success and in failure, 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
In darkness and in light
In trouble and in joy
In time and for eternity, 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
 

Hymn:  338 Let all things now living

 

Prayer of Adoration 

Holy Spirit, guide us as we walk in faith, and guard us against the powers
that would draw us away from your love.  Help us live according to your commandments, that we might live long in the land you have prepared for us.
Prompt us to seek you with our whole heart and guide us to walk in your ways, that we may carry out the vows of the covenant we share.  May our words and deeds bring life and faith to others, as we hold fast to the gift of faith.
Be near us each and every day, and bless us with your light, that our days may be filled with grace. Amen. 

Fill us with that grace as we confess our sins before you saying: 

 

Unison Prayer of Confession:
Loving God, you call us to walk in your ways, observe your commandments, and love you as you have loved us.
You offer us a community of abundant blessing, with rich soil to promote dynamic growth.  Yet we often turn away from you to satisfy our own wants and desires.
We forsake the way of love and forgiveness, giving in to petty jealousies and quarreling, and surrendering our lofty ideals to our baser inclinations.
Forgive us, O God.
When we flee from your embrace, draw us into community with you and with one another.  Shower us with the cleansing waters of humility, that we may reclaim our purpose and find nourishment and growth in labors of love to bring your kingdom in our midst.  Amen 

Assurance of Pardon 

God hears the confessions of our hearts
and forgives generously, sharing love with all
who follow in God’s ways.
It is through God’s amazing grace that we are forgiven.
And all God’s children respond:
Thanks be to God!
The Peace
Passing the Peace 

Hymn:  689 Trusting every day

Scripture Lessons: 

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
Psalm 119: 1-8 

Sermon:  Choose Life 

Moses has just been reminding the people of everything that God has done for them.  The escape from Egypt, the grace in the desert for water, food, health.  And now, finally bringing the people to the edge of the promised land.   

He wants to remind them of the goodness of God, because in the blessing of home which is to come, it will be all too easy to forget all that God has done.    

Moses says to the people, I place before life and death, choose life that you may live long and prosper in the land God has given you.  

Yet Moses knows that the people will not remember the choice they make that day.  The example of the 40 years in the wilderness has taught him how quickly we forget, how quickly we seek our own way, how quickly we seek the things that take us away from God. 

This lesson applies to all of us as well.  Knowing Jesus, loving him and walking in his ways is a choice that we need to make every day.  We can choose to walk with God, or we can choose to walk away from God; and we are given that choice every day.   

All of us are called by God to walk the road that leads to life and abundance.  Not the road that leads to great riches, but the road that leads to the abundance of peace, security, wisdom and guidance that belongs to God’s children.   

What makes this life possible? 

Some commentators suggest that this choice to walk with God could also be taken as a choice to work for what makes life possible, for us and for all those who are touched by our faithful living.   

The commentator Classens points out that this choice is particularly important when we consider the burning ethical questions of the day.  How does our commitment to justice shape the choices we make? 

As I explored this topic I was reminded of David.  He didn’t always make choices informed by his commitment to God and God’s justice.  For example he chose Bathsheba over his need to be loyal to her husband away fighting for the kingdom of Israel.  He then made choices to cover up his actions.  And yet, he is counted as a man whom God loved and a man who loved God.   

Why?  Because David had a heart that could hear the truth and be repentant, and this made all the difference, as he recognized that he had left God and once again made choices to follow and serve God.   

We are reminded that this is a daily choice. 

We are called to: 

Love God 

Walk in God’s way 

Keep God’s commandments 

Hear God’s voice 

Cling to God 

When we fail to make those choices, then we are called to confess and to repent.   We are called to recommit, heart and soul to seek a vibrant relationship with God who walks with us through all of our lives. 

What does that commitment look like for us? 

I think it looks like the vows of the wedding service, in fact I was so struck with a prayer that followed those same themes that I adapted it to became the call to worship. 

Open again your bulletin and let us repeat those words again, as our vow to follow God and keep in his way, for all of eternity. 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
All that we are
All that we have been
All that we hope to be,

We give ourselves to you Lord.
WE  give ourselves to you,
In joy and in sorrow
In sickness and in health
In success and in failure, 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
In darkness and in light
In trouble and in joy
In time and for eternity, 

We give ourselves to you Lord,
We give ourselves to you.
 

Did you notice that instead of the words until death us part, we said, In time and for eternity? 

Why?  Because death does not separate us from the presence of God.  We choose to keep our vows to him during human time and we choose to keep those vows in eternal time.  We will never be separated from the presence of God.   This is God’s promise to us.   

This is God’s promise to us on the days that we choose to follow him, and on the days that we choose not to follow him.  Even if we break our vows God does not break his.  God will keep reminding us of those vows until we repent and return.   

God’s patience is limitless when it comes to drawing his people close to his heart.   

He heard the complaints that the people would rather return to Israel where at least they had food, than follow God with no food or water in the desert.  The freedom of following God’s way isn’t always easy.   In fact, there are days when that freedom will feel alarming.   There will be those circumstances and days that test our commitment and shatter our faith.   

On those days we will be tempted to choose another way, and on those days we will be challenged to remember our vows and choose the life of hope and peace that God offers us.   

We must choose to follow God every day. 

Because we share vows with God, some commentators speak of “covenant fidelity” .  The commentator Howard reminds us that covenant fidelity is a set of lived practices through which we demonstrate an ongoing orientation toward loving God and our neighbour. 

When Moses reminds the people they need to make a choice, it is a reminder to give our whole lives over to God.  

Can we do it?   We read Scripture so we know the people repeatedly turned away from God.  The disciples repeatedly let Jesus down.  The church through the ages has made choices that led to its downfall.  

Do we wonder if we can do it?  Do we dare to hope that we can be faithful?   

Yes we can do it!  Yes, we can dare to have hope that we will succeed! 

Every person who responds to the call of God is given the power to follow God.  Before the words of Scripture we read today Moses says to the people, ‘this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.”  Deut 30: 13 

The power is as close as our heart—which in Hebrew means both our emotions and our rational thinking.   The power to choose God is as close as the breath we breathe, the thoughts we think and the love that pours out of our hearts.  When we choose to follow God it requires wisdom, discernment; but it comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills our heart and holds our promises in his grip.   

We don’t have to do this alone.  God will show us the way and walk with us on the journey.   

So today we are urged to choose God, and when we do, God will remind us that he has already chosen us, and that he is with us and will make it possible for us to be successful in the way we have chosen.   

God is our choice.  God is our gift.  God is our power.  God is ours, in time and for eternity.  Thanks be to God.  Amen. 

  

Hymn:  414 God reveal your presence

Offering
Doxology

Offertory Prayer 

Loving God,
you have shown us your ways
and led us in the paths of abundance.
You have blessed us and kept us safe.
In you we see that we are loved.
We offer you our lives,
for we have chosen to follow you.
We offer you our praise,
for your love is great.
Use our gifts, our money, and our hearts
to establish your realm of love upon the earth. Amen. 

 

 

Gathering Prayer Requests 

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer 

Blessed God, we thank you for all the blessings of this life. 

For the gift of life.   For the gift of Christ,   for the gift of the Holy Spirit, 

for your tender mercy.  For Your saving love.  Let Your love, steadfast and faithful, be a great sign from heaven, may Your peace bend our will to your will, like trees in a strong wind. 

Signs of heaven, sighs of hope.  

We bring that hope into the prayers we bring for your hurting world.   Bless with peace and strength all whom are in need of your presence today. 

 

 

 

 

The families and staff of the day care in Laval following the bus crash.  The police as they investigate the causes and work for justice.  

World
the people of Turkey and Syria following the earthquake 

The people of Haiti as the violence escalates, and those of Canada and other nations who are working to bring about peace. 

The people of the Ukraine, President Zolinsky as they fight for the sovereignty of their land.   Ukrainian refugees as they settle in, yet their hearts are still full of the needs of family, and friends in the Ukraine. 

The people struggling to rebuild after mudslides in Peru. 

 

O God, send your Spirit upon us and light our path, that we may travel the road you have prepared for us.
enable our hearts and minds to more fully understand your goodness and your grace.
Help us break free from ideas that no longer bring life, that we may embrace the life-giving work of your Spirit.
Hear us now as we pray together as Jesus taught us, saying, 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 debts as we forgive the debts of others.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever.  Amen 

 

Hymn:  644  May the mind of Christ my saviour

Charge and Benediction 

As we journey out into the world,  may each of us walk in the light of God’s ways, striving to be blameless and just.  May our hearts be vessels of God’s love and may the Lord bless us in the land that we are entering. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you today and forevermore.   

Sung Blessing
Go now in peace