ST ANDREW’S CHURCH July 17, 2022
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Thank you for worshiping with us online. We also thank Rev. Shirley Cochrane for preparing and guiding our worship this day.
• We hope, along with you, that one day our videographer will return from holidays so we can enjoy seeing the readings and the sermon.
  CALL TO WORSHIP
  The Lord is our light and our salvation! Whom shall we fear?
  The Lord is our stronghold. Of whom shall we be afraid?
  As we wait on the Lord, let us be strong and of good courage.
  God has called us together, and we have come.
  Let us thank God forever, because of what God has done.
  We will proclaim God’s holy name, for God is good. Let us worship
  God!
  HYMN 411 Stand up and bless the Lord

1. Stand up and bless the Lord; God's people now rejoice;
stand up and bless the Lord your God with heart and soul and voice.
2. Though high above all praise, above all blessing high,
who would not fear God's holy name, and praise and magnify?
3. Oh for the living flame from God's own altar brought,
to touch our lips, our minds inspire, and wing to heaven our thought.
4. God is our strength and song; now is salvation ours.
God's love in Christ we now proclaim with all our ransomed powers.
5. Stand up and bless the Lord; the Lord your God adore;
stand up and bless God's glorious name henceforth forevermore.

PRAYER OF ADORATON
God of majesty and mystery, your love and purpose embrace the whole
world. You set us in a world of beauty and bounty and invite us to meet
you in the midst of its wonders. You call us to love each other in the

example of Jesus to make your world a place of justice and compassion.
In this hour of worship, send us your Spirit of wisdom and grace so that
we can live out the praise on our lips in our day to day living, which we
offer to you, our one and only God. At this time Lord we offer to you
our confession saying….
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord Jesus Christ,
you were born one of us to show us God’s love for us.
You came to teach us God’s truth and touch us with God’s mercy.
We confess we sometimes try to push you away.
We cling to what we think,
and resist your challenge to open our lives to others.
We limit our generosity, convinced we can’t give any more.
Forgive us, Lord Jesus,
when we turn away from the example you set for us.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ
–And Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us,
Christ prays for us. Friends believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus
Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace.

HYMN 655 Give me oil in my lamp

1. Give me oil in my lamp; keep me burning;
give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp; keep me burning;
keep me burning till the break of day.
Refrain:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the Servant King;
sing hosanna, sing hosanna,sing hosanna, let us sing!
2. Give me joy in my heart; keep me praising;

give me joy in my heart, I pray.
Give me joy in my heart; keep me praising;
keep me praising till the break of day.
(Refrain)
3. Give me peace in my heart; keep me loving;
give me peace in my heart, I pray.
Give me peace in my heart; keep me loving;
keep me loving till the break of day.
(Refrain)
4. Give me love in my heart; keep me serving;
give me love in my heart, I pray.
Give me love in my heart; keep me serving;
keep me serving till the break of day.
(Refrain)

SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 15;
LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2  The one whose walk is blameless,  who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3  whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4  who despises a vile person  but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5  who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things  will never be shaken.
Genesis 18:1-15
18 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while
he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  2  Abraham

looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he
hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the
ground.
3  He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, [a]  do not pass your
servant by.  4  Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash
your feet and rest under this tree.  5  Let me get you something to eat, so
you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come
to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6  So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three
seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7  Then he
ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant,
who hurried to prepare it.  8  He then brought some curds and milk and the
calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate,
he stood near them under a tree.
9  “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he
said. 10  Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time
next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind
him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years
and Sarah was past the age of child bearing
12  So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and
my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13  Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I
really have a child, now that I am old?’  14  Is anything too hard for
the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah
will have a son.” 15  Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not
laugh. ”But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
SERMON
God of wisdom, by the leading of your Spirit, open our minds to receive
new insight from familiar stories. Open our hearts to grasp deeper truth,
revealed through the Scriptures, and through Jesus Christ, your Living
Word. Amen.
Historically Presbyterians aren’t exactly renowned for our sense of
humour. We are often portrayed as being a very serious group and for

many, Christianity and comedy, or Christianity and laughter do not sit
well together. I heard a preacher quite a long time ago who went into
great detail about the fact that the Bible states that Jesus wept but never
at any point says that he laughed.. ahhh how I disagree The Bible
contains many examples of humour both with God and with Jesus For an
example . Psalm 2 has a verse stating God laughed .
The saga of Sarah and Abraham rivals any television soap opera, with
unbelievable plot twists that would make great headlines on a tabloid
displayed at the checkout counter.
God called Abram and he followed. God was first. In our theology, we
understand that this is the way it happens. We become a part of God’s
family because God initiates contact with us. We aren’t out there
looking for God, God is looking for us. So, Abram took his family and
all that belonged to them - set out and found the land which God
promised them.
There are many stories along the way, where they messed up. But there
is something Abraham and Sarah did right They knew they belonged to
God. They worshipped God and never turned back. That alone is why
God blessed them.
When we join the story in Genesis 18, God has made a covenant with
this elderly couple, declaring that they will have countless descendants.
The ridiculous nature of the promise is obvious:  Sarah and Abraham are
in the sunset years of their life, and they have no children because Sarah
“was barren.”
In the Ancient Near East, a woman was valued for her primary role of
producing offspring for her husband. Foremost, is to provide a son to
inherit the family estate. Being barren was a serious problem. However,
it seems that Sarah’s barrenness had not been a major obstacle for the
couple. There were other legal ways for a man to secure a male heir; he
could adopt a male servant, which was what Abraham intended to do

with Eliezer.  Also Sarai gave Abram her maidservant so that he could
have the child God promised him, not realizing that God’s faithfulness
was to her as well as to her husband.
With that detail settled, Abraham and Sarah had lived quite well, even
without children. That is until God entered the story with a promise that
Abraham would have a biological heir. In Genesis 17, when God
reminds Abraham of his promise, Abraham didn’t just laugh. Scripture
tells us he fell on his face he laughed so hard. Then he asked God to
bless the son he already had, Ishmael, since obviously God was joking.
At this point, though, God had not said anything to Sarah about
becoming a mother.
Now one day Abraham pitched their tents by the Oaks of Mamre at
Hebron, The same day Abraham sees three strangers approaching their
camp. The storyteller informs us that these men are representatives of
the Holy, but Abraham does not have this insider information . He
invites them to stop and enjoy a break from their journeys. With their
acceptance of his invitation, Abraham jumps into full hospitality mode.
Hospitality customs are a vital part of the culture of the ancient near
east. The people followed these customs as formal, even sacred, codes of
conduct. The environment of the land in most of the Middle East is
harsh. For a traveler, access to water and food is a matter of life and
death. Also, they need a safe place to spend the night, as there is no
Motel 8 to leave the light on for you. Without the hospitality of
strangers, a traveler could die. When one invited a guest into their home,
the host is required to provide that person with food, water, and safety.
Focusing on Sarah, both the writers of Genesis and the Revised
Common Lectionary committee have made certain that she remains off
stage After helping to prepare the food for the guests, Sarah does not
even get to enjoy the meal. Even more problematic is the conversation
between Abraham and the visitors directly concerning Sarah and her
well-being. The guests announce that Sarah will have a child “in due

season,” even though she is over 90 years old and well past childbearing
age.
Going through labor in the ancient world was dangerous enough for a
young female. Imagine how much more difficult pregnancy would be for
Sarah.. It is important to remember that this is the first time Sarah has
heard (or overheard) that she is required to bear the child of promise.
Abraham has heard it at least three times (Genesis 12:1-9; 15: 1-21; 17:1-27),
and even he laughed when the Divine qualified that the child must be
born through him and Sarah (Genesis 17:7
The story raises a question: “Whom do we leave on the margins while
we make decisions that directly affect their lives?” Too often, the
privileged few leave the marginalized out of the conversations, assuming
that they know what is best and are surprised by their reactions. Without
their voices, the temptation is to choose actions that do not upset the
status quo. How different would it be if all were included in the
decision-making? Imagine the possibilities and the world we could
create.
Sarah laughed and no wonder, She was maybe ninety or ninety-one
years old, Can you imagine how you would react if a lady you knew,
maybe your granny, came up to you and said, I’m ninety years old and
I’m going to be having a baby. I think after you got over the shock then
maybe you would laugh too.
Sarah laughed but her words are actually very sad. She describes herself
as “worn out,” Maybe she feels that God can do no more with her. You
don’t have to be ninety-one to feel that you are worn out. To feel that not
even God can do anything with you, to feel that you are hopeless is sad.
Sometimes when we laugh its not because we are happy or because we
have seen something really funny but it’s because we are feeling cynical
or bitter about life. You know the expression, “If you didn’t laugh you’d
cry?” That seems to be the sort of laughing that Sarah does here.

What does God say to Sarah in response to her dry cynical laughter?
Does he say, “Stop laughing, how dare you criticize me?” Does he say,
“You laughed in my face so I’m not going to give you what you have
longed for all these years?”
No, instead he presents her with a question, he goes to this worn out old
lady and asks her the same question that he asks all of us when we feel
worn out,- when we feel that we can go no further, when we feel that
surely God can do no more through tired, broken and weary people like
us.
He says simply this “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” How do we
answer that? . To answer truthfully, to say “No, nothing is too hard for
God” is not an easy thing to do, Its not some kind of intellectual cop-out,
a way of switching off our brains and leaving all our mysteries to
heaven.
While the story emphasizes that nothing is “too hard for the LORD”
Sarah’s reaction may remind us that “not too hard” may not be what is
best for everyone. Sarah herself couldn’t help but laugh at the idea
If there is nothing too hard for the LORD then why did Sarah have to go
through all those years of infertility? If nothing is too hard for the LORD
then why is there so much suffering and pain in this world that God has
made. To admit that God is God is not to take the easy option : look at
Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying to his father, “Everything is
possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what
you will.” He knew that nothing was impossible for God, his father, but
yet he still had to face suffering and death on a cross.
We know that Jesus suffering was not in vain and neither was the shame
and the anguish of Sarah, Through both of these situations God was
working out his plan in the same way that he is working in your life.
Sarah was as unaware of the final outworking of God’s plans just as we
are, She would be long dead before her ancestors would be as numerous
as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore.

We don’t know God’s plans, but we do know his character, that he
works for good for those who love him. Sometimes the world around us
laughs and no wonder as they look at the means God has chosen to
proclaim all of this good news to the world.
Paul said of the Christians in Corinth “Think of what you were when you
were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many
were influential; not many were of noble birth.”
Have you ever found it funny God called people like us to spread his
word, to tell those around us of the Good News of Jesus Christ? Have
you ever worried that you were not good enough to witness to people, to
tell them about the Gospel? Have you ever had someone tell you that
you are a hypocrite for calling yourself a Christian after all the things
that you have done?
What Paul is saying is that God must have some strange sense of
humour to pick people like you and me for the task of bringing his
message to those who are lost. He goes on to say, “God chose the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the
world to shame the strong.”
It has always been like that, --he chose Abraham and Sarah, who
laughed because they could not understand the power of God, He choose
Joseph, who had such a huge ego, that it almost drove his brothers to
murder him. He chose Saul, an unstable madman as King:; King David,
an adulterer and murderer; King Solomon, a man more fond of the high
life than looking after his own people. Throughout the Old Testament
God chooses the most unlikely characters to advance his cause and to
spread his word. Instead of picking the great intellectuals of his day to
spread the word Jesus chose some ordinary fishermen, a terrorist, a man
whose previous job involved extorting money from people by force, and
a bunch of other unlikely characters.
God seems to like a challenge, God did not pick us for this job because
of any great skill or talent that we might have but he chose us because he

wanted to demonstrate that it is purely by his grace that we become
Christians, not through any ability or good works of our own. Once we
have become a Christian we do not live by our own strength, In the end
it is God who will have the last laugh!
God has the last laugh because no matter how strong our doubts are, no
matter how convincing the people are who laugh at us or mock our
belief in God and our reliance on him, it is God who is in charge The
whole idea of God’s grace comes from the context of God loving us in
spite of our unworthiness
Like Abraham and Sarah, God also called us before we knew we needed
God. Each of us came in a different way. Some, like me, grew up in the
church. I invited Jesus in as a young child and can today say that God
never ever left me. For others, your path was different. Some of you
came to know Christ as a teen or an adult. Some who grew up in the
church may not remember a specific moment in time when you made a
specific commitment, you just know you belong to God. All of us who
came in different ways have one thing in common. We belong to God
because God called us. God is always the lead in the dance. We are
always the follower.
The God who called us is faithful. The God who sees our sin already
paid for it. The God who knows our unworthiness loves us anyway. Out
of this unworthiness, we are called to be disciples to the world. We are
called to proclaim that which we hear at Worship every single Sunday.
We don’t have to water down our message and just say God loves us,
which is entirely true. The world “gets” that it is unworthy. We need to
remind them that God loves them anyway and is calling them. We step
inside where they are and declare God’s love.
In a way, we are like Abraham and Sarah, we can bring laughter to the
world around us, fall on the ground laughter. They were old and there
was no way that God could do what God did. We are unworthy and there

is no way that we deserve God’s love. But God loves us anyway. And
that is worth singing about, shouting about, laughing about!
Yes, God has the last laugh, and sometimes he lets us in on the joke.
Sarah laughed again, a year later, when she had a baby boy whom she
named Isaac. She said, “God has blessed me with laughter and all who
get the news will laugh with me!” It turned out that God knew what he
was doing all along!
So thank God for laughter, for all those things that cheer our hearts and
bring joy into our lives; thank God that, as the Bible says, in his
“foolishness” he chose us to be his servants; and thank God that he is in
charge and that there is nothing too hard for the LORD. Amen.

HYMN 478 – To Abraham and Sarah

1. To Abraham and Sarah the call of God was clear:
Go forth and I will show you a country rich and fair.
You need not fear the journey for I have pledged my word:
that you shall be my people and I will be your God;
2. From Abraham and Sarah arose a pilgrim race,
dependent for their journey on God's abundant grace.
and in their heart was written by God this saving word:
that you shall be my people and I will be your God.
3. We of this generation on whom God's hand is laid,
can journey to the future secure and un afraid!
rejoicing in God's goodness and trusting in this word:
that you shall be my people and I will be your God.
OFFERING
The stories of Scripture remind us there are many ways to give in
gratitude for God’s goodness to us. Whatever we have to give, let us
give joyfully and generously, trusting God to do more than we can ask
or imagine, in the name of Christ, our Living Lord.

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
Living, Loving God, we remember that Martha offered the work of her
hands to Jesus and Mary offered her close attention. We bring the gifts
we have to offer to you. Bless and multiply them. Show us how they can
best serve your purposes in our church and in your world. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Loving God, We come before you in prayer, trusting that your power
works in the world in ways we cannot even imagine, calling goodness
forward, supporting love, and creating justice even in situations that
seem hopeless to us. Draw on our prayers as signs of your Spirit at work
in our lives
God of the world and all its peoples: we pray today for those who lift up
their voices in troubled nations ,for those working to bring justice and
negotiate peace, for those bringing aid to the vulnerable, and those
offering shelter to anyone fleeing violence. Call the powerful to account,
O God, and inspire them to hear the voices that cry out in pain and
desperation.
God of our everyday lives: we pray today for our community and our
neighbours whose everyday lives have been disrupted by months of
pandemic restriction and response, and by economic realities beyond
their control.
We give you thanks fro our church family and the blessings you pour
out on us We pray for the Canadian Council of Churches as member
churches witness together to the unity of Christ’s church.
We remember neighbours whose livelihoods depend on undependable
weather systems, and those fearing fire, flood or drought this summer.
We pray for communities that lack safe drinking water or adequate

medical care and places where there is high unemployment or a worker
shortage.
Inspire leaders to combine compassion with good planning, and consider
the needs of all those who feel desperate We pray fro all the folks in
Europe who are dealing with the heat wave of the century , needing
protection and finding it difficult to find cool safe places - who are
battling wild fires - Lord we all understand the climate is becoming
more extreme and we need to be proactive in changing our life
knowledge, skills and determination for change
God of the courageous and compassionate, we pray for those who live
out their commitment to the well-being of others day by day, in public
service, health care, education, social work, community organizations,
and environmental concern. Thank you for their dedication. Support
those who feel stress or exhaustion and inspire those who can speak out
when they see needs being neglected.
God of neighbourhood and nation, we pray for friends and neighbours
near and far, for all who travel this summer and for those who find
themselves strangers in new communities.
We life to you those whom we have sahred our concerns about …
Thanks for …
Those who are ill ….greiving …..
We remember in silence those on our hearts, facing some kind of
challenge this day: Draw near to each one in deep need, O God. Equip
us to support those lives that intertwine with ours for we are your
people, embraced by your love, which we claim in the words Jesus’
taught us:
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 626 – Lord of all power

1. Lord of all power, I give you my will,
in joyful obedience your tasks to fulfil.
Your bondage is freedom, your service is song,
and, held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.
2. Lord of all wisdom, I give you my mind,
rich truth that surpasses our knowledge to find.
What eye has not seen and what ear has not heard
is taught by your Spirit and shines from your word.
3. Lord of all bounty, I give you my heart;
I praise and adore you for all you impart:
your love to inspire me, your counsel to guide,
your presence to cheer me, whatever betide.
4. Lord of all being, I give you my all.
If e'er I disown you, I stumble and fall,
but, sworn in glad service your word to obey,
I walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
BENEDICTION
CLOSING SONG

Take O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be
set your seal upon my heart and live in me