July 23, 2023 

Prelude
Lighting the Christ Candle 

Welcome and Announcements 

Called to Worship:
We look at this world, focusing on the pain and confusion, the fears and hatred which seem to abound.
For what can we hope?
We wait breathlessly for the goodness of creation to be made manifest in all the world, for this is the promise of God.
God is always with us, guiding, rescuing, healing, restoring us.
Get ready, dear friends, the promises of God are true.
P: Lord, quiet our spirits and open our hearts. Bring us hope and peace.  

Hymn:  313 O Worship the King

 

Prayer of Adoration 

We worship you O God because you inhabit our world and indwell our lives.  We thank you that we need only look around to find you.   Your presence is always with us, within us,  and in everything around us.   

We hear you in the distant thunder, we hear you everywhere in the music of life, and the words of children.  We worship you, praising you for being the God who inhabits our world and who fills every aspect of our lives. 

Hear us now, as we confess our sins, with gratitude for your ongoing love…. 

 

Unison Prayer of Confession:
Holy God we do not understand why you keep on loving us.  We hurt our loved ones.  We turn our backs on need.  We seek our own comfort, rather than helping others as you ask.  We do not understand why you keep on loving us. 

Yet, even as we speak these words, we know your presence and your love.  We know your grace and your mercy.  Forgive us, we pray; make us strong and tenders that we may live more as you would have us live.  In Jesus name, Amen 

Assurance of Pardon 

The good news is that while we were still sinners, God looked on us with love and sent Jesus to die for us.  We are assured that in his never-ending love, God strengthens us and inspires whole hearted devotion.  Thanks be to God for his marvelous gifts of forgiveness and mercy.  

The Peace
Passing the Peace 

Hymn:  39 God of mercy God of Grace

 

Scripture:

Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24  p 974
Romans 8: 14-17 p 1757 

Sermon:  Hemmed in by God 

Until I actually had to commute into Calgary for work, the worst I knew about traffic stoppages were at places where crews were working on the roads.  Usually just a few minutes stop and then on your way. 

Traffic in a big city, especially in bad weather, is another matter altogether.  I tried to get around it by using back roads as much as possible but at some point, I need to enter the “trail” system.  I’d enter Stoney Trail and 3 exits further take the exit for Shaganappi Trail.  Usually it was clear sailing.  Then one day I took the Shaganappi exit and halfway up the ramp the traffic came to a sudden stop.  There was no where to go, there were cars stopped in front of me, cars stopped beside me, and soon a long line behind me that extended a long way down Stoney Trail.  Looking ahead I could see the traffic on Shagannapi was backed up a long way past the on ramp.   I was hemmed in and there was absolutely nowhere to go.  I got out my phone and shared the news and predicted I would be quite late.   

Sometimes being hemmed in requires nothing more than a little patience, as you wait for the situation to be cleared up. 

Sometimes being hemmed in can be devastating.  The writer of Psalm 139 speaks of being hemmed in as an intolerable, stressful and perhaps even dangerous situation.   

In the portion of this Psalm which we did not read earlier, the writer, believed to be David, writes about God’s enemies being his enemies.  In what is clearly a lament he asks for God to smite them and slay them. 

The commentators spoke of this lament, coming out of the danger David was in as Saul sought to have him killed.  More than one of them likened the situation of having to run and hide, and to always having to watch his back and look over his shoulder as an experience of being hemmed in by danger.   

Where do you turn?  

What do you do?   

Where do you go?   

Perhaps more importantly, who can you trust?   

Yet the commentators agreed on one essential point; although there was this small section of lament in the Psalm, this is really a Psalm of praise in which David asserted that he knew he could trust God to keep him safe and direct his footsteps.   

So in this instance being hemmed in is a source of hope, comfort, peace, and protection.  

David felt secure with God because he knew that being  hemmed in by God was the best thing in his life.  Listen to David’s words,  

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.  NIV 

Clearly being hemmed in by God is comforting.  Stan Mast writes that this Psalm “hums a lullaby of divine care”.   

A lullaby of divine care. 

Do you recall the lullabies of your childhood, or the ones you sang your children? 

The assurance of love, the encouragement to sleep with good dreams.  Do you remember the sense of peace that helped you to snuggle into your pillow and easily fall asleep?   

The lullabies are invocative of the most important things that make us feel secure in the protection of our parents:  The peace.  The comfort.  The love.  The assurance that everything would be fine and that they would always be there. 

Now contemplate that on an even grander scale.  Who loves us more than anyone else ever has?  God. 

Who knows us more than anyone else ever has?  God 

Who has known us longer than anyone else ever has?  God 

God has known us since before time began.  He was with us as we have been growing in our mother’s wombs.  He walks with us through our triumphs and stumbles in life.  He has rejoiced with us in good times, and carried us through the difficult days.  He has loved us in our gracious and kind behaviour, and he has loved us in our angry thoughts and our desires for revenge.   

Being that well known, can be daunting but the Psalmist declares that it is too wonderful for him.  It is awesome, and it leaves him in awe. 

Being hemmed in by God is like being wrapped in love.  Caught up in God’s big bear hug, and wound up like a mummy in the clothes that remind us of the grave clothes that Jesus wore.   

The essence of that love is alluded to in the marriage ceremony where bride and groom promise to love each other with these words:  for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, in good times or bad. 

Those might also be good vows for us when we become a part of the church or the congregation.  The love that we have in Christ, is seen when that love does not alter, but rather is consistent regardless of and perhaps even, in spite of the circumstances.   

The fact that this Psalm stumbles in a little bit of lament and words of revenge, show that even when we know the power and strength of being hemmed in by God’s love, we are prone to stumbling.  That makes it all the more important to rely on the strength and power of God’s love in all of our circumstances of life.   

Perhaps it is also important to remember not to shut God out of our difficult spiritual or physical problems.  David after the lament of the current difficulties in his life concludes the Psalm with these words:   

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.  NIV 

Even though he clearly expresses his anger and frustration with God, he is also aware that God already knows this.  God already knows his lack of love for Saul.  God already knows he wants his enemies dead.  But David also knows that God still loves him, still walks with him, still takes care of him.   

God knows us and loves us, even when we are being our worst selves.  Although that can seem daunting, it is also extremely comforting.  WE have always been his, and we will continue to always be his.  And God takes great care of what is his.   

The persistence of God to know us, love us, protect us, redeem us and guide us is the greatest gift we have in life.   Through that we can be assured that God is always with us.   

Hemmed in by danger, David chose to voice his praise of God who hems him in with both deep knowledge and deep love.  His places all his hope and all his confidence in God, who knows him.   

There are echoes of this confidence in God in the prayer known as St. Patrick’s breastplate.   

According to Catholic tradition, this prayer originated in 433 AD when St. Patrick wrote it to ask for God’s help before he met with Irish King Lóegaire to share the Gospel.  

The gospel news of salvation in Jesus that Patrick was sharing was not favoured by the King, who had ordered his men to ambush Patrick before the meeting, so he wrote this bold prayer asking for God’s protection.    

Hemmed in by danger this is what Patrick wrote: 

“I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the oneness of the Creator of creation.
The prayer goes on to praise God for the strength Patrick receives through his baptism in Christ, because that strength came out of the crucifixtion and ascension of Jesus.   Patrick also praises God for the strength that comes to him through the love and obedience of the cherubim, angels and archangels, as well as the prayers and teaching of those on earth who love and serve God.  He praises God that he gains strength from the solidness and the beauty of creation.   

The prayer continues… 

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, 

Patrick then announces that he places his trust in that protection against all temptation and all manner of evil directed against him.  And he calls upon all of God’s powers to protect him in the mission he engages on God’s behalf.   

The prayer concludes with my favorite words, and the ones  I think are the most comforting of words:   

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May your salvation, Oh Lord, be ever with us.” 

Hemmed in by God and hemmed in by Christ, let us go forth to praise and serve God.  

Amen.  

Hymn:  324  Great is thy faithfulness

  

Offering and Offertory
Doxology 830

Offertory Prayer 

O Holy One, we praise you that your heart abounds with gifts for your whole world and all of your people.  Receive these gifts that we bring from the fullness of joy in our hearts and the fullness of our desire to labour with you in bringing mercy, peace and justice to all.  In Jesus name Amen. 

 

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer 

Lord of love and light, we thank you for shining your light into our lives and bringing your love into our souls.  Remind us of the amazing ways you have loved us, even when we turned our backs on you.
Open our hearts to receive your loving spirit. Open our minds to receive your wisdom. Open our hands to show others your loving compassion.

May that spirt, wisdom and compassion fill the prayers we bring you today.  Thank you that you hear our prayers even before we speak them,  Hear now what we speak, and what we hold in our hearts, that your healing love may be spread around the world. 
Lord of love and light, we hold in our hearts those around us who feel unloved and those who are overwhelmed by their needs and difficulties.
We hold in our hands your loving compassion to give them.

First we bring you our joys and thanksgivings: 

 

 

Lord of love and light, there are people and places that are in need of your loving touch.  Shine forth your light and love in their lives and in those places.   

We remember before you, those people and places.

 

These are the people and places that need our hands reaching out to them with your loving compassion.  Therefore we pray, O God that what we have prayed for, you will give us the grace to labour for.  May our reaching out to them with your love and compassion, shine forth your light and love.  

We ask all these things in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray 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 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 

 Amen. 

 

Hymn:  461 Be thou my vision

Charge and Benediction 

Go forth to serve God with patience and passion.  Be deliberate in living your faith for others.  Be steadfast in growing in the Spirit’s power.  And may your living be God’s peace making its way through the world. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore.  Amen 

Sung Blessing  

575 Lead me Lord

Lead me Lord, lead me in your righteousness
Make your way plain before my face
for it is you, and you, God only
who makes me to dwell in safety
Public Domain
Three Fold Amen