ST ANDREW’S CHURCH

October 3 2021    World Communion Sunday

 

LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thank you Rev.Shirley Cochrane for leading our worship this World Communion Sunday. We welcome you all and pray that this time of worship may be a blessing to you and also glorify our God Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
October’s Loonie offering is designated to St. Andrew’s Hall lunch program that provides meals to students on the campus of UBC Vancouver.
We continue to pray for a speedy treatment, recovery, and healing for Rev. Ena van Zoeren. May the Spirit of the lord sustain and keep you through out the days ahead Ena.

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

The banqueting table is prepared: God calls us to feast together.

We have come from east and west, from north and south,

to sit together at the Lord’s table.

Compassion, love and grace pour out like fine wine.

God’s Word is bread for our journey.

Let us join Christians around the world to share in God’s gifts.

Let us taste and see that the Lord is good!

 

HYMN       412    Come let us sing to the Lord our song

 

Come, let us sing to the Lord our song:
we have stood silently too long;
surely the Lord deserves our praise,
so joyfully thank God for our days.
O thirsty soul, come drink at the well;
God’s living waters will never fail.
Surely the Lord will help you to stand,
strengthened and comforted by God’s hand.
 You dwell among us and cause us to pray, and
walk with each other following your way;
our precious brothers and sisters will grow
in the fulfilling love they know.
Deserts shall bloom and mountains shall sing
to the desire of all living things.
Come, all you creatures, high and low;
let your praises endlessly flow.

 

CCLI  11394548

 

PRAYER OF INVOCATION

Eternal God, as we come to your table today, we recognize that, here, heaven and earth join hands. Around this holy table, we join with your church which stretches around the world, and across many generations, to meet you in our midst.

As we remember Jesus this day, unite us to those who have served you over the centuries, and to all who serve you in so many different situations today.

We praise you for your amazing love which embraces this countless congregation

and invites us into a future you are creating for us all.

Around your table, O God, let us join hands with heaven and earth

to celebrate your holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION

 

Ever present God,  When you invite us to your table, you ask us to come with clean hands and clean hearts. You ask us to come in peace, seeking reconciliation with you and with each other.

We confess that the church has not always sought reconciliation

within or beyond its walls. In this silence, we hand over to you the broken relationships, disagreements and disappointments that keep us from living in your peace. Free us from the burdens we carry, so that we may be a source of peace in this troubled world in the name of Christ who is our peace. AMEN

 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

From now on, St. Paul declared, we regard no one from a human point of view.

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation.

Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Know that you are forgiven and have the courage to forgive one another.

 

THE PEACE

 

HYMN #350    To God be the glory

To God be the glory
Great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
Come to the Father Through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory Great things He has done

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
Come to the Father Through Jesus the Son                                                               Give Him the glory Great things He has done

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
Come to the Father Through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory Great things He has done.

 

SCRIPTURE READINGS

 

PSALM 8

1.O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2.From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise  because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3.When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 

HEBREWS  1:1–4, 2:5–12

 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
8     and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

 

SERMON

In the name of God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

 

While scholars throughout the ages have pondered as who is the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, they all agree it is one of the earliest letters to the new Christians.  In the late 60’s AD, prosecution was a very real problem for the emerging Christian church. The majority of the folks were converts from the Jewish faith.  Hebrews was most likely written to convince these  converts – many on the verge of  returning to the rituals and practices of the faith of their birth  –  that  the Christian faith  is by far  better than the Jewish faith .

 

These believers faced a great deal of shaming and hostility from their neighbors, who disapprove of their withdrawal from the religious and social activities that traditionally bind a city and its people together. The ongoing assaults on the new believers’ honor, economic standing, and even their persons are taking their toll on individual commitment. Some have stopped identifying with the Christian group entirely. The danger exists that others might be “drifting away” (2:1), and “falling short” of attaining the good end that God has promised for those who remain faithful (4:1, 11; 12:15).

The first place that the author directs the attention of these people is toward the Son, Jesus Christ – his exalted place in God’s cosmos, and the significance of the message God communicates through him

 

It is in Jesus, says the author, that God is bringing about the reality of what the psalm declares concerning all human beings: it is the Son who is leading “many sons and daughters” to the glory spoken of in Psalm 8.

God set Jesus on the path to glory through trials and suffering because God knew that t “many” would travel that same path to glory. Thus, God prepared Jesus to be a “merciful and reliable high priest” on our behalf (2:17-18) and offered Jesus as proof to those who would have to persevere through trials in the hope of glory.

The author speaks most directly at this point to Christians throughout the globe who are facing significant persecution. In so doing, he speaks to those of us in the 21st century who hold on our Christian confession in relative safety and even prosperity to give thought to the plight of our sisters and brothers beyond our borders—so that, by considering them, we ourselves might be spurred on to love and good works

God the LORD comes to us in his covenant. God enters into a relationship of love with sinners, and He promises to wash us clean from sin. To believers and their children God shows such grace. This moves us to ask in humble worship, “Who am I, that you are mindful of me?”

Men and women bear a resemblance to their Creator, unlike any of the rest of the created order. In the creation of plants and animals the issue of gender is not mentioned, but in the creation of man it specifically says that there is male and female — both sharing the divine image. Both have dignity and an elevated position on earth. In none of the accounts of the other created beings is there any mention of their position in the created order, but in the creation of men and women they are given dominion over the rest of creation. We are partners with God in ruling the world.

God is gracious: from the beginning, He promised a Saviour. The Christ would be born, a simple child, grow up to manhood, then die on the cross. How great is God, that He would send his own Son as a mortal man to die for sinners!

Jesus really was the perfect man. Reading through the biblical books that contain the story of his life you see his enormous courage. He stood against the powers of his day, both religious and political. He singlehandedly cleared the temple. He stared death in the face and did not back down. He endured beatings, and willingly stayed on the cross through unimaginable suffering. Yet he was one of the most sensitive men alive. He touched lepers. He wept over lost people. He took children into his arms to bless them. He ministered to hurting people and spent long hours teaching and healing them. He stayed up all night praying. He died, then broke the grip of death in his resurrection. He lives forever as that part of God who can never forget what it is like to be human.

 

Athanasius (295-373) wrote: “He became what we are that he might make us what he is.” Jesus, the perfect man, dignified humanity when he came as one of us, but when he returns, he will dignify us even further by making us more like him

The second point is that by becoming a man, Jesus bestowed the ultimate dignity on us when he became one of us. The writer of Hebrews asks this question: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Then he answers the question by saying, “You crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet” (2:6-8). The writer of these words, is actually quoting Psalm 8. The Psalm writer, believed to be King David, makes it even stronger, for in the original language he says, “You have made him a little less than God.” It’s a lesson in considering the LORD’s greatness

Under the broad sweep of the sky, David reflects on who God is, the Maker of heaven and earth. David considers this gracious God and his unfailing love, and he is amazed that the LORD would give so much to puny and sinful mankind. This personal reflection in Psalm 8 is a song for public worship

This what we need to stop and ponder. Listen to what David says, “When I consider your heavens…” (v 3). That’s a word of thoughtfulness and reflection. We ought to consider the creation around us, not simply because we love beauty, or because it’s calming to our spirits., we should be moved to thank the LORD. Consider, and be amazed. The world is his workshop. God is the wise and powerful Maker who needs no tools. Know that the whole earth is “the work of [his] hands” (v 6).

It is amazing comfort that God is mindful of us. From the beginning, we are created to be “a little lower than the angels” (v 5). Angels have the high task of serving God constantly. Incredibly, we rank just beneath them, for God made us in perfection, righteous and holy.

It is interesting that the pop culture we live in reduces us to animals who are helpless against the urges and instincts which rule us. We are made to believe that we can fight them, but we can never overcome them. On the other hand, the Bible gives us this incredible dignity of being a little less than God. It tells us that we were crowned with glory and honor. created for a position of greatness We have dignity and strength. We were created with needs, hungers and even passions, but we do not have to let them rule us, we are to rule over them. They are good things, and when we channel these needs and passions in line with God’s original design and intent for us, they become a source of great blessing. These things are a part of our glorified humanity and God intended them for our good. But as in anything, the greater the good, the greater the potential for misuse. When we misuse them, they become the source of shame and regret The more these things are used in alignment with God’s will, the greater blessing they become in our lives.

We lead busy lives each week, and we know we need to slow down. In the middle of the activity of work, recreation, home life and church life, we need to pause and ponder… how often do we really think about who God is, who we are, and what to do with the short time on earth that God has given us? It’s easy to become absorbed in all the busyness, to think that busyness is our calling, while missing out on what’s most important.

In his prayer, David turns to the covenant LORD, knowing that his merciful love is as everlasting as the heavens. He seeks the God who says, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” This is something that you and I should never get tired of thinking about: the LORD God comes very close to us in his relationship of love.

God seeks loving worship from us all. Scripture speaks about the need to have a childlike faith, when we are humble before the LORD, accepting, and filled with sure trust. Sometimes life is so busy and complicated it feels like we’ve drifted a long way from having childlike faith. But God delights in our praise of his name, our unquestioning confidence, our quiet acceptance of his will. This is to his glory!

The lesson is that the greatness of God’s name permeates all creation. His glory is evident everywhere, from the plants to the planets, from the seas to the stars. Marvel at the astonishing things shaped with the hands and fingers of our God. And then marvel even more at the glory that God has given to us !

AMEN

 

HYMN       356    You Lord are both lamb and shepherd

You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.

Clothed in light upon the mountain,
Stripped of might upon the cross,
Shining in eternal glory,
Beggar’d by a soldier’s toss,
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are both gift and cost.

You, who walk each day beside us,
Sit in power at God’s side.
You, who preach a way that’s narrow,
Have a love that reaches wide.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are our pilgrim guide.

Worthy is our earthly Jesus!
Worthy is our cosmic Christ!
Worthy your defeat and vict’ry.
Worthy still your peace and strife.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, who are our death and life.
Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993)

OFFERING

World Communion Sunday reminds us that we are part of a global family committed to serve our neighbours in Jesus’ name. The gifts we offer join the gifts of many others to bring the love and compassion of Christ into places of deep need. Let us bless others as we have been blessed in Christ.

 

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

Gracious and generous God, we offer you our gifts with humble thanks for all you have provided. Bless them with your Spirit and use them to bless those in deepest need with love they can taste and justice they can celebrate in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Loving God, you have called together a people to be the church of Jesus Christ. May we be one in faith and discipleship, breaking bread together, and telling the good news so that the world may believe you are love, turn to your ways and live in the light of your truth. We pray for the church throughout the world. May God renew its worship, nurture its growth, empower its witness and restore its unity.

 

This past Thursday Lord, the people of Canada paused to observe a long ongoing need in the state of reform in recognizing the indigenous people who have suffered for  a long time  under the rule of the government .We pray for the children of Residential School Survivors who suffer from the generational effects of that era. We pray for honest reconciliation and justice for them May they heal through God’s protection, guidance and love.

 

We pray for your protection, comfort and healing for the people and lands recovering from severe natural disasters.  We lift to you the rulers of all nations that they may govern wisely see and serve as good stewards of this wonderful earth you have gifted us with.

 

Gracious almighty God we have voiced our thanks, our joys and our fears in naming before you the concerns on our minds and hearts We lift to you

…………..

 

O Christ, you intercede for us at the throne of grace and know our needs better than we can speak or imagine; receive our prayers that they may be an acceptable offering to Almighty God whom with  you and the Holy Spirit  we honour and praise as we join together  saying

 

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. 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.

 

HOLY COMMUNION

 

INVITATION TO THE TABLE

 

The table that is set, is set for all;

around it there are no divisions.

Just as one loaf is made from many grains,

and as one cup is filled from the fruit of many grapes,

so, we, though many, are made one in Christ,

nourished by him to nourish the world.

Jesus calls us to this table, and all are welcome here.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

 

THE APOSTLES CREED

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty, 

 creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 

 who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary.

 suffered under Pontius Pilate,  

was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again,

He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
and He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,  

  the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,    

 the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,

 and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

HYMN 563          Let us talents and tongues employ

 

Let us talents and tongues employ,
reaching out with a shout of joy:
bread is broken, the wine is poured,
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Christ is able to make us one,
at his table he set the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express.
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Jesus calls us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God (Immanuel) everywhere!
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!
CCLI  11394548

 

THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

 

The Lord be with you;

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts;

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

 

It is our greatest calling and greatest joy to give you thanks and praise,

Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth.

You spoke, and all things came into being:

the sun, moon and stars, the sky, earth and waters and all they contain.

Your Spirit swept over creation,

and brought order out of chaos, life from the formless void.

From the elements of the earth, you created humankind,

each unique, all made in your holy image.

Your breath gave us life and called us to live with you

in loving service to neighbour and stranger alike.

 

Yet when we turned away from you, you never turned from us.

Through the prophets, you called us back to your ways.

You sent Jesus, your Son, born of a mother’s flesh,

to reveal the full extent of your grace and love.

Again and again, you welcome us to your side

with the open arms of a loving father.

Therefore, we join our voices with those from every time and place,

to proclaim your glory in the unending hymn:

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Holy is your Son Jesus, O God.

Walking this earth, feeding the hungry, calling the lost and lonely,

he brought healing and wisdom to those who sought him out,

and revealed your kingdom taking shape in this world.

As we break bread and share wine in his name,

with your people here and in every place,

we recall the mystery of our faith:

 

Christ has died;

Christ is risen;

Christ will come again.

Pour out your Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine.

Gather your church together from the ends of the earth

into your kingdom where peace and justice are realized,

and joy will be shared at the banquet you prepare for us

when heaven and earth join hands.

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit

all honour and glory are yours, Tender and Mighty God,

now and forever.  amen

 

The Words of Jesus

The Lord Jesus, on the night before he died, took bread,

and after giving thanks to God, he broke it and said,

(The minister breaks bread in the presence of the people, saying:)

“This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

 

(The minister may pour wine into the cup, lifting it while saying:)

In the same way, he took the cup after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood.

Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.”

 

Every time you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Lord Jesus Christ, you have nourished us, body and soul, in this meal.

We have heard your love proclaimed, now send us out to speak it to others.

We have seen your love poured out, now send us out to show it in everything we do. We have been fed by your love at your table, Now send us out to share it so the world may believe. And let all things be done for your glory. Amen.

 

HYMN       363    All hail the power of Jesus name

 

 

BENEDICTION

Go out into the world in peace. Whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of Jesus Christ giving thanks to God through him.  And may the grace of God, the love of Jesus and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always

 

CLOSING SONG

May the peace of Christ go with you; And also, with you

May the peace of Christ go with you In all you do    (X2)

Online: Take O Take me as I am