ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
August 25, 2024

LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP
Thanks be to you O God that we have risen this day
To the rising of this Life itself.
Be the purpose of God between us and each purpose
The hand of God between us and each hand .
Oh God, who brought us to the bright light of this new day
Bring us to the guiding Light of eternity

HYMN 435 All things bright and beautiful

Refrain:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful, in love God made them all.
1. Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colours; God made their tiny wings.
Refrain
2. The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden, God made them, every one.
Refrain
3. The rocky mountain splendour, the haunting curlew’s call,
the great lakes and the prairies, the forests in the fall,
Refrain
4. God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell
how great is God almighty who has made all things well.
Refrain [Public Domain]

PRAYERS OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION
God of majesty and mystery, we come before you in wonder and gratitude. Source
of all that is, you are beyond our imagining; your creation astounds us with its

beauty and power. Word of hope and healing, you embrace us with tender care,
drawing near in every situation. Spirit of purpose and possibility, you show us
which way to turn when we trust our choices to you. Receive our praise and prayer
this day, Source, Word, and Spirit of Life, ever Three and ever One. Together we
confess to you..
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of mercy, we face many choices each day
and we confess we often choose with no thought of you.
Forgive the choices we’ve made that hurt others,
those that ignored our own wellbeing, and those that betrayed your love.
Guide us in all our choices, simple or complicated, so we express our
faithfulness to you day by day. In Jesus name AMEN

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Jesus said, “Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give
you rest”. Friends, trust that peace and orgiveness are God’s gifts to you this day.
Be renewed by the power of the Spirit that moves with you into each new day.
THE PEACE

HYMN 18 – Through all the changing scenes of life

1 Through all the changing scenes of life In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still My heart and tongue employ.
2. O magnify the Lord with me; With me exalt God’s name
When in distress and fear I called God to my rescue came
3. The hosts of God encamp around The dwellings of the just ;
Deliverance God affords to all Who seek and hope and trust.
4. O taste and that God is good, experience will decide
How blessed are they and only they Who in God’s truth abide.
5. O saints fear God and you will then
Have nothing else to fear;
Make holy service your delight Your wants shall be God’s care.
6. The Lord preserves the souls of those Who on God’s truth depend;

To them and their posterity God’s blessing will descend.
[Public Domain ]

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 23 p 862
Eph5:15-20 p 1823

SERMON: Listening for the Heartbeat of God Part 3
I speak to you in the name of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Over the past two weeks we have been looking at some of the historical and
symbolic considerations of Christian Spirituality – particularly in western
tradition. So of course this raises the question, among other questions, what is
Spiritualty ?
Spirituality is our relationship with God. Our Soul is the very center of our being
that is grounded in God. Spiritual desire indicates God’s spirit is already working
in us . It emphasizes moments of reflection, meditation, and contemplation
Spirituality is not only confined to the church as we know it . World wide
Christian spirituality is not monolithic. As each person is different, even with
identical theological beliefs and emphasis, his or her spiritualities will be
influenced by his or her temperament, social, financial, educational,
denominational and cultural context. Hence on one hand, we can speak of
Christian spirituality and on the other hand, we speak of Christian spiritualities.
Spirituality resides in other religions also.
From the earliest writings of the New Testament, the principle of integrated and
authentic faith and action has been taught as essential to Christian spirituality.
Christian spirituality relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to live according to
God’s will. The Holy Spirit serves to lead us into all truth (John 16:13), gives joy
(Ephesians 5:18), and convicts when we sin (Ephesians 4:30). For example, 1 John 1:5-
8 teaches, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him yet
walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light,
as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.” True spirituality depends on the supernatural power God
gives through the Holy Spirit rather than dependence on human strength.

Christian spirituality is concerned for all of a person’s life. Rather than separating
spiritual, physical, financial, social, and other life components into distinct areas,
Christian spirituality is concerned with how all of life connects to our relationship
with God
Finally, the pursuit of Christian spirituality will result in what the Bible calls the
fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law”
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Spiritual practices may include meditation, mindfulness, prayer, the contemplation
of sacred texts, ethical development, music and spiritual retreats. So lets have a
brief look at a couple of practices which are useful for us as we contemplate our
own personal Spirituality.
There are amazing numbers of verses on spirituality throughout the Bible ,but
eventually I chose Ephesians chapter 5 as our reading this morning
In the light of this point in time, which we could spend wisely or foolishly ,
language of faith in verse 18 says , do not get drunk with wine,…. but be filled with
the Spirit. The phrase “be filled with the Spirit” evokes the context of Christian
worship. Verse 19, is a striking passage, in that it is one of a few New Testament
texts that focus on the spiritually formative practice of singing.
Studies indicate that we best remember words that we do not merely read or recite,
but sing. Maybe you’ve had one of those days when a tune lodged itself in your
brain; for hours, you couldn’t escape either the tune or the lyrics.
It is good to pay attention to the lyrics we sing as a congregation. The theology we
have sung over a lifetime is the theology that will accompany us when the rest of
memory blurs; it is the theology that will carry us as we face life’s end.
Just a short story on a memory I have. There was a dear lady in the Rupert
congregation many years ago. In her early 90’s she eventually was placed in long
term care. Now her vocabulary had dwindled down to “oh dear” “ Hi Annie” How
are you ?” “Oh dear, oh dear” she would reply. Conversations were very limited.
However ask her to sing and Annie could sing hundreds of hymns – clear words
and perfect tunes.

Now reading the Bible is a no-brainer response to the question “ what can I do to
know God and what God wants me to do and be?” We all get readings in
Church. I suspect most of us read the bible daily. Sometimes there is a Bible Study
class we attend. All this is good but sometimes all this does not give us the
expectations we want. Another reading just seems to become lifeless and boring.
No one wants to admit that but I think there is some truth in this.
Lectio Divina is a way of engaging scripture for spiritual transformation in
encountering God. This centuries old practice sets us up to listen to the word of
God spoken to us in the moment. Choose a text of no more than 6- 8 verses. Begin
with a time of silence – let your body relax – prepare by becoming aware of Gods
presence – opening an inner space in which you can hear God’s voice. Read,
listening for a word that strikes you – one which stands out from the rest — savor
and repeat without trying to figure it out –reflect on the way you are touched by
this word, what ways in which your thoughts and your body responded to it. Lastly
read it one more time and rest in God, continue to listen and carry this word
throughout the day.
That great American writer, Mark Twain, wrote: “Most people are bothered by
those passages in Scriptures which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always
notice that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most are those which I do
understand.”
God holds us responsible for how we interpret the Bible. A common error is to
take a passage or a verse out of context to support our idea. We must allow the
Bible, which is the Word of God to speak for itself. John 1:1 In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in
the beginning.
We also know that PRAYER is an important aspect of our relationship with God.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” We
know there is something beyond us out there, and our soul yearns and searches for
it.
Prayer is all the ways we communicate with God. Yet it is more than what WE say
to God – prayer involves what God says to us. There are many types or ways of
saying prayers, both personally and corporately. The fundamental purpose is to
deepen our intimacy with God. However there are times for all of us when we
wonder if God actually hears our talking to him and we yearn for something more.

Confusion and questions about our connection with God arise such as are we
“doing it wrong” or if God simply doesn’t care.
Prayer is a most intimate relationship. If we are a person who wants high control
in our relationships, intimacy with God will be challenging. Its easy to keep
spitting out our own wants and needs. It’s not so easy to set aside the time to listen
to the heartbeat of God. The disciple leaning against Jesus at the Last Supper is a
poignant reminder that its possible to be comfortable enough to commune
without words. Setting aside a time for solitude and silence is important to
remember. All of life is a prayer . From formal Church prayer to individual
personal prayer beyond words, God’s presence is a pure gift.
is a complex subject all on its own so perhaps my next time to lead worship will
include more thoughts on prayer in a sermon.
Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. However it seems to have
crammed more and more into our lives. The frensy erupts with cellphones,
emailing, Internet, pagers, U-Tube which are just a few of the things which present
constant over-stimulation of body, mind and emotion We are filled with noise,
interruptions and multi-tasking. Many of us become tired at our soul level –
unable to give God our full attention.
I’m not adverse to Technology. It certainly has many uses and advantages. It is the
age we live in and we must learn the best ways to live with it. This includes
discovering and taking time out – time to be in solitude and silence. Jesus, from
the very start of his ministry taught his disciples the importance of unplugging.
Mark 10:6 “come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile” – there is a universal need to experience solitude.
Stress, as we’ve probably all experienced at one time or another, remains one of
the greatest challenges to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. Human beings
today undergo serious amounts of stress and anxiety, which affects our health in a
variety of ways. We can suffer from insomnia. We can feel easily fatigued and
overwhelmed by life. We can become distracted and forgetful. We can experience
panic attacks, restlessness, depression, or shortness of breath. Our immune system
can weaken. Our hair and skin can suffer. We can even become more predisposed
to diseases such as heart disease, cancers, arthritis, autoimmune disorders,
deficiencies, or dementia, among others. Stress, especially when chronic, is not our
friend. That is an understatement!

Today, we’re going to take some time to “breathe.” Let’s everyone take a nice,
deep breath. ……
Breathe in fresh, crisp air around you….. Breathe out the stale, stagnant air within
you.
Let’s take a moment and take a few breaths. Feel your stress and anxiety melt
away.
Feel your worries recede and that the Holy Spirit sense of peace fill you up.
…………
Let Christ encourage you to find a quiet place, to release you from your
responsibilities, to enable you to reflect on how best to serve God, to replenish
your weary spirit, and to refresh your tired soul. Go ahead and be busy — doing
nothing. We are sustained in the journey of faith by grace.  The Holy Spirit gives
us an empowering spirituality – self-affirming, aware, and grateful for God’s gifts
to us – a journey including achievement to rest.
The apostle Paul in Romans 15:13 says – May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit. AMEN

HYMN 674 In the bulb there is a flower

1. In the bulb there is a flower,
in the seed, an apple tree,
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

2. There’s a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there’s a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

3. In our end is our beginning,                                                                                            in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing,
in our life, eternity,
in our death, a resurrection,
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

OFFERING
As summer stretches on, we begin to see the fruit of our labours in field and
garden, produce of God’s good creation. Yet we know many fields and gardens are
under great stress. So we bring what we have to share, praying that God’s
generosity will multiply the fruit of our lives to support those whose summer has
been less fruitful.

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
God of growth and goodness, we offer what we have to share, knowing that others
have lost their crops and worry for the future. Bless our gifts and use them to
spread seeds of hope and wellbeing among those whose future is uncertain, for the
sake of Christ, the Bread of Life.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
God in whom we live and move and have our being: Guide us by your Word and
Spirit this day, so that we may gain wisdom from the Scriptures, and be moved to
follow Jesus more closely for he is your Living Word. As we have gathered in your
presence today, we are aware of many challenges in our own lives, in the lives of
those we care about, and in the world around us. Thank you for your faithfulness to
each of us and to your whole creation, given all the different situations we face.
Show us how our concern for the world and for each other can respond to the
needs we name before you today.
We pray for those who have been in the headlines lately, for those situations in the
world and in our county that concern us deeply, and for all whose lives cry out to

you and to us for help….. for the ongoing conflict in the Canadian railways and the
disruption for all of Canada
We pray for those who are suffering, thinking today of those who are ill and those
who are bereaved; those struggling to make ends meet; and those whose homes
have been upended for any reason:
We pray for those looking forward to a new beginning this Fall We pray for
children, teachers – school staff – church school teachers and youth workers as they
prepare for the year ahead. We lift to you those starting at new schools or in new
training programs; those beginning new jobs or new activities; those welcoming
new members into the family through birth or marriage those beginning life in a
new home or community
We pray for our congregation as we look to a new season of activities. We thank
you that Ena has had a time to relax and renew and we look forward to
welcoming her home . Help us see where you call us to reach out with your love
and generosity.
We thank you that we are sharing our building with of Grace Church and we
pray for Mark and his colleges and all the folks in this vibrant congregation.
Renew our faith and our friendships in Christ. Lord, we give y you thanks for your
presence in and through us to perform your purposes, even through times of trials
and the temptation to give in. You are always alongside us in what we do because
You first called us Equip us to meet every challenge we face with hearts full of
faith & commitment for we dare to pray as Christ taught us as his followers:
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  667 – God you touch the earth with Beauty

1. God, you touch the earth with beauty;
make my heart a new;
with your Spirit recreate me,
pure and strong and true.

2. Like your springs and running waters,
make me crystal pure;
like your rocks of towering grandeur,
make me strong and sure.
3. Like your dancing waves in sunlight,
make me glad and free;
like the straightness of the pine trees,
upright let me be.
4. Like the arching of the heavens,
lift my thoughts above;
turn my dreams to noble action,
ministries of love.
5. God, you touch the earth with beauty;
make my heart anew;
keep me ever by your Spirit
pure and strong and true.

BENEDICTION
Let Christ encourage you to find a quiet place, to release you from your
responsibilities, to enable you to reflect on how best to serve God, to replenish
your weary spirit, and to refresh your tired soul. Go ahead and be busy — doing
nothing. May God bless us and keep us in the Spirits care and lead our lives with
love. May Christ’s warm welcome shine from our hearts and Christ’s own peace
prevail through this and every day til greater Life shall call. AMEN

CLOSING SONG

Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth thou hast fro me ,
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee ready my Lord
Thy will to see
Open my eyes ,illumine me Spirit Divine.
Public domain