ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
JULY 24, 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
We come before God with thanks and praise.
We will praise God for God’s unfailing love and faithfulness.
We bow before God in worship.
We will worship God, for the glory of the Lord is great.
We lift up our prayers to God with confidence.
We have faith that God answers our prayers and increases our
strength.

HYMN 442 – Speak, Lord, sin the stillness

.
Speak, Lord, in the stillness, speak your word to me;
hushed my heart to listen in expectancy.
2. Speak, O gracious Master, in this quiet hour;
let me see your face, Lord, feel your touch of power.
3. For the words you give me they are life indeed;
living bread from heaven, now my spirit feed.
4. Speak, your servant listens, be not silent, Lord;
let me know your presence; let your voice be heard.
5. Fill me with the knowledge of your glorious will;
all your own good pleasure in my life fulfil.

Additional Hymn Speak O Lord

PRAYER OF ADORATION

Ever present God, We seek and you offer. We ask and you give. We
knock and you open the door. Ever gracious God, you hear the requests
of your people and in your goodness, you answer. In Christ, you offer
the gifts of new life and hope to all who seek your blessing. Through
your Spirit, you pray within us, even when we cannot find words
ourselves. Receive our praise and our prayers this day, O God,and draw
us into your holy presence, so that your love will transform us to serve
you in the world you love.
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Ever faithful God,
quickly we forget the gifts we have received from your grace;
instead of giving thanks, we ask for more.
We complain about what we lack and fail to trust your generosity.
We refuse others the forgiveness we seek for ourselves.
Forgive us, O God.
Transform our hearts and reshape our desires
to reflect your goodness in the way we live.
In Jesus name Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news: God is generous and merciful, ready to forgive,
offering us new life in Christ Jesus. Accept God’s gift of forgiveness and
share this gift with others.
THE PEACE

HYMN 625 – Seek ye first

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia

We do not live by bread alone, but by every word,
That proceeds from the mouth of God ; Allelu, alleluia

Ask and is shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door will be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia

SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 138;
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;   before the “gods” I will
sing your praise. 2  I will bow down toward your holy temple   and will
praise your name  for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you
have so exalted above all things your name and your word .
3  When I called, you answered me;  you made me bold and stouthearted.
4  May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,   when they hear the
words of your mouth. 5  May they sing of the ways of the LORD,  for the
glory of the LORD is great.   Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the
lowly;  but the proud he knows from afar. 7  Though I walk in the midst
of trouble,  you preserve my life. You stretch out your and against the
anger of my foes;    with your right hand you save me.
8  The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;  your love,  O LORD, endures
forever—   do not abandon the works of your hands.
Colossians 2:6-19
6  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your
lives in him,  7  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you
were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental
spiritual forces [a]  of this world rather than on Christ.
9  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,  10  and in
Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every
power and authority.  11  In him you were also circumcised with a
circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by
the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,  12  having
been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with
him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the
dead.

13  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your
flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our
sins,  14  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood
against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the
cross.  15  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a
public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or
with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath
day.  17  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality,
however, is found in Christ.  18  Do not let anyone who delights in false
humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also
goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with
idle notions by their unspiritual mind.  19  They have lost connection with
the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its
ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

SERMON rooted in Christ
God of wisdom, as we listen to the Scriptures today, fill our hearts and
minds with your living Word, so that our faith in Christ will grow
stronger as we build our lives on him. Amen
As we heard the Psalm this morning, we probably picked up the
overriding theme of praising, giving thanks and worshipping the Lord.
The psalmist’s intention to give thanks “with my whole heart” reflects a
determination to focus the whole of the psalmist’s attention and being on
the act of gratitude.. Proper thanksgiving, the psalm insists, belongs only
to the Lord, and overrides the claims of any and all competitors.
The place where the whole congregation assembles in God’s presence is
a particularly appropriate venue for thanks, so that all may celebrate the
Lord’s goodness and faithfulness to each.
We can really say first and foremost, the Lord is concerned about our
eternal welfare. He takes care of us day by day. He blesses year after

year, God never leaves us or forsakes us. He is faithful. God keeps us in
the palm of his right hand, and he provides for us spiritually. He knows
the temptations we are going to face. We face temptations that are not
any different than our fellow believers also face. This is just a beginning
of reminding us why we praise God with our whole heart. Our life as
believers in this world is a life of worship and praise. It is not just on
Sunday in church, but it is everyday.- a fitting and privileged response
to God’s great love for us
Sometimes we wonder what the connection between the texts might
be. I chose, as a rule, to stick to the lectionary readings. Like most
ministers, I choose the readings sometimes several weeks in advance.
By the time I actually begin to work on them I sometimes wonder
why I chose a particular reading . However I trust I am being led by
the Holy Spirit and there is something in the particular day’s message
for us . Sometimes its a challenge though. In todays reading in
Colossians for example , one could find the basis for sermons to keep
us going for a lot of Sundays !
In our New Testament reading today the Apostle Paul and his coworker
Timothy wrote this letter to the church at Colossae, a small city in Asia
Minor -modern Turkey. Paul had not visited Colossae, but had received
reports from Epaphras, the missionary who most likely founded the
church there.
Paul speaks positively of the Colossian Christians’ faith, love, and hope
and acknowledges that the Good News is bearing fruit and growing in
them. However, Epaphras has apparently brought Paul news of serious
problems at Colossae—problems with false teachings that some scholars
have labeled “the Colossian Heresy”.
Now in chapter 2 the writer invites the Colossian believers to inhabit
their part in this story. They are to live or “walk” in Christ, which means
rejecting rival narratives that compete for their imaginations.

From very early times, Jews used the word “walk” to speak of the
manner in which one conducted one’s life: God challenged Abram,
“Walk before me, and be blameless.” The very first Psalm states,
“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor
stand in the way of sinners”
The Lord reminds us in the first commandment to love the Lord our God
above all things, praise him with our whole heart. Sounds easy, but we
know how difficult praising God with our whole heart is. The sin nature
wants credit for growth in holiness, even if it must also take the blame
for failures. It demands ownership so that it can take credit from God.
Only faith in Christ gives glory to God for progress in the Christian life.
Now Paul calls the Colossian Christians to walk in Christ—to bind
themselves to Christ—to live as Christ would have them live—to follow
his commands as the Jews (at their best) had tried to follow Torah law
It is easy to imagine that the Christian life works this way: I believe in
Jesus- in order to become a Christian; now I obey the rules to remain
one. But the heart and soul of remaining a Christian is faith, just as it
was in coming to Christ. A great many people make the mistake of
thinking that Christian maturity means learning to do right without
depending on God. Absolutely not—maturity is greater dependence, just
as the young tree stretches out its roots and draws more water and
nutrients from the soil. Are your roots in Christ, and are you growing in
dependence on him?
While Paul will deal with their problems one by one, he first seeks to
ground these Colossian Christians solidly in the basics of the faith—and
Christ is at the center of that faith. If these Colossians can better
understand the nature and mission of Christ—who Christ was and
is—and what Christ came to do for them—that understanding will give
them a firm footing to deal with the problems with which Paul is
concerned. Paul tells these folks they have nothing to fear. They have
been established—made strong in the faith—by the right teachings that
they have been taught.

Now remember that faith in Christ does not culminate the spiritual life,
but begins it. We are very often confused just here. We think that
“receiving Christ,” or “professing faith in Jesus,” or “acknowledging
him to be our Savior and God” – is the end and essence of what it means
to be a Christian. Instead the text says, “you received, now walk.” Since
you began, now you must continue.
The connection between the way we progress and the way we began is
the same. As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so you must progress
with him. There is not one way of beginning the Christian life – by faith,
with a different way of advancing – by works. Justification is an act of
“God’s free grace”; sanctification is a work of “God’s free grace.” One
is an act — God acts one time for all. The other is a work — God works
over time, transforming us into the image of the Christ “from one degree
of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3.18).
Paul uses two very different metaphors here—rooted and built up—but
both metaphors support his point that these Christians have gained all
that they are through their connection to Christ—that they owe their very
nature and being and strength to that connection.
First, these Colossians are “rooted” in Christ. As every gardener knows,
plants depend on their roots for nurture and sustenance. The roots might
be invisible to the casual observer—but they are absolutely essential to
the well-being of the plant. Much also depends on the soil in which the
roots are rooted. If the soil has moisture and nutrients, the roots will
extract those and feed the plant—so that it can prosper. However, if the
soil contains no moisture or nutrients, the roots will be helpless—and the
plant will die.
Paul tells these Christians that they need not worry about the spiritual
soil in which their roots are rooted. They are rooted in Christ, whose
spiritual resources are literally infinite. Whether times are good or bad,
they can depend on their roots to bring them life-giving
support—because they are solidly planted in Christ.

Second, they are “built up” in Christ. The Greek word used here,  is
usually associated with the building trades—with the construction of a
house or a tower or a barn. When Paul tells these Colossians that they
are “built up” in Christ, he is saying that they are the handiwork of the
master builder—the one who learned carpentry from his earthly father,
Joseph—but whose true gifts come from his connection to his heavenly
Father. Paul is telling these Colossian Christians that they can be assured
of having a sturdy foundation—strong walls—and a solid roof. Christ
has designed them to survive times both good and bad Keep in mind that
prosperity ruins as many people as adversity does.
There is no true Christianity without growth, and there is no growth
without nurture by Jesus. We depend on the Word of Christ to guide
and direct our life These are not commands, as if Paul is begging us to
be rooted and growing in Christ. Instead, they are descriptions of what
the Christian life looks like. In other words, you will know if you are a
true Christian by this:. your spiritual life will be nurtured by Jesus, and
this will result in spiritual fruit.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy , after human tradition which depends on human tradition
and the basic principles of the world, and not after Christ.”  This gets to
the heart of the problems that affect the Colossian church. Some of their
members have been seduced by philosophies— vain deceits—and
traditions of men—and the elements of this world.
The believers are warned not to be “taken captive” by enslaving visions
of reality. Paul is warning these Colossian Christians to keep their eyes
wide open. – to keep their heads clear so that they might recognize
falsehood when it is packaged attractively and marketed aggressively.
He is reminding them that there are people in their midst who are not
sympathetic to the Christian faith—people whose belief systems run
counter to the Christian faith. Those people will not be satisfied until
they have managed to derail a Christian’s faith. This text reminds us that
we all must struggle against the flesh to walk by faith.

The second warning is to the Pharisee that clings to us all. Paul is calling
Colossian Christians to reject the temptation to elevate rabbinic
traditions to the same level as Torah law— Paul is saying that the Jewish
observances mentioned in verse 16 were just a shadow of things to
come. Traditions -standardized beliefs, rules, and practices can be
helpful, because they simplify our lives. Without them we would have to
go back to ground zero every time we needed to make a decision. But
problems arise when we attach ourselves too firmly to traditions—when
we come to rely on them rather than scripture to determine our faith and
practice— The temptation to elevate human traditions to a place equal to
or higher than scripture has not gone away. It is a serious problem in
many Christian denominations today. Every denomination has traditions
and decrees that have much in common with the tradition of the elders.
These denominational traditions and decrees were made with good
intent—to clarify what Christians should believe and practice in
particular situations
There is, of course, no conflict between the Christian faith and the love
of wisdom. We should love wisdom—true wisdom—but we should not
love philosophies that are incompatible with the Christian faith. That is
the problem that Paul is dealing with here—delusions , deceits or lies are
by their very nature empty—vain—sure to disappoint. Jesus promises
that “the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). The opposite is also true.
That which is not true might look attractive, but its’ attractiveness is like
the bait in a trap—intended to snare the unsuspecting.
These Colossian Christians are well established because they “were
taught” well. In recent decades, the deceiver (Satan) has convinced
many people that it doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we are
sincere. That runs counter both to scripture and to our everyday
experience. People tend to act based on their beliefs. If they believe
things that aren’t true, they will act on those false beliefs and will suffer
the consequences. Living according to untrue principles can rob people
of their freedom.

We need to be careful lest we make excuses for those who make bad
decisions based on false beliefs—decisions that lead inexorably to bad
outcomes. In our desire not to be judgmental, we want to say that it isn’t
their fault—that they are victims of “this or that”. While it is true that
some are victims of “this or that”, people are very often victims of their
own thinking—of foolish beliefs that lead to foolish actions that result in
a good deal of suffering.
One of the Ten Commandments required the Jewish people to remember
the sabbath and to keep it holy. They were to abstain from work on the
sabbath, because God rested on the seventh day of creation . The early
church began to observe “the first day of the week” or “the Lord’s Day”
instead of the sabbath—Sunday rather than Saturday That shift took
place gradually—but it did take place. That’s why we worship on
Sunday today.
Paul says that Christians should not allow others to judge them—to
render a negative opinion of them. Nobody can stop another person from
judging them, of course. What Paul probably means here is that these
folks should not allow the opinions of others to affect their decisions,
their self-esteem, and their lives.
Despite the contrast established in the passage between “spiritual” and
“fleshly,” this does not mean believers somehow abstract themselves
from the physical realm or devalue bodily life. Rather they are to
incarnate anew the image of God
We are familiar with principalities and powers. Our lives are subject to
them. They tax us, – establish rules and punish us when we fail to live
according to their standards. Sometimes these principalities and powers
are benign. After all, we need people to govern the many institutions that
affect our lives. But in the history of the world, principalities and powers
have more often than not been selfish and brutal. It has been said,
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”—and
we don’t have to look far for confirmation that he was right.

Christ allowed principalities and powers to have full reign over his life
when he went to the cross. They beat him, publicly humiliated him,
tortured and killed him. However, their victory over him was temporary.
He came roaring back in the resurrection, turning the tide and defeating
the principalities and powers—this time permanently.
Jesus is the only way of eternal salvation no matter what the world might
teach or what humanity might say. No matter what philosophers or
deniers of the faith might say; it is only through Jesus that we know
God’s great love for sinners. Through Jesus we are saved eternally. That
is the reason for our worship. That is why we praise God with our whole
heart by confessing Jesus with our lips, because he lives in our hearts
Paul notes the relationship between head and body. Just as our physical
bodies are dependent on signals sent from our heads, so also the church
is dependent on Christ and the directions he would set for us. Our
growth as Christians and as a church depend on a strong connection with
Christ.
The Christian who is living the life of faith described in Colossians
2 knows that “from him and through him and to him are all things”;
therefore, we say, “To him be glory forever. Amen.”

HYMN 746 – What a friend we have in Jesus

1. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear;
what a privilege to carry every thing to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness: take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge: take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;
in his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

OFFERING
God responds to our needs and requests with great generosity. Such is
God’s great love. Let us share God’s love with others through the
offering we present this day
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
Generous God, we offer you our gifts, thankful that your love is
overflowing. Bless these gifts so that your love will flow through them
to meet the needs of those who cry out to you and to us, for Christ’s
sake. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord God, Loving God, We come before you in prayer, trusting that
your power works in the world in ways we cannot imagine. We thank
you for calling goodness forward, for supporting love and creating
justice even in situations which seem hopeless to us. Draw on our
prayers this day 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…in Ukraine, Syria, Palestine, Ethiopia
and Tigray, Myanmar. Call the powerful to account, O God, and inspire
leaders with the courage to listen to voices that cry out in pain and
desperation.

God of our everyday lives, we pray today for all those whose everyday
lives have been disrupted by forces beyond their control: those
struggling with the effects of Covid 19 and other illnesses;those
burdened by the rising costs of daily needs- those facing effects of
climate change on their communities. As the heat wave continues to
devastate Europe we pray fro the frontline emergency workers, fire
fighters – those who are finding accommodation for the thousands who
have been displaced ; we life to you all who are dislocated from their
homes ; facing challenges they have not had before We also continue
our prayers fro the folks in our province battling wildfires –
especially in the Lytton area and those across Canada who are in the
same situation .
Inspire governments to combine compassion and good planning to
respond to those who face such upheaval. 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 health care, education, social work,
public service and environmental concern. Support them in times of
stress and inspire them to speak out when they see needs being neglected
It’s the blessing of summer when many children are taking part in
summer camps – those run by churches and those run by
organizations in communities. A time for learning new skills and
activities – of developing relationships, of the beginnings of small steps
in being away from home and family Bless the staff and campers
everywhere and specially those staff and campers at Presbyterian camps
across the country.
God of our homes and families, we pray for our friends and neighbours
near and far, for all who travel and for those who find themselves
strangers in new communities. Draw near to each one in deep need,
especially those on our hearts this day.
Lord, listen to your children praying:

Equip us to support those lives that intertwine with ours, for we are your
people, embraced by your love, which we claim together 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 384 – O Breath of life, come sweeping through us
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
Revive Your church with life and power.
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
And fit Your church to meet this hour.
O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Your tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
Renewing thought and will and heart;
Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win,
Revive Your church in every part.
O tongue of fire come rest upon us,
So we may speak your word aright
Kindle the flame of love among us
Equip your church to spread the light
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