21 January 2024
God Invites Us To Gather
Words of Welcome
Acknowledgment of the Land –
This is Algonquin land. It is said that
“As long as the sun will shine,
As long as the rivers will flow,
As long as the grass will grow
The Anishnabe life would continue to circle forever.”
We thank them, the first nations of this land, for their care of this creation and commit to working together to care for this land into our shared future.
Our Christ Candle is lit. We give thanks for the light of Christ in our life and in the work and worship we do together. If you are at home I invite you to light your own candle to celebrate the light that lives in our world. Let us prepare our hearts and minds for our worship, as we listen to our prelude.
Prelude:
Call to Worship.
Come as you are …
Come burdened
Come savvy
Come aging
Come discouraged
Come wanting
Come full
Come longing
Come drifting
Come
Children of God, Come
Let us worship God!
*Hymn: Come and Find the Quiet Centre VU 374
Prayer of Approach & The Lord’s Prayer
God of the everyday, of walks along the lakeshore, of questions and call and choices, we give you thanks for this new morning. We give you thanks that you have called us in from the everyday adventures you set us upon to take time to be together in community, to worship you and to reflect on the call you set on our hearts. Be with us in this time of worship. Connect us to you and to one another. Fill our hearts with your call and your challenge to each of us. Make us mindful of your presence in our everyday and in these sacred moments. Empower us to be your disciples in this world. In Jesus’ name and in the words he taught us we pray
Our Creator
in heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kindom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
for yours is the kindom
The power and the glory
Forever and ever
Amen.
Anthem:
Prayer of Confession
God of call, of love, of community
There are times when we try to compartmentalize our life,
when we don’t always see how the worship we do in here, is tied to the way we life our life
“out there”.
We find it easier to live as people who have answered your call when we are in worship
than when we are making the decisions and having the interactions of every day life.
We too often speak words that are not life giving,
We think too often of ourselves and too little of others.
We worry about not having enough, rather than sharing the abundance that is ours.
As we come before you in the quiet of our hearts, sharing our sins and shortcomings, forgive us …
Time for silent confession
Sung Response: Like A Rock. MV 92
Assurance of Pardon
The love of God is an incredible gift in our life. When we bring our mistakes and our regrets before God with a truly repentant heart, God transforms and redeem us. You are forgiven – live into the love that you have been shown. Thanks be to God.
The Word of God Proclaimed
Prayer of Illumination (Carol Gilchrist)
God, as we hear the scripture read this morning
open our ears, open our hearts, open our minds.
Help us to hear a new and nourishing message for our lives.
May this time inspire us, challenge us and encourage us
and may we take your message of love and hope into our world.
Amen.
Reading: Mark 1:14-20 p. 35 in the New Testament of your pew bibles
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news[a] of[b] God 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;[c]repent, and believe in the good news.”[d]
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon: Lessons Learned on the Lake
Hymn: Jesus You Have Come to the Lakeshore. VU 563
Our Response to God
Offering: We will take time in our service now to give thanks for the gifts that have been given so generously this week – financial donations, donations to our outreach projects, time, talents, and prayers …. Let us stay seated as we sing verse 3 of
Offering Hymn: What Can I Do MV 191
Offering Prayer
Dear God, we ask that you bless our gift-giving and our lives, so that together, through your church, we may make a difference in the world. May our lives and our church reflect your presence in the world, may our footprint be light, and our love abundant, through your holy and ever-present Spirit. Amen.
Minute for Mission – Heather Donaldson
Meditative Music
Prayers of the People
Living God, we give you thanks for your ongoing relationship with us and the love you show to us.
We give you thanks that you invite us to take an active role in sharing your message of love and hope with our world. We thank you for the call you place on our hearts – a call that not only encourages us to engage in your work in the world but also encourages us to engage with you, to draw nearer to you and enter into deeper relationship with you.
We ask that you will keep us aware of all that our relationships and experiences in this life are teaching us about one another and where you are amidst the joys and heart aches of this life.
We pray that you will give us wisdom to see you in places we least expect, patience to enter into deeper and more meaningful relationship with one another and persistence to keep working for peace in a world that seems so full of uncertainty and fear.
We pray for all who are undergoing medical procedures, tests, treatments and recovering from surgery or injury.
We pray God for all who are grieving, especially we pray for the Stanner family following Ian’s funeral.
We pray for those facing difficult anniversaries, and we pray especially for John and Carol Stairs and their family.
We pray for those who are anxious about what the future holds,
we pray for those struggling with addiction and those who are feeling broken and lonely.
We pray for those facing economic distress
Those who are underhoused
And those who are living with the fear and horror of war.
We take a moment God, in the quiet of our hearts to lift up to you those people who are on our mind, whose concerns are our concerns
silence
Hear our prayers God and bring peace where peace and serenity is needed and the confidence and courage to answer your call and face tomorrow with joy and hope.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
*Hymn: One More Step Along the World I go VU 639
*Benediction
Sung Blessing: Go Now In Peace
