Saturday, May 30, 2020

Day of Pentecost



Day of Pentecost

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in us the fire of your love.

Opening Hymn – Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow (BCP #249)
            Listen Here

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.

Collect for Purity
            Listen Here

The Gloria
          Listen Here

Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, who fulfilled the promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to every race and nation the way of life eternal, keep us in the unity of your Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Readings
A reading from the Book of Acts                           2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
        and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
    and signs on the earth below,
        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
        before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be the God.

Psalm 104:25-35
        Listen Here
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
    creeping things innumerable are there,
    living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
    and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
These all look to you
    to give them their food in due season;
when you give to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die
    and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
    and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians                    12:3b-13
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn – 
            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.                        20:19-23
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon
Guest preacher - Rev Dr Tim Sale, St Paul's Fort Garry

If I had preached a sermon in November, 2019, warning you that in three months, you would be separated from your family, banned from church, and worried about toilet paper, would I have been:

1.    Referred for counselling

2.    Ignored and laughed at

3.    Taken absolutely seriously as you rushed out for toilet paper?

My hunch is that a majority would opt for (2), a worried few for (1) and no one at all for (3).

But that’s what happened, isn’t it? One of our neighbours, a single person, ordered her 30 rolls of toilet paper from Costco… now that’s a lot of TP!

But no one saw this pandemic coming, even though epidemiologists have for years warned us that one would, and that the world was no where near prepared.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I was in my office doing a press conference when suddenly all the media were packing up and rushing out. Was it something I said? Of course not, it was when the planes struck the World Trade Centre. No one saw that coming either, although there were plenty of warnings about terrorism threats.

Driving through the South Island of New Zealand after lunch on February 22nd, 2011, heading for Christchurch, we stopped for gas and learned of the devastation of Christchurch at 11:51 that morning. No one saw it coming.

It is clear that none of the disciples saw what was coming either. They ignored the signs of the times; they ignored three years of Jesus’ teaching, and at first, they even ignored the amazed excitement of the women running from the tomb. They did not recognize Jesus until the breaking of the bread and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Yet immediately around each of these unforeseen and usually unwelcome events, there came a fork in the road of human behaviour.

In every one of them, many, many people rallied. Firefighters ran INTO the World Trade Centre, and some gave their lives to save others. In our current pandemic, nurses and care-givers, doctors, emergency responders, truck drivers, grocery store workers, shelter givers put themselves in harm’s way. Most political leaders left their usual behaviours behind. On September 11th, planes landed in Gander and passengers became welcomed guests; the same happened in a less dramatic way in Winnipeg too. In the Christchurch earthquake, a wonderful Mayor gave calm, clear and compassionate advice, just as the current Prime Minister, Ms. Ardern has done in 2020. Citizens banded together and cared for each other. Many took complete strangers into their homes.

And in Jerusalem, crowds heard the in-breaking of the spirit. Those who were “other”, minorities, strangers, even the “unclean” understood each other in amazement. The disciples, once fearful and fleeing suddenly became bold and believing, preaching, taking chances, sharing and witnessing to the teachings of Jesus.

I have often struggled to comprehend what is meant by the Holy Spirit/Wisdom/Sophia. What did it mean when Jesus “breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Truth”? What does it mean to say that “The Father is in you and I am in the Father, and I am in you?”

We speak of Jesus as “God Incarnate” What does that mean? We say that all life is Holy; not just human life, but all life, life of the creatures, the forest, the earth itself, all creation.

These are enormous questions; libraries are full of our attempts to discern answers. Angels have danced on the heads of many, many pins! But what if we changed a few words. And said instead; “I am in the Holy, and the Holy is in me, and I am in you, and you are in me. That the Holy is right there beside us, inside us, around us. It is the deep meaning of every living thing, every relationship, every face we meet, the Ground of our Being. The question always, are we open to hear and bear witness to that holiness?

Tragedies, times of great trouble, pandemics provide a chance for those openings, a thin place as Celtic spirituality says. A chance for the deep holiness, the incarnational holiness of Christ that Christ says is already deeply embedded in us all to be revealed. Our “real” self comes forth, sometimes from the tombs of our own making, and shines brightly for all the world to see.

That is what Pentecost is all about. It is the sudden sense of a community of diverse souls, who used to be strangers, all suddenly making sense to each other. It is the caregivers acting selflessly. It is the compassion, generosity and justice-seeking breaking forth against the iron rules of the “economy” of selfishness and presumed scarcity. It is our deepest, truest nature, becoming real.

My prayer is that this Pentecost will last much longer than usual!

Amen, so be it.

Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

The Prayers of the People
In the power of the Spirit who aids us in our weakness and teaches us to pray, let us offer to God our intercessions, thanksgivings, and the deep yearnings of our hearts, saying: Come, Holy Spirit.

For the church, for bishops, for clergy, and for all the people of God, that they may be made whole and free by the Spirit, and bear witness in every aspect of life to the full force of Christ’s resurrection, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit.

For our world in its brokenness, that the peace of the risen Christ heal the wounds of all victims of injustice and exploitation, and transform the hearts of those who lead the nations and who make public policy, that they may truly become makers of peace, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit.

That liberal and conservative may be drawn together in truth by the Spirit and come to rejoice in their different gifts and points of view, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit.

For those weighed down by despair, suffering from addiction, for burdened by illness (take time now to name aloud those known to us and acknowledge those known only to God), that they may experience the freedom which the Spirit gives to the children of God, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit.

In thanksgiving for the departed, and for all who witnessed to us of God’s love poured into our hearts by the Spirit, and for the grace to be faithful to all they have been for us, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit.

Gracious God, receive our prayer; hear our hearts’ deep yearnings, yet to be formed into words. Give us the courage to yield ourselves, all that we are and have yet to become, to the transforming motion of your holy Spirit, and carry out in us and through us your work of new creation. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen and living one. Amen. (Intercessions for the Christian People)

Gathering our prayers together, let us pray as Christ has taught us,
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 trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Confession and Absolution
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; God welcomes sinners and invites them to the table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
            (Silence)
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Prayer over the Gifts
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

Let us pray.
Giver of life, receive all we offer you this day. Let the Spirit you bestow on your Church continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. We ask this is the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Doxology
Glory to God,
Whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing
Holy One,
For all of the ways you speak to us – in rushing wind, in dancing flames, in words we understand, and in all that transcends language, we give thanks. Give us courage to speak your love, everywhere we go, to everyone we meet. Amen. (written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Practicing Families.  http://practicingfamilies.com/)

Closing Hymn – Tongues of Fire (written by Gord Johnson, performed by Tom Buxton)
            Listen Here

Dismissal
Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

Friday, May 22, 2020

Ascension Sunday


Ascension Sunday

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Opening Prayer
A new day has begun.
Hope wins!
A fresh start is granted.
Faith wins!
Today you have the opportunity to do something new.
Hope wins!
Christ is entering your life in a new way.
Faith wins!
Come, let us worship God, who is inviting us into life in a new way, a way that transcends death, a way of hope and faith.
Love wins!
Let us worship Christ, who overcame death to give us new life!
Amen! (written by Rev. Mindi and posted on Rev-o-lution. http://rev-o-lution.org/)

Opening Hymn – Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (BCP #374)
            Listen Here

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.

Collect for Purity
            Listen Here

The Gloria
          Listen Here

Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty God, your son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord. Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of his peace, and bring the whole of creation to worship at his feet, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, no and for ever. Amen.

The Readings
A reading from the Book of Acts                           1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be the God.

Psalm 47
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
    shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
    a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
God has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted.

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians                  1:15-23
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn – Jesus, Name Above All Names
            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.                        24:44-53
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon
Guest preacher - Joan Merton

I want to start by backing up just a little.  In verse 41 we read, “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering…” For the disciples it was too good to be true and the same may be for us, disillusion causing cynicism and cynicism creating a proverb.  Too good not to be true fits God’s world much better.
It was not easy to believe in Jesus in those days.  It is hard for us to even imagine what the odds were against him.  I have heard people say, if only we were there with Jesus all those years ago things may have been different.  Sometimes it seems like the disciples were not totally behind Jesus, that they were not sure what to do all the time but we have to remember that there were many obstacles to Jesus’ teachings. 
The first huge obstacle was the Sanhedrin, which was the board of trustees and the executive committee and the court of appeals of the Church of God in Palestine, all rolled into one.  The Sanhedrin would have nothing to do with Jesus.  Most of the respectable people, all the self-acclaimed patriots, despised him.  As far as they were concerned they had made him eat his words.  He died on that cross on a hill just as any normal man would have done. 
Following his death, Jesus continued to teach his disciples.  Peter and Cleopas have an encounter with the risen Jesus on the way to Emmaus.  They do not recognize him until he blesses and breaks the bread.  Once they recognize him, he vanishes.  The next time Jesus meets them they are told to remember the words he spoke while he was still with them.  Remembering helps to open our eyes and minds and this was Jesus’ way of preparing the opening of the disciples’ hearts to receive the Holy Spirit. 
The Gospel reading today beginning at verse 44 may be divided into three parts, each with a very unique theme.  In verses 44 to 47 the critical events of Luke’s Gospel are reviewed and Jesus tells the disciples they are necessary fulfillments of scripture and that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”  Necessity is a trait of Luke’s writings.  Things must take place for God’s greater purpose.  The next matter of importance is that Jesus opened the minds of the disciples so that they might understand the scriptures. 
Verses 46 and 47 offer a crucial message to the disciples.  “Thus it is written that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations.”  Powerful words recalling the highlights of Luke’s Gospel and believing them to be necessary acts of God’s purposes for His only Son.
Yet Jesus does not just dwell on the past.  We are not sure how many were present but Jesus now turns to those followers and says, “You are witnesses of these things.”  This statement may be a little unclear to some but in Acts the word “witness” is language used for a comprehensive call to testify about Jesus to “the ends of the earth”.  As Christians we are called to spread the words of Jesus throughout the world whenever it is possible.  Is it an easy task?  Not always but there are many ways that we can do it.  The possibilities are endless!
The final movement in our Gospel today is the event of the liturgical day, Jesus’ Ascension.  The story seems like a simple one in the Bible, “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.”  Simple, I think not!  Just imagine how shocking that would have been. 
Blessing is the prominent word in this event.  In verses 50 and 51, we are told that Jesus blesses his followers as he ascends into Heaven.  Blessing appears again as we read that after his followers return to Jerusalem they are “continually in the temple blessing God”.  Luke’s Gospel begins and ends with prayer and worship at Israel’s chief sanctuary.  Troy Troftgruben writes, “In fact, the phrase “blessing God” is the Third Gospel’s final word in more ways than one.  This colourful “blessing” and worship language gives the narrative ending an atmosphere of worship and mutual blessing, which constitutes the closing word of Luke’s Gospel.”
All we have to do is look at the life of Jesus to see where the Spirit has been.  Jesus was nailed to a tree but the story didn’t end there.  God breathed life into that lifeless body and brought his only Son out of that tomb.  After Jesus had risen he appeared to his disciples and said, “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high”.  That same Spirit that anointed Jesus also anoints us, breathes with us, especially as we travel together through this time of trial, and surprises us every day.  We are not in this alone.  We just need to trust in that Spirit.

Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

The Prayers of the People
We offer our prayers on behalf of our neighbours whose needs are known to us. We pray both for the sisters and brothers we know and for those who are strangers. (Revised Common Lectionary Prayers)

We ask for your wisdom to discern your ways and path for our own lives.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom to discern how to deal with others we meet, live with, work with, shop with, drive our roads, with, wait in line with, eat with and be with daily.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom in the difficult situations we may have to deal with as we go through life.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom in dealing with injustices in our world.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for wisdom for our leaders in our world, our country, our provinces, and our communities.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for wisdom for our church leaders, worldwide and local.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for wisdom for our priests, deacons, and lay-leaders as they preach your word, inspire, lead and grow us as disciples.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom as we reach out to those in need in our communities and in our world.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for wisdom as we minister to those who are homebound and in nursing homes.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom as we minister to those in hospitals, in recovery, and rehab.
Hear us, Lord.
We ask for your wisdom that not only enlightens us but transforms us and guides us in our daily walk with you.
Hear us, Lord.
(Adapted from an excerpt from a longer prayer written by Rev Abi, and posted on Rev Abi’s Long and Winding Road. http://vicarofwadley.blogspot.ca/)

O God, your ascended son promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. Send your spirit of revelation and wisdom, that in the blessed freedom of hope, we may witness to the grace of forgiveness and sing songs of joy with the peoples of earth to the One who makes us one body. Amen. (Revised Common Lectionary Prayers)

Gathering our prayers together, let us pray as Christ has taught us,
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 trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Confession and Absolution
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; God welcomes sinners and invites them to the table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
            (Silence)
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Prayer over the Gifts
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

Let us pray.
Eternal God, our saviour Jesus Christ has promised to be with us until the end of time. Accept all we offer you this day, and renew us in his transfigured life; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Doxology
Glory to God,
Whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing
As people of faith we have gathered for worship.
As people of faith we now return to the world.
Go out to share the story of faith,
the story of life, with the world around you.
We share the faith in word and in deed,
in speech and in action.

As you go out to give a living witness,
as you go out to testify to God's love active in the world,
go knowing that God goes with you,
sharing the laughter and the hope, the fears and the tears.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(posted by Rev Gord on his blog, Worship Offerings. http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/)

Closing Hymn – O Christ, the Great Foundation (BCP #524)
            Listen Here

Dismissal
Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!