MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2024
TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.
~Mother Teresa
Before we worship, we reflect…
Bread plays a significant role in today’s readings, appearing explicitly in 1 Kings and John and suggested by Psalm 34’s emphasis on taste. Each reference comes in response to a kind of distress: Elijah’s escape from Jezebel and Jesus’ confrontation with religious authorities and disciples alike who experience his teaching as difficult. The bread of life is sustenance for resistance. We recognize the commemoration of martyr Kaj Munk (August 14). A Danish pastor who resisted the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Munk died at the hands of the Gestapo. He defied Nazi orders to cease public leadership and gathering, and continued to preach and preside. Until his death, Munk fed people with the bread of life through pulpit and table.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.
Great God of Compassion, God of Healing, God of Love, we come before you this morning with our hearts full of love and concern for …our community, …the highways, the waters on which we work and recreate, the lands and the woods where we like to explore, find solace, and renew our spirits.
…Forgive our failures; forgive us for the times we have been impatient with others, when we have not listened with openness to other points of view, and for our weakness, our tiredness, our feelings of discouragement, and our lack of courage.
We pray that peace be with our neighbours today, every day and always, and with ourselves and with all those we love. Amen.[1]
CALL TO WORSHIP
Out of the depths of our struggles, we cry to the Lord.
Lord, hear our cries!
In the inner darkness when we feel so alone, we cry to the Lord.
Lord, hear our cries!
We wait for the Lord with patient and hopeful hearts.
Lord, be with us today. Amen.[2]
GATHERING SONG: More Voices 182 Grateful
CENTERING PRAYER
Lord, we come to you this day with so many things going on in our lives. Some of these things are wonderful and cause us to rejoice. However, there are far too many things that cause us fear and anxiety. Humbly we wait for your presence with us. We need your healing touch. Feed us with the bread of life, that we may hunger no more. Strengthen us to do your will, for it is in Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.[3]
MISSION & SERVICE: Minority Youth Forum: The Power of Bringing Youth Together
Ashley Keeping was one of two United Church young adults selected to attend the Minority Youth Forum in Japan, hosted by the Center for Minority Issues and Mission.
Ashley writes:
“Just like Miyako residents, I live on an island and can relate to their everyday lives on their island, as it was small and humble just like here in Newfoundland. There was one prominent difference. The majority of the residents are seeking peace from their own government, something we don’t have to worry about here in Canada. God called upon me to see how the people of Miyako Island are living, and to share with everyone their struggle for peace.
“The Minority Youth Forum program brought together young adults from Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. The Youth Forum experience showed me how powerful it is to bring youth together to share our culture, to share our faith, and to share our stories. To be able to have discussions with youth from other cultures about how we can change the world gives me so much hope for our future.
“This trip filled my heart with joy, hope, and love for the wonderful people that I can now forever call friends. It also taught me that you need to find, keep, and treasure peace, as well as pursue it for the rest of your time, and that I will do. Thank you, Miyako, for everything you taught me.”
The Youth Forum is an ecumenical initiative of churches in Japan, supported by The United Church of Canada and Mission and Service. Your generosity through Mission and Service helps programs like this one that inspire peace and learning. Thank you.
Read Ashley’s full blog: Pursuing Peace from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
CHILDREN’S CHAT
“Raise your hand if you ever feel angry. If you ever need a reminder to be kind. Raise your hand if you’re ever tempted to say something mean about someone else. If you’d sometimes just rather stay mad than consider forgiveness.” Did you know that grown-ups need the same kinds of reminders! It’s true! It is especially true if we have young children. At least it was for me. As mom, I am the role model. How I treat people, speak to people, respond to another’s behaviour teaches my children how to behave in different situations. I work hard to be the person Jesus wants me to be, which means I am working hard to teach my children to be the people Jesus wants them to be. The wonderful part about all the hard work is that the more I can be like Jesus, the happier I am. The more I can be like Jesus, the stronger I feel. The more I can be like Jesus, the more my life has meaning.
Some things are well worth the effort. Trying to be the person Jesus wants me to be is at the top of my list!
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Since we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth, make us hunger for this heavenly food, that it may nourish us today in the ways of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:4-8
First Kings chapter 18 describes the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The contest proves that the Lord is God, and afterward Elijah orders the killing of the Baal prophets. Angered by the deaths of her prophets, Queen Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah. This reading finds Elijah fleeing, fatigued, and in utter despair.
4 went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”5Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
Psalm 34:1-8
1I will bless the Lord at all times; the praise of God shall ever be in my mouth.
2I will glory in the Lord; let the lowly hear and rejoice.
3Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; let us exalt God’s name together.
4I sought the Lord, who answered me and delivered me from all my terrors.
5Look upon the Lord and be radiant, and let not your faces be ashamed.
6I called in my affliction, and the Lord heard me and saved me from all my troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord and delivers them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who take refuge in God!
Second Reading: Ephesians 4:25—5:2
Christians are called to be imitators of God. This does not mean Christians are perfect. Rather, the Spirit is at work in our lives so that our actions and attitudes genuinely reflect the love and forgiveness we have received through Christ and his death.
25So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not make room for the devil. 28Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5:1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51
After feeding more than five thousand people in the wilderness, Jesus teaches them regarding the true significance of this remarkable sign.
35Jesus said to “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
41Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
HYMN: More Voices 194 Bread of Life, Feed My Soul
SERMON – Deacon Gretchen Peterson (with Sarah James and Rebecca Anderson), Assistant to
the Bishop, Youth and Leadership
Today’s sermon is a conversation between Deacon Gretchen Peterson, Sarah James and Rebecca Anderson. What follows is a transcript of their conversation.
1) What words/phrases stuck out for you in these passages?
Rebecca: Between both the Psalm and Gospel, it especially stood out to me this theme of “Taste and See.” That there are paths available to us to be closer with God, and with Christ in our lives. Christ is there for us, even in the greatest of challenges. Faith is a mystery, yet in many ways, the way that we engage with one another and in our lives through our churches makes our faith tangible.
Gretchen: What stuck out for me is that even when we feel we are in the depths of sadness, we are able to cry out to God. And because we are able to do that, then there is some hope in the midst of what we are going through. The invitation to cry out to God reminds us that we are not alone, that God is present at all times.
2) What do these passages move you to do as a follower of Christ?
Rebecca: I feel moved to spend time considering what it feels like to share the gifts Christ offers us with the world. To set aside guilt and fear in hopes of giving back to others, and knowing that we are held by God. It is with these gifts of security, love, and kindness that we are able to go out into the world and share love, generosity, and compassion with others. On a personal level, seeking God in our day-to-day lives invites us into deeper wholeness.
Gretchen: The passages move me to find a way to be like Christ in the world. Jesus offers hope to the disciples by reminding them that He is the Son of God and that is something different from just an earthly being. Jesus reminds us that he is the living bread. He reminds us of this through an everyday thing—bread. Christ is not just earthly bread though—Christ is something different. And when we believe, we find a new way of being in the world too, strengthened by Christ’ love and grace for each of us.
3) What do you think these passages are urging us as a church to be/do?
Rebecca: I think these passages usher us to reach out, spread our arms wide, and embrace others who may be struggling on their path; to hold all of those around us in the same way Christ as the Bread of Life offers us salvation and peace. We are able to seek refuge in God—this apparent love holds us as we walk together in faith.
Gretchen: Many people within and outside of our church walls are struggling. To find a way to help can feel overwhelming. But by grounding ourselves in Christ and Christ’s love for all creation, we can find hope to keep working for justice and peace. Reminding ourselves that our hope and life is in Christ is a powerful starting place. From that starting place, there is much we can do for others and for all of God’s creation.
Reflection by Sarah
God is always there for us, to support and listen to us, and to forgive us. This message is so important to keep in mind in all aspects of our lives. We can go to God with anything, the good and the not so good. God will always be there for us. As a young person, sometimes my faith can feel slightly disconnected from the rest of my life. It is important to me that I keep in mind that God is always there. Through all our lives, we can always reach out to God, and when I remember and do this, I am reminded to continue to serving God outside of the building we worship in on Sundays.
In Psalm 34, everyone was called to praise together, just as we do on Sundays. Similarly to this, we are called to listen to, support, forgive, and love everyone, just as God does for us.
We can always turn to God, and we should always be able to turn to our community in challenging times. Then, with God and the support of our community, we can overcome the challenges in life. Just as the people in the gospel were confused: John 6:52 “The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat’” in response to Jesus telling them he is the living bread, it is easy for us to be confused in life. It is easy to question things and make mistakes, but God will still be there for us, always, and we can trust God and turn to God with anything, and we should show this same love to everyone.
HYMN: Voices United 664 What A Friend We Have In Jesus
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Calling on the spirit of Wisdom to guide our hearts and our minds, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.
Reignite the prayer of the church. By your Spirit, root your church around the globe in prayer and spiritual practices. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We rely on the goodness of your creation in everything we do. We pray for trees that offer shade and for our fellow creatures that depend on the trees for shelter and food. Sustain the work of all who advocate for forests and wilderness areas. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Guide our leaders and nations with a spirit of justice and mercy. Let no evil come out of our mouths, but rather let us extend grace. We pray for our enemies. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Sustain feeding ministries and organizations such as Canadian Lutheran World Relief, the United Church of Canada’s Mission and Service and our local Red River Valley Food Bank. We work and pray for a day when hunger is no more. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We pray for this congregation and for all who are gathered. Be present among anyone who cannot be with us today. Be with all who are hurting, grieving, or ill. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We remember the saints who have gone before us in faith. Trusting in the promise of the resurrection, we find hope in your communion of saints of all times and all places. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We lift up these prayers to you, gracious God. Receive them into your holy keeping.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SENDING SONG: Voices United 626 (tune 625) I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
BENEDICTION
Having been filled by , the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, go forth into this world where hunger and thirst persist. Bring the healing, life-sustaining, nourishing word of God and the peace and love of Jesus Christ. Offer the transforming witness of the Holy Spirit to all you meet. Go in peace and may God’s peace always be with you. Amen.[4]
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© 2011 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/2.5/ca.
1 Taken from: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://irp-
cdn.multiscreensite.com/d1264261/files/uploaded/Prayers_for_Indigenous.pdf
[2] https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/2986/worship-connection-august-11-2024
[3] https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/2986/worship-connection-august-11-2024
[4] https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/2986/worship-connection-august-11-2024