BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

5th SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY / STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY 3

Theme: “Expressing our Love – Living Generously”

FAMILY MINISTRY February 7, 2021

The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104

Gathering Music

Acknowledgement of Territory Rev. Lorrie Lowes

We begin our worship service by acknowledging the territory where most of us gather and where I am located. We acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people. Thank you for permitting us to live and work on this land.

Welcome & Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this 5th Sunday after Epiphany and the third and final Sunday of our Stewardship Campaign. Today, our Stewardship Focus is on Family Ministry and how we express our love and live generously. Your continued contributions and participation in the life and ministry of our faith community is very much appreciated. We will listen more about the wrapping up of our stewardship campaign and family ministry later in the service.

Due to the provincial lockdown, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice but we will continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Join us for Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Let’s now hear from Bill McGee for a stewardship moment, followed by Erin Berard who will give us a highlight on Family Ministry.

Stewardship Moment Bill McGee

Good morning! My name is Bill McGee from the Stewardship Committee. I speak to you on behalf of the committee of Bob Boynton, Bob and Barb Noyes, and Ron Prince, assisted by Bill Johnson and our minister and the Office staff. If you have returned your Stewardship forms already, we thank you. If not, we encourage you to return the forms so that planning for the year's activities may be more complete. And it's never too late. If you have not yet received your Stewardship 2021 material, there are copies in the Office, 820-8103. Thank you!

Family Ministry Moment Erin Berard

The Family Ministry initiative was introduced 5 years ago to guide our vision and decision-making at BCUC as we strive to make our church a welcome and loving 'family'. Goals of this initiative include facilitating family-oriented worship, fostering intergenerational relationships, encouraging a family mindset within all the church committees, and experimenting with ways to connect and welcome others from the community into our BCUC family.

There is a lot to celebrate...

During the pandemic, the worship team has provided a weekly online video and audio service with wide-ranging appeal - hymns new and old, a Children's Time, thought-provoking sermons, and participation from congregants of all ages and stages. Along with these weekly family-oriented services, Sunday School materials that are directly aligned with the worship themes have been made available on our website. Similarly, family Advent resources were purchased from Illustrated Ministry and delivered to families at the end of November, an initiative that we plan to repeat for the Lenten season.

Not being able to gather freely over the past year due to the pandemic has put a hold on many of the usual activities that we enjoy together, and has delayed some of the plans we were making for family-oriented events. However many groups in the church have shifted their groups online and found other ways to connect with all our different families! Weekly 'Coffee time' after church, Men's Club gatherings, CGS and Bell Canto rehearsals are all continuing, albeit virtually.

Likewise, some of the intergenerational partners that were created during the Secret Pal project that started in the Fall of 2019 continue to keep in touch through cards, artwork, and e-mails!

As the pandemic continues, we encourage you to seek out new ways to connect with your church family. It is important that we recognize and celebrate the many ways that we support, work, and worship together, and to continue to ensure that Family Ministry is embedded in all we do at BCUC.

Centering in Worship

Friends, as we gather today wherever we are, remember these words from A Song of Faith as we reflect on our call to stewardship: “We sing of God’s good news lived out, a church with purpose: faith nurtured and hearts comforted, gifts shared for the good of all…” Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Berard Family

As a family of faith, we light this Christ Candle to remind us
that we are held together in God’s love.
And this love makes us courageous, resilient and hopeful
like a soaring eagle.
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
“those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, NRSV)

Call to Gather Rev. Lorrie Lowes

When his disciples found Jesus, they said to him,
“Everyone is searching for you.”
Where shall we search for Jesus?
Jesus is with the needy ones, blessing them with good news.
Where shall we find this wonderful healer?
Jesus is with the broken ones, touching them with wholeness.
Where shall we encounter his power to liberate and make new?
Jesus is speaking to those whose spirits are fettered
Where can we find him?
Wherever there is prayer.
We come then, seeking him in worship,
as we turn again to God.[1]

Prayer of Approach

Here we are Jesus, eagerly seeking your healing touch.
We come with bruises and cuts, with weariness and fatigue,
with wounds hidden and aches concealed.
We come as broken people hoping for new life.
Reach out your hand, we pray, to fill us with wonder
that we may be renewed, recharged, re-formed.
We yearn for God’s presence to guide us and heal us.
In your name, we pray. Amen![2]

Hymn: Come In, Come In and Sit Down - Voices United #395 Kim-guitar, Erin-flute

Refrain:

Come in come in and sit down,
you are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
and we are a part of the family.

1 You know the reason why you came,
yet no reason can explain,
so share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
for we are a part of the family. R

2 God is with us in this place,
like a mother's warm embrace.
We're all forgiven by God's grace,
for we are a part of the family. R

3 There's life to be shared in the bread and the wine, we are the branches Christ is the vine. This is God's temple, it's not yours or mine, but we are a part of the family. R

4 There's rest for the weary and health for us all, there's a yoke that is easy, and a burden that's small. So come in and worship and answer the call, for we are a part of the family. R

Storytime Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Last Tuesday was Groundhog Day! Now, I know that a groundhog can’t really predict the coming of spring but you have to admit, it’s kind of fun to take part in this funny celebration. I think we all need something silly at this point in the winter, especially this year when it’s not just the winter that seems long but this pandemic and all of the necessary restrictions too. It just seems good to have something silly and fun like this right now.

One of the best things about it, I think is that it takes our mind of our worry, frustration, and sadness for a little bit. It turns our minds to hope – for warmer, sunny days, and for times when we can get out of the house - and our bubble - and just have fun with the people we love. It lifts our spirits, and that’s a good thing!

This week our scripture reading talks about Jesus healing several people – people who are sick, people who have mental health issues, people who seem to be possessed by unclean spirits, a whole variety of things. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have Jesus here now to heal all the things people are suffering from these days? The Bible stories make it seem that he could do it just by being present or by touching someone in a loving way.

We don’t have any magical powers to heal someone like that these days, but I think we do have some special healing power too. After all, if a groundhog can bring hope to people just by coming out of its winter bed, surely there are things we can do to lift spirits and bring hope too. And I think that is definitely a kind of healing!

I often talk to you about the things you can do to help others, and I think most of you are really good at doing those things, especially for the people you love; but this week our Lectionary Study group talked a lot about prayer as a way to help people heal. It made me think about how prayer was a part of my daily routine when I was a child. We even said the Lord’s Prayer every morning in school. It was part of the morning routine in schools all over Canada – O’ Canada, Lord’s Prayer, and announcements. I also had teachers who would have us say a prayer together at the end of the day before we left for home. We don’t do that anymore because we acknowledge that Canada is a diverse country that includes people of many faiths and cultures. What I have found, is that now that there is no formal time for prayer in our days, many Christian children are not encouraged to pray at all. Families have also let go of mealtime grace and bedtime prayers too. Is that a bad thing? Is it an old-fashioned idea? What is the point of prayer? Does it really help anybody?

Here’s what I think… and I’d be interested in your thoughts too.

I do believe that God hears us – even when we aren’t praying with our eyes shut and our hands folded. I believe that God hears us when we think about other people or wish for better times or are grateful for things that bless us. But I also believe that making a special time in the day to say a prayer reminds us to do all those things. It reminds us of people we love and what we hope for them. It reminds us that there are others around us who are struggling in some way, it reminds us that there, even when days seem difficult, there are so many wonderful things to be thankful for and that better times are coming. I think that when we make time to remember all those things, it reminds us to do the kinds of things that help others and make them feel good. And I think that’s a special healing power for the world, for our neighbours, and for ourselves.

If you aren’t used to praying every day, it might be a bit hard to start. If you aren’t used to taking a special time to talk to God, you might wonder how to even begin or what to talk about. I have a book in my office by Anne Lamott called “Help, Thanks, Wow!”. The author says these are the three essential prayers, the most important ones, and I think they give us a nice way of beginning that conversation between ourselves and God. “Here are the things that could use your help, God” … “Thanks for all the great things that happened today, and the blessings big and small in my life” … and, “Wow! This creation of yours is a pretty spectacular place!” It sounds to me like a great way to get ready to start a new day and a nice way to settle for a good night’s rest.

The great thing about prayer is that you can do it anywhere and anytime, you don’t need any special training or equipment, and it doesn’t matter how young or old you are when you start. I encourage you to give it a try. I think you will be amazed at the healing power it can give you!

So, let’s start right now with a little prayer together before we move into the rest of our day. I will leave some little spaces for you to add your own special thoughts… Let us pray:

Good morning, God!

There are some things that we’re worried about today and things that make us sad. We could really use your help. Each of us have our own list of people and things to tell you about…

We’d also like to say thank you for the many blessings in our lives – family, friends, this church family, all those who love us and take care of us, and the many advantages we have in our lives. We especially thank you for…

You, God, are amazing! You have created a beautiful world. Help us do our best to keep it beautiful, and to help others see that beauty too. Thanks for listening, God! We’ll talk to you again soon! Amen

Hymn: Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands – Voices United #570 - Kim-guitar, Erin

1 Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness, blessing children small,
washing tired feet, and saving those who fall;
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all.

2 Take my hands, O Jesus, let them work for you,
make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.

Words © 1979 Margaret Cropper, Hope Pub; Old French melody (au clair de la lune),
harm © 1988 Carlton Young Song # 13235 & 34023
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination Reader: David Stafford

Light of the world,
may your Word shine out from the deepest corners,
casting light upon our path, guiding our way,
that no matter the journey, we may abide in you. Amen.[3]

The Reading: Mark 1: 29-39 (NRSV)

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House and in Galilee

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

May the Light of Christ dwell where the Word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Whose Healing Power?” Rev. Kim Vidal

One of my passions in ministry is to offer pastoral and spiritual care or what I call the ministry of presence. Being present with those who need care in times of illness, loneliness or grief is a gift that I have developed over the course of my ministry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had numerous opportunities visiting the residents in retirement and long-term care places, those in the hospitals and those who needed care in their homes. My office too was always opened to those who dropped-in for a chat or for a prayer. My heart gladly listened as we exchange a comfort hug or a hand shake, as we shared life stories together, as we lifted each other up in prayer, as words of inspiration from the Bible or other inspirational books were offered. During this pandemic time, when I cannot visit in person or offer a touch or a hug, I , together with our Pastoral & Spiritual Care Team, continue to offer care through phone calls, emails, greeting cards, or through prayers. I have gleaned from all of these experiences that offering care is incarnational. It is about being present even when we are socially distanced. Someone says to offer care is, “becoming Jesus” to others. It is also about interconnectedness-about fostering a connection that focuses on restorative, wholistic healing. Such healing transforms our relationships, so that we, in turn, become caregivers and healers for the other.

Jesus, too, was a caregiver and a healer. The unnamed woman Jesus healed in today’s gospel story was the mother-in-law of Simon. Mark tells us that she was suffering from high fever. But as soon as Jesus touched her, the fever left her. Mark did not elaborate how Jesus healed her. All we know for sure is that Jesus held out his hand to her and helped her get up. Jesus’ healing energy was offered to her, touched her and she was healed. In her healing, Jesus awakened the spirit that lay deep within her, waiting to be touched, waiting to be made whole. Jesus displayed what I call a hands-on ministry; it was incarnational and it comes with it, genuine human care. It was a moment of being present with the other. Jesus modeled for us a way how we can show care and healing to those in need. Even in this pandemic time, I know that we can still be agents of healing in so many ways. It could be in the form of words of comfort via telephone, or by email or through prayers. For some of us, it could be in the form of donations or financial help for those whose lives were affected by inhumane conditions or through letters and greetings that say “we care.” In this era of cyber space, if we are able to do so, if we have the means to reach out, let’s do it.

After she was healed, Mark says, Simon’s mother-in-law immediately went off to the kitchen and prepared food for the hungry Jesus and his disciples. Now stop there for a moment. I was shaking my head in disbelief when I read this part of the text. From bed to the kitchen. Simon’s mother-in-law got up from being sick and immediately went to prepare a meal. Modern understanding of this portion of the text might be seen in light of male chauvinism. We who are sensitive to how women were treated in both ancient and contemporary society might react negatively at her being restored to health only to serve the men. How could Jesus and the disciples allow this to happen? Didn’t they know Simon’s mother-in-law had just fully recovered from illness? Couldn’t they prepare a meal for themselves or even serve her food? In our lectionary group discussion this past Tuesday, we offered some possible interpretations of this particular episode. We could take this story as a metaphor to denote how Jesus himself will live and what following him may be called to do – to serve others. Or we could see Simon’s mother-in-law as another model of discipleship – that women in Jesus’ time were very much part of Jesus’ ministry. That women can be both leaders and servers at the same time against what we understood regarding the traditional way of discipleship – with men as leaders and women as servers. This unnamed woman could have been the first deaconess or diaconal minister who went to serve after she was healed, caring for all the people that were coming to the door of her house. Rev. Lorrie reminded the group that offering service is one of the main ministries of a diaconal minister – to serve others beyond the doors of the church; to offer healing and care to the community and the world. Another possible explanation according to Rev. Matt Skinner is that the woman’s service was a way of showing respect and gratitude to her healer. Maybe she was also serving God by doing what she does best – cooking! In that culture it would have been shameful for a woman in a household to neglect a guest. To feed Jesus would have honoured him, but it would also have restored the woman’s own honour and dignity. Healed, she could do what her society expected her to do and what her fever had prevented her from doing. She was set free! Another possible explanation was perhaps the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law showed a restoration to order. When she was ill, everything fell apart because she the main provider of hospitality in that household. Now that she had been healed, everything was back to its normal state and her house was bustling with good news and joy!

There is a big difference between being healed and being cured. In her book, Absolute Truths, author Susan Howitch clarifies the difference between a cure and a healing. She said: “A cure signified the banishment of physical illness, but a healing could mean not just a physical cure, but a repairing and strengthening of the mind and spirit to improve the quality of life even when no physical cure was possible.” Jesus was a healer. He went to many places to offer his power of healing not just physical healing but also spiritual, emotional, mental, social. The story of Henri Nouwen was a good example of healing. Henri Nouwen, renowned Dutch Catholic priest, writer and theologian, worked as a spiritual director at L’Arche Daybreak in the Greater Toronto Area from 1986 until his sudden death in 1996. L’Arche is a community of people with mental and physical challenges and their caregivers that create a home for one another. Nouwen’s life and ministry revolved around healing and recognized the Christ in suffering individuals and communities. He was fully convinced that everyone has wounds that needed healing, and that one’s woundedness can become instruments of healing for others. His deep-seated faith in Jesus Christ allowed him to care for those who were sometimes ignored by society – people with mental illnesses and challenges. It was his care and love for these people that Nouwen experienced his own woundedness claiming himself to be a “wounded healer”. He proclaimed that our “wounds allow us to enter into a deep and intimate solidarity with our wounded brothers and sisters. The main question, he said, is not “how can we hide our wounds? but “how can we put our woundedness to touch others?”[4]

All of us have wounds. We are wounded in so many ways beyond our imagination. Whether we come open or not, we need healing in many forms. We, too, are called to be healers. God touches us through people who perhaps have been wounded and become healers. A small act of kindness or love may spread like a wildfire making a big difference in people’s lives. The challenge now is for us to be cognizant of the woundedness of people and places and to offer healing through our acts of love, kindness and compassion.

There’s another way of touching lives – and that of being a healing community. Gerald May, a psychotherapist in Washington, DC writes of the importance of community in the healing process: “God’s grace through community involves something far greater than other people’s support and perspective. The power of grace is nowhere as brilliant nor as mystical as in communities of faith. Its power includes not just love that comes from people and through people but love that pours forth among people, as if through the very spaces between one person and next. Just to be in such atmosphere is to be bathed in healing power.”

At the end of the day, after healing so many people, Jesus was physically and mentally tired. Mark says, he went to a secluded place, away from the hustle and bustle of human activity and prayed for discernment. Prayer was one of Jesus’ spiritual practices. Jesus needed to be recharged, re-energized, rejuvenated for his next step of the journey. He did not stay in one place forever. Jesus moved on to offer his gift of healing reaching many people from different places. Here is also a call for each one of us as stewards of healing. We need to rejuvenate and recharge our spirits through spiritual practices like prayer and contemplation. And we need to move out from our comfort zones to heal others.

Friends, how are you being called to help restore wholeness where there is so much brokenness and affliction? How is the practice of praying giving you the strength that you need to be healers? We are called - not to be callous and indifferent, but to reach out, to touch the other by word or by action and to be touched by God’s grace. Each act of care is an attempt to heal woundedness in many forms. Each hand and heart that we offer on every pain or suffering- fearlessly, hopefully, sometimes unconsciously, is an attempt to heal the brokenness of the world. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, we were once ill, broken and wounded. Now we've been healed and we rise up – ready to go and serve the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Kim Vidal

Let us gather our hearts in prayer.

God-with-us, you are the One who called this world into being and we acknowledge your creative power. You want to share your power—your strength—with those who are powerless; you ache to heal the broken hearted and to bind up the wounds of the lost and rejected folks of this world. Such radical love leaves us speechless, but you gave it human form and shape in the person of Jesus, in whom your promises of healing and empowerment were fulfilled. We give you thanks and praise for blessing our lives in this way, and we pray that in Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we too can become radical lovers of the powerless, and passionate bearers of hope and healing to those whose lives are filled with despair and hopelessness.

And so our prayer today is that our family, our neighborhood, our city, our province our country and our world will know your healing touch and your forgiving heart. That those who have been hurt by insincere actions and damning words will hear your healing voice. That those whose lives are filled with dark thoughts, or unimaginable fears, will know your peace. Walk beside those who are close to giving up hope and where life seems to have no point;

We give thanks for all who have cared for us in times of weakness; for those who have uplifted our spirits and given us new hope. We pray for our friends and families, especially any who are finding life difficult at the moment. We pray for any in our community that may feel neglected or rejected. We pray for all who are in weakness of body, mind or spirit, all who have come to the end of life. We think of all who are losing their mobility or agility, those who are losing their memories, and all who have lost their grip on reality; of those who no longer trust in anyone, and those who doubt the love of God; we think of all who are caring for loved ones in illness. We pray for Vernon & Desna Sulway, for Rev. Camille Lipsett, for Cathy Dowsett, for Gord Ritcey, for Ruth Howes and for those who are recovering from treatment.

We now turn to the world in need of healing. We pray for the people in Myanmar who are again in the pangs of violence and political upheaval due to a military coup. We pray that peace will prevail in the land and that the government under elected president Aung san Suu Kyi be restored to power so that democracy will once again reign in Myanmar. We pray for those awaiting vaccinations in many parts of the world including Canada. We ask for your blessings upon those who hold the power to control the production of vaccines that they may be guided by universal love not greed.

O God, we ask that you heal us. Give us the strength, health, wisdom and knowledge that we need to become your healers. Send your life-giving Spirit so that we may live our lives with courage in the profound peace of your love. Come to us now with your healing presence as we recite together this ancient prayer that Jesus taught us…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom 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.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.

Invitation to Offer Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Jesus draws us from the margins into a great feast; he draws us out of a crowd, to healing;

he draws us from hopelessness to new life. Each day, God finds the way that we need to be loved and challenged, and then calls us be stewards of warm hospitality, healing mercies, and the promise of abundant life. We respond to this marvelous call through our giving this day.

I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC. Let us now gather our gifts together and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.

Offertory Prayer

Here is the work of our hands,
the love of our hearts,
our desire to make a better world.
Bless our gifts, our giving and our hopes
for a world in which your will is done. Amen.[5]

Sending Forth Rev. Kim Vidal

Faithful stewards of God, let us go into the world,
called to be healers knowing that we are healed.
Let us love one another as members of God’s family,
living our gratitude in the world,
called to radical hospitality,
and ever thankful that we have been blessed.
Go and be a blessing to all people and places.
Go and live your lives as God’s light and love. Amen!

Hymn: Who is My Mother? - More Voices #178 - Kim - guitar, Erin - flute

1 Who is my mother, who is my brother?
All those who gather round Jesus Christ:
Spirit blown people born from the Gospel
sit at the table, round Jesus Christ.

2 Differently abled, differently labelled,
widen the circle round Jesus Christ:
crutches and stigmas, culture’s enigmas,
all come together round Jesus Christ.

3 Love will relate us, colour or status
can’t segregate us round Jesus Christ:
family failings, human derailings
all are accepted round Jesus Christ.

4 Bound by one vision, met for one mission
we claim each other, round Jesus Christ:
here is my mother, here is my brother,
kindred in Spirit, through Jesus Christ.

Departing Music

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

[1] Rod Sykes, Gathering, ACE 2005-2006. Used with permission.

[2] Gord Dunbar, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.

[3] Sheryl Spencer, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018

[4] Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, 1985.

[5] Kate Crawford. Gathering, ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - February 7, 2021