Sunday Worship Service - February 6, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

5th  SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY / STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY 3

February 6, 2022

Theme: Celebrate God’s Love by Living Generously

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: Shall We Gather at the River – Voices United #710

BCUC - recorded Sunday Jan 8th, 2017                   Words & Music © 1864 Robert Lowry
Song # 84512 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgement of Territory          Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we begin our worship today, we remember that in this congregation, we live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Peoples. We give thanks for their stewardship of the land and the water, the plants and the animals, through many generations. We also acknowledge their story, and our place in it, with sorrow. As we continue to live on this land with respect for it and for its people, may we commit to working toward truth, justice and reconciliation. All my relations.

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 last Sunday of our Stewardship Campaign.  Wherever you are we are glad that you have joined us today.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary will reopen for in-person worship service starting Sunday, Feb 13 at 10 am. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting fully vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. Let us continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service continues to be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Stewardship Moment       Ellen Boynton (Nominations)

Wow! It is almost two years since the pandemic forced the church to stop all the things we have enjoyed doing face to face with one another. And yet, amazingly, the work has continued! Who knew what Zoom was two years ago and now committees meet regularly by Zoom and it works well enough. We will be pleased when we can meet together once again but some work, just as in our daily work lives, will no doubt continue by Zoom. And we long for the day we can meet and have that cake Jordan promised Bill Johnson as a congregational thank you for his long years of faithful work with Finance.

This work I spoke about could not have been done without volunteers continuing in their roles doing committee work. Property continued to keep the building functioning and clean (Thank you Ross and Jean!). Worship/Christian Education Committee met monthly to plan worship services and CE activities as best they could. Pastoral and Spiritual Care provided support to shutins and those dealing with loneliness and health issues. SOSA reminded us of greater needs than our immediate concerns by keeping Outreach before us and doing so very capably. Look at all the community groups supported by our congregation! And then there is the Zambia Partnership Project which Lorrie reminds us has exceeded its goal without even having a specific fundraising activity! Ministry & Personnel supported staff through this time which kept us all feeling cared for. And all the other support committees continued doing what they needed to keep the church running smoothly.

Volunteers are priceless! We rely on all of you to provide leadership and support through the year. As we approach the Annual Meeting and Nominations for the coming year’s committees we need to know that you will share your talents and time to keep providing support. What is it that you like to do? How can we engage you to work together with others to build community and share fellowship and some fun as we do those jobs?

You will find the Time & Talent sheet as part of the recent Stewardship package that was distributed. We ask that you read it over carefully and offer what you can to help us. If you have questions about any of the described areas don’t hesitate to contact the church office and we will guide you to someone who can describe the job. Thank you for your support.   

Word of Thanks    Bill McGee (Stewardship Team)

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 Larry Ryan, assisted by our ministers, 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 2022 material, there are copies in the Office, 820-8103. Thank you for your generous support of the mission of this Church.

Centering for Worship

Friends, as worship this day, may we offer our gratitude for all the gifts we received from a loving Creator. May we commit to respond to God’s call and share the Good News with others. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle         Acolytes: Ian & Ruth Howes

As we gather in worship, we light this Christ candle,
a symbol of God’s presence with us.
Like sunlight shining on snow covered earth,
Christ’s light brings peace and comfort to our weary and cold hearts.
Let this light be our guide to sustain and nurture us as followers of Jesus.

Call to Gather              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Laura Turnbull, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Year C, Used with permission.)                              

Kindness calls with a gentle plea
to bring tenderness into all our encounters.
We have heard the call of Love, who whispers
an invitation to lay our nets down.
Patience calls softly,
nudging us to respect one another.
We have heard the call of the Teacher,
who calls us to be his disciples.
May the God of many names
grant us humility.
Let us worship in response to that call.

Prayer of Approach

(Barbara Johns, Gathering, ACE 2021-2022, Year C. Used with permission.)   

Loving God, we yearn to be your faithful disciples.
We come with our fears, our secret thoughts, our hidden selves.
We ask for courage to embrace new beginnings in our lives.
Keep us close in your sacred covenant of grace and peace.
Help us share your gospel message of love and hope
As fishers of people who have answered Jesus’ call. Amen.

Hymn:   Jesus You Have Come to the Lakeshore – Voices United #563 - Erin & flute

1.Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore
looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones.
You only asked me to follow humbly. R

Refrain
O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me, and while smiling, have spoken my name; now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me; by your side I will seek other seas.

2.You know so well my possessions;
my boat carries no gold and no weapons;
You will find there my nets and labour. R

3.You need my hands, full of caring,
through my labours to give others rest,
and constant love that keeps on loving. R

4.You, who have fished other oceans,
ever longed for by souls who are waiting,
my loving friend, as thus you call me. R

Words & Music © 1979 Cesáreo Gabaráin, harmony © 1987 Skinner Chávez-Melo
trans. ©1987 Gertrude Suppe, George Lockwood, Raquel Gutiérrez-Achon,                         
Song #6905 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime      Rev. Lorrie

Do you like to go fishing? It’s something we enjoy in our family for sure. Some of us fish once in a while, some try to get out as often as possible, and one even built his career on fishing! None of us, however, fish the way Simon and James and John were fishing that day when Jesus came by. We fish with a rod and reel and hope to be lucky enough to catch even one fish. We do it for fun. Sometimes we just catch a fish and take a picture before putting it back in the water again to swim away – and sometimes we hope to catch enough that we can have a fresh fish meal as a treat. These men in our story today did things much differently. They fished with nets and hoped to get enough to both feed their families and have enough left over to sell. It wasn’t a recreational activity. It was the way they provided for their families. It was their career.

Just like when we go fishing, though, they couldn’t be certain that they would catch a lot of fish on any given day. Some days were good, some days they caught just enough to feed themselves, and some days they didn’t catch anything at all. But they still went out every day and worked just as hard, not getting discouraged when the net came up empty.

The day we are reading about this morning was one of those days when they hadn’t caught a thing. They didn’t go home grumbling like I might on a day when the fish don’t want to bite though. They used the time to repair their nets and clean their boats and get ready for a better day tomorrow. I imagine them talking among each other about what went wrong today and thinking of ways to get better results the next day. Maybe they decided to try a different spot or maybe they just realized that the holes in their nets had to be repaired in order to hold any fish.

Jesus wasn’t a fisherman; he was a carpenter and a teacher. He was traveling the countryside teaching. It was hard work – a lot of walking and a lot of expectations from the people who gathered around him. This day, in particular, he was feeling surrounded and pushed by the big crowd. He was having a hard time finding a place to stand where he could talk to them all together. He needed some help – and these fishermen were able to row him out a little bit so that everyone on the shore would be able to see and hear him. Even though they had had a disappointing night of fishing and even though they were busy, they didn’t hesitate to help Jesus out.

Our story tells us that he thanked them by telling them to throw their nets out one more time and when they did, they were rewarded with the biggest catch imaginable – almost too many fish for their nets to hold! They were amazed!

Jesus didn’t just say, “You’re welcome!” and go on his way. He asked these men to join him, to leave their boats and their nets and their life behind and travel with him. I’m pretty sure that no one there that day would have expected Jesus to choose fishermen to be the ones he called to be his helpers in his ministry, especially those men themselves. They weren’t teachers or elders in the synagogue, they were just ordinary people. But Jesus saw in them exactly what he needed to help him. They were willing to work hard, they celebrated the days when they caught lots of fish and didn’t give up on the days that weren’t so good. No matter what, they kept on working hard because they knew that what they did was important to the whole community. They worked together as a team, ready to share the huge catch of fish with each other. And, they were happy to help out a stranger when needed.

Even though they weren’t religious leaders or teachers, even though they didn’t have a lot of school education, they had a lot of gifts to share – and Jesus said, “You are just the kind of people I need to help me teach the world how to live the way God wants us to!”

They were surprised by that and thought they weren’t important enough to do that kind of work. Sometimes we think that way too – that we are too small or too young or too busy to do the kind of work Jesus calls us to – but Jesus knows we all have important gifts to share with the world. The fishermen that Jesus met that day dropped what they were doing and followed him. I hope we can all be as brave as Simon and Andrew and John.

Let’s finish with a prayer:

God, you know us well – with all of our strengths and all of our faults.

Give us the hearts to hear when you are calling us, the confidence that we have just what you need to do your work, and the courage to follow where Jesus leads us. Amen.

Hymn:  Jesus Saw them Fishing - More Voices #113 – Erin & CGS/Bell Canto

1.Jesus saw them fishing by the shore of Galilee,
casting out their nets into the sea.
Simon Peter, Andrew and the sons of Zebedee,
waiting in their boats so patiently. R 

Refrain
And Jesus said, “Oh, come and follow me.
Oh, leave behind your nets, I call you.
Oh, come and fish with me,
and your life will never be the same again.”

3.“If you want to follow me, deny your very self.
Take up your cross and walk the walk with me.
This might seem a hardship, an impossibility,
but nothing is impossible with God.” R

2.A rich young person came to Jesus looking for advice,
“How can I obtain eternal life?” Jesus told him,
“Honour the commandments of the Lord.
Then sell off all your riches for the poor.” R

Words & Music © 2002 Ken Canedo spiritandsong.com     
Song # 85904 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Cathy Dowsett

Holy One, speak to us today through these ancient stories.
Make them come alive for us so that we can meet you afresh
and hear your call anew. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading:  Luke 5: 1-11 (NRSV)   Jesus Calls the First Disciples

5 Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

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

Anthem: River in Judea      BCUC Choir – Sunday Jan 10, 2016

Oftentimes I dream of music,
Of the river that freely flows.
And it sings a song sweeter than honey,
One everybody knows.
Late at night, I hear it singing.
Then again when I wake at dawn.
And it fills me up with hope and goodwill,
The will to go on,
Go on.

(Chorus)
There is a river in Judea
That I heard of long ago.
And it's a singing, ringing river
That my soul cries out
To know.

I believe it keeps on trav'lin'
But it rests on the Sabbath day.
And the time when it pauses in stillness,
I almost hear it pray.
When I'm weary and downhearted,
How I long for the song it sings,
For the calm within its gentle blue,
The peace that it brings, it brings.
(Chorus)

May the time not be too distant
When we meet by the river (meet by the) shore.
'Til then dream of that wonderful day
As we sing once more, once more:
(Chorus)     Hallelujah!!!

Words & Music © Feldman, Marcus  Arr © Leavitt       
Song # 53272 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Sermon:   “Deep Waters”          Rev. Kim

Even though I grew up near the South China Sea in the Philippines, it was only in 1999, when I was 5 months pregnant with Justin, that my very first serious fishing experience happened in Smiths Falls. I remembered too well that it was a day in late spring and we went on a fishing picnic with families and friends. We all showed up in fishing gears – lines, hooks, worms, sinkers. Some members of my family were good at fishing and I listened to their tales of past fishing stories of big ones caught that ended up being laminated and displayed on the wall or those fish that ended up in barbecue or on the frying pan. I joined in as we baited our hooks with earthworms and unwound our fishing lines into the deep part of the water. Then we sat and waited. All of a sudden, something heavy pulled my line. "I think I have a bite." I said proudly. And lo and behold I reeled in a pretty good size hungry trout. My first prize fish but I could not bear to laminate it nor cook it so I took it off the hook and release it back into the lake where it belongs! One of my sisters commented I was lucky to have caught such a fish and that my luck was due to my pregnancy! Very funny! That particular fishing experience I had plus the daily witnessing of fishermen in the village where I grew up made it easier for me to appreciate the fishing story that is presented in today’s passage in Luke. But what is intriguing for me in this story is the fact that the fishermen have to leave their fishing career when Jesus called to them with an invitation to follow him.

Our lives are filled with all sorts of calls from all kinds of sources and voices. Some of us struggle to hear our call; we don't see clearly what we are supposed to be doing in the world. Others are bombarded by information, invitations and constant activity that they wonder if they will ever hear a clear call to understand the purpose of their lives. My call to ministry started at home. I was baptized in the Methodist church when I was almost 1 year old but it was not until I was 6 years old that I learned about the Bible and Jesus. It was my maternal grandmother, a converted Baptist from Roman Catholic faith who brought me and my siblings to a Baptist church in the village where we lived. My grandmother said – ‘let’s go and learn about God in this church. It is good for the soul!” There, I learned the many stories in the Bible and became fascinated with the stories of Jesus. But it was only in 1990 when I truly responded to that call to becoming a minister. It took me many years of discernment until I finally said yes to God’s call. Had not my grandmother brought me to church when I was in my formative years, I might not be able to learn about the Christian faith and responded to my call to ministry.

In today’s gospel story, we see Jesus right up against the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, also known as Lake Tiberias or Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not alone. Like a charismatic celebrity, he was being followed by a crowd who were hungry to hear a word from him.  Nearby were some tired fishermen cleaning their nets, among them, Simon and his partners, James and John, who have been out all night and haven't caught a single fish. You can feel their frustration and wearied bodies when their only means of feeding their families has given them nothing that day. Jesus asks Simon, if he could use his boat as a speaking platform and taught the people. Luke did not record a single word from Jesus’ sermon that day. But I think that the sermon was not the main focus of this story. The focus happens after his teaching moment. Jesus saw and felt the desperation among the fishermen who caught nothing. Here is Jesus - someone who is not a fisherman asking Simon, the veteran fisherman, to put his boat out into the deep water and let down his net for a catch.

          “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” What does this statement mean for us today? If we think of our individual and communal lives as this water, we can find many ways to interpret this text. I know that shallow waters are safer to tread than the deep waters.  Shallow waters are comfort zones where we can put our feet on the ground and keep our heads above water where we can see the shore. The deep waters make us fear the unknown. We can’t touch the bottom and it scares us. If you don’t know how to swim, it would be hard to stay afloat. There might also be creatures under the water that might harm or fascinate us. Deep waters scare some of us including me but Jesus tells Simon and us something significant about our life in faith. “Simon, go to the deep water. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Something amazing awaits you deep down.”

Simon at first was reluctant to listen to Jesus’ suggestion. “We have worked all night long but have caught nothing…” which I interpret as: Sir – We know these waters more than you do! This is the place of our livelihood! Who are you to tell us what to do? I hear Moses saying the same thing – “Lord, I lived in Egypt for so many years and I know the likes of Pharaoh. I have a speech impediment. I cannot do what you are asking me to do and will not face Pharaoh.” Or Jeremiah – “O Lord, I know the people of Israel and how they look down on young ones like me. Who would listen to me?” Or Isaiah – “The whole community knows me as someone who uses foul language. I am a man of unclean lips. I am not worthy to be your prophet.” Do you sometimes hear yourself like Simon? Do you sometimes doubt what others say would be a wonderful opportunity even before trying it for yourself? Do you hear yourself saying – “I don’t think it will work!” Or “ I doubt it!” or “ That is impossible!”. But Simon gave Jesus the benefit of the doubt. “Sir, If you say so, I will let down the nets.” Perhaps Simon thought to himself– “OK Mr. Jesus, let me see if your hunch is correct.”

Simon put his net down the deep water and the most amazing thing happened. Simon caught so many fish that the other fishermen have to come out and help, and the boats start to sink from the enormous, abundant catch! This moment of net-breaking, boat-sinking grace sends Simon to his knees. This is such a dramatic moment in the story that Simon's name actually changes right in the middle of it – suddenly he became Simon Peter, and this new man is completely transformed. He is awestruck, as we hear him say, “Go away from me Lord for I am sinful!” Jesus responds with words of assurance: "Do not be afraid." 

Do not be afraid. Whatever is troubling you – whatever sense of mistrust that you possess, whatever storm that comes your way, do not be afraid. Just trust. Have faith that you can do it and all will be well. The words “Do not be afraid” reassure us, as they have reassured Simon Peter. "Do not be afraid, Simon" Jesus says. "From now on, you're going to be fishing not for fish but for people." I know some of us might not be comfortable with this statement from Jesus. Our imagination might bring us to a literal interpretation of catching people with a net – like entrapped fish losing their freedom to live. Others think that this story is about converting people to the Christian faith which others think pertains to evangelism.  They think it’s a way of baiting or luring people to come to church and convert them to Christ. If we translate the word evangelism in its true meaning however, evangelism isn't about convincing others of a certain truth or getting people to accept a set of doctrines or beliefs, but instead, it is the practice of sharing and living the Good News that has transformed our lives with such grace and power that we can't help but share the story.

Every day we are confronted with deep waters in our lives as if we are drowning and dying. There is the deep waters of illness, of grief, of depression, and uncertainty. There is the deep waters of violence, poverty, homelessness and broken relationships. We do not want to stay there in that dark unknown abyss. Fear sets in and we are lost. When we are in that situation, we forget that there is light at the end of the tunnel. When our nets come up empty, we feel that we are at the end of the rope and we easily get discouraged thinking that there’s no hope for us. As Jesus calls Simon to let his nets down in the deep water, Jesus calls us to do the same. Because in that deep water, abundant grace awaits us. All we need to do is respond and act.

That day, Simon Peter, James and John walked away from their boats, their sources of livelihood and security. They left everything to follow Jesus. They became instruments of good news. Fish weren’t the only catch of the day; the crowd, Simon Peter, James and John were hooked, captivated, called. And that’s what miracles are meant to do: they meet us at our point of need, but they do not leave us there. They call us to move from being recipients to being participants, to share in the ways that God pours out Godself for the life of the community and the healing of the world.

We are a faith community that is welcoming and inclusive. This statement is not just a shallow affirmation of who we are as God’s people. It means we need to do something about our faith – not just recipients of God’s abundant grace but also participants in making a difference in the community and in the world. God’s call to us today is to explore the deep waters of our faith. On this last Sunday of our Stewardship Campaign, how are we responding to this story of Good News? The deep waters are full of abundance that God calls us to explore, discover, and to act out our faith. The deep waters are the endless possibilities awaiting us, challenging us to take risks, even when it means letting down our nets over and over again in the same waters. I believe that God promises us a bountiful catch of fish beyond our imagining that would make us kneel in awe and in thanksgiving.

Today, we are called forth to these words of invitation: "Come and follow, not because you must, but because you may. Come and follow, not to show that you are good, but that you stand in need of God's amazing grace.”  Amen.

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

Holy One, source of love and compassion, like the first disciples called by Jesus to be fishers of people, you call us where we are as your followers. You call us to be good stewards entrusted with gifts of your abundance so we can share these gifts with others. You have given us the ability to make incredible things happen. Remind us again to listen to your call, to experience your holy presence as we tread the deep waters in life. Help us to see You in the moment-by-moment possibilities - to live honestly, to act courageously, and to speak from the wisdom of our hearts.

Strengthen us in our calling. Where there is injustice, help us to offer healing and reconciliation. Where there is poverty, help us to reach out. Where there is grief, help us to give comfort. Where there is hopelessness, help us to bring hope. Where there is hunger, help us to provide. Where there is violence, help us to be advocates of truth and peace.

God of healing and comfort, you have called us to give a word of encouragement to those overcome with illness and grief and to those who face diverse trials in life. Through us, touch them with your healing love. Through our prayers, embrace them in your gentle love. May your blessings and healing touch be upon them and all those who have opened their hearts to pray for them. We continue to pray for our essential and health workers, for our leaders, as they continue to work hard in this pandemic time. We also pray for those families and individuals affected by the COVID pandemic, particularly those grieving the death of loved ones here and around the world.

Compassionate God, call us to speak to the hearts of people in many places. May your light shine for those who are full of fear; for those who experience conflict, prejudice, hatred, persecution, and poverty. Through the warmth of your light may they sense justice, feel your love, and know peace.

May we follow Jesus as our leader.  Speak to us, Spirit of Grace: of that hope which is our anchor; of that peace which is our rock; of that grace which is our refuge. Remind us to touch the lives of others by offering a kind word, a helping hand, a listening heart and a welcoming touch. All these we ask in Jesus’ name who calls us from where we are and taught us this prayer we now recite together…

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

Just as he called those fishermen so long ago, Jesus calls us to share our blessings today.

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 mailbox 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.

Offertory Prayer

(Bill Steadman, Gathering ACE 2009-2010, Year C. Used with Permission)

We give these gifts, God, knowing that all that we have is a gift from you. Your creative wonder surrounds us every day, and the bounties of your world enable us to share what we have received. As we give thanks for what we have, encourage us to share these gifts for the care and service of others. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sending Forth   Rev. Kim Vidal

(Beth W Johnston, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Year C. Used with permission)

Beloved of God, followers of Jesus,
go into the world in which we live and heed
Jesus’ call to follow your heart, not your fears.
Go and bless the world with your imagination.
Transform it with your courage
and enliven it with your compassion.
May the love of God, the peace of Christ and the
Indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit be with you all
today and always, Amen. 

Hymn: Lord, You Give the Great Commission - Voices United #512   - BCUC Jan 2018

1 Lord, you give the great commission: 
"Heal the sick and preach the word." 
Lest the church neglect its mission 
and the gospel go unheard, 
help us witness to your purpose 
with renewed integrity:
with the Spirit's gifts empow'r us
for the work of ministry.

2 Lord, you call us to your service: 
"In my name baptize and teach." 
That the world may trust your promise, 
life abundant meant for each, 
give us all new fervour, draw us
closer in community:
with the Spirit's gifts empow'r us
for the work of ministry.

5 Lord, you bless with words assuring: 
"I am with you to the end." 
Faith and hope and love restoring, 
may we serve as you intend, 
and, amid the cares that claim us,
hold in mind eternity:
with the Spirit's gifts empow'r us
for the work of ministry.

Words 1978 Jeffery Rowthorn, Music © 1941 Cyril Taylor        
Song #26961 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Departing Music: Allegro – Rinuk (with a surprise)        Abe:organ recorded Jan 8th, 2017

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

Sunday school activities - February 6, 2022

The Reading

Have people in your family take on the different voices in today’s Bible reading (Narrator, Jesus, and Simon):

Luke 5:1-11 The Voice (VOICE)

5 Picture these events:

On the banks of Gennesaret Lake, a huge crowd, Jesus in the center of it, presses in to hear His message from God. 2 Off to the side, fishermen are washing their nets, leaving their boats unattended on the shore.

3 Jesus gets into one of the boats and asks its owner, Simon, to push off and anchor a short distance from the beach. Jesus sits down and teaches the people standing on the beach.

4 After speaking for a while, Jesus speaks to Simon.

Jesus: Move out into deeper water, and drop your nets to see what you’ll catch.

Simon (perplexed): 5 Master, we’ve been fishing all night, and we haven’t caught even a minnow. But . . . all right, I’ll do it if You say so.

6 Simon then gets his fellow fishermen to help him let down their nets, and to their surprise, the water is bubbling with thrashing fish—a huge school. The strands of their nets start snapping under the weight of the catch, 7 so the crew shouts to the other boat to come out and give them a hand. They start scooping fish out of the nets and into their boats, and before long, their boats are so full of fish they almost sink!

8-10 Simon’s fishing partners, James and John (two of Zebedee’s sons), along with the rest of the fishermen, see this incredible haul of fish. They’re all stunned, especially Simon. He comes close to Jesus and kneels in front of His knees.

Simon: I can’t take this, Lord. I’m a sinful man. You shouldn’t be around the likes of me.

Jesus: Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on, I’ll ask you to bring Me people instead of fish.

11 The fishermen haul their fish-heavy boats to land, and they leave everything to follow Jesus.

Discussion

The men that Jesus called to follow him in this story were all fishermen - not ministers or priests or wise men but ordinary people with ordinary jobs. Fish and fishermen are in a lot of stories in the Bible. It was a common job in Jesus’ time.

It was an amazing day for Simon and his friends. First there was the amazing teaching, then the huge catch of fish and then Simon was surprised that Jesus even wanted to spend time with him, let alone make him a leader.

Why do you think Jesus chose Simon and his friends to be “fishers of men”?

What was the job he was asking them to do?

This story tells us that even ordinary people - even people who make mistakes - have gifts to offer. What do you think Jesus might be calling you to do?

Response Activity Ideas

Large Catch of Fish

Materials: worksheet, coloured paper, scissors, burlap/plastic netting, glue, popsicle sticks, colouring tools

Print out the worksheet.  Cut out little fish from coloured paper and glue them on to the bottom of the boat, or alternatively draw them on. Glue a burlap or plastic netting ‘net’ (attaching it just around the edges) over the fish.  Glue on a popsicle stick mast if desired.  Finish by colouring the rest of the picture.

Access the website http://faithsprouts.blogspot.com/2016/01/fishermen-follow-jesus.html for more step-by-step images, if needed.

Click to print PDF

Comic Retell

Use the comic panels provided, or design your own, and retell the story of Simon Peter being called to follow Jesus!

Click to print PDF

Wordsearch

Click to print PDF

For Youth: Our strengths, our calling

Think about and discuss your personal gifts and strengths with your family.  Consider working through a quiz like:

https://www.bethlehemschools.org/wp-content/uploads/VIA-Character-Strengths-Discussion-Survey.pdf  OR

https://high5test.com/  to get you thinking about what’s important to you and how you work best.

It can be hard to talk about what we’re good at, so listen and encourage each other as you notice and point out strengths you see in others in your family, and in what capacities these skills may take each other in making a difference in the world.

How can these strengths work towards stewardship in the church setting?  How can these strengths play out in contributing in the community?  In working to bring about God’s love and peace in the world? 

Sunday Worship Service - January 30, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

4th SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY / STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY 2

January 30, 2022

Theme: “Celebrate our Call to Serve / Give thanks for our Family Ministry” 

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: Noah - Valse Sentimentale (op. 50, no. 14) - Franz Schubert

Welcome & Announcements         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good Morning! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus on this 4th Sunday after Epiphany. Wherever you are joining us from today, please know that we are glad that you are with us in this worship service.

Due to the rising COVID variant cases in Ontario, we will not be offering in-person worship until further notice. Worship Services can still be accessed however, online through YouTube and by telephone. Check our website, bcuc.org, for the link each week. There you will also find links to previous services, Sunday school resources, and other announcements.

And for those of you who are able to join us, there will be a virtual fellowship time every Sunday at 11:00 am. Check your email for the Zoom link.

While the church building is not open for in-person gatherings, the work of the church carries on. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls, prayers or online platforms. Our annual Stewardship Campaign continues this week and next. Today we celebrate the many volunteers who help keep the work of this congregation going in all of its aspects from administration and property management to worship, education, and outreach. Please take the time to read the stewardship materials that were sent to you last week. We hope you will give prayerful thought to what you might be called to do as a member of this faith family.

I now invite you to listen to Erin tell us about one way we strive to include all ages and stages in our congregational life through our Family Ministry Team.

Stewardship Moment        Erin Berard – Family Ministry Team

The Family Ministry initiative was introduced in 2017 to guide our vision and decision-making at BCUC as we strive to make our church a welcoming 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.

During the pandemic, the worship team has provided a weekly online video and audio service with wide-ranging appeal - hymns new and old, a young person-focussed ‘Storytime’, 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.  As in the past Advent and Lenten resources were delivered to families with young people in our congregation in the Spring and Fall to help those at home to feel remembered and connected.

Not being able to gather freely due to the pandemic has put a hold on or altered many of the usual activities that we enjoy together, and has delayed some of the plans we were making for family-oriented events. And, as much as we wish we had a magic wand to make it go away, the pandemic continues.  Many have mentioned missing families they know from church, so I challenge you to seek out new ways to connect with your church family.  This could be as simple as sending an e-mail or card to another family to let them know you’re thinking of them or popping on the 11am Sunday Zoom gatherings to say hello. Or perhaps you have a special interest, or a game, or a hobby that other families might be interested in - how could you introduce that to others and help build community? New ideas suitable for these pandemic times or the future would be welcomed by the Family Ministry Team!

It is important that we recognize and celebrate the many ways that we support, work, and worship together, even if it is distanced or online, and to look with hope toward the coming months for more and more opportunities to get together in person. Let’s continue to ensure that Family Ministry is embedded in all we do at BCUC.

Minute for Mission

In addition to the work we are called to do within this faith family, we at BCUC also have a mission to reach out to the wider community. The Service, Outreach, and Social Action Committee (SOSA) coordinates many projects by which we do this. Here is a brief introduction to one of the projects we help fund and offer volunteer support, OWECC, the Ottawa West End Community Chaplaincy.    (video)

Centering for Worship

Now, let us gather our hearts and minds for worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Susan & George Young

Sometimes, the world can seem a bit dark. Conflicts, worries, and suffering seem to cloud our vision. And so, today, as we do whenever we gather as a family of faith, we light this candle to remind us of the presence of Jesus, the light that never dims. May this light kindle hope and joy in each of us - enough to light the world.

Call to Gather:  Rev. Kim Vidal       

(Susan Lukey, Gathering, Pentecost 2 2021 Year B, Used with permission.)                              

To be a church family is a blessing.
To encourage and care for one another is a joy.
To work for the common good of all people and all creation is our calling.
Come, let us worship as the body of Christ.
We come as followers of the Way of Jesus, as those inspired by the Spirit of God,
To worship, sing, and pray.

Prayer of Approach: (Phil Hobbs, Gathering, Pentecost 2 2018, Year B. Used with permission.)   

(Based on A Song of Faith)

In worship this morning, Kind, Compassionate, and Present God, we sing of a church with purpose: faith nurtured and hearts comforted, gifts shared for the good of all. We are a community of broken but hopeful believers, yet, Lord Jesus, we would love as you first loved us. We are seeking to be faithful servants of God, here where we live and work. Meet us. Heal us. Empower us. Enable us. Amen.

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

Words & Music © 1984 James K. Manley; harm © 1987 Daryl Nixon
Song # 44817 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime      Rev. Kim Vidal

Good morning!

Here we are on our second Sunday of our stewardship campaign at BCUC and today we are going to talk about how we take care of money.

Have you ever been given a daily or a weekly money allowance by your parents? What do you do with that money entrusted to you? Do you keep them in your wallet and not spend them? Or do you run to the nearest convenience store and buy your favourite snack or candy? Or have you thought of saving a part of it? How do you deal with money given to you?

Let me tell you of a story of a young boy named Pete who was given $2.50 cents as his daily allowance. Pete was so happy receiving this money from his parents that he thought of ways how to use them. He knows that this money was given freely by his parents without asking him to do any chores. It was a gift.

Pete realized that his parents work hard in earning money so that his family will have food on the table, a comfortable house to live in and enjoy the basic necessities in life. He made a promise to use his allowance wisely and not to use it for unnecessary things.

Pete also knows that not all children have the same privilege of receiving an allowance from their parents. One of his friends for example, comes to school with worn-out shoes and Pete made a promise to himself that he would give his friend a new pair of shoes for his birthday.

Every Sunday, Pete enjoys coming to church with his parents and he learned from Sunday School that the work of the church goes far and beyond the church building. One time, there was a fund raising for children with no decent beds to sleep on. Another time, there was a fundraising to help children in Zambia. Pete also learned that the church is helping some families who cannot afford to spend time on a weekend for a free family camping. Pete would like to help the church raise funds for these wonderful projects to help others.

So Pete came with a neat idea of dividing his allowance so that it will be used wisely. Pete found 3 jars and labelled one “spending”, one “saving”, and one “giving”. With his 10 quarters, he put 5 quarters for spending, 3 quarters for saving and 2 quarters for giving. Pete felt so proud of himself that at the end of the week, he spent $8.75 for his favourite snacks, saved $5.25 for his friend’s shoes and gave $3.50 for the church fund-raising!

I wonder how many of us are like Pete? I’m sure many of us are just like him. Well, I know one for sure who volunteered his time and talents to look after our finances at BCUC for so many years. I was told he was our treasurer for 17 long years! Imagine that! Today, we are honouring Mr. Bill Johnson for his exemplary work not only as a treasurer but also as the chair of the Finance Committee.  Allow me to offer my sincerest thanks and appreciation to Bill for his commitment, faithfulness and incredible skills in managing the church’s finances for 17 years.

Bill, you have blessed us with your time, talents and treasures. You have served well and we are very grateful for it. We wish you all the best as you enjoy your retirement from your work as our church treasurer with love and prayers from all of us! Thank you, Bill.

Jordan: Hello everyone!

As you know, my name is Jordan Berard and I am the Acting Chair of the BCUC Board.

On behalf of the congregation, I just want to take a moment today to acknowledge and thank and celebrate Bill Johnston for his many, many years of dedicated service, stewardship and leadership as our church’s Treasurer and as the Chair of the Financial Management committee.

As many of you know and can appreciate, Bill has steadfastly guided the finances of this congregation through surpluses and deficits.  Through good times and bad times.  Through years of plenty and years of pandemic, and for that we are all very grateful.

We are also grateful that Bill always encouraged committees to find exciting ways to finance projects, and to spend money on things that would enrich the building, expand our church community, and enhance our worship services.  He did all of this, though, while also preaching responsible spending.  As a member of the Board, I can always hear Bill’s voice in my head (even when I’m spending my own money on something…) saying “and where will the money come from”?  The reality is that I learned more about responsible financial management from working with Bill than any math course could have taught me.

I know I’m not the only one who feels overwhelmed and anxious when confronted with spreadsheets of numbers and the names of directed funds and bank accounts, and revenue and expenses.  As you might be able to tell, I don’t know how to talk about money very well and my math skills are slowly being eclipsed by my oldest son’s.  But somehow (and with a lot of patience, for sure), Bill always managed to help me understand the state of the church’s finances and to understand what we could be doing to strengthen those finances.  After many years of sitting on the church Board, I can finally look at the financial reports and make some sense of them, though I still panic a little when I see the colour red…

On a personal level, I also want to say that I’ve learned a lot from Bill’s professionalism and leadership.  Bill was one of the first people to encourage me to take on my own leadership role at the church.  In his quiet and humble way, Bill Johnson has been a role model to many people at BCUC, and for this, Bill, we are all very grateful.

You know, it feels strange to be celebrating someone who has contributed as much to our congregation as Bill has over a video – and without a cake!! – but the pandemic has forced us to make the most with the tools we currently have.  I promise you we will get to eat that Thank You cake soon, Bill!

Bill, on behalf of the congregation, on behalf of the BCUC Board, and on my own behalf: Thank you for all that you have done for BCUC.  In the words of Winston Churchill, “we make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." Thank you for all that you have given to the life of our congregation, Bill.  We wouldn’t be where we are today without you.

Bob: Bill, it has been a pleasure to work with you for many years on the Finance Committee. Our church finances are quite complex but you always had a good understanding of how it all fits together. As Directed Funds Treasurer I appreciated your thoughtful advice on where a deposit or withdrawal should be directed. Thanks, Bill, for all your guidance as Chair for these many years.

Ellen: It has been my pleasure to have you come to the office for cheque signing over all these years and we often had a little visit then. You came faithfully unless off at a conference in some corner of the world or enjoying a timeshare holiday. You always advise us when you would be away and that was appreciated. Well done good and faithful Finance Chair! Thank you! 

Hymn: We Give Our Thanks  - More Voices #187

1. We give our thanks to God, (4X)

2. We give our hands to you, (3X)
    because you reached for us. 

3. We give our eyes to you, (3X)
     because you looked for us. 

4. We give our feet to you, (3X)
     because you walk with us. 

5.  We give our hearts to you, (3X)
     because you first loved us.

Words and Music © traditional Botswana Daisy Nsakazonque, English © 1986 I-To Lah
Song #109417 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination           Reader: James Eaton

(Beth Johnston, Gathering A/C/E 2021/22 Year C. Used with permission)

Open our hearts to the mystery of your word, Holy God. Open our spirits to its meaning for our lives. Be with us as we listen for and receive your word today. Amen.

The Gospel Reading:  Luke 4: 21-30 (NRSV)

21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “From a Celebrity’s Welcome to the Cliff’s Edge” Rev. Lorrie Lowes

“Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.”

I chose this response to today’s reading on purpose because, quite honestly, when I realized this was the Gospel reading for my time to lead worship this month, I eagerly looked to see what else was on the Lectionary for this week. The familiar Corinthian passage about love is there – that seemed much more comfortable and it also seemed like an easy one to tie into our Stewardship theme. I thought I had my mind made up, but something kept drawing me back to this story. I was intrigued by the fact that today’s reading didn’t just follow the one from last week; it didn’t begin where the last left off; it circled back and included that last verse again – “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” – a repetition for emphasis? What is so important about this line that it is being drawn to our attention once more? What is the Spirit saying to us?

Even as I began to formulate my thoughts around that letter to the Corinthians, I felt the Spirit saying to me, “Not so fast, Lorrie Lowes! Read that line again. I have a feeling that you didn’t really get it.”

Now, in our Bible, Jesus doesn’t repeat this line but I have a feeling that he would agree with the Spirit on this one. The people sitting in the synagogue listening to Jesus that morning missed the point of what he was saying. If you remember, when we left them last week they were amazed at his gracious words. Here was one of their own, a small-town boy who was making big waves in the wider world, performing incredible healings and wondrous miracles – and now he had come home. Just imagine how much he will do for them, his people, the ones who nurtured him and watched him grow. He repeated the familiar words of Isaiah,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

It was a big task that the Spirit of the Lord gave to Isaiah so long ago – and now here was Jesus, ready to take it on for them – isn’t that what he said?

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

As Jesus looked out on that admiring crowd, I imagine that he saw the expectation in their faces. They knew he had done great things in Capernaum. He could see that they were waiting with excitement to see what he would do right here in his hometown. And I think he knew that they didn’t get his point. They had great expectations. They saw Jesus, the miracle-worker, but they completely missed Jesus, the prophet.

“No prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown,” he says. I hear him say it with a sigh. A prophetic message is not what these proud people of Jesus’ hometown are looking for. They want to share a little of the glory that surrounds this boy who grew up down the street. They want their share of the healing he is giving to others. They want a feel-good sermon. However, prophets don’t come to make you feel better, their purpose is to make you look at your life in a new way, to make you see the changes necessary to improve the world – changes you need to make. Prophets don’t say, “Sit back and relax, I will make things better.” If anything, prophets tend to make us feel uncomfortable. They push us to see, not just the problems in the world, but our role – our responsibility – to do something new, something transformative. Prophets put the hard issues right back into our own hands.

His home congregation wasn’t just disappointed, they were filled with rage! How dare he come home to criticize! How dare he refuse to offer them the healing mercies he gave to strangers! Why did he have to spoil this feel-good moment?

Think back, says Jesus, to the great prophets you know from the past. Elijah could have kept himself busy with the widows in his homeland, Israel, but he was sent to help an outsider, a widow in Sidon. There were many lepers right at home in Israel, but Elisha cleansed Naaman, an outsider from Syria. God’s vision of a better world isn’t just about helping ourselves; it’s about seeing the places where help is needed and reaching beyond our own small circle into the bigger community. We know that, of course. It is why we work so hard at reaching out through our SOSA projects and why we support Mission and Service. But, there is another similarity in these two stories that Jesus refers to that I believe is important for us to hear. In my Midrash study group this week, we noticed that Elijah didn’t just produce a magic porridge pot for the widow in Sidon; he asked that she first take care of his needs by feeding him. When Naaman showed up at the door of the great prophet Elisha expecting healing, Elisha didn’t even go to the door to see him; he sent a messenger to tell him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan, leaving Naaman furious at the lack of caring and respect. Perhaps Jesus is reminding the congregation isn’t about expecting someone will come along and do what’s needed, it’s about being a full participant in the healing and the work yourself. 

Poor Jesus! It’s hard to deliver a hard truth at any time, maybe even especially when the listeners are people you love and care about, people you see as family. To make it even more difficult, Jesus chose to deliver that hard message in a place where people had gathered to refresh their souls, to give praise and gratitude to God and, on this particular sabbath, to welcome a home-grown hero. How dare he?!

I think Jesus was making a public commitment that morning in Nazareth. He read the words of Isaiah and promised out loud that he was taking up the challenge, taking personal responsibility to make life better for the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me” he quotes from Isaiah. But, he wasn’t standing on a pedestal claiming to use some special God-given power to change the world… he was sitting amongst equals, acknowledging the responsibility that comes with receiving our blessings; he was challenging each one of them to do the same.

I wish Luke had told us more about what happened that morning. What else was said, not just by Jesus but by the people who were there to listen. What led them from being “amazed at his gracious words” to being “filled with rage”? After all, I’m sure we’ve all heard sermons that made us feel uncomfortable, but we tend to leave grumbling, perhaps telling each other, “Well that wasn’t what I was expecting to hear today!” We might even say, “Well, I won’t be back again while she’s the one preaching!” We don’t try to throw the minister off a cliff! Well, not so far anyway…

In fairness, Jesus lived that day, but it wasn’t because the crowd calmed down. Luke tells us that he passed through the crowd and went on his way. We also know that this doesn’t mean that Jesus changed his message; in fact, we know that he continued to preach about reaching out to others, even the outsiders, about sharing our blessings, about taking action to make life better for the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed. We aren’t told that he ran screaming into the bush or that his disciples quickly surrounded him and led him to safety … no, Luke tells us that “He passed through the crowd and went on his way. Perhaps that rage wasn’t all about Jesus after all; maybe it was rooted in something happening right there in their community, in their own struggle with what it means to follow the laws of God.

Perhaps you’ve heard the quote from the fictional Irish bartender, Mr. Dooley, a character invented for a column in the Chicago Evening Post back in 1893. He says, “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” I’ve heard that phrase used to describe the work of a preacher too. It certainly seems like a philosophy that Jesus was following that day. Actually, it seems like a philosophy that could describe his entire ministry, doesn’t it? Jesus – healer, teacher, companion, brother, guide – all things that comfort us, for certain – but, accepting him as Christians also means we have to know him as prophet. We can’t just accept the gifts without also accepting the responsibility.

Ah! I bet you just realized why I decided to focus on this reading in the context of our Stewardship campaign!

Stewardship is one of the scariest topics to a minister. Rev. Kim told us this week that when she and her colleagues in the “Backstory Preaching” program were asked for the most difficult topic to preach on, the one they tried to avoid, stewardship was by far the most common example, and I am certain any clergy you ask would agree. We all want to be the minister who offers spiritually uplifting sermons and comfort to the community. A preacher who does that is easy to love, after all, and we all want to be loved. It takes real courage to tackle the uncomfortable topics – and talking about money is one of the most uncomfortable of all. It’s risky for a beloved minister to stand up and talk about money and time and making your contribution. And, I think it might be especially risky in a congregation where things are working well. This is an amazing community of faith here at BCUC. We are blessed with a beautiful building, a dedicated staff, wonderful music, and lots of great opportunities for learning and socializing. We have a wonderful group of caring folks that make up a congregation that is large by today’s standards in any church. We take care of each other and we also support a host of outreach activities locally and globally. It feels good just to be here on a Sunday morning… so why do we spend three of those Sundays talking about stewardship when there are so many wonderful things to celebrate?

Well, one reason is that all of these blessings wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the fact that many of the people who fill our pews to be uplifted, comforted, and connected to a faith community, weren’t also aware of the responsibility that comes with those blessings. It’s to remind us that the money we put in the offering plate or pledge on PAR, isn’t just a way to tip the minister for a good sermon on a Sunday morning. It is necessary to keep the building safe, comfortable and available to the community. It is necessary to provide all the extras like choir music and audio-visual equipment and piano tuning that make our services special. It is necessary to provide the learning materials for our Sunday School programs. It is necessary to enable those outreach projects to continue to help others. One of the things we are proud of in this church is that our givings to Mission & Service and to places like the Ottawa West End Community Chaplaincy, the Famsac food bank, Refuge N.O.W., and Multifaith Housing are not dependent on specific targeted donations; they are part of our Operating Budget, an important part of how we are being church in the world – a big part of why we are here at all. So, our budget is big, yes, but it goes beyond our get-togethers on Sunday mornings, it reflects our work as followers of Jesus. So, this campaign asks you to think about all of that when you make your decision of how you will support that work this year. You are not asked to give till it hurts – you are asked to give till it helps.

And, of course, this campaign isn’t simply about money. It is also about sharing your time and your talents. The package of materials that was sent to you last week tells the story of the many committees that bring all of this work we do to life. Even a quick read through those pages will tell you that it takes many hours and many hands to ensure that everything is in place to ensure that we continue to be the amazing presence we have become in the community. Where can your hands help? You have already committed an hour on Sunday morning to gather in worship; is there another hour or two you can offer to make sure the work of the church continues? There are many needs in the community that we haven’t been able to address yet, where might you help us expand our outreach? Take a few minutes to consider the things you are most passionate about; think of the things you most enjoy doing and the things you are good at – and look to see where those gifts can be part of the life of the church.

There’s nothing wrong with coming to church on Sunday to be uplifted and comforted. I hope that is what you find here. I also hope that you find the vision of the kind of world Jesus knew is possible – and I hope you find the courage to leave your comfort zone a bit to help make that vision a reality, even in a small way.

The story of Jesus’ return to his home synagogue that we read last week was lovely, wasn’t it? It would have been so easy to leave it at that. It was a feel-good story of our beloved Jesus. Why did Luke have to mess it up with this part about conflict and anger? Perhaps it was a reminder that blessings – our own and those we give to others – don’t fall magically from the heavens, that they are not created by one hero. They take the efforts of many – human gifts of time and talent and resources. Perhaps it is a reminder that Jesus wasn’t sent to fix the world but to teach us how to do it. Perhaps it is a reminder that setting out to fix the world is a necessary, even blessed, endeavour but that it takes work, and it sometimes comes with risks… A reminder that when we set out on this path Jesus asks us to follow, we will find some steep and rocky climbs along the way and that even when we are pushed to the very edge of the cliff, not to give up but to pass through the crowd and continue on our way…

“Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.” Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer    Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Divine Spirit,

We are grateful for your presence with us, today and every day, as we discern your call to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free. Help us as we tackle the hard questions. Help as we strive to be good followers of Jesus.

In this time of stewardship and annual reports, of celebrating those whose work and generosity make us grateful and proud, open our hearts and minds to opportunities to be active participants as the life-giving call to be church in this time and place continues.

We pray for this world, for the planet we inhabit and all the diversity of life it sustains. We give thanks for all the gifts it gives us, for the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the beauty that fills our senses. In our gratefulness, give us the courage to do the things we know are necessary to heal the earth and to ensure its bounty for future generations.

We pray for the people of the world. We pray for those who suffer from hunger and from trauma, from illness and injury, from violence and the ravages of war. Open our eyes to the suffering we know exists and the suffering we cannot see. In our awareness, give us the clarity to see the places where we need to feed others before thinking of our own wants.

We pray for this faith family, for those among us who are dealing with illness, grief, loneliness and fear. As we find ourselves weary from the worry, the uncertainty, the isolation, and the seeming never-ending changes that this prolonged time of pandemic has brought, give us the motivation to be participants in the work of healing and restoration.

As we move into a new week, a new month, we remember that in each new joy and each new responsibility and each new struggle we face, we are not alone. You are with us in the celebration and in the work. With that assurance in our hearts, we recite together the ancient prayer Jesus gave to his friends,

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. Kim Vidal

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.

Offertory Prayer

(Jeanne Wilson, Gathering A/C/E 2021/22 Year C. Used with permission)

Loving God, when Jesus read from the writings of Isaiah, he found his own job description. It was clearly outlined. He was to bring good news to those downhearted, freedom for those in so many types of prisons, clarity for those who lacked understanding, help for anyone in need. As we offer our own gifts today, may they be used to continue Jesus’ work. Amen.         

Sending Forth     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Bob Root, Gathering, A/C/E 2021/22, Year C. Used with permission)

With the confidence of the presence of God within us and around us,
With the promise of the companionship of Christ on our every journey,
With the enlivening of the Spirit to keep us joyful,
Let us go now to be God’s people in the world. Amen.

Hymn:  We are Pilgrims on a Journey - Voices United #595    

1.    We are pilgrims on a journey
Fellow travellers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load. 

2.    Sister, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant too. 

3.    I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear. 

4.    I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Til we’ve seen this journey through. 

5.    When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony. 

6.    Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant too.

Words & Music © 1977 Richard Gillard arr. Betty Pulkingham
Song #BP1613 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Family of Faith – MacKenzie      BCUC Choir Oct. 4 2015

(over announcements)

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

Sunday school activities - January 30, 2022

Theme Discussion

This is the second week of our Stewardship Campaign at BCUC and the big word I want you to think about is the word “volunteer”. What comes to mind when you think of this word?  Have you heard of this word before? I’m sure many of you have.

A volunteer is someone who offers to help or to work without pay. That person simply gives his or her time and talent in doing a task without expecting monetary payment. There are many places that need volunteers. Schools, hospitals, libraries, homes and churches are some examples of those places that need volunteers. Can you name other places that need volunteers?

Have you ever volunteered at all? What did you do? How did you feel about it?

The home is an ideal place to volunteer. Maybe your mom or your dad asked your help at home like taking out the trash or walking your pet dog. You can be a good volunteer by playing with your younger siblings or by cleaning your room. What other ways can you volunteer at home?

Why do you think people volunteer? For one, I think it makes someone feel good. There’s that sense of satisfaction and pride of helping others and making the work done without getting paid. By sharing your time, talents and treasures as a volunteer also strengthens the family, the community and the world.

In our church, we need many volunteers to help the ministers, the music director and the office administrators because they couldn’t possibly do all the work themselves. Someone has to look after the church building. Someone has to help teach in Sunday School. Someone has to look after the finances. Someone has to tend the church garden. Someone has to help at worship service. Someone has to help raise funds. There are many ways in which volunteers are in demand at church. Can you think of other reasons why people volunteer?

But the most important thing to remember is this: Jesus taught us to love one another; to offer care and share what we have. Jesus himself volunteered his time, his talents and his resources in helping those in need. Jesus showed us how to be a good Christian volunteer.

And yes, volunteers make a difference in the world! That is something we need to be thankful for!

Response Activity Ideas

Video inspiration of kids and young adults volunteering in their communities

Little girls giving to people experiencing homelessness:

Girl volunteers at a senior’s centre:

Why communities need volunteers:

Invent a new non-profit organization

(Modified from: https://www.woojr.com/volunteering-for-kids/)

Try using your imagination to solve a problem or meet a need in your school community or anywhere in the world!  Maybe you love animals and want to start a shelter, or you want to plant trees in your neigbourhood, or maybe you want to raise money for kids who are in the hospital with serious illnesses.  There are many issues in our world that could use caring support!

Invent your own company where the primary goal is helping others or the community, not to make profits (money) for itself – a non-profit organization.  Make an information page about it sharing these ideas:

1. What problem do you want to solve? Or what benefit does it offer to people, animals, or the community?

2. What will you name your organization?

3. What would you need volunteers to do for you? (making posters, gathering materials, collecting donations, etc?)

4. What events would you do to raise money? (bake sale, dance-a-thon, cake raffle, etc?)

5. How do you feel about this work that you are doing on behalf of others?  (include a ‘quote’ from you, the CEO!)

Volunteer Colouring Sheet

Click to print PDF

Sunday Worship Service - January 23, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

3rd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY / STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY 1  

January 23, 2022

Theme: “Celebrate our Many Gifts / Give thanks for our Life as Good Stewards” 

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: Beside Thy Cradle - Violin:Leslie Wade    recorded Sunday Jan 7th, 2018

Beside thy cradle here I stand
O Thou that ever livest
Accept me, 'tis my mind and heart
My soul, my strength, my ev'ry part
That thou from me requirest.

Gerhardt/Luther, translation - Troutbeck,  harmonization - Bach 

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 3rd Sunday after Epiphany. Whether you’re at home or elsewhere, we are glad that you have joined us in our worship service today.

• Due to the rising COVID variant cases in Ontario, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice. The worship service will be offered online via Youtube and through telephone. Check our website for the link, Sunday school resources and other announcements at bcuc.org.

• While the church building is not open for in-person gatherings, the work of the church carries on. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls, prayers or via online.

• And for those of you who are able to join us, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11:00 am. Check your email for the link.

We are again on our annual stewardship campaign until Feb 6th. Here now is Bill McGee for the..  

Stewardship Moment     Bill McGee, Chair – Stewardship Team

Good Morning. My name is Bill McGee of the Stewardship Committee.  You should have received the Stewardship Material for 2022 by now electronically, or any day now by Canada Post. If you have not, please notify the office.

The package is generally the same as last year. In the package is:

• A colourful brochure describing the work of the church, with photos of the Church and the new Portico.

• There is a message from our acting Board Chair Jordan Berard about the current trends in our church that you will find interesting.  And our staff.

• There a message about the projects of the Property Management people , which I always find interesting.

• There is the budget for 2021 for your reference; the 2022 Budget will be available at the AGM in early March. There is a message from minister Rev Kim Vidal and me and other information.

• As well, the package has a two-page pink form describing the many opportunities for volunteering.

• There is another page that we would like you to return to the Church; one half to indicate your interests in volunteering, and a half-page for you to indicate your financial commitment to the Church for 2022. Instructions are on the reverse.

If you received the Stewardship information electronically, you will need to provide an envelope to return your intentions to the Church, by mailing, or placing in the letter slot by the kitchen. Please mark STEWARDSHIP on the envelope so that we may keep the information confidential as needed.

As background information I have sent you an email individually detailing your present Time and Talent entries in the church database. This will come from my personal email account.

We hope that you will be able to return the completed forms in two weeks, by 6 Feb, as this will allow planning for the virtual AGM 2022 on Sunday March 6.

There is no Committee Fair this year. Instead, we are sending you, electronically, information about the good work of the Service, Outreach and Social Action committee and the other church committees.

Thank you on behalf of the Stewardship team of Bob Boynton, Barb and Bob Noyes, Ron Prince, whose exemplary work has now been relinquished to Larry Ryan, and Rev Kim Vidal. We also express our thanks and appreciation to our ever-helpful Office Administrators, Ruth Timms and Ellen Boynton.

Centering for Worship

Friends, as we as we reflect on our call to stewardship, remember these words from Thomas Merton: “To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything that we receive…. Every breath we draw is a gift of God’s love; every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from God.” Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Jan & Norm Pound

(Bill Perry, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Year C. Used with Permission)

Light is a wonderful gift.
It illuminates the space we are in.
The action of light we describe in a variety of ways:
light that clarifies;
light that warns us of danger;
light that guides our footsteps;
light that calms our fears;
light that offers insights.
As we gather in worship, we light this Christ candle,
A symbol of God’s presence with us.

Call to Gather    Rev. Lorrie Lowes 

(Catherine Tovell, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Year C, Used with permission.)  

Come to worship, each and every one of you.
Come as individuals to be spiritually nourished.
Come as families and neighbours,
friends and acquaintances,
each one an important part of the community of faith.
Come to worship with one another,
with strangers and with all God would send among us.
We come as the body of Christ
rejoicing with each other in our joys
and suffering with one another in our sorrow.
Come, let us worship!

Prayer of Approach

(Jeanne Wilson, Gathering, ACE 2021-2022, Year C. Used with permission.)   

Creator, Timeless, Loving God,
We gather to worship knowing that you are with us.
During this season of Epiphany,
we journey the path that Jesus travelled between
his birth and the start of his ministry.
We come to learn as he learned, with open hearts and minds.
We come to understand our place in your world
as Jesus learned to understand his place in this world.
Give us the courage to take our place
and to travel the path with Jesus. Amen. 

Hymn: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky – Voices United #509 - BCUC Choir, Leslie-violin

1.I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in deepest sin
my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send? R

Refrain:
Here I am Lord.
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

2.I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them, they turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send? R

3.I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them; my hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide,
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?  R

Words & Music © 1981 Daniel L. Schutte    New Dawn Music      
Song#80670 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

This is the first Sunday of our Stewardship Campaign. I have a feeling that when you heard that, you stopped paying attention because you think it is all about money and it doesn’t have anything to do with you… and, I also have a feeling that this happened with some of the adults in the congregation too because talk about money makes people uncomfortable. Well… I’m not going to talk about money and I’m not going to talk just to the adults. I want you to think about stewardship in a different way.

We actually talk about stewardship a lot in church and in school and even just in our everyday life. It’s not a program, it’s a way of living – of living with gratitude and care for the world around us. Stewardship is the way we take care of the things that are important to us. It doesn’t have to be something big and flashy, in fact, the best kind of stewardship happens in the little things you do every day. Every time you sort your trash into recycle or compost or re-usable items, you are being a good steward of the environment. Each time you help someone, or share a smile or a hug, you are being a good steward of relationships. Stewardship is all about taking care of the blessings and gifts that we have in our lives and sharing those blessings and gifts with others. Stewardship is all about making the world a better place.

Know what? I think the children and youth in our congregation are already practicing good stewardship! Every time the CGs or Bell Canto sing, it makes the congregation smile. It makes the church service better; it makes us feel proud of all of you. That’s stewardship – sharing your gift of music. Every time you take part in lighting the candle or reading scripture, every time you bring a donation for the food bank or help set up tables for the Christmas Fair, each time you help hand out bulletins or greet someone as they arrive at church – all of those things are part of being a good steward in the church – and every time you take what you learned in church about kindness and sharing and loving your neighbour out into the world, you are practising stewardship. And the bonus is that every time you do one of these things, you not only make the world a better place, you feel good too!

So, you might think that we really don’t need a stewardship campaign then, since we are all being good stewards anyway – but this campaign is about showing you more opportunities for sharing your gifts. I was looking through the Time and Talents pages that get sent out at this time of year. It’s more than two pages of things people can do to share their gifts in the church, things that help us be the best we can be at being church – things that don’t mean just giving money. So, when I read through it this week, I was looking for ways that kids, youth, and young adults can help…

Here are some things that children can help with – greeting and handing out bulletins, lighting the Christ Candle, reading scripture, taking part in skits or special presentations, singing in the choir, playing an instrument in the band or offering a solo sometimes, taking part in Sacred Dance, sharing your artwork for the hallway, saying prayers or making cards for people who are sick or sad or lonely, sharing some of the work you do in Sunday School online or in the Main Hall…

And there are other opportunities for our older youth and young adults to take part too: serving communion, helping with the nursery or Sunday School classes, and I know there are some youth and young adults out there that could be a big help with some of the technology involved in creating our online presence – making Powerpoint slides or videos, working on social media, helping with our website, or helping with our audio-visual system.

I also know that young voices are welcome - and needed - in some of the work we do as a church.  For example, the Service, Outreach, and Social Action committee always needs extra hands to help with the work of taking church out into the world, and certainly wants to hear your ideas for other places we could help in the community. Think of the ways children and youth of BCUC have already taken part in this important work: when you brought a donation for the food bank, or helped with the “Fill the Bus” food drive, when you raised awareness and funds by launching the Sleeping Children Around the World project, or took part in a partnership visit to Nicaragua or El Salvador or Zambia. There is certainly a place for young people on our SOSA committee. Don’t just come and ask if the committee will help you with your project – come and be a part of the committee that makes those decisions!

Other committees would value your ideas and your enthusiasm too. Committees like Family Ministry, or Two Men and a Stove, or the committees that plan and organize the Christmas Fair and Garage Sale. Maybe you’d like to help at the Board level by being a youth representative. We need your voices there for sure.

Maybe you are someone who prefers to work with your hands. Setting up tables and chairs and taking them down again is a job that we often ask young folks to do when there is an event – but maybe you are really good at painting or gardening, or cooking or sewing. The Property committee or the UCW would be more than happy to hear from you!

We are surely a blessed bunch of people here at BCUC! God wants us to enjoy those blessings for sure. The Stewardship Campaign is a time to think about the good things we enjoy in our lives and to find ways to share those blessings with others. It’s a time to consider how we can use our time, our talents, and yes, our money, to take care of things that help us grow, to do the things that make us proud and happy, and to make the world a better place for everyone.

Hymn:  Living Christ, Bring Us Love – Voices United #599          CGS/BellCanto/Erin Berard

1 Living Christ, bring us love,
love for every stranger;
Living Christ, bring us love, 
love from cross and manger.

2 Living Christ, bring us joy,
joy of earth and heaven;
Living Christ, bring us joy, 
joy of sin forgiven.

3 Living Christ, bring us peace,
peace with God and neighbour;
Living Christ, bring us peace, 
peace in all our labour.

4 Living Christ, bring us love,
love shared at your table;
Living Christ, bring us love,
love from cross and stable.

5 Living Christ, lead us out,
out to tell the story;
Living Christ, lead us out,
out to show your glory.

Words & Music © Daniel Charles Damon, 1992                  Hope Publishing                       
Song # 76605 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Mary Schmieder

God of Epiphany, open our ears to the call of your voice.
Open our eyes to see the wonders of your love.
Bless us as we hear your holy Word in fresh ways. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading:  Luke 4: 14-21 (NRSV)       The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 

15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 

17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 

21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

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

Anthem: A Tapestry of Love – Chappell (UCW 50th anniversary song in 2010) in honour of UCW, Ruth and turkey pies!     Grace Notes – recorded Jan 27, 2019

These are the threads of our common lives
These are the threads soft and strong
Joining together women near and far
In a tapestry of love.

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Sermon: “Today, The Word Has Been Fulfilled”    Rev. Kim Vidal

Prayer: Loving God, as we ponder on your Word, help us to hear your call to be good stewards, as we follow the teachings and the example of Jesus. Amen.

There are three timelines that inform our existence: past, present and future, also known as yesterday, today and tomorrow. Eleanor Roosevelt in her prime years of writing once said: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why we call it the present.” “Today” is one of my favourite words. You see, I have embraced the philosophy of living one day at a time. To seize the day. To make the most of it. To embrace each day as if new opportunities come knocking at my door. And that is truly a gift!

However, the word “today” could also be dangerous and risky. It provokes one to act here and now. It calls for an urgent response to a situation. It pushes one to decide at the moment. If someone tells me to pack my bags today and only today for a free trip to somewhere warm and cozy, will I take the bite? Today? Right now? In this situation? I don’t think I’ll go. Not when Omicron is scaring many people all over the world. Not when the hospitals and health care facilities are over capacity and the number of deaths is soaring. Not when I know I’d be alone in my travel and certainly not when I would risk myself to being possibly exposed to the virus. Not today, thanks.

Currently, the world, in general, is not in a good shape, despite the many blessings that we receive day by day. The COVID pandemic is not the only current issue that’s instilling fear and uncertainty in people’s heart and mind, but also, other global issues that need our urgent attention. There is the ongoing violence and wars in many parts of the world; the ongoing challenges of climate change; the devastating aftermath of natural catastrophes and the social and religious issues confronting many societies. Add to that, the never-ending homelessness and poverty and economic recessions. On a personal level, some of us are confronted with breakdowns in relationships and the alarming cases of grief, illness, anxiety, depression, addiction, and despair. Sometimes we easily fall back into yesterday’s wonderful promises or the same-old way of thinking. There are also times when the fear of what tomorrow might bring blur us from appreciating the blessings that we receive today.

Jesus has a message for us today. Let’s travel down the memory lane of yesterday when right after his baptism and his grueling temptations in the wilderness, Jesus has come home to his hometown in Nazareth, the place where he was raised.  "Small town" hardly begins to describe Nazareth, since the entire village was perhaps about "two to four hundred people," more than enough to fill up a synagogue on a good Sabbath Day. Like one who is looking forward to a wonderful homecoming, Jesus went to synagogue on the Sabbath and was asked to read the scripture.

So there’s Jesus up in the pulpit. The attendant handed him the scroll of Isaiah. Jesus skimmed through the scroll and found what he wanted to read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of God’s favour.” This is Jesus’ supposed-to-be first sermon and one can only imagine how his family and friends and the whole community might react to him. When he reads Isaiah's words, Jesus places himself inside a tradition that is alive today…that of prophetic ministry and witness. This passage in Isaiah lays the foundation on which communities of justice and peace will be built. The social gospel is born in that moment and millions of people have followed Jesus down the path. When Jesus finished reading, he gave the scroll back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the congregation were fixed on him. Then Jesus gave his one-line sermon: "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

“Today” is Jesus' first public word - the first word remembered in the synagogue. Today, God’s word is fulfilled. The word “fulfilled” when translated means exactly that, “filled to the full”. It is a word that describes complete accomplishment. This word changes things. Dramatically. Nothing will ever be the same again. Borrowing words from the prophet Isaiah, the Lukan Jesus is setting forth his ministry’s agenda: bring good news to the poor and the downtrodden; to liberate the captives and the slaves; to recover the sight of those who are physically, morally and spiritually blind; to question the oppressive empire and free the oppressed; and to proclaim God's jubilee year-when debts are cancelled and land is returned to its rightful owner.

"Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Debbie Thomas (journeywithjesus.net) interprets this one-line sermon this way: “God’s Word lives, here and now.  It is organic, it breathes, it moves in fresh and revolutionary ways.  The Word of God is neither dull nor dead.  It is alive.” These are earth-shaking, life-changing words. The irony of this story, however, lies in the fact that the very people who need liberation, who need Good News, find Jesus’ words offensive. Jesus reminds them that the time for change, for transformation, for renewal is right now. Right at this very moment! It's no wonder that some people in the synagogue had a hard time listening to what Jesus was saying. His sermon caused a stir among the hearers because to my knowledge, Jesus was saying that what they hoped for did not happen in the past nor is happening in the distant future. Their hope is already in their midst. This word of good news from Isaiah is being fulfilled even as they listen.

Jesus proclaims in his message that today is God's day. God is to be encountered here and now in this real world. God is present in the human mess of intrigues, failure, betrayal, misunderstanding, selfishness and doubts. God is also present in moments of blessings and celebration. God is in the present moment whether it is a moment of joy or of pain. Whether we notice it or not, God is in every event and happenings in our lives. That is what makes this one-liner sermon of Jesus so powerful.

Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the things we think we already know, and the hometown crowd didn’t appreciate the one-line sermon Jesus offered. Did his sermon scare the folks in Nazareth? Did they afflict them of bringing good news to the poor, the oppressed, the captive, the blind and those who need God’s year of jubilee? Truly, Jesus’ sermon is an invitation to change and transformation. It disturbs the status quo. It challenges the existing culture and tradition; it changes neighborhoods, workplaces, the most cherished institutions, and how an individual or a community will make decisions. Surely, it is difficult to hear an inconvenient truth without getting defensive and angry.

But if the words from the prophet Isaiah were the clarion call for Jesus, a summary of his mission statement, his plan of action, as Jesus’ followers, we need to follow Jesus’ leading. What is the good news for us today? Is there good news for those who are affected by this ongoing pandemic? Is there good news for the homeless, the poor, the unemployed?  Is there good news for the world where people are struggling to make ends meet? Is there any good news for the most vulnerable in our society? The children, the women, the elderly, the homeless?  Is there good news for the displaced, the uprooted, the marginalized? Is there good news for the world today? Diana Butler Bass challenges me in her sermon:[1] “Today is a deeply dangerous spiritual reality – because today insists that we lay aside both our memories and our dreams to embrace fully the moment of now.  The past romanticizes the work of our ancestors; the future scans the horizons of our descendants and depends upon them to fix everything.  But today places us in the midst of the sacred drama, reminding us that we are actors and agents in God’s desire for the world.”

Friends, we are God’s actors and agents in transforming the world! Starting today and in the next two weeks, our faith community at BCUC, is embarking on an annual stewardship campaign. Are we ready to pledge our time, talents and treasures? Are we prepared to be co-creators and stewards of God? We do not know what the outcome of this campaign would be. We looked at the past years’ results and we cannot help but compare that those pre-pandemic years gave us better results. We do not know where this campaign will lead us, but I truly believe that today and each day, God makes all things possible! I truly believe that the ministry of this congregation, our vision and mission statements, promise a new way of being in the community. The time to take Jesus’ challenge seriously is here and now. The time to commit to action is today. Let us not dwell what happened yesterday. Let us not simply wait for tomorrow to come. Let us do what we should need to do in the name of love and justice TODAY. Hand in hand together, God will be with us. Let me close with these words by an unknown author:

There are two days in every week
about which we should not worry,
Two days which should be kept free of fear and apprehension. 

One of these days is YESTERDAY,
With its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders,
Its aches and pains.
YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control.  

All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.
We cannot undo a single act we performed;
We cannot erase a single word we said.
YESTERDAY is gone. 

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW
With its possible adversities, its burdens, its larger promise.
TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control.  

TOMORROW, the sun will rise,
Either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
But it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW
For it is as yet unborn.  

This leaves only one day – TODAY.
Anyone can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two eternities
– YESTERDAY and TOMORROW –That we sometimes break down.  

It is not the experience of TODAY that drives people mad.
It is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY
And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring. 

Let us, therefore, live but ONE day at a time.

Today, God’s word has been fulfilled in our hearing!
For this good news, let us give thanks. Amen. 

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

Holy One, source of love and compassion, you call us today as your followers. You call us to be good stewards entrusted with gifts of your abundance so we can share these gifts with others. You have given us the ability to make incredible things happen. Remind us again to listen to your call, to experience your holy presence in our lives. Help us to see You in the moment-by-moment possibilities - to live honestly, to act courageously, and to speak from the wisdom of our hearts.

Strengthen us in our calling. Where there is injustice, help us to offer healing and reconciliation. Where there is poverty, help us to reach out. Where there is grief, help us to give comfort. Where there is hopelessness, help us to bring hope. Where there is hunger, help us to provide. Where there is violence, help us to be advocates of truth and peace.

God of healing and comfort, you have called us to give a word of encouragement to those overcome with illness and grief and to those who face diverse trials in life. Through us, touch them with your healing love. Through our prayers, embrace them in your gentle love. We continue to pray for our essential and health workers, for our leaders, as they continue to work hard in this pandemic time. We also pray for those families and individuals affected by COVID and other health issues. We pray for those grieving the death of loved ones here and elsewhere.

Compassionate God, we pray that you might speak to the hearts of your people in many places. We continue to pray for the world… May your light shine for those who are full of fear; for those who experience conflict, prejudice, hatred, persecution, and poverty. Through the warmth of your light may they sense justice, feel your love, and know peace.

May we follow Jesus as our leader.  Speak to us, Spirit of Grace: of that hope which is our anchor; of that peace which is our rock; of that grace which is our refuge. Remind us to touch the lives of others by offering a kind word, a helping hand, a listening heart and a welcoming touch today and always. All these we ask in Jesus’ name who calls us from where we are and taught us this prayer we now recite together in the language of your choice…

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

he calls us from our old self to new life. Each day, we are called to minister to others in warm hospitality, healing mercies, and the promise of new beginnings. We respond to these calls 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.

Offertory Prayer

Generous God, for the gifts of time, talents and treasures delightfully given to us, we bring you our offering. May we use them to spread your love and hope for the world. Amen.  

Sending Forth  Rev. Kim Vidal

(Beth W Johnston, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Year C. Used with permission)

Today, let us go from this place of worship
to lives of prayer and action.
May we be ready to proclaim the Good News,
despite the obstacles in our way.
May our lives set free those who are captive
and grant vision to those with failing imaginations.
May we stand firm and have courage
as we live the Good News into reality
Today, tomorrow and always. Amen.

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

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.

Words © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray, Hope Pub; Music © 2002 Ron Klusmeier, musiklus         
Song # 49045 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: What a Friend We Have in Jesus – Converse arr. Hyzer     Abe:piano

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

(over announcements)

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

[1] Diana Butler-Bass sermon on January 24, 2016, “the Power of Today.

Sunday school activities - January 23, 2022

Theme Discussion

In our church service today, we began our annual Stewardship Campaign. This is a time when we find ways to thank God for all the blessings in our lives by giving back a portion of those blessings to God by being a blessing to others.

When you look around the congregation at BCUC, it’s pretty obvious that we have a lot of blessings! Everyone has a place to live, food to eat, and proper clothes for the weather. The children are all able to go to school and it is safe to play in our neighbourhoods. We know that this is not all the same for many people in the world. It’s not even the same for many people right here in Ottawa. So, as a faith community, we are asked to share some of the wonderful things we have to make others’ lives better.

God wants us to enjoy the blessings we have. We aren’t asked to give everything away, just to share a bit with others. Sometimes that thing we share is money, sometimes it’s time, and other times it might be our skills or talents. Taking care of the world and the people around us is part of loving creation and of loving our neighbour. To offer this kind of care takes all three things – time, talents, and treasures. During our Stewardship campaign we look at the blessings or gifts we have been given and we think about ways we can use those things to make the world a better place.

Have you ever thought about how you can make the world better by sharing your time? You might do this by helping with some chores around the house to save Mom and Dad some time for themselves… or by entertaining your little brother or sister by playing a game with them or reading a story. What are some ways you can use your time this week to help others?

What about sharing your talents? Think about the things you are good at. If you are good at drawing, you might make a card for someone who needs cheering up; if music is your talent, maybe you could sing in a choir or play your instrument for someone; if you are great at organizing, maybe you can help sort the laundry or tidy a cupboard… Think about the talents you have. How can you use them to make the world a little better?

Of course, the other thing we can share is our treasures. This might mean sharing some of your things or it can mean sharing your money. You might get an allowance, maybe you get paid for doing a job for someone, or maybe your grandparents send you money for your birthday. Remember, God doesn’t expect you to give it all away (and your grandparents want you to enjoy the gift too)! But what if you just put aside a little bit of the money you receive to donate to the church or to a special cause? What treasures do you have that you can share? Where can you share them that will make the world a little better for someone?

Sharing is caring – and that’s good stewardship!

Response Activity Ideas

My Helping Hand

Trace your hand on a piece of white paper and cut it out.  On each finger, write a helpful way you could use your hands in stewardship.  Colour and draw designs or images representing the ideas on each finger. “Helping Hands” or something similar could be written in the palm. Fill the rest of the hand in with images and words that represent your gifts and talents, and other ways you can contribute to God’s world.

Church of Many Talents

Make an envelope church and fill it with helpful craft stick people.

Materials: paper, envelope, craft sticks, colouring tools (optional: googly eyes, fabric pieces)

Use markers to colour five (or more!) sticks to look like people, adding googly eyes, and/or fabric ‘clothing’ if desired. On the back, label each stick with a strength, talent or gift of people who help do the work of our church (speaking, singing, baking, teaching, tech. support, cleaning, organizing, website designing, praying, etc.) Be sure to include a person representing YOU, labelled with your gifts to share!

Glue an envelope onto a piece of paper with the triangular flap pasted upward, and the pocket still accessible.  This is the “church”. Add a cross at the peak of the church roof and decorate. Insert the craft stick people and write a caption, such as, “It takes many talents to make a church.” Tuck your people into the church!

BCUC Time and Talents

Check out this year’s Time and Talent form (PDF). In this week’s Storytime part of the service, Rev. Lorrie made some suggestions of things on this list that would be perfect for people your age to get involved with!  Have a look on the list and see if there is something there that you could do to contribute.  Maybe you have another idea no one has thought of yet?! Write down what you want to do or circle the ideas on the form.  Encourage your family to return the form indicating your interest in participating.  Next – make a plan to follow through with your great ideas!

Sunday Worship Service - January 16, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

Second Sunday after Epiphany

January 16, 2022

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: Rise Up Early in the Morning – John Ray & Susan Naylor Callaway

Sung by BCUC choir – Sunday Jan 24th 2016

Song # 1001411 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Announcements      Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you on this 2nd Sunday after Epiphany. Today, we join Jesus in the gospel of John as he attends a wedding party at Cana, recalling the symbolic story of how Jesus turns water into wine. Whether you’re at home or elsewhere, we are glad that you have joined us today.

Due to the rising COVID variant cases in Ontario, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice. The worship service will be offered online via Youtube and by telephone. Check bcuc.org for the link, Sunday school resources and other announcements.

While the church building is not open for in-person gatherings, the work of the church carries on. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls, prayers or via online.

And for those of you who are able to join us, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11:00 am. Check your email for the link.

Friends, let us take this moment to reflect what running out of the symbolic turning of water into wine means for us in this season of Epiphany.

Come, let us worship God in spirit and in truth.

Lighting of the Christ Candle     Acolytes: Ellen & Bob Boynton

We are called together in a spirit of gladness,
for the presence of God within and among us
lifts the shadows of gloom and offers us hope.
The light of Christ shines on! 

Call to Gather       Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Come, feast in the abundance of God’s house!
Here, God invites us to drink from a fountain of life!
Here, we encounter the wedding feast in Cana,
when Jesus turns water into wine.
Here, God empowers us to find and share our own best gifts,
transforming our lives into newness.
Come, let us worship God who celebrates life with us! 

Prayer of Approach

(Richard Einerson, and posted at http://www.richardeinerson.com/)

Empower us as we worship here and then enable us to impact the world for Jesus. Change the stagnant water of our lives to wine and touch us as you touched those people in Cana. Give us the vision to shape a new world where self-interest is tempered and corrected by love and compassion and a hunger for justice. Give to us the gift of being filled with new wine and new vision. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Hymn: Many Are the Lightbeams -Voices United #588 CGS/Bell Canto Erin:flute May 2021

2. Many are the branches of the one tree.
Our one tree is Jesus.
Many are the branches of the one tree;
We are one in Christ.

3. Many are the gifts given, love is all one.
Love’s the gift of Jesus.
Many are the gifts given, love is all one;
We are one in Christ.

4. Many ways to serve God, the Spirit is one,
Servant spirit of Jesus.
Many ways to serve God, the Spirit is one;
We are one in Christ.

5. Many are the members, the body is one,
Members all of Jesus.
Many are the members, the body is one;
We are one in Christ.

Words: Cyprian of Carthage, 252, Swedish para., Anders Frostenson, 1972. English trans. © David Lewis, 1983; Music © Olle Widestrand, 1974, arr. by Leonard Lythgoe , 1995.
Song # 01706 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

I miss parties! Do you? So many celebrations have had to be cancelled because of this pandemic -birthday parties, graduation parties, Hallowe’en parties, Christmas parties… I know that people have found ways to celebrate anyway, but it’s just not the same somehow. Nothing beats getting a whole lot of happy people together to share the fun – and the food! Parties are an important part of our culture – and I miss them.

In our Bible story today, Jesus, his mother, and his disciples are at a party. It’s a celebration of a wedding. In Jesus’ time, a wedding reception was a huge celebration. It didn’t last just a few hours; it went on for several days! It was one of the biggest reasons to celebrate and a very important part of the culture. Just imagine it! It would take a lot of planning – and a lot of food and drink! Well, at this particular wedding, something went wrong. They ran out of wine! Now, this might not seem like a big world problem but it would have been terrible for the hosts of the party.! They would be very embarrassed. It would have ruined the party.

I wonder what might be like that for us today… maybe if you had a birthday party and there wasn’t enough cake for everybody… or maybe there weren’t enough loot bags… That might kind of ruin the party feeling. It might not be life-changing in the long run – but it would have been a catastrophe at that moment in time.

Running out of wine that day was such a catastrophe that Jesus’ mother tells him, “You’ve got to do something to fix this!” At first, he says, “Not my problem, Mom. Why should I worry about this? This isn’t the time for me to do something.”

But Mary doesn’t believe that her son won’t do something to help. She has confidence in him and she is sure that he will step up. She tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. And Jesus does come to the rescue after all. He tells the servants to fill some jugs with water, and when they do, it has turned into wine. The party is saved!

It sounds a bit like a magic trick, doesn’t it? But, I think there is something more that we are supposed to learn from this story – something more than seeing Jesus as a magician.

Just like us, living through a pandemic, I think the people of Jesus’ time were tired. They were poor, they were being governed by a cruel emperor. Their spirits were low – and, even something as happy as a wedding was about to be ruined. The party would end with everyone feeling even worse than before.

We are tired. We want this Covid virus to disappear. We want to be able to hug our friends and go to school or church. We want to have a real party. We want someone like Jesus to do the magic or perform a miracle to make the world safe and happy again.

In this story, Jesus didn’t fix the world. He didn’t make the people rich. He didn’t fight the emperor. He took something as ordinary as water and used it to lift the people’s spirits – to make them happy, and less worried. He didn’t fix the world that day, he helped make this group of people happy and comfortable for a little while longer.

Mary told the servants to do what Jesus told them to do. I think that’s an important line for us to remember about this story. When the servants did what Jesus said, the wedding celebration was saved.

What if we do what Jesus told us to do? What if we showed love to our neighbour and shared our gifts and took care of our own little part of the world? Do you think it could make that small part of the world a little happier? What if everybody did some small thing to make the people around them happier?

This was Jesus’ first miracle – something small and just important to the people at that wedding. As he goes on in his ministry, he heals the sick and feeds the thousands. He takes care of the people he meets, even when they aren’t his friends or family. This little miracle of turning ordinary water into wine was just the beginning of what can happen once we start trying to make a difference for the people right in front of us, in the place where we are right now.

What little miracle can you do today to make your small part of the world a better place? I wonder what miracles you will go on to do in your life…

Let’s finish with a prayer:

God of miracles,

Thank you for all the little miracles that happen around us every day, and for the people who make them happen – front-line workers, delivery people, friends who call or send us letters, teachers who keep us connected to our friends and our learning, families who love us and keep us safe in these strange times.

Help us see that even things that seem ordinary can make a huge difference for the people around us. Help us see that we can be miracle workers in our own small way.

Amen.

Hymn:  You Are Holy -   More Voices #45   TeGrotenhuis family  Jan 2021

1.You are holy… you show us the way. (4X)

Refrain:
You show us, you show us, you show us the way. (4X) 

2.You are freedom…

3.You are justice…

Words and Music: © traditional song, South Africa
Song reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: Dan Lanoue

God of abundant joy and overflowing grace, open us to your Word.
Open us to trust in your spirit’s presence and to follow Jesus’ leading to amazing renewal. Amen.

The Gospel Reading: John 2: 1-11 (NRSV)   The Wedding at Cana

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 

2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 

3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 

4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 

6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 

8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 

9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 

10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

May God’s wisdom dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Music Interlude: Trumpet Tune – Purcell  organ: Abe  - May 2021

Sermon: “When the Wine Runs Out”        Rev. Kim Vidal

Prayer: God of abundant joy and overflowing love, open our hearts to reflect on your words and empower us to follow Jesus’ leading. Amen

Wedding mishaps! They happen from time to time! Here are some wedding mishaps that I have experienced in my years of ministry!

• The bride was late for almost 30 minutes, during which time, the groom got nauseous and turned pale. The reason for the delay, the bride’s car had a flat tire coming to church.

• The groom and best man got to the church on time, but they forgot to bring the ring.

• A wedding ceremony was performed outdoors – under a canopy tent in the middle of a farm. As the bride and groom were exchanging their vows, the sky turned dark and heavy rains came pouring down and got us all wet. We have to run to the groom’s house with mud all over our shoes and clothes!

In today’s Gospel story, we meet Jesus and his mother, whom John did not name, but we all know it was Mary, at a wedding party in Cana and a mishap took place. In those days, weddings are celebrated through a 7-day feast at the groom’s house. Imagine that!  John did not tell us who the host was or the two people getting married. We do not have a clue – but one can assume that it might be a "family affair" or a wedding in the village where Mary, Jesus and his disciples were invited. Mary is the one who notices that the wine has run out and tells Jesus to do something about it. You can almost feel the frustration and panic in her voice: “They have no wine!” Mary knew that the party is heading towards disaster because the wine is almost gone before the party is over. In those days, they regarded running out of wine as a social failure. It was shameful to run out of wine, especially at a wedding; and it could cause family pain and humiliation in the community - a crisis for the host family who is responsible for hospitality. Even the best laid planned and most favourable of human situations can sometimes turn sideways. I hear fear and panic in Mary's voice. “They have no wine!” With those words, Mary speaks a truth about our human condition that at some point we all experience. There comes a time in our lives when the wine runs out. When emptiness and barrenness kick in. The joyful party is over and our life is back to square one with no vitality whatsoever. Nothing seems to be sparkling within us and our world becomes bland and mundane. Like Mary, sometimes we hear concerns too, that we carry deep within ourselves familiar to many of us: “We are in a shortfall. We don’t have enough.  Not safe enough. Not patient enough. Not loving enough. Not good enough.” But Jesus responds, as he always does, with a positive, radical abundance.

Jesus has an odd response to Mary: “Woman, what is your business in putting your nose into this? My time has not yet come”. For some of us listening to Jesus’ way of addressing Mary as Woman might sound disrespectful.  When we call our mothers, we use endearing words like Mom, Mommy, Mamang, Eomma or Mama. Sometimes when we are annoyed at our mothers, we sometimes call them “Mother” or worse, their first and last name. Was Jesus really disrespectful or was it a translation issue? Most NT scholars agree that the word for woman used in this context in the original Greek is in the vocative case. Woman in the first century world is used as a title of respect or endearment, which is similar to “Madam” or “Lady,” than the word “woman” as we presently use it.

I interpret Jesus’ response to Mary like this: “Lady Mary, my call to show some signs has not yet began– please let me enjoy this party first. Don’t spoil the fun! It is neither my business nor yours to meddle in the host’s affair.”  Jesus’ response also reminds us that Jesus is more than the son of Mary - that Jesus had a ministry entrusted to him by God to attend to and it will come in God’s perfect time.  But Mary did not back down – she completely ignored Jesus’ response. It was not recorded in John but I can fully hear Mary’s voice of authority as she addressed the servants: “Do whatever he tells you! Pronto!” If I was to write a script of this conversation, I could picture Jesus as being left standing where he was, scratching his head but with a smile on his face for he knows how feisty his mother could be. And feisty mothers must never be crossed or else you’ll suffer the consequence of your actions. :)

Jesus concedes to Mary’s demand, according to John, and performed his first known miracle by turning six jars of water that are used for the ritual of purification into the finest of fine wines - better than the choice wine they had served before. Water for purification at the wedding celebration or any Jewish gathering was both a practical and a symbolic reminder of the purity system that is very much part of the Jewish tradition. The best wine is now served to keep the party last for seven days or more. The servants were amazed, the chief steward was dumbfounded and his disciples gave two-thumbs up for their leader.

For modern hearers and readers like us, we find this gospel story, this miracle, a mysterious one. Why? Because most of us still interpret this story in its literal sense. That Jesus with his magic wand literally turned the water into wine. I even read a joke on facebook when someone posted: “Hey, I’m having a party this weekend, can you tell me how Jesus turned water into wine? I need at least 60 bottles of wine!” What if we move away from its literal interpretation to something symbolic, allegorical or metaphorical? What if the gospel writer John saw something about Jesus that would make the party celebratory and life-giving? To make the party going? That the party itself is about life and the human condition? That sometimes our wine of hope, of peace, of justice or of joy depletes from time to time causing us to fear the unknown and leaving us with a sense of emptiness, isolation or breakdown? What if John had every intention of portraying Jesus as God’s sign of abundance for all and uses this story to symbolize John’s intent? What if John is calling us to focus on Jesus himself as the bringer of abundance and not on the miracle that is being laid out in the story?

Interpreting the story this way gives us a lot of possibilities. It could mean that Jesus turning the water of purification into the finest wine signifies the defeat of the old religious system, of the old self, of the old world of oppression, of exclusion, of poverty, of hopelessness, of emptiness, of injustice, of lack. Now, instead of jars of water, symbolic of an oppressive, unwelcoming system, the jars of water become the jars of new wine. The good wine represents the in-breaking of God’s abundance - of a new order, of a new way of living together in community, a new way in revealing God’s grace and love to places and people in need of healing, inclusion and a hearty welcome. John to my knowledge is presenting Jesus as our new wine. This wine is an epiphany, the revelation of God's presence in the person of Jesus. The wedding guests tasted the difference; through Jesus, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The wedding feast is symbolic of life in community. Scarcity and lack and the old order failed and the gift of abundance and inclusion paved its way to a joyous feast. How is that for a happy ending of the story?

In the next three consecutive Sundays starting Jan 23rd, we are again launching our annual stewardship campaign. Within the financial target lie our commitment to faithfully serve the community, to achieve our vision for the church of Jesus Christ in this time and place, and our desire to be present in the world as God’s agents of love and transformation. It sounds like a lot, and it is; but our financial giving is only but one reflection of our hopes and beliefs in the creation of the community of the faithful. We are also encouraged to pledge our time, our talents, our presence and our resources to our vision of hope. No amount given is too outrageous, for surely our vision for a better community is made possible by our faith in God who lavishly gives and blesses us in return.

Dear friends, the Wedding at Cana holds before us some serious questions and wonderings. Where has the wine of our life run out? What relationships have run dry? What parts of us remain empty and hopeless? The Wedding at Cana embodies the nature of God’s radical abundance through whom all things are possible. The power of this story is God’s power of love in action through Jesus Christ. The abundance of the flowing, fine wine is the fullness of wisdom and grace which Jesus offers to all of us. The ordinary becomes extraordinary; the water becomes the wine of healing; this wine binds people together in new and exciting ways. It is about the birth of a new community. Biblical scholar Paul Meyer says it beautifully, "The Cana story is not primarily about a humble Galilean village wedding, but about the Bringer of divine gifts, Jesus Christ himself.” (Gaventa, 1995).

Let this be the story of our congregation in 2022. And then our questions will change--from the concern of "will we have enough wine to sustain us?" to a new radical one: "How shall we live this new wine offered by Jesus?  how shall we live a life of radical abundance, where there is more than enough wine of welcome and grace for all to partake? Friends, please be reminded that the miracle of transformation always begins when the wine runs out.

Let me close with a prayer written by Bruce Sanguin, in his book, If Darwin Prayed:

“… And from Jesus’ heart there flows an unexpected abundance. It spills over into our own, and by the grace of Spirit, through our own extravagant offerings of love, we become living hints in a hurting world that at this wedding of hope and possibility, the dancing has just begun.” Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Written by Ted Dodd for DUCC and DOTAC)

Incarnate One,
the wine has given out,
and the jars are empty.
We live in a time of
persistent pivoting and stretched health care,
amassing troops and blockaded aid,
environmental gloom and heavy rains,
“Me Too” and murder trials.
Please, dear Jesus, do not say to us
that your hour has not come,
that all of this is of no concern to you.
We do not need divine reluctance.
The world and your people are
weary and worn-out,
tired and tempted,
sad and sorrowful.
We do not presume that you are
a Galilean magician,
a miracle ATM,
or an ancient present-bearing Santa,
but please, dear Jesus,
fill us to the brim,
turn water into wine.
We need
to remember the extravagant abundance of creation,
to celebrate the outstanding blessing of life,
to rejoice with gratitude for the gifts you offer us.
We hope that your astonishing divine generosity will turn,
war into peace,
inequality into respect,
cruelty into compassion,
despair into justice.
Give us a sign.
Reveal your glory.
Help us to keep the party going.
Let’s have the feast be joy.
May the banquet be welcome and hospitality. 

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. Kim Vidal

There are many signs we claim for our faith but ultimately it is our active love that reveals who we are, just like Jesus who revealed his abundant love for us in the Wedding at Cana. 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 mailbox 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.

Offertory Prayer

Source of Love, for the talents and gifts abundantly given to us, we bring you our offering. May we use them to spread your love and hope for the world. Amen.

Sending Forth       Rev. Kim Vidal

(Beth Johnson, Gathering, ACE 2021-2022, Year C. Used with permission.)

Just as Jesus’ presence at the wedding banquet changed water into wine,
so too, Jesus’ presence in our lives can change something ordinary
into something joy-filled and celebratory.
Let us go forth in faith-filled, joyous celebration. Amen.

Hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me? – Voices United #567   TeGrotenhuis family

1.Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2.Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3.Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4.Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5.Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Words: © 1987 John Bell, Music Scottish traditional
Song # 87129  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: (Over Announcements)

Entrance of the Queen of Sheba – Handel   (full version) organ/piano/strings:Abe - May 2021

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

Sunday school activities - January 16, 2022

This week’s Bible Story is about the wedding at Cana. You can watch it here:

At this wedding, Jesus turned water into wine. This seems like a strange thing for Jesus to do, doesn’t it? He didn’t heal a sick person or make a blind man see. He didn’t feed thousands of people with just a few loaves and fishes. He just made sure that a party could continue and that no one would be embarrassed or upset.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a very important thing at all. In fact, when his mother asks him to do something about the fact that the wine had run out, he tells her that he really doesn’t see it as his problem. No big deal.

But it was a big deal to the people he was with right at that moment. It was a huge problem for the people who were hosting the party. They would have been very embarrassed and it might have ruined their reputation. It would have ended the celebration and that might seem that they really weren’t happy about the marriage.

So, Jesus takes this opportunity to make a difference to the people right there in front of him. He didn’t save the world from all its problems, but he did make life happier for those people on that particular day. It was a small miracle, but one that was important at that moment.

Do you sometimes wish you had the power to change the world? What would you want to do to make it a better place? Maybe you’d like to stop all wars, or make sure everyone has clean water to drink. What other ideas do you have?

Maybe, we can’t do something big like that, but maybe we can be like Jesus in this story and do something we can, something that will make our own small world a better place right now. I remember things that happened at the beginning of the pandemic, when children drew rainbows and put them in their windows, or when everyone went outside and clapped when nurses and doctors were heading home after a hard day taking care of people – small things that made a huge difference to people who were anxious and tired.

What are some things that you can do to make the world around you better today?

• For you family

• For your classmates

• For your pets

• …

Response Activity Ideas

Spot the Difference

Visit this link https://cartoonchurch.com/content/cc/the-wedding-at-cana-spot-the-difference/ to view and print a Spot-the-difference challenge of the Wedding at Cana. Colour one of the images and retell the story once you’ve found all 20 differences!

Random Acts of Kindness Bingo

(From kindness.org)

How many kind acts can you do? Fill up your bingo board by doing as many kind acts as possible. Once you’ve done a kind act, put a checkmark or X over it. Compete against family members, friends, or challenge yourself!

Click to print PDF

Spread Kindness Poster

Find a quote about spreading kindness and make an illustrated poster of the phrase to post up in your home, neighbourhood, or to share on social media.

Here are some ideas:

• “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” - Dr. Seuss

• “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - Dalai Lama

• “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” - Jesse Jackson

• “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” - Dolly Parton

Sunday Worship Services - January 9, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

BAPTISM OF JESUS SUNDAY

January 9, 2022

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: More Voices 128: When They Saw That Jesus was Coming - selected verses BCUC Choir – recorded Sunday Jan 15, 2017

1.  When they heard that Jesus was coming,
Sing hosanna to the chosen one!
All the people went out to meet him.
Sing hosanna to the chosen one! 

Refrain   Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the chosen one! 

3.  Blest is he, like David before him…
Blest is he, God’s blessing upon him… Ref 

5.  Word of God, and first-born of people,…
Promise kept, the crown of creation… 

7.  Wondrous bread, and stream in the desert,…
Holy thirst, and God’s living water… 

9.  Rising sun, the light of the world,…
Word of life, who give us your Spirit…

Words & Music © 1999 Rory Cooney GIA Pub.
Song # 00462 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Acknowledgement of Territory         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we begin our worship today, we remember that in this congregation, we live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Peoples. We give thanks for their stewardship of the land and the water, the plants and the animals, through many generations. We also acknowledge their story, and our place in it, with sorrow. As we continue to live on this land with respect for it and for its people, may we commit to working toward truth, justice and reconciliation. All my relations.

Welcome & Announcements           Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! Happy New Year! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you on this Baptism of Jesus Sunday as we remember Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan River. Today, we are also reminded of the vows that we have professed at our baptism. Whether you’re at home or elsewhere, we are glad that you have joined us today.

Due to the rising COVID variant cases in Ontario, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice. The worship service will be offered online via Youtube and through telephone. Check our website for the link and other announcements at bcuc.org.

While the church building is not open for in-person gatherings, the work of the church carries on. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls, prayers or via online.

And for those of you who are able to join us, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11am. Check your email for the link.

Friends, as we welcome a New Year in our midst, let us take a moment to reflect and remember what the season of Epiphany means for us: to make way for God’s light to shine in our lives. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Sue & Rick Morrison

We light this Christ Candle to remember that day when Jesus was baptized by John at the Jordan River. This light invites us to listen to God’s voice calling us God’s beloved. This light urges us to follow Jesus’ way of love and justice. This light calls us to be immersed in the Holy Spirit’s power so we may offer the light of Christ as hope and peace for the world.

Call to Gather       Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Inspired by the words of Rt. Rev. Richard Bott, The Gathering ACE 2012-2013, Year C. Used with permission.)

Water… to quench our thirst.
Water… to cleanse our bodies. 
Water… to refresh our souls.
Water… to remind us of new life!
Come, come and see Jesus being baptized,
who offers us the water of life,
the spring that will never run dry,
the one who quenches our thirst,
and invites us to be who we can even imagine!
Come to the water.
Come to remember.
Come to relive.
Come to worship God. Alleluia! 

Prayer of Approach

(Kate Crawford, The Gathering ACE 2012-2013, Year C. Used with permission.)

Just as Jesus went down under the water to be baptized,
so may we immerse ourselves in worship and praise.
Just as Jesus did this to fulfill all righteousness,
so may we seek to be righteous all our days.
Just as the Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove,
may we know the blessing of the Spirit’s presence
settling gently on us now and making our intentions holy. Amen. 

Hymn:    River – More Voices #3    BCUC Music team 2020 (updated with Angela)

1 River, rush-a-down to the ocean blue,
River from a mountain high.
River, as you do what rivers do,
River, draw the Spirit nigh. 

2 Spirit, come-a-down to the river-side,
Spirit, spark of wondrous thought.
Spirit, I am free for you to guide,
Spirit, pray that I be taught! 

3 Water, let me drink of your healing pow’r,
Water, strength and life you give.
Water, as I travel with each hour,
Water, help my body live. 

4 River, flow-a-down where you ran before,
River, source of clearer view.
River, as I walk your rocky shore,
River, see my journey through.
See my journey through…

Words & Music © 2003 Julian Pattison
Song # 118178 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Storytime     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Even though it is only a short time since Christmas, when we celebrated the birth of Jesus, today we are skipping way ahead to when he was baptised. If you grow up in the United Church, it’s very likely that you are baptized when you were just a baby or a small child, but that wasn’t the case for Jesus. He was baptized when he was all grown up, an adult. It didn’t happen in a church or a synagogue, it happened in a river, the River Jordan, a very important waterway for the people of that time and place. In our church, water is an important part of baptism too. It is poured into the font and then sprinkled on the head of the person being baptized. For Jesus, it was very different. He was dunked right under the water in the river!

Your baptism and Jesus’ baptism seem very different, but there is one very important thing that makes it just the same – and that thing is love.

In our Bible story today, we will hear that, when Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened up, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice said, “You are my son, the beloved.”

Doesn’t that sound amazing! To be the son of God?! Well, guess what, you are also a child of God – and so am I and so are all the people in our church – and all the people in the world! Everyone, everywhere is part of God’s family. God loves each and every one of us.

Now, when someone is baptized here at BCUC, we don’t usually see a dove descend, and we don’t hear a voice from heaven – but that Holy Spirit and that love is definitely there. Everyone present expresses that love. It’s especially noticeable when a baby is being baptized – so many smiles on faces and “oohs” and “ahhs” as the baby is paraded around the sanctuary. Have you noticed that it’s not just the baby or the person and their immediate family that takes part in the baptism? The whole congregation stands up and makes vows – promises – to support, to care, and to love that person. That’s because they are now a part of our faith family, our Bells Corners United Church branch of God’s family. We aren’t just saying, “You are welcome here.” We say that to everyone who comes through our doors, of course. At baptism, we are saying, “Welcome home!”

Being dunked in a river might seem like a more exciting way to be baptized than what we do here. In our stories about John the Baptist, we heard that he shouted at the people to repent – to turn themselves around and live a better life. Being dunked in the river was like being washed clean, ready to start over as a new person.  But I like our sacrament of baptism too, where babies are held gently and blessed with warm water. It reminds me of welcoming my babies when they were born, with a warm bath and lots of love. To me, it says, “I love you, just the way you are, and I’m here to help you grow to be the best person you can be.”

You don’t have to be baptized to receive that love; this faith family will love you anyway. At baptism we are celebrating the fact that you, or someone who loves you very much, have chosen this faith family as a place where you feel safe and nurtured, as a place where you can grow to love and nurture others.

You may not remember the day you were baptized, but if you were, I bet your parents will remember that day. I hope you will ask them to tell you about it!

Let’s finish with a prayer:

Loving God, thank you for loving me just the way I am, and thank you for this faith family who will help me grow in your way. Amen.

Hymn: Behold, I Make All Things New - More Voices #115   soloist: Erin Berard

Behold, (behold,) behold, (behold,)
I make all things new,
beginning with you and starting from today.
Behold, (behold,) behold, (behold,)
I make all things new,
my promises true,
for I am Christ the way.

Repeat

Words and Music © 1995 John Bell IONA community GIA Pub
Song #00914   Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Monica Peck

As the blessing of the Holy Spirit is given to Jesus at his baptism, may the blessing of the same Spirit be given to us as we hear and reflect on this Gospel story. Amen. 

The Reading:   Luke 3: 15-22 (NRSV)        John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

May God’s wisdom dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Anthem: Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day  

BCUC choir – Christmas concert 2016 (and verse 4 Sunday Jan 8, 2017)

1. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance;

Chorus
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love

2. Then was I born of a virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance
Thus was I knit to man's nature
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

3. In a manger laid, and wrapped I was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

4. Then afterwards baptized I was;
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard from above,
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

Traditional English Source: William Sandys, arr. Gardner

Sermon:  “Taking Risks”            Rev. Kim Vidal

Prayer: Immerse us now, O God, in the waters of your wisdom, as we reflect on this story of faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It was a foggy morning on July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence May Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island in Southern California. She intended to swim the channel from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman in 1950 to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was pretty cold that day. But the fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So, she quit. . . only one-mile from her goal. 

Later she said, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it." It wasn't the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. She couldn’t see where she’s going. She couldn’t take the risk at that point. She needs a clear view of the land. Two months after her first attempt, Florence May Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance. This time she did not hesitate.

She plunged herself into the water, took the risk, setting a new record, all because she could see the land.[1]

How would you feel when you hear the words risk-taking? Does your heart beat fast? Do you have an adrenaline rush? or butterflies in your stomach? The thought of facing a tough challenge or taking a risk could be as exciting and adventurous to some but for others it strikes fear and discomfort. Think of all the sports and activities where the primary appeal is risk: bungee jumping, skydiving, auto racing, mountain climbing or even swimming with sharks. In hockey, Wayne Gretzky at one point said, “If you don’t take risks, you’ll always miss 100% of the shots.” What about those who would invest in a start-up business or those joining a protest movement that might land them in jail?  Some people just love taking risks. In Christian parlance, we call it a leap of faith. But in reality, most of us, myself included, are not risk-takers. Most of us find it safer to remain in our comfort zones, protected and secure. We are security-seekers committed to playing it safe and I think there’s nothing wrong about this at all. So when is risk-taking necessary?

On a warm sunny, clear day around the year 30 CE, people filled with expectation came to the banks of Jordan River. For some, it must have been a week-long journey, walking with thin sandals or barefoot on dusty, muddy trails. For some, it meant sacrificing a few days’ worth of work leaving their fields and flocks untended. They did not come to swim the river from end to end. They came for one sacred purpose: to undergo a ritual of cleansing, perhaps a bath of new beginnings. They came the way people have always come to the water, intentionally, knowing they can’t live without it. From their ancient roots, they have learned that water nourished their fields and crops, cleansed and refreshed their bodies, and satisfied their physical as well as spiritual thirst. These people who came to the river had drunk deeply of the stories of their faith. They knew about the waters of creation and the dangerous waters of the flood. They knew about their ancestors’ story of how the waters of the Red Sea parted as God’s people escaped towards freedom. They came filled with expectation that stepping into this water would wash them clean and new again, and would somehow satisfy their thirst for God.

Baptisms for the first century Jewish people were essential, according to Brian MacLaren[2], because pilgrims who came from distant lands to the Temple were understood to be unclean as a result of their contact with people of other faiths and cultures. Bath places were constructed around the Temple so that pilgrims and worshippers would be able to ceremonially wash off their contamination and present themselves to God as “clean people.” Can you imagine how shocking it must have been for Zechariah to realize that his son, John, would perform the cleansing ritual not in the baths of the Temple but out in the countryside, along the banks of Jordan River? Can you imagine the risks John took in confronting those in power by disrupting the rules of the Temple? John made a choice. Through his actions, John took a risk and made a clear political and religious statement. He introduced a new kind of baptism – a baptism of repentance and called people to rethink everything, to turn around from their ungodly ways through a symbolic immersion in the flowing waters of Jordan not in the enclosed comforts of a Temple bath. John took the risk and his subversion from the religious system of his day, his protest movement, would have cost his life in the end. But he took the risk nonetheless.

On that same day, Jesus came, among the crowds, to the waters of Jordan, filled with expectations, too. Most likely, Jesus had identified himself with John’s protest movement in the Galilean countryside. In all of the gospel accounts describing the baptism of Jesus, some questions remain unanswered. Why was Jesus baptized? After all, according to John the Baptist, baptism is for the purpose of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. What did Jesus need to repent of? And what did he need to be forgiven for? Why then did Jesus undergo baptism? Did Jesus know what he’s getting into? Is he willing to take the risk?

I think Luke has the answers. It was not about forgiveness that Jesus was baptized. It was about receiving the Holy Spirit for empowerment, to inaugurate him for the work in building God’s reign on earth. If you read the passage closely, Luke omits Mark’s and Matthew’s claim that John baptized Jesus. For Luke, Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ baptism was an awakening moment for Jesus which drove him to accept God’s call to serve people. Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism was dramatic. As Jesus came out of the water, people heard a rumbling sound from heavens. They saw something – perhaps like a smoke descending from the sky in the form of a dove landing on Jesus’ head. Then a thunderous voice of God saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The ritual of baptism is an awakening moment, a cleansing of one’s soul – a sacrament of new beginnings. Baptism initiates one to become a traveler in the Christian faith.  Perhaps, Jesus submits himself for baptism because in his young adult life, he must have at times questioned his call and he longed to immerse himself in the holy depths of his Abba-Father’s love. Jesus relies on the Holy Spirit to awaken him, to nudge him to acts of risk-taking - to lead him to doing works of kindness, justice and compassion; to be in solidarity with a world in need of healing and love. When Jesus stepped into the waters of the River Jordan, he was stepping into the whole flow of human story. He plunged himself into a life of servant leadership, a life of risk-taking as he acknowledges his oneness with the story of his people, the story of people who thirst for something, who thirst for God’s love.

When is risk-taking necessary? How do we respond to the challenge? As followers of Jesus Christ, we too sometimes, are called to step out of our comfort zones to leap in faith. When we do that, always remember that we are not alone. God’s Holy Spirit will journey with us. God’s presence will stretch and mould us into stronger, more empowered people. I take inspiration from John Piper’s words: “Is taking risks unwise and unloving? Maybe. But maybe not. What if the circumstances are such that not taking a risk will result in loss and injury? It may not be wise to play it safe. And what if a successful risk would bring great benefit to many people and its failure would bring harm only to yourself? It may not be loving to choose the comfort of security when something great may be achieved for the cause of God and for the good of others.”

Dear friends, wisdom and common sense will help you decide which road to take. Sometimes, we may need to take risks so that change might bring about something even better. Jesus did it and others followed him: Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa, Fr. Oscar Romero, Malala. Whether you decide to swim or to sink, to leap or to remain unmoved, remember, you are God’s beloved and you are not alone. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer[3]       Rev. Kim Vidal

Let us gather our hearts in prayer through these words inspired by a prayer written by Rev. Gord Dunbar:

The sparkling lights of Christmas are gone
and the guiding light of the Magi-followed star has moved on,
so we feel left in the darkness of wintry nights.
It seems the special quality of wonder and awe has left us.
Yet, when we wander down the river’s edge, following the crowd,
We don’t expect much to change – though we seek entertainment.
Along the way we notice a world in conflict,
striving for supremacy,
eager to force the weak to submit,
the powerless to keep silent.
We see it in Kazakhstan where fuel riots have rocked the government,
resulting in a deadly crackdown on protesters.
We see it through the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan.
We see it written on the faces of political leaders in the midst of global economic turndowns.
We see it etched in the worried faces of teachers and students fearful of another pandemic year.
We see it carved by the tears of the indigenous communities mourning the loss of loved ones.
We pause along the way,
hoping for the light of grace,
to pray for the world.
We continue along the way,
finally stopping at the river,
noticing faces in the crowd,
faces from our community,
faces showing the struggle with loneliness and isolation,
faces wearied by the ongoing strain of dealing with the COVID pandemic
and other health issues,
faces painted over with masks to hide the difficult wresting with grief and death.
We pause once more,
Feeling our connection and our interweaving,
praying for healing and hope.
We gaze at the ordinary river –
where John and Jesus engaged in a water ritual,
but nothing out of the ordinary,
yet we see grace and hope written in baptism shared,
justice practised, love profoundly proclaimed.
A leap of faith!
In Jesus’ baptism is our wholeness and we give joyful thanks!
In our journey to the river, O God,
we come to take risks,
offering ourselves, our love, our prayers.
All these we ask in the name of Jesus Christ,
baptized in the waters of Jordan, who taught us this ancient prayer.

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

The Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus on his baptism is with us in amazing and powerful ways, bringing shining new hope into the world. As we remember our own baptism, may we participate in the ministry of our church with that great hope, trusting in the promises of God. In our offering today, our love overflows in generosity.

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.

Offertory Prayer

(Fern Gibbard, The Gathering, ACE 2016-2017, Used with permission.)

In baptism, we have received the gift of the Spirit;
in return we offer these gifts of gratitude
that they may become a source of hope to those in need. Amen. 

Sending Forth    Rev. Kim Vidal

(Inspired by the prayers of Rev. Dawn Hutchings and Beth W. Johnson)    

Let the waters of baptism sooth you, nourish you,
and sustain you for all the possibilities yet to come!
We are the beloved children of a Creator who rejoices with us!
Listen closely.
Hear the flapping of the wings of a dove
as the Holy Spirit alights upon you.
Go forth as God’s beloved children,
knowing that the refreshing waters
will sustain you in your journey, now and always. Amen.

Hymn:  When Jesus Came to Be Baptized - Voices United #100   BCUC Sunday Jan 8, 2017

1 When Jesus comes to be baptized,
he leaves the hidden years behind,
the years of safety and of peace.
to bear the sins of humankind.

2 The Spirit of the Lord comes down,
anoints the Christ to suffering,
to preach the word, to free the bound,
and to the mourner, comfort bring.

3 He will not quench the dying flame,
and what is bruised he will not break,
but heal the wound injustice dealt,
and out of death his triumph make.

4 O Spirit help us be like Christ:
to live in love and charity,
to walk in truth and justice now,
and grow in Christian dignity.

5 We praise you, God, source of all life,
we praise you, Christ, eternal Word,
we praise you, Spirit, gracious gift,
your triune presence fills our world. 

Words v 1-3, Stanbrook Abbey, 1974, 1995; v4-5 Concacan Inc., 1989; Music Muskalisches Handbucb, 1690
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: (Over Announcements) How Bright Appears the Morning Star - BCUC Choir recorded Sunday Jan 8, 2017

1 How bright appears the Morning Star,
with mercy beaming from afar;
the host of heav'en rejoices.
O Righteous Branch, O Jesse’s Rod,
the Son of Man and Son of God,
we too will lift our voices:
Jesus, Jesus, holy, holy, yet most lowly,
come, draw near us;
great Emmanuel, come and hear us.

3 Rejoice you heav'ns, and earth, reply;
with praise, O sinners, fill the sky
for this, His incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth Your pow'r;
ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
till all know Your salvation.
Amen, amen! Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise be given
evermore by earth and heaven.

Words: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern - Philipp Nicolai, Translation: William Mercer
Music: Johann Kuhnau          Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

[1] John Cochran, sermonsearch.com)

[2] Brian Maclaren, Seeking Aliveness.

[3] Gord Dunbar, the Gathering, ACE 2009-2010, Used with permission.

Sunday school activities - January 9, 2022

Baptism of Jesus

Do you remember your baptism? Most of you were probably baptized as babies and so you likely wouldn’t remember - but most of you have seen baptisms here in our church. What did you notice about the baptism? What happened? What did people say?

In our Bible story today, John holds people under the water in the river for a moment. We don’t do that in our church but we do use water. The minister sprinkles water on the baby’s head. We use warm water here for babies. Why do you think that is? What do you think would happen if the water was really cold?

Water is an important symbol in the church. It is a symbol of washing clean and starting fresh. It is also a symbol for life, because nothing can live without water.

Sometimes when people feel sleepy, they splash their faces with cold water to wake up. Have you ever done that? Or have you ever jumped into really cold water on a hot day? Does that wake you up? That’s kind of what John the Baptist was doing when he dunked the people in the cold river. He was telling them to wake up and pay attention because Jesus was coming.

Think of some of the ways we use water every day… drinking, cleaning, making plants grow, relaxing in a warm bath… Can you think of some others?

In our country, where water is plentiful, we sometimes take it for granted. In the next few days, take notice of the times you use water. How would your life be different without water?

Look again at each thing on your list. Can you think of a way that each use of water might be a symbol for living in the way God wants us to?

Sometimes we take our church family for granted too. How would your life be different without church?

Response Activity Ideas

Remembering Your Baptism

Ask your family to tell you about your baptism.  Maybe they can find pictures taken from that day, or show you the certificate or other mementos you received. Who was there to watch or participate in your baptism? How did you react to getting wet?  How was your baptism different and similar to Jesus’ baptism?

If you haven’t been baptized, you could talk about that decision with your family.

Use a doll or action figure and a small pitcher to do pretend play baptism in a sink or basin of water!

Water Pictionary or Charades

There are a LOT of stories in the Bible where water is important.  How many can you think of? 

Did you get these ones? 

Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9), Moses and the Red Sea (Exodus 14), Jonah and the Big Fish (Jonah), Jesus Walks on Water (Mark 6:45-56), Woman at the Well (John  4)…

If you have one, flip through an illustrated children’s bible and see if you can find more.

Now make a game out of it! Set a timer for 90 seconds, then take turns with people in your family either drawing one of the stories or acting out a story (no talking!) and see if they can guess which biblical water story you were thinking of!

Torn Paper Collage

Make a paper collage to represent Jesus’ baptism.

Materials: Jesus, John, Dove clip art; green, grey, assorted blue, and light blue paper, markers/pencil crayons

Print out the Jesus, John, and dove templates, then colour and cut them out.  Use a piece of light blue paper as the background (sky).  Rip some cloud shapes from white/grey paper and glue them near the top. 

About a third of the way down, begin adding layers of green paper torn to look like hills.  In the bottom third, change to layers of blues to make wavy water, tucking John and Jesus into the middle. Continue to the bottom of the page, using the straight edge of blue water paper along the bottom edge of the background page. Glue dove and write “You are my beloved” near the top. 

Click to print PDF

Sunday Worship Service - January 2, 2022

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

EPIPHANY SUNDAY

January 2, 2022

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: In the Christmas Spirit (Hurry to Bethlehem) : spiritual tunes arr. Schram

Grace Notes – 2018 Christmas concert

Welcome & Centering for Worship        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good morning and Happy New Year! Welcome to this first Sunday of 2022! From wherever you are, I hope you know that we are glad that you have joined us today.

Given the recent spike in Covid 19 cases, we have put a pause on in-person worship in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings until further notice, but will continue to offer worship through YouTube and telephone as we have for the past year and more. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and, hopefully, to stop the spread of this virus that has disrupted our lives for so long. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. As well, let’s continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. 

During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org.

And now, let us centre ourselves for worship…

Lighting the Christ Candle     Acolytes: Chris and Kaylee Brown

(Written by Richard Bott. Gathering, Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2017-2018, page 40. Used with permission)

Like a star in the midst of the beautiful dark sky,
Like a bright window on the rainiest of days.
Like a beacon…
Like a grand “AHA!”
Christ’s light shines.
Now
Always! Amen! 

Call to Gather

(Bob Root, Gathering A/C/E, 2021-2022, p39. Used with permission)          

A new day, a new week, the beginning of a new year, and we have come to worship.

May hearts be open to all the wonders God would have us experience in this time, and when we go out from this place to serve in the world. Come, let us worship God.

Opening Prayer and Silent Reflection

(Bill Steadman, Gathering A/C/E, 2021-2022, p39. Used with permission)

Be with us, God, as we set out on the journey of a new year. Like those who have travelled through uncharted territories in the past, give us the courage to face new challenges. Like those who have known the uncertainty of what lies ahead, give us the confidence that you are there to guide us. Like those who have assumed they had all of the answers even before the questions were asked, give us the humility to be surprised by your presence and open to being upheld by your people everywhere.

(a time of Silent Reflection)

Give us the strength we need, the sensitivity others need from us, and the wisdom to respond in ways that nurture all of creation. This we pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Hymn: A Light is Gleaming - Voices United #82      Erin, Abe, Kim: guitar

Refrain:
A light is gleaming,
spreading its arms throughout the night,
living in the light.
Come share its gladness,
God’s radiant love is burning bright,
living in the light. 

1 When light comes pouring into the darkest place, it hurts our eyes to see the glow.
Sometimes a word of hope reminds us of our fears, our memories and tears. R

2 When night is round us and every shadow grows, a star is there to light our way.
It tells a story of Jesus who came near to say: “God’s light will ever stay.” R

3 And Jesus showed us a brighter path to walk. He showed us things we hadn’t seen.
Now we, like Jesus, can help creation shine,
and this will be a sign: R

4 So let us live in the brightness God has giv’n, and let us rise to see the dawn.
We trust that God is here a sparkle and a blaze, warming all our days. R

Words & Music © 1992 Linnea Good, Borealis Music
Song # 96918 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime for the Young at Heart      Erin Berard

Listen as one of the Wise Ones who visited Jesus to tell us what they remember about meeting baby Jesus in Bethlehem long ago. This story is adapted from the United Church of Canada's Advent Unwrapped resources.

I’m old, and my eyes can no longer read the stars. There are holes in my cloak and my memories. But there are some things I will never forget.

I’ll always remember that spectacular star. We hadn’t seen one like it before—and we haven’t seen one like it since. It was breathtaking, mesmerizing, and it compelled us to follow. We wanted to try to understand its meaning and the story it wished to share. 

I’ll always remember that long treacherous journey. There were 12 travellers in our caravan and 20 camels. Oh, the stink of the camels! Ha, ha…!  We carried hidden gifts with us in case we had to barter for a safe passage through a strange land. 

I’ll always remember the terror in Herod’s eyes when we came asking questions.  And the scribes’ quivering voices when they were summoned before him. They spoke of an ancient prophecy—a star, a new king, a descendant of King David. Glad to put Jerusalem behind us, we followed the star to David’s town of Bethlehem. 

I’ll always remember that little family and the peace that seemed to embrace them. Although they were living in an obscure hovel, it wasn’t difficult to find them: we stuck out like a camel’s hump in Bethlehem, and the people were eager to share the rumours with newcomers—tales told by shepherds who had been captivated by sights in the night sky and the news of a newborn king. 

And I’ll always remember that child. His family members were poor and vulnerable, yet so loving and gracious. We offered our gifts, hoping they would in some small way honour, protect, and bless the child. Watching the child, we knew that we needn’t search further or travel farther. The same compelling light that shone from the heavens shone in his eyes. That kind of light is unforgettable.  That light, that love,… that little one... they have lived in my heart all these years.

Let us pray:

Loving God, thank you for all the different viewpoints and stories that tell us about the birth of Jesus - all filled with light!

Help us look for Jesus' light and love in everyone we meet and to BE loving and full of light for those around us.

Amen                      

In the Bleak MidWinter – Voices United #55

1 In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago. 

2 Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.

3 Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day,
a breast full of milk, and a manger full of hay.
Enough for him, whom angels fall down before,
the ox and ass and camel which adore. 

4 What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him – give my heart 

Words: Christina Rosetti 1872; Music:  Gustav Holst, 1906
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: Chris Brown

(Jim McKean, Gathering A/C/E, 2021-2022, p41. Used with permission)

God of the Ages, you called wise ones to travel from afar. They came looking for a king but found a baby, a baby who had come to change the world. Today you have called us to experience the now and to seek what is just over the horizon. May we have the strength to experience this call. May we have the wisdom to discern its message, and may our hearts be uplifted as we journey. Bless your word to us this morning. Amen.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)  The Visit of the Wise Men

2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

May the message in these words enlighten our lives. Thanks be to God!

Anthem: Born Today (Kuzaliwa Leo) Swahili : Dave & Jean Perry

BCUC choir & percussion Phoenix, Raven, Arcadie – 2018 Christmas concert

Sermon: “They Followed a Star”          Rev. Lorrie Lowes

This is Epiphany Sunday, the day when we hear the last part of the Christmas story that we began so may weeks ago in Advent.

The visit of the Wise Men, the Kings, the Magi…

It’s a small story found only in the book of Matthew and not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. Three strangers show up, make a huge fuss over the new baby, drop off expensive, rather strange gifts and then disappear, never to be heard from again. A strange little story that has captured our imaginations for centuries.

The few verses we read this morning are all there is about this visit in the Bible and yet we are sure we’ve heard so many more details

… There were three of them…
… They have names: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar…
… We can picture them, tall, riding on their camels, one with very black skin…
… They arrived at the stable after the shepherds, - didn’t they?  

All details that were never in Matthew’s story but have grown from the imaginations of artists and storytellers over the centuries and have become an important part of our story, our tradition of Christmas.

It was obviously important to Matthew too or he wouldn’t have included it here. So… why did he write it? What meaning does it have for us?

Jesus was born at a dark time in Jewish history. The people were oppressed by a greedy and powerful empire. Any peace that existed was created by violent battles - a peace built on fear.

“Keep your head down, don’t call attention to yourself, and hope the tax collectors and the centurions will pass you by.”

Not my idea of a peaceful existence. No serene and comfortable life but just the absence of war.

Into this dark and fearful time, a baby was born who would grow up to challenge that system - not through violence or mighty battles but through a message of hope, a message of love. He would become a beacon of light for these dark times.

He may have been just what the Jewish people needed - but he certainly wasn’t what they were expecting. Surely, if God was to save them from the violent oppression of Rome, He would send a powerful army led by a mighty warrior - someone who could crush the empire.

A baby?

And this was not even a baby born to rich and powerful parents but a baby born among the poorest and most oppressed, in the lowest of circumstances. A baby born to young peasant parents, under suspicious circumstances, in an insignificant small town.

It was such a small event that no one in the area noticed. In his book, Luke tells us that a whole host of angels had to light up the sky to get the attention of the only other people awake - some shepherds out in a field. No need to wake up the whole town. There would be no miraculous coup that night. What was born in that stable was not an immediate solution to all their troubles.

What was born was Hope.

A glimmer, barely noticed at first but a light that would grow over time to conquer the darkness.

Well, the Jews and the Romans may not have noticed but someone did. A star appeared in the sky. Now this in itself is an curious choice of sign. It’s not a usual symbol for either Jews or Christians. Where else have we ever seen God use a star to send a message?

In the east - the direction from where dawn comes to end the darkness of night - some wise men noticed that star and they knew that something amazing was taking place, a birth so significant that they were certain it must be the birth of a great king. And they set out to find him and to pay homage.

That’s interesting, isn’t it? These wealthy, educated men left home to travel to another country to pay their respects to a king who would rule over people they had no attachment to. These men were not Jews but the birth of this king of the Jews was important enough to make them set out on this journey and to not give up until they had seen him with their own eyes and delivered their gifts.

They were foreigners

•    they were of a different faith
•    and they had no doubt that they would be welcome. 

They went first to the palace in Jerusalem. It only made sense that a new king would be born there. They had no hesitation in telling Herod that they were coming to meet the newborn King of the Jews. This was good news! A baby who was destined to great works! A baby whose birth was so significant to the world that God himself sent a bright star as a birth announcement. An announcement that was important to the whole world. Surely, everyone would be rejoicing!

Imagine their surprise when King Herod had no idea what they were talking about.

Imagine their confusion when they saw the fear in the king’s eyes.

Not at all the reception they expected.

In one short sentence, Matthew tells us quite a bit about Herod’s reaction to the news of the learned strangers from the east. “He was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Yes, I imagine that was a scary time in the palace! Not only would Herod be upset by news of a king who would take his throne - but to hear it from strangers! The meeting he called with his own scribes and wise men would not have been a cordial one. They were supposed to know these things. They were supposed to keep him informed. He was not supposed to be surprised by foreigners who seemed to know more about the happenings in his kingdom than he did himself! They would have been scrambling to get him the information he needed. They would have been desperate to find a “fix” that would calm the king’s anger - an anger that put fear in all of Jerusalem. Just find that baby and get rid of him quickly.

“There is a light shining here in the darkness of your kingdom that will change this world forever!” the strangers had told him. “It shines so brightly that we have noticed it from as far away as our home. Such great news!”

Herod didn’t see it the same way. All light must shine on him alone. That is what makes him so powerful. And what do you do with something that threatens your power, your view of the world? You snuff it out. And just to be sure, you get rid of any others who might resemble it in any way. Restore the status quo with violence and fear. Show them who’s boss!

How wise were these strangers to pretend to play along with Herod’s game! Otherwise, they might not have escaped with their lives. But then they were wise men after all. I would have been surprised if they had fallen for Herod’s lies. So, off they went, continuing on their journey to find where this spark of light might lead.

And they found it in a small, humble home. Hope for the future of the world, manifest in a young peasant child.

Matthew tells us that they acknowledged the power of this child with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold for a king, frankincense for the sacred life of the temple, and myrrh to anoint his body at death. These gifts would have been lost on a child but Mary would have understood. These men were telling her that the power to change the world - the light that would lead the people out of the darkness - was here in her little son. He would rule - not by fierce battle but by teaching the Word of God and would be revered even in death.

These strange visitors saw so much hope in this small peasant child! Hope for the future of the world!

This story from Matthew would have been pretty powerful to his listeners. So many messages here! It told them -

…  that others might see the hope in us before we recognize it ourselves
…  that Jesus’ life and ministry was significant to the whole world - not just the Jewish people.
… that hope for the future must be nurtured in the children of the present
… that what seems like good news for humanity may not be well received by those addicted to power and greed
… that those hungry for power will stop at nothing to snuff out anything that might threaten that power - including (or maybe especially) the hope for justice and freedom
… that hope, help, and encouragement may come from unexpected places 

Are these messages not still relevant today?
Where are our wise men?
Where are our Herods?

I am reminded of a young girl named Malala, who was shot in the head for daring to stand up for the right of girls to education. There must have been wise people who nurtured this in her as she grew - and the reaction of the Taliban was certainly worthy of Herod.

Are there other lights in this world being snuffed out by those in power?
Are we watching for them?
Are we nurturing them?

Or are we letting the Herods of this world crush them to maintain or grow their powerful hold?

I believe that hope is something more than a dream for a better future. Hope is born when that dream is put into action. It is not enough to dream of a better world, a more just society, peace and freedom. You have to take that dream and mount your camel. You need to risk the journey into unknown places and bear the gifts and resources that will turn that dream into hope.

Sometimes I have wondered why these powerful men didn’t stay to help raise this child. They seemed to have the resources and the knowledge to be able to help.

What trust they put in Mary and Joseph to nurture him and prepare him for his role!

But, they didn’t stay. Perhaps they knew that they would draw attention from the wrong quarter and would put the little family in danger. Or perhaps they could see that they were leaving things in good hands. Whatever the reason, they simply left their gifts and disappeared  - back to their own country by another road. We never hear of them again.

They saw that star and they took the risk to follow it, to leave the comfort and familiarity of home and set out on a long and difficult journey. It wasn’t enough to dream about what that star could mean, they went into action. They took their resources - wisdom and riches - to Jesus. Then they left, knowing that they were leaving things safely in his hands. They took the kind of action that sets a dream onto the course of hope.

So, perhaps it was important that they didn’t stay. They didn’t set out to save the Jewish people from the Romans. They made the journey to ensure that the process would begin. They gave what they could but the real work belonged to Jesus.

Just as good mentors nurture proteges,
or good parents raise children,
or good teachers inspire students,  

The wise men gave up some of their resources - and time out of their lives - to resource the work of Jesus in the world - the work of turning the dream of justice and freedom into real hope for the future.

They were watching the skies carefully and recognized the sign when it appeared. They sprang into action to make sure the dream it represented had the encouragement and resources it needed to grow into Hope - hope not just for the Jewish people but hope for a world in darkness.

On this Epiphany Sunday, may we be wise enough to watch for, and recognize, the signs of that hope in our world today. May we be brave enough to take the risk to leave our comfort zones long enough to nurture that hope. May we be selfless enough to share our resources to allow that hope to grow - not just here at home but anywhere in the world the signs may appear.

I believe it is what those wise men, and Jesus himself, would want us to do.

Thanks be to God

Amen

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer       Rev. Lorrie

Holy Mystery,

With the story of the magi in our ears, we come to you, seeking their wisdom, their courage, and their generosity, as we pray for our world today. We give thanks for the wise ones from the past and for those among us now, who inspire us with their insight, their words, and their actions.

In yet another Christmas season, where the spectre of the pandemic continues to restrict our celebrating and dampen our spirits, help us to be like those wise men of old who found reason for hope and celebration in the light of a star in the darkness. Enable us to see the lights that offer hope for a brighter future for all who inhabit this creation. Let us see the reasons for celebration even in small lights, no matter how far away they seem.

Give us the courage of those wise men to not only celebrate the light we see, but to take action, to leave our comfort zones and risk what might be a long and difficult journey into the unknown to offer what we can - without asking for a background check first, or with expectations of immediate miracles or outpouring of gratitude.

Each week, we pray for those in need, those suffering from pain, loneliness, illness, and grief. We pray for those experiencing fear and violence. We pray for all who are oppressed by those in power, and for those oppressed by the attitudes and beliefs of those who surround them every day. Help us to see where we might be the oppressor. Help us to see where we can offer safety, healing, dignity and hope. Give us the courage to act on what we see.

As we pray for those who lead us, help us to watch and listen with discerning minds. Help us to support where we see merit, and to speak truth to power when we see injustice. Help us to be more than followers; give us the will to be part of the solution.

As we pray for all those who we love and keep close, help us to realize that even small acts of kindness can add a great deal of light to a world that seems dark. Help us see the gifts we have and give us the strength to offer them freely.

All this we ask in the words of Jesus, the baby in whom the wise ones saw hope for the future of the world…

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                    

As, long ago, magi offered their time, their wisdom, and their riches to acknowledge a small peasant child they had never met, let us gather our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to move the dreams of God forward in our world today. 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 the ministry of BCUC.

Offertory Prayer

Holy One,

Although we may not come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, what we offer today is given in love and in hope that all of our small offerings can help transform the world. Amen.

Sending Forth          Rev. Lorrie

This week, the world lost a modern-day wise man with the passing of Desmond Tutu. Let me share some of the wise words he left us:

“God’s dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion.”

And with these words, go now into the world, ready to use your gifts, ready to bless all those who make up this human family, ready to transform the world in all the ways you can. Go, with the strength and courage that comes from knowing that God accompanies you on your journey and that Jesus lights your way. Go, ready to follow the light. Go, ready to be the light. Amen.

Hymn:  I Am the Light of the World – Voices United #87    guitar: Heidi

Refrain:
I am the light of the world! 
You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love
you’ll learn the mystery
of what you were meant to do and be.   

When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and the shepherds
have found their way home,
the work of Christmas is begun. R 

To find the lost and lonely one,
to heal the broken soul with love,
to feed the hungry children
with warmth and good food,
to feel the earth below, the sky above! R. 

To free the prisoner from all chains,
to make the powerful care,
to rebuild the nations with strength of good will, to see God’s children everywhere! R 

To bring hope to every task you do,
to dance at a baby’s new birth,
to make music in an old person’s heart,
and sing to the colours of the earth! R

Words and Music: © 1967 Jim Strathdee
Song # 59955  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Musics:  A Christmas Gloria (Navidad gloriosa) Trad. Spanish: Larter

BCUC choir – 2018 Christmas concert

and   

Holiday Blessing: Joyce Eilers

Grace Notes with CGS singing Jingle Bells – 2018 Christmas concert

Announcements

Sunday school activities - January 2, 2022

This week we are hearing the last part of our Christmas story, the visit of the Magi. These wise men saw a star and knew that it was a sign of a very important birth. Assuming it was the birth of a king, they gathered expensive gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh, - and set out on a long journey to find this newborn king and pay him homage.

This story is familiar to us as part of the pageants and readings we do at Christmas. It is only told in the book of Matthew. We combine it with Luke’s stories of angels and shepherds and of the young family staying in a stable to make the beautiful story that we tell of the birth of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

What do you think of the gifts that these men offered to the child?

What gifts would you give to a baby?

Jesus isn’t a baby anymore but we can still give Him gifts. When we use our skills, our talents, and our treasures to help others, we are giving gifts to Jesus. What gifts can you give to Jesus? (kindness, love, caring for the earth, being happy…)

And some more things for Intermediate & UP to think about:

In this story, the author of Matthew wanted to show the people that the birth of Jesus was important to the whole world, not just to the Jewish people - so important that wise men from far away were told about it by signs in the night sky. Notice that the reading doesn’t say that they found the baby in a stable but that they found the child in a house with his mother. It also doesn’t say there were just three of them! Many scholars believe that it would have taken the visitors a long time to travel there and that Jesus could have been two years old before they arrived. Isn’t it interesting how we have changed the story over the last 2000 years? No matter what, it is still a beautiful and important story in our faith.

Although the birth of Jesus was seen as good news by the wise men, the shepherds, and the people of the time, King Herod was not so pleased to hear about it! The text tells us that he was terrified and so were many of the people in Jerusalem. What were they so afraid of?

Response Activity Ideas

Gifts for Jesus

Materials – envelope, tape/glue, strips of paper

Make a treasure chest of your own gifts for Jesus.  Print out the Magi colouring page.  At the bottom of the page, glue or tape on the envelope face down (flap facing up so it can still open).  Decorate the envelope to look like a fancy chest or box or present and write “My Gifts for Jesus” on it.  Write or draw your ideas for things you could do to be a gift for Jesus on slips of paper and tuck them inside the fancy envelope.  Finish by colouring the Magi!

Click to print PDF

The Three Wise Women

Listen to this story and take note of the special gifts the women bring.  How are they related to Jesus’ work and ministry when he grows up?  Draw an example of how he used each of those imagined three gifts as an adult.

Art Appreciation

(from Advent Unwrapped: Story and Activity Cards, available https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/story_and_activity_cards.pdf)

Search online for images of the “Adoration of the Magi” and discover paintings by European masters, such as Botticelli, Da Vinci, De Bray, Durer, Giotto, and Rubens. Look carefully at these famous paintings and discuss the following questions.

How would you describe each of the Magi? What are they doing in each painting and how do their appearances (nationality, expressions, clothing, head covering, stances) differ from one painting to the next?

• How is the Christ child portrayed in each painting? What is he doing?

• How many other characters are included in each painting? Can you identify them? What are their facial expressions? What do you think they are feeling or thinking?

• What symbols do you notice in each painting (e.g. lily, lamb, chalice, star)?

If you have time, create your own painting of the nativity scene, including yourself in the picture.  Where would you be?  What would you be doing?  What facial expressions would you and the other characters have?

Christmas Eve Service - December 24, 2021

CHRISTMAS EVE / AGAPE MEAL

December 24, 2021

The Ministers – Rev. Lorrie Lowes & Rev. Kim Vidal
Music Director – Abe TeGrotenhuis 

The video recording of this service can be found here.

The Gathering

Gathering Music: The Cradle Rocks in Glory! - Grace Notes, BCUC 2019 Concert, Percussion: Raven/Heidi/Arcadie

Traditional Spiritual, additional words © Besig & Price, arr. © Don Besig
ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome             Rev. Kim Vidal

Good evening. Merry Christmas! On behalf of BCUC and in the name of Jesus Christ, I welcome and greet you to our Christmas Eve Service. Tonight, we are not only celebrating the birth of Jesus, but more importantly, that we recognize the truth at the heart of this story: that Love was born at Christmas. This is the good news of great joy! May tonight’s service reminds us too that we are all God’s children - recipients of God's hearty welcome to the manger and God’s table of grace.

We will be sharing an agape meal during the service. Please make sure you have some bread or crackers and any beverage ready to partake during the agape meal.

I would like to highlight a couple of announcements:

On the First Sunday after Christmas (Dec 26) there will be a joint service with Glen Cairn and Kanata congregations. The service will be hosted by Glen Cairn United Church and it will be offered onsite at 10 am and live stream via YouTube. If you are joining onsite, you are required to be fully vaccinated and wearing a mask. Youtube link on website at gcuc.ca.

Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, all worship services, gatherings and events in the BCUC building are cancelled until further notice.  The Sunday worship service will be offered online via Youtube and through telephone. Check our website for the link at bcuc.org.

Let us now prepare our hearts, mind and spirit as we gather in our Christmas Eve service.

Carol:  “O Come All Ye Faithful”    - Voices United #60        BCUC Choir

1.O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem: come and behold him, born the King of angels;

Refrain:
O come, let us adore him, (3x)
Christ the Lord.

2 God of God, light of light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb,
very God, begotten, not created: R

3 Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God in the highest: R

4 See, how the shepherds summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks,
draw nigh with lowly fear;
we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; R

5 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be all glory given;
word of the Father, now in flesh appearing: R

Words in English: Frederick Oakeley, 1841; Music: John Francis Wade, 1743.    
Song # 592e04d371906  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Monica Peck, David Jones and Samantha

(Eric Hebert-Daly, Gathering, ACE 2021-2022. Used with permission.)   

Reader 1: Enter, with your vulnerabilities and with your whole self just as you are.
We come seeking hope.

Reader 2: Come with your brokenness.
We come seeking peace and healing.

Reader 3: Come with your desire for new life.
We come seeking joy.

Reader 1: Come with your desire to love and be loved.
We come seeking love. We come to prepare the way of love.

Reader 2: Come at God’s invitation this night.
We come to welcome the Christ child.

Reader 3: Tonight, hope, peace, love and joy are found in a manger and throughout the world. 

(The Christ Candle is lit).

Sung Response:  A Candle is Burning - Voices United #6 (Verse 5)

We honour Messiah with Christ candle’s flame,
our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.
O come, all you faithful, rejoice in this night,
as God comes among us, the Christian’s true light. 

Words © 1986 Sandra Dean, Music: James R. Murray, 1887.         
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Rt. Rev. Richard Bott, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019. Used with permission)

Why do we gather here,
on a night so beautifully dark and quiet?
To celebrate the birth of a child.
Who is the child that is born this night?
The One, the Christ, the God-with-Us.
Who are we, that we commemorate this birth?
His sisters and brothers and siblings,
his disciples and friends.
Then, as family and friends, let us come together,
to tell stories and sing songs,
to share in the feast of thanksgiving,
to celebrate and worship our God! 

Opening Prayer

(Kerry Parsons, Gathering, ACE 2021-20122 Used with permission.)

Loving and faithful God, as we once again celebrate the Christmas season,
we are reminded that you gave us a gift:
A gift that lets your light in.
A gift that encourages us to depend on you.
A gift that offers us hope for your reign.
A gift that sustains our faith.
A gift that tests our call to say “yes” to you.
A gift that we are allowed to re-gift freely.
A gift that abides with us eternally.
A gift of love.
The gift of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Special Music:   Shepherd Boy - Charlotte Algozin       CGS/Bells Canto & Erin Berard

Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, look up at the star.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, it guides from a-far.
Its radiant beams shine down through the night.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, follow it’s light. 

Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, hear the an-gels sing.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, hear the tidings they bring.
In the city of David lies a baby so fair.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, go find him there. 

Leave your hillside don’t delay.
Find his manger bed of hay.
Play your pipe and dance with joy.
Welcome Ma-ry’s newborn boy. 

Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, see the Christ child so sweet.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, kneel at his feet.
He is God’s Son sent from heaven above.
Shepherd boy, shepherd boy, his message is love.

Time for the Young at Heart        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

A Carol for Christmas – written by Ann Tompert and illustrated by Laura Kelly

Silent Night was written on December 24, 1818,
and first performed that very night
in the church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria.
It was the creation of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber. 

This is the legend of the creation of that beautiful hymn – told from the perspective of a small church mouse. In the cold winter of 1818, food is so scarce that the mice at St. Nicholas Church resort to making soup from the leather that connects the organ strings to the keyboard – making the organ completely out of service. On Christmas Eve, the pastor and the organist decide to write new Christmas music for midnight mass that would be suitable to be played on guitar. In our story, the pastor’s words to the hymn are inspired by a visit to a poor couple who has just welcomed a newborn baby in their small woodcutter’s hut in the forest of Oberndorf – and the mouse receives a miraculous chunk of cheese to share with his family.

Carol: Away in a Manger  - Voices United #69

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, 
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. 
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.  

2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, 
but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. 
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.  

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay 
close by me for ever, and love me, I pray. 
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
and fit us for heaven, to live with you there.

Words: Author Unknown; Music 1895 William James Kirkpatrick
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

The Word

Prayer for Illumination      Reader:  Barbara Bole

(Laura Rousseau, Gathering, ACE 2021-20122 Used with permission.)

Holy God of angels and shepherds, of magi and refugee families, we pray today:
prepare our hearts to receive the hope of the Christmas Story.
Amen.

The Nativity Reading:  Luke 2:1-20    (NRSV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

May the light of God dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Ministry of Music: Noel Tidings (Sing We Now/God Rest Ye): – BCUC Choir 2019 concert

arr. © Lojeski,   ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Christmas Meditation          Rev. Kim Vidal

Christmas Eve is just a few hours from now.  What comes to mind when you talk
about Christmas Eve - the night when we celebrate the birth of Jesus? Something hopeful and celebratory?  Perhaps a grandiose family dinner? Gift-giving? A holy, silent night? To some, maybe, it is just an ordinary night like the rest of the nights?  What about calling Christmas Eve “a night of great joy”? That for me, is the closest phrase I could think of. It reminds me of the angels bringing good news to Mary, to Joseph, to the shepherds, to the townfolks and yes even to the animals in the stable.

What does joy mean for you? Why would Christmas be a day of rejoicing despite the ongoing life challenges? Does joy have to do with “doing the right thing” as in meticulous preparations and perfect gift-giving? Is it about opening your homes to family and friends for dinner? Is it about carol singing or poetry reading? Does it have to do with a table set flawlessly with a full course meal, followed by gift-exchange with excited children running around the house? What makes Christmas Eve a night of great joy? The prose and poetry of our Christian faith speak about the joy of Christmas Eve that are filled with light, glory and revelation. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them has light shined." Luke's nativity story too, is filled with light bursting out of the darkness: "As shepherds watched their flocks by night, a being of light appears, and the glory of God shines around them. A message is given, be not afraid and the night sky is filled with the light of the heavenly host who proclaimed good news of great joy.”

It is so wonderful to hear these readings and yet ...what happens when the turkey isn’t cooked quite right and the table is short of some cutleries and the gift has not been fully appreciated, and you did not receive a Christmas card from your best friend and the children gets squirmy while eating cookies and the clothes you are wearing isn’t the right colour for you? Maybe Christmas Eve isn’t something you are looking forward to. Maybe it isn’t meant to be joyful for you. What do you do when the night of great joy lacks the luster you were hoping for? This year, sadly, Christmas Eve will be different from the other Christmas Eves that we have celebrated due to the ongoing COVID-variant pandemic. Not everyone are looking forward to Christmas. Being together with family is not good news for everyone.  Not good news for those confronted with illness, isolation or grief. Not good news for the community where shelters for the homeless like The Mission and Elizabeth Fry are filling up again as the days get colder.  Not good news for those who cannot afford a decent meal. There is nothing worse than feeling alone and hopeless, when the rest of the world seems to be gushing with joy.  Globally, we might think we are not there yet in terms of joy.

Listen once more to these verses: "While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”  It is so easy to forget, isn’t it, that the first Christmas didn’t go all perfect either. We hear the story almost every year on the same night and we assume that the birth of Jesus had been joyful and flawless! Sometimes the carols we sing are not in sync with the real birth story. We love to sing “Away in a Manger” especially that part that says, “The cattle are lowly; the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.” It is a great carol, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think baby Jesus was quiet at all. I’m sure he cried a lot like most newborns do.

Don’t you think it would be nice for someone to write a Christmas carols about how stinky the animals smell… about how difficult the labour was for Mary - not to mention the agony that Joseph went through as he waited and watched... or a verse about the mosquitoes biting the shepherds who endured from “keeping watch over their flocks by night”? When this happens, Christmas Eve might not be the perfect event but it becomes so close to reality – so earthy and so close to our very own lived experiences. I don’t mean to diminish the luster - all the glory and joyfulness of this Christmas Eve, All I wanted to say is that if things aren’t perfect for you, take heart! You are in good company with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus and the shepherds and all of creation. Maybe we should redefine the word “joy” to mean more like a gift from God, not something that we put in a box and tweak it the way we wanted it to be.  The good news of great joy is this. The God of Christmas comes to us through the birth of Jesus, in our wildernesses, changing our darkness into light, sorrow into singing, hatred into peace, fear into joy. No matter how bleak the tragic course of history, how unnerving our personal circumstances, or how pessimistic the forecasts of intellectuals, with joy, we can expect God’s love to blossom even in the dust and dirt of our lives. There is still joy in the world!

“Joy” comes from the word “to rejoice”. It is a feeling of “great delight caused by something or someone exceptionally good or satisfying”. Other words for joy include bliss, jubilation, glee, and appreciation. And for those of us who take joy in God’s love, there is a gift of joy, on this holiest of nights, a baby born in a stable to a poor, ordinary couple, who will later on walk and talk the meaning of hope, peace, joy and love to all.

As we gather for an agape meal, let us remember that this night is made joyful not because of what or how much we do or don’t do; not because of all the meals we prepare, or the gifts we wrap, or even the worship service we celebrate. The joy of Christmas Eve shines with the brightness not of our individual candles, but the brightness of the Christ candle - the light of Jesus who will guide us in the new year to come. Every moment of our lives is infused with joy because God has indeed become like us. As the theologian Karl Barth puts it: "the God remembered at Christmas is a God with a name, a God with a human face." God was born this night to dwell in places of poverty, to take on our frailness as holy and fragile. God came as a precious and vulnerable child - who is named “Emmanuel” God-with us.

We work hard, don’t we, to make this Christmas Eve a night of great joy and yet in spite of all that we do, it hardly seems anywhere close to enough, does it? So when the turkey isn’t cooked quite right and the table is short of some cutleries and the gift has not been fully appreciated, and you did not receive a Christmas card from your best friend and the children gets squirmy eating the cookies and the clothes you are wearing isn’t the right colour for you and when we are disappointed because of the COVID pandemic, take heart! At Christmas, we remember that we are unconditionally and deeply loved by a God who cares for all people and the creatures of the world, from the smallest to the most important, from the wisest to the weirdest. God cares for the world in all its brokenness and imperfections.

Beloved friends, on this holy night, a Holy child is born - Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-Us. This is the good news of great joy! Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Response 

Christmas Prayer         Rev. Kim Vidal

(UCC Intergenerational Christmas Service, 2016)

God of hope, of silent prayers and urgent cries,
we pray for your world and its people…
          for those who will spend this day alone;
          for those who will not enjoy a feast this day;
          for those whose tables will have an empty place this year.

Lift our hearts in anticipation of your vision.
Shine a light in the depth of fear.
Sing a song of joy in the lonely heart. 

God of peace, on this Christmas day we pray
for the people of Bethlehem, of Israel and Palestine;
for refugees who have nowhere to lay their heads,
for those who find themselves in strange lands.
Watch over and protect them, God of the morning star.
Guide us in the ways of mercy and reconciliation. 

Open our hearts, that we might receive you
and hear your voice, Loving God.
May we share the gift of your heaven,
your vision for all people:
hope of fulfillment,
peace in our time,
joy that persists through trial and celebration,
and love that heals the wounded heart.
In the name of Jesus whose birth we celebrate on. Christmas. Amen. 

Carol: ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – Voices United #71

1.  'Twas in the moon of wintertime,
when all the birds had fled,
that mighty Gitchi Manitou
sent angel choirs instead;
before their light the stars grew dim,
and wandering hunters heard the hymn:

Refrain:
Jesus your King is born,
Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria. 

2.  Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapped his beauty round,
But as the hunters brave drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high.  R

3.   The earliest moon of wintertime
is not so round and fair.
As was the ring of glory on
the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt
with gifts of fox and beaver pelt. R 

4.  O children of the forest free,
the angel song is true.
The holy Child of earth and heaven
is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy
who brings you beauty, peace and joy. R

Words: Jean de Brebeuf, 1641, English trans Jesse Edgar Middleton, 1926; Music: French Folk Song, 16th century
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Celebration of Agape Meal      Rev. Lorrie Lowes & Rev. Kim Vidal

The Invitation        Kim

Friends, welcome to this still, sacred night, where bread is broken for the gifts of compassion, and the wine poured for the healing of all. For in this moment of celebration of the common with the extraordinary, earth with heaven, and of the humanity with the Divine, the joy and mystery of Christmas is given, not just to behold, but to live out with gratitude, love and joy.

Prayer of Thanksgiving             Kim

May the peace of the Infant Jesus be with you.
Lift up your hearts.
Pour out your souls.
It was as a baby that you came to us, gracious God.
A child in a manger, staring out in wonder and sleeping in contentment.
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth once again, fill us with wonder and joy.
As we celebrate his birth, so we commemorate his time among us.
He grew up as an adult to be your instrument of love, healing the sick,
preaching your Word, and being one among the people.

The Fraction          Lorrie

We remember how Jesus sat at supper with his disciples.
While they were eating, Jesus broke bread and as he shared it, he said,
“remember me.”
Later, he took a cup of wine and shared it with these words: “remember me.”
And so, as Jesus did, we bless these gifts and share them amongst ourselves,
and in doing so, we remember his presence with us – always.
Bless us, God, in the breaking of bread and inspire us through the sharing of cup.
For these unfolding gifts, we are grateful. For this living hope, we offer our lives.

The Lord’s Prayer           Lorrie

Let us recite together this prayer that Jesus taught his friends and followers in the language of your choice.

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.

The Sharing of the Bread and the Cup           Kim

Let us now share and partake the bread and the cup reminding us of God’s unconditional love.
This is the bread – food for the journey. Take, eat and be nourished by God’s love.
This is the cup – drink for the journey. Take, drink and be sustained by God’s grace.

Prayer after Meal           Lorrie

We give thanks O God, because you have refreshed us at your table, touched our deepest needs, and called us to a life shared in memory and hope. Send us forth with courage and joy in the name of Jesus Christ, that we, too, may become bread and peace for one another and the world. Amen.

Invitation to Offer          Rev. Kim

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, remember that the gift of love came to all of us, enabling us to make the world a more welcoming place for the God of joy and peace.  I invite you to respond to that love by offering our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to God. 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.

Offertory Prayer

(Inspired by the prayer of David Sparks, Gathering, ACE 2021-20122 Used with permission.) 

Loving God, we bring these gifts of Christmas for your blessing, knowing that in the midst of a challenging time, our willingness to give joyfully and generously will be a gift. In the name of Jesus, whose birth we are celebrating, Amen.

The Blessing

*Carol:  “Joy to the World”  - Voices United #59

1. Joy to the world! the Lord is come:
let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.  

2. Joy to the earth the Saviour reigns:
let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks,
hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let sins, and sorrows grow,
or thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make his blessings flow,
far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found  

4. He rules the earth with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719; Music: attrib. George Frederic Handel, 1742
Song 592e04d32d423  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

*Sending Forth        Rev. Kim

(Robin Wardlaw, Gathering ACE 2017-2018)   

Send us forth this Christmas Eve, O Love Incarnate,
with the light of Jesus glowing within us.
Send us forth from this feast of love to celebrate
the One who is bread for the journey
and the cup of blessing.
Go in hope, peace, joy and love now and in the days to come. Amen. 

Carol:  Silent Night, Holy Night – Voices United #67

Silent night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace!  

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!  

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Words; Joseph Mohr, 1818, English trans. John Freeman Young, 1863 et.al. Music: Franz Xavier Gruber, 1818
Song 92350 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Never Been a Night Like This! BCUC combined choirs 2019 concert

Words & music © Lloyd Larson         ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Bonus: Nutcracker Jingles:  BCUC Choir 2019 concert

Words & Music © Pierpont/Tchaikovsky, arr. © Chuck Bridwell

ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!! 

Sunday Worship Service - December 19, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT / LOVE

DECEMBER 19, 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 / Carol Sing:

Good Christian Friends Rejoice VU 35 (vs. 1-2)
(Words: Latin, 14th century, trans. John Mason Neale, 1833;

Music: German melody, harm. Gary Alan Smith, 1988.)

1.    Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say:
News! News!
Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before him bow
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today! 

2.    Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Joy! Joy!
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened heaven’s door
And we are blessed forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this! 

All Poor Ones and Humble VU 68 (vs. 1-2)
(Words: v.1 Katherine Emily Roberts, 1927, alt. v. 2 William Thomas pennar Davies, 1951;

Music: Welsh carol, harm. Erik Routley, 1951.)

1.    All poor ones and humble
And all those who stumble,
Come hastening and feel not afraid
For Jesus, our treasure
with love past all measure,
In lowly manger was laid.
Though wise men who found him
laid rich gifts around him,
Yet oxen they gave him their hay,
And Jesus in beauty
Accepted their duty
Contented in manger he lay. 

2.    The Christ Child will lead us
The Good Shepherd feed us
And with us abide till his day.
Then hatred he’ll banish;
Then sorrow will vanish,
And death and despair flee away.
And he shall reign ever
And nothing shall sever
From us the great love of our King;
His peace and his pity
Shall bless his fair city;
His praises we ever shall sing. 

Refrain:
Then haste ye to show him
The praises we owe him;
Our service he ne’er can despise;
Whose love is able to show us that stable,
Where softly in manger he lies. 

Welcome & Centering for Worship             Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good morning! Welcome to this fourth Sunday of Advent – the Sunday of Love as we prepare ourselves to welcome the birth of Jesus. Whether you’re at home or elsewhere or joining us onsite, we are glad that you have joined us today.

We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am. If you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. Let us continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. 

During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org.

Lighting of the Advent Candle:  Joy    Acolytes: The Kelly Family

(Eric Hebert-Daly, Gathering ACE 2021-2022. Used with permission.)      

Reader 1:     Today we light the candle of Love.

Reader 2:     Love is not always what we expect.

Reader 1:     It may come through unexpected people and at unexpected times.

Reader 3:     God’s love is not always what we expect.

Reader 1:     God’s love comes to us in gentle whispers as well as with and insistent voice that we can’t ignore.

Reader 4:     God’s love finds us when we are lost and heals us when we are broken.

Reader 5:     May we allow God to love us into wholeness today,

So that we may share that love tomorrow.

All:              May love be found in a manger and throughout the world.

(The fourth Advent candle is lit.)

Sung Response:  Hope is A Star (Verse 4) VU 7

(Words: Brian Wren, 1985; Music: Joan Collier Fogg, 1987.)

Love is a flame that burns in our heart,
Jesus has come and will never depart.
When God is a child there’s joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
And none shall be afraid. 

Call to Gather           Rev. Kim Vidal

(Carol Frost, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.) 

Come! Hear the exciting news!

Elizabeth and Mary, two friends, sharing the excitement of the upcoming birth of their children, Gabriel’s announcement, and what God has chosen them to do. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and Mary, mother of Jesus, the son of God.

Come together, as friends, to sing God’s praise, and trust that we will discover what it is God has chosen us to do.

Elizabeth and Mary, companions, ready to support one another along their spiritual journeys.

Through the love and trust of God and filled with the Holy Spirit, their world will be forever changed!

Come together as companions in our spiritual journey, ready to support one another.

Remember the birth of Christ and how it changed the world, and trust that it will change our lives as well.

As Elizabeth and Mary understood and accepted their roles, we see the strength of their faith and their assurance of the love and the blessing of God.

Come together to praise God and to be guided by God’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We trust that we will come to understand and accept our role in this time and place.

Let us worship God, ever thankful for Elizabeth and Mary’s faithfulness and friendship!

Opening Prayer and Silent Confession:   

(Dora White, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.)

Holy and Eternal God,
You call us to gather in the midst of crisis and celebration, joy and sorrow.
You are with us; we are not alone.
Like Mary, may we overcome our fears.
You are with us; we are not alone.
Like Mary, may we find a safe place to go.
You are with us; we are not alone.
Like Mary, may we recognize your call for justice.
You are with us; we are not alone.
Like Mary, may we realize that we are blessed and chosen by you.
You are with us; we are not alone.
Like Mary, may we exalt and praise your name.
For you are with us; we are not alone.
Holy and Eternal God, we praise your name today. Amen. 

Silent Confession

Words of Assurance

(Elaine Bidgood Sveet, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.)

Praise the Lord, for unto us was born a child in the city of David, the Messiah, the Son of God, Emmanuel, God-with-us, our judge and our hope. Your sins are forgiven. Believe. Receive. Rejoice! Thanks Be to God!

Advent Hymn:   My Soul Cries Out      MV120

(Words: Rory Cooney, 1990; Music: traditional melody, Ireland; arr. Rory Cooney, 1990.)

1.    My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight and my weakness you did not spurn,
So, from east to west shall my name be blessed. Could the world be about to turn? 

Refrain:
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
And the world is about to turn! 

2.    Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn. R 

3.    From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears ev’ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn. R 

4.    Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound,
Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around.

Storytime for the Young at Heart             Rev. Kim Vidal

Today is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. This means that Christmas is really getting near! Are you getting excited? I know, I am! What are some of the things that you look forward to at Christmas, besides opening presents and having a delicious meal with your family? This year, celebrating Christmas will be different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But we still can enjoy it! Maybe if we get a lot of snowfall, your family can make a snowman or go for a drive to look at the colourful lights near the Parliament Hill. Or maybe you get to decorate a Christmas Tree with your favourite ornaments. What about making a gingerbread house? Or baking yummy cookies? I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.

Can you think of some of the family traditions your family has? One important tradition in our family is a get-together and dinner at midnight after attending the Christmas Eve service. I come from a big family of 11 children so you can imagine the merriment and fun as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Oh yes, our house was very loud with laughter, games, carol-singing, dancing, food and stories!! On Christmas Day, we expect a visit from our close relatives and friends and have another good time together. Visitation is an important aspect of Christmas for my family. It reminds me of our Gospel story today when Mary went to visit her older relative Elizabeth.

Our story tells us what happened when God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she was going to have a baby and that she would name him Jesus. Can you imagine how Mary, perhaps a teenager, engaged to marry Joseph, must have felt to hear news like that? I’m sure she was nervous and scared or maybe a little excited? After a while, the story tells us, that Mary visited the home of Elizabeth to tell her the news. Elizabeth who is much, much older than Mary, was also expecting a baby and the story tells us that when she heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in Elizabeth’s womb!

Elizabeth blessed Mary and said to her, "God has blessed you above all women, and the baby you are carrying is also blessed." That is awesome! Before Mary even said a word about having a child, Elizabeth already knew and that Mary’s child was going to be a very special baby! Mary and Elizabeth shared a love that only mothers know when they are expecting a child. So, Christmas story begins with the celebration of Jesus’ birth and it was love through Jesus that makes Christmas so special!

Let’s close with an embodied prayer. Please repeat after me:

Holy One (reach up and out)
May your love (cross hands and lower arms over heart)
Be in my head... (touch head)
...and heart (touch heart)
May your love (keep touching heart)
Be in my actions (touch eyes and mouth)
May your love (cross hands over heart)
Be in all I say... (touch mouth)
...and do (extend hands, or in a group, hold hands)
AMEN (head down, hands at prayer with palms together)

Hymn:  Love is the Touch MV 89

(Words: Alison M. Robertson, 1998; Music: John L. Bell, 1998)

1.        Love is the touch of intangible joy;
          love is the force that no fear can destroy;
          love is the goodness we gladly applaud:

God is where love is, for love is of God. 

2.       Love is the lilt in a lingering voice;
          love is the hope that can make us rejoice;
          love is the cure for the frightened and flawed:

God is where love is, for love is of God. 

3.       Love is the light in the tunnel of pain;
          love is the will to be whole once again;
          love is the trust of a friend on the road:
          God is where love is, for love is of God.

4.       Love is the Maker and Spirit and Son;
          love is the kingdom their will has begun;
love is the path which the saints all have trod:

God is where love is, for love is of God.

Prayer for Illumination         Reader:  Will Wightman

(Beth W. Johnston, Gathering A/C/E 2021. Used with permission.)

Open our hearts to the mystery of your word, Holy God.
Open our spirits to its meaning for our lives.
Be with us as we listen for and receive your word today. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading:    Luke 1:39-55 (NRSV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

May the love of God dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:    “How Could Mary Know?”    Rev. Lorrie

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we look away from John the Baptist, preaching his heavy messages from the banks of the Jordan. Oh, we aren’t leaving him altogether, of course; we will meet him again soon. He will still be preaching and baptising, urging the people to change their thinking and their actions, to turn their lives around, to repent. The crowds will still be gathering, people from all walks of life. Some will be there out of curiosity; some may be simply looking for a ritual cleansing. Some will be wondering if this wild man could be the promised Messiah… And that next time we meet John the Baptist, one person in the crowd will stand out. Jesus will come to be baptised by him.

Who are these two men – John and Jesus? Where did they come from? Where did their radical thinking originate? How did they come to be so full of prophetic wisdom?

And so, today we turn away from the banks of the Jordan River to look back to where it all began, to the time leading up to their births - two lives that were intertwined long before Jesus joined John on the banks of the river.

Today our scripture tells us the story of two pregnant women – one an unwed teen and the other a post-menopausal woman – both expecting their first child. That, in itself, is interesting, I think. Mary, of course is a familiar figure to Christians – the mother of Jesus, revered in many denominations and celebrated by all at Christmas time. But what about Elizabeth? Why don’t we hear more about her, the mother of John the Baptist?

Mary and Elizabeth, cousins who live far apart and are far apart in age but women who share a common passion and an unbreakable bond, friends who, beyond all imagination, are sharing their first experience of pregnancy. They share their fears, and worries. They share their joy and wonder. They share their hopes and dreams for the future of their sons… They share their hopes and dreams for the future of the world. They share their understanding of the responsibility they have been given. The elderly wife of a priest, and the young daughter of a peasant family from a small backwater village, share the dream of a better world, not just for their children, but for all people everywhere. These are the dreams of all new parents, I think. What sets these two apart is that their dreams are revolutionary for the time and that they believe these dreams are possible to achieve. After all, Gabriel has just told Mary that nothing is impossible with God. The immediate evidence is here, in the pregnancies of these two. Their faith that God is indeed with them gives them the courage to take the action that will set these dreams, these possibilities, in motion.

What do we know about the place of women in biblical times? For the most part they had no status of their own, their place in the world depended on the significant men in their lives – first father, then husbands, and then sons. Most of the stories in our Bible feature men as the main characters. There are some exceptions, of course, but very often the women we read about are seen as sinful. Where men might be exalted for speaking up or taking a stand, often the independent women of our stories face punishment – Eve is expelled from the garden and she is condemned along with all women to suffer greatly in childbirth… Miriam is given a disfiguring skin disease by a disgruntled God… Women are expected to be quiet, and to be subservient to their husbands. Meek and mild… hmm isn’t this how we have come to think of Mary? Mary, accepting her fate, saying “Let it be”, giving birth in a stable seemingly without complaint and immediately receiving visitors – shepherds, magi, and perhaps even a little drummer boy (just what every woman wants right after giving birth, and just what a sleeping newborn needs!) – all the while smiling sweetly, nodding quietly.

But, is that what the gospel story is really telling us? Let’s look again at the passage Will read for us this morning…

When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary – giving her the fright of her life! – Mary makes a decision that will alter the course of her life, and of the world. At first, she says, “This isn’t possible! I’m just a girl! I’m not ready for something like this!” … but, in the end, she says, “Let it be.” She could have said, “No way, Gabriel! I’m not the one for the job; tell God to find someone more capable.” But she didn’t. What if, instead of picturing her as obedient and submissive, we hear this as an acceptance of the challenge? In today’s world, I hear her saying, “OK, let’s do this!”

And then… she needs to share the news and to process it, to figure out what the implications of this might be. Does she run to her mother? To a trusted girlfriend down the street? To the man to whom she is betrothed? No, she sets out on a three-day journey – alone from all we read, and isn’t that a scary thought! – to the house of her cousin Elizabeth, the one Gabriel has told her is also experiencing an unexpected pregnancy.

Now I see a girl who is independent and brave, someone who realizes that she has been given an opportunity and a responsibility, not someone who is accepting an unpleasant fate. She goes to the one person she knows will understand what she has experienced and what she sees in her future. To make this journey and to do it with haste tells me that, although Elizabeth may be far away geographically, she is someone Mary knows and trusts, someone who accepts and even encourages Mary’s dreams, her independent thinking, her chutzpa. We are told that Mary arrives at the home of Zechariah but, rather than seek welcome from this priest, she immediately greets Elizabeth, the one whose counsel she needs and trusts.

Can you imagine their greeting?

“Elizabeth, Elizabeth! Something has happened and I need you to help me understand. How can this even be possible? Am I crazy? What have I done? What have I gotten myself into?? Please help me figure out what I’m supposed to do now!”

We know right away that Mary has come to the right place. Elizabeth, old enough to be Mary’s mother or even grandmother, is happy to see her. She doesn’t scold her, she doesn’t say, “Oh, now you are in trouble! What were you thinking?” She is filled with joy! Even the baby in her womb leaps for joy! “What a blessing, Mary! And how blessed you are to be chosen to mother this child!” Elizabeth is certain that if God needs a messenger to transform the world, Mary is the right person to raise him. Mary, outspoken, brave, and passionate; Mary who looks at the world and sees a need for revolutionary change; Mary who loves and trusts God. Elizabeth sees a mother who will instill in her child a sense of justice and a drive to make a difference.

Elizabeth gives Mary the boost of confidence she needs; she dismisses all doubt; she assures this young relative that she is on a right path; and she assures Mary that she has her support.

Elizabeth is older, more experienced, and therefore we presume, the wiser of the two women in our story…and yet she seems to put this young girl above herself. “Why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me?”

Mary responds with a song from her heart. “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on, all generations will call me blessed…”

In many denominations, this is where the reading of the Magnificat ends – with Mary praising God and looking toward a future where everyone will know that she is favoured in God’s eyes. Back to Mary, meek and mild – convinced that this tricky situation is actually a blessing and all will be right with her world. It’s clean, it’s comfortable. It fits with our beautiful nativity stories, and it doesn’t ask us to do anything. Our UCC resources give us the option of stopping even before this, with Elizabeth’s enthusiastic welcome of Mary and her news…

But, I think we need to go on, to hear the parts that are avoided because they are uncomfortable, especially to those in power and those with privilege. The parts that show Mary’s revolutionary thinking, her vision of what God wants for the world… a scattering of the proud, removing the powerful from their thrones, lifting up the lowly, filling the hungry with good things, and sending the rich away empty…

In our Lectionary Study this week, we wondered if this song of Mary that we call the Magnificat could really have come from her. It was remarked that it seems very polished for a 14-year-old girl. How would Mary know all this? How could she possibly have so much insight at such a young age? Why would Elizabeth value the thinking, the dreams, of a child? Maybe it was really Elizabeth who said these things, as some theologians believe… or maybe it was a quote from the song of Hannah in the Hebrew scriptures… maybe it was something written by Luke and put into the mouth of Mary …

And then we thought about Malala, and Greta Thunberg, and Amanda Gorman, and Autumn Peltier… all young girls who have raised their voices in today’s world, young women with passion, insight, and wisdom… strong women who make us uncomfortable, strong women who will go on to raise strong children…

None of these young women came into the world fully formed, with minds aware of not only the beauty of this world but also its inequities, its injustice, the destructive behaviour of its people. All of these young women were born into families and communities who taught them to see and to think.

God didn’t send John or Jesus into the world as fully formed men, ready to take on the problems in the world. God sent newborn babies to families with vision, families who had strong faith in God – but not blind faith or passive faith – families who knew that the world would never change without putting faith into action, families who nurtured strong minds and strong voices.

It all began with a family.

Both Matthew and Luke spend time sharing the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew starts with Abraham and Luke goes all the way back to Adam. Is this simply to prove that Jesus is descended from David as was prophesied? If that’s the case then why continue back so far?

Family Trees traditionally go down through the male line, but Matthew mentions five women in the family tree of Jesus – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, all determined and resourceful women who took matters into their own hands and all women who had a shady history - seducers, an adulterer, and even a prostitute! All women who were not willing to be passive when they saw a need for action. And he ends with Mary… I wonder, did Matthew see something other than a meek and mild servant of God?

I know many people today are interested in genealogy. We are intrigued by our roots, by the people and the circumstances that played a part in creating us and who we have grown to be. If you have studied your own family tree, you know how complicated it can become when you try to define relationships… is he a first cousin once removed or a second cousin? We want to know more than what appears in a birth announcement; we want to know where they lived, what they did in their lives – because our family history is a lot more than our genes, it is all part of what makes us who we are today. We want to know about the women in our past, not just the men. How did they meet? Why did they marry? Who were their children? Am I the first to follow this career path or do I follow a long line of ministers? It’s not a straight line, it’s a spiral. And it all plays a part in who we are today.

The mothers of John and Jesus were cousins, John and Jesus are part of the same family tree. They were raised by strong, free-thinking women who were likely married to men who thought and lived in the same way. They grew up in families and communities that nurtured, their faith, their intellect, and their sense of social justice.

Our scriptures tell us little to nothing about the childhoods of these two men – at least not directly – but they do tell us where they came from and where they began. Perhaps that’s all we need to know. The messages that they gave the world are as linked as their roots.

And so, today we celebrate their mothers who had the courage and the faith to say yes to God, and the insight to raise men who would have the insight and the tools needed to transform the world.

There is a beautiful song that we hear at this time of year called “Mary Did You Know?” It asks if Mary had any idea of who her son would grow up to be. One of my colleagues calls the words a bit “mansplainy” as if Mary was just the vessel to bear Jesus and nothing more. Of course Mary knew! She had a big part in who he would become! So, she found new words to this song that were written by Jennifer Henry, a name you may recognize as she was the speaker from Kairos who came to BCUC a few years ago on an Indigenous Sunday. My friend and classmate, Bri-Anne Swan recorded it and I’d like to end by sharing this version with you.

Thanks be to God for Mary and Elizabeth. Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer       Rev. Lorrie

Holy One,

In this time when the world seems lost to injustice, violence, despair, and self-centredness, we, like Mary, pause to remember the great things you have done for us. We remember that, no matter how bleak the situation may seem, you are always with us, not to simply rescue us but to give us the strength, the courage, and the compassion to do the hard work of creating your perfect kin-dom here in this earthly place.

We pray with thanks for all the people in the world who are working for transformation – the helpers, the leaders, the writers, and the activists, young and old, who use their skills to heal, their hearts to comfort, and their voices to prophesy.

We pray for those who suffer at the hands of the proud and the powerful – that violence be replaced by peace, neglect by compassion.

We pray for those who hunger - for food, for spiritual nourishment, or for love and kindness – that they might be filled in all these ways.

We pray for the marginalized that they might find welcome in community - welcome for who they are now, not who we wish they could be.

We pray for ourselves with all of our pride, our power, and our privilege – that we might find the clarity, the faith, and the courage of Elizabeth and Mary, to not only hear your message but be moved to action.

As the day of celebration approaches, keep us aware of the amazing gift that Jesus was – and is – to the world. Help us to truly share this gift in transformational ways.

All this we pray in the ancient words of prayer that he gifted to his followers:

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. Kim

(Lori Van Santvoort-Jansekovich, Gathering Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission)

It is the season of Advent, the season of gifts and giving. With love in our hearts, let us worship god with our offerings as we anticipate in wonder the birth of the Christ Child. Let us gather our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to God. 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.

Offertory Prayer

(Bob Root, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.)

In these days of waiting, O God,
As Mary grew Jesus in her womb, so grow in us a spirit of generosity.
Bring to birth within us a passion for justice and peace.
As we share these gifts, which you have entrusted to us,
so may your dream for the world come closer to fulfillment.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Sending Forth         Rev. Lorrie

(Bill Steadman, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.)

In the words of Luke’s gospel:
“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment
of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
May we also seek to fulfill our calling
and to be open to the blessings of God,
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, now and always. Amen.

Hymn:    There Was a Child in Galilee           MV134

(Words and Music: Janet Gadeski, 2005; arr. Patricia Wright, 2006.)

1.    There was a child in Galilee
who wandered wild along the sea.
A holy child, alone was she
And they called her Dreaming Mary.
And she dreamed, rejoicing in her saviour; She dreamed of justice for the poor. She dreamed that kings oppressed no more. When she dreamed, that Dreaming Mary. 

2.    One holy day an angel came
With voice of wind and eyes of flame.
He promised blessed would be her name, When he spoke to Dreaming Mary. Then she spoke, rejoicing in her saviour. She spoke of justice for the poor. She spoke that kings oppressed no more
When she spoke, that Dreaming Mary. 

3.    And did she dream about a son?
And did he speak, the angel one?
We only know God’s will was done
In the son of Dreaming Mary.
Then she prayed, rejoicing in her saviour. She taught him justice for the poor. She taught that kings oppressed no more. When she taught, that Dreaming Mary. 

4.    Then Jesus grew in Galilee,
They wandered wild along the sea.
Now he calls to you and me
To dream with Dreaming Mary.
And we dream, rejoicing in our saviour. We dream of justice for the poor. We dream that kings oppress no more. As we dream with Dreaming Mary.

Departing Music:  Mary and Elizabeth – Pepper Choplin

Sung by Erin Meyers and Sarah Parker, Advent Concert 2015.

Advent Memorial Flowers

Announcements

Sunday school activities - December 19, 2021

Advent 4 - Love

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and we light the candle of love. When this Sunday comes, I know that Christmas is almost here! How do you feel? What are you expecting to happen on Christmas Day?

Family is very important in the Christmas story. What kind of family do you have What family activities are you planning to do especially in this COVID-19 pandemic? Do you have some family traditions that you love doing? What are they?

Our gospel story today talks about two women who played important roles in the birth of Jesus – the young Mary and her older relative, Elizabeth.

Watch the story on Youtube:

Here are some questions to think about:

• When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, how do you think Mary felt? How would you feel if you were visited by an angel? Will you be scared? Excited? Joyful? Confused?

• Why do you think Mary would travel to visit Elizabeth who was much older than her? How do you think they viewed each other?

• Do you listen to someone older than you? When do you ask someone older or wiser than you for help?

• Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months! Share what you think they might have done together.

• As we embrace LOVE as a symbol of the birth of Jesus, how is love present in your family?

• Think of ways how you can share love outside your home.

I hope this Christmas will bring you love in your home as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus and share that love with others.

Response Activity Ideas

Nativity ornament

(modified from: https://homanathome.com/2016/12/nativity-ornament-kids/)

Click to print PDF

Materials: Craft sticks or cinnamon sticks, paper, glue gun/string, colouring tools, small amount of yellow or gold paper.

Colour the picture of Jesus’ family or draw one of your own.  Using craft or cinnamon sticks make the shape of a stable and secure with glue or by wrapping joints with string.

Glue or tape in the family picture.  If you would like to make the picture part sturdier, cut out a piece of cardstock or construction paper and glue it to the back of the drawing.

Cut a small loop of ribbon and glue it to the top for a hanger.  Add a star to the top of the stable!

Family Traditions Song Challenge

Have you seen this video where Olaf goes looking for holiday traditions?

What if Olaf came to your house?  What would he see, hear, experience? 

Can you write a rhyming verse of the song about your traditions and then make an illustration to go with it?

Illustrated Ministry Advent Package – To choose love

This week’s reflection talks about how Mary opened her heart to God’s call, and opened her experience to others who came to celebrate Jesus’ birth – shepherds, animals, angels, wise ones.  She shared the love and that message of love was passed on and on.  Like the Magic Penny song says, “Love is something if you give it away.”

Using the instructions on pg 32 and template on page 35, make a love treasure box to look at when you have big negative feelings to help you decide how to respond with love.

If you did not receive an Advent package and would like one, please contact the church office.

Blue Christmas Service - December 15, 2021

A Service of Healing and Renewal
BCUC Blue Christmas Service

December 15, 2021 – 6 pm

Ministers: Rev. Lorrie Lowes & Rev. Kim Vidal
Music Director: Abe TeGrotenhuis
Members of the Pastoral & Spiritual Care Team

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

Gathering Music:  Come and Find the Quiet Centre VU 374

(Words: Shirley Erena Murray, 1989; Music, attrib. Benjamin Franklin White, 1844)

Come and find the quiet centre
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be. 

Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being, face to face.
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we're shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun. 

In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other's pain,
let our loves and fears unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
there's a place for deepest dreaming,
there's a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit's lively scheming
there is always room to spare

Words of Welcome          Rev. Kim Vidal

Welcome to our annual service of hope, healing and renewal also known as Blue Christmas service. For some of us, memories of past experiences and the pain of present experiences and situations can become overwhelming. For some of us, this season of joy and wonder can be very difficult and sometimes it reminds us of the challenges in our lives, particularly, as we go through the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite all the decorations, the greeting cards received, the Christmas carols sang, the anticipated presents and dinner with families and loved ones and the advertisers who want you to believe that you can buy joy, I’m sure that some of us don’t really feel very much like celebrating. The idea that a Merry Little Christmas is all you need for your troubles to be miles away has a hollow ring to it.

I hope that you’ll find this service a safe place to be transparent with yourself and with God, a comforting place to admit that maybe you’re not ok at the moment, that maybe what you’re really feeling is sadness, grief, or even anger. This healing service is a place for you to be real with your struggles and your questions.

Those of us feeling blue at this time of the year, particularly those who lost a loved one this year can feel edged out and forgotten as everyone else seems caught up in the mad frenzy of preparations and celebrations. I hope that as you think about Christmas, you’ll find comfort and hope in knowing that you are not alone. We are here to give you comfort and healing love.

In this service, I invite you to listen. I invite you to pray. I invite you to sing. I invite you to meditate upon the pain and anguish you may have—and I invite you to offer your heart and tears. And as you do so, I trust that you will find hope, healing and comfort as we seek God’s light. I now invite you to open your heart and mind as we come together in God’s presence.

Call to Gather[1]             Rev. Lorrie Lowes        

All around us, lights are lit and carols play.
The season heaps joy upon us.
Yet, we who come here, we carry more than joy;
we carry loss, worry, grief and pain.
We come weary, seeking rest from expectations.
We also seek a holy presence to be with us.
We come to this place, by the resilient grace of God:
love that never lets go.  

Hymn:  Stay with Us VU 182

(Words: Walter Farquharson, 1988; Music: Ron Klusmeier, 1989)

Stay with us through the night
stay with us through the pain
stay with us blessed stranger
till the morning breaks again.

Stay with us through the night
stay with us through the grief
stay with us blessed stranger
till the morning brings relief. 

Stay with us through the night
stay with us through the dread
stay with us blessed stranger
till the morning breaks New Bread.  

A Prayer of Lament[2]     Rev. Kim Vidal

The human journey is thwarted with struggles and challenges. Our prayer today comes in acknowledgement of this journey and in our primal need for God’s presence in our lives.

I now invite you to reflect with me in this Lament for a Blue Christmas by Heather Grobb.

Oh God, my God,
Why do I feel so far away from you?
Why does it seem like you are nowhere to be found in my life right now?
I feel so separated from your love in this time of distress? 

Moment of Silence

My nights are long with sorrow.
My days are dull with pain.
No one seems to understand me.
I move wearily through life alone.
My heart is heavy with grief.
The light has gone from my eyes,
eyes made red from crying.
O God, my God, hear me in my times of sorrow.
O God, my God, be with me in my time of need. 

Moment of Silence

And yet, you are the all-loving One.
The Alpha and the Omega.
The Everlasting Day after the seemingly ceaseless night.
Beyond all time and space, you are God.
The meager things of this world will soon fade away
into the presence of your love for us. Praise be to you name, O God, my God. 

Words of Assurance

When burdens get piled on top of other burdens, the load can crush us or at least seem like it is crushing. Jesus offers to help carry our burdens and responsibilities. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Reflections of the Heart

Reading 1

Reader: Barbara Bole

God is our hope. We remember all those we have loved and lost.
We pause to remember their names, their faces, their voices.
We give thanks for the memory that binds them to us during this season of holy waiting.
May God’s eternal hope surround us all.

Advent by Jessica Powers

I live my Advent in the womb of Mary.
And on one night when a great star swings free
From its high mooring and walks down the sky
To be the dot above the Christus i,
I shall be born of her by blessed grace.
I wait in Mary-darkness, faith’s walled place,
with hope’s expectance of nativity.
I know for long she carried me and fed me,
Guarded and loved me, though I could not see.
But only now, with inward jubilee,
I come upon earth’s most amazing knowledge:
Someone is hidden in this darkness with me.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid MV 90
(Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule, 1995; Music: John L. Bell, 1995)

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Reading 2

Reader: Susan Young

God is our healer. We remember before us the pain and loss:
the loss of relationships, the loss of jobs, and the loss of health.
As we gather up the pain of the past, we offer it to you, Holy One.
We pray that into our broken hearts and open hands, you place the gift of peace.
Refresh, restore, renew us, O God, and lead us in your way.

The Shadow Falls Past Christmas by Andrew King

Shadow falls past Christmas.
But see the light still shining;
faith and hope still singing; the contest
for the human heart goes on.
May we, as Mary and Joseph did,
Keep listening to the words of visions and dreams.
Keep moving the feet
toward morning’s hope,
free as a gift of love,
however distant the dawn.
And may the darkness fail to chase us down. 

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid MV 90
(Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule, 1995; Music: John L. Bell, 1995)

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Reading 3

Reader: Rev. Lorrie Lowes

God is our comforter. We remember our faith and the gift of love
which God offers to us in the Christmas story.
We remember that God, who shares our life,
promises us gifts of hope, peace,
joy and love through the birth of Jesus.
Let us remember the One who shows the way
and goes with us into tomorrow.

An Unending Love by Rabbi Rami Shapiro

We are loved by an unending love.
We are embraced by arms that find us even when we are hidden from ourselves.
We are touched by fingers that soothe us even when we are too proud for soothing.
We are counseled by voices that guide us even when we are too embittered to hear.
We are loved by an unending love.

We are supported by hands that uplift us even in the midst of a fall.
We are urged on by eyes that meet us even when we are too weak for meeting.
We are loved by an unending love.

Embraced, touched, soothed, and counseled,
Ours are the arms, the fingers, the voices;
Ours are the hands, the eyes, the smiles;
We are loved by an unending love.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid   MV90
(Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule, 1995; Music: John L. Bell, 1995)

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger,
and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Prayer of Healing and Hope & The Lord’s Prayer      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(selections from Celebrate God’s Presence)

God of comfort and compassion,
Hear us as we pray for ourselves and for all who live with loss and loneliness, pain and grief, hurt and isolation.
We ask for strength for today, courage for tomorrow, and peace for the past. 

God of hope,
Give us this night a glimpse of trust and assurance,
A sense of purpose and possibility.
Come into our hearts and our minds, bringing comfort, health, and peace.
Recreate in us a sense of thanksgiving, in the joy of your love. 

And now we raise our hearts together as we pray the ancient prayer that Jesus taught his friends.

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. 

Carol:   Silent Night               VU 67

(Words: Joseph Mohr, 1818, English trans. John Freeman Young, 1863; Music: Franz Xavier Gruber, 1818)

1 Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace 

2.Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing 'Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

3.Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth. 

Benediction [3]             Rev. Kim Vidal

May the love of the faithful Creator,
the peace of the wounded Healer,
the joy of the challenging Spirit,
the hope of the Three in One
surround and encourage you,
today, tonight and forever. Amen.

Departing Carol:     Dreaming Mary   MV 134   

(Words & Music: Janet Gadeski, 2005) 

1.          There was a child in Galilee
             who wandered wild along the sea.
             A holy child, alone was she,
             and they called her Dreaming Mary.
             And she dreamed, rejoicing in her saviour;
             she dreamed of justice for the poor.
             She dreamed that kings oppressed no more
             when she dreamed, that Dreaming Mary.            

2.          One holy day an angel came
             with voice of wind and eyes of flame.
             He promised blessed would be her name
             when he spoke to Dreaming Mary.
             Then she spoke, rejoicing in her saviour.
             She spoke of justice for the poor.
             She spoke that kings oppressed no more
             when she spoke, that Dreaming Mary. 

3.          And did she dream about a son?
             And did he speak, the angel one?
             We only know God’s will was done
             in the son of Dreaming Mary.
             Then she prayed, rejoicing in her saviour.
             She taught him justice for the poor.
             She taught that kings oppressed no more
             when she taught, that Dreaming Mary. 

4.          Then Jesus grew in Galilee,
             they wandered wild along the sea.
             Now he calls to you and me
             to dream with Dreaming Mary.
             And we dream, rejoicing in our saviour.
             We dream of justice for the poor.
             We dream that kings oppress no more
             as we dream with Dreaming Mary.

Bonus: I’ll Have a Blue Christmas - piano Abe

Extra Bonus: God is Good (Joy Comes, Tears Fall) - Francesca Battistelli

[1] Loss, Healing, and Hope: A “Blue Christmas” Service. United Church Website.

[2] Heather Grobb, Gathering ACE 2020-2021, p. 73. Used with Permission.

[3] Kathy Galloway, The Pattern of Our Days, Wild Goose Publications, 1998

Sunday Worship Service - December 12, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT / GAUDETE SUNDAY / JOY

DECEMBER 12, 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 / Carol Sing:

He is Born  VU 50  (Words:  trad. 19th-century French carol, trans. George Evans, 1963; Music: 18th-century French carol)

Refrain:
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.

1 Through long ages of the past,
prophets have foretold His coming;
through long ages of the past,
now the time has come at last!

Chorus:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!

2 Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Que ses graces sont parfaites!
Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Qu'il est doux le divin Enfant! 

Refrain:
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing VU 48 (vs. 1-2)

 (Words: Charles Wesley, 1739; Felix Mendelssohn, 1840)

1 Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild, 
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, 
join the triumph of the skies; 
with the angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!" 

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing, 
"Glory to the newborn King!"

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come, 
offspring of a virgin's womb. 
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; 
hail the incarnate deity. 
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel! R

Welcome & Centering for Worship       Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! Welcome to this third Sunday of Advent – the Sunday of Joy, as we prepare ourselves to welcome the birth of Jesus. This Sunday is also known as Gaudete Sunday-a day of rejoicing, a respite from the penitential blues in Advent. Today, we embrace the meaning of joy symbolized by the pink colour. Whether you’re at home or elsewhere or joining us onsite, we are glad that you have joined us today.

We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am. If you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. Let us continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. 

During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org.

Friends, in the busyness of this Advent season, it is easy to get sidetracked with the business of preparing our homes and finding the perfect recipe for Christmas dinner. Let us take a moment to reflect and remember what Advent is meant to be: to make our hearts ready for the birth of Jesus, giver of joy. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Advent Candle:  Joy    Acolytes: The Berard Family

(Eric Hebert-Daly, Gathering ACE 2021-2022. Used with permission.)  

Reader 1:    

Today we light the candle of Joy.
Joy can be elusive.
In shadowed times, it is difficult for us to find joy.

Reader 2:    

The night may feel like it is closing in on us on these shortest days of the year.
Yes, we believe that joy is possible.
We believe that light will return.

Reader 3:    

Embracing joy in times of trouble is a choice.
May we find the strength to choose joy.

Reader 4:    

May we let God lead us through the tears
to the places and people of joy.
May joy be found in a manger and throughout the world.

(The Advent candle of joy is lit.)

Sung Response:  Hope is A Star (Verse 3) VU 7  

(Words: Brian Wren, 1985; Music: Joan Collier Fogg, 1987)

Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn,
telling the world that the Saviour is born.
When God is a child there’s joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.

Call to Gather          Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Barbara Johns, Gathering ACE, 2021-2022, Used with permission.) 

We come before God this day,
waiting, waiting.
With trepidation and longing.
With joy, anticipating the glorious news.
With expectant delight at the miraculous babe to be born.
With wonder at the promise of salvation.
With hearts open to God’s message of love.
We come before God this day
to worship as we wait!

Opening Prayer and Silent Confession

(Larry Doyle, Bob Root & Darrow Woods, Gathering, ACE 2013-2014, Used with permission.)

Let us pray…
God of light and love, today we rejoice and celebrate in your reign
And seek to participate in it through our acts of faithful living.
We celebrate justice and righteousness, and with joy,
we accept your Christmas presence as we strive to give you our presence.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray that you might bless us
with an audacious, daring and joyful faith.
Let’s take a moment of silent confession… 

Silent Confession

Words of Assurance

(Catherine Tovell, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.)

Even within the deepening shadows of this season, the joy of God abounds. 
We are a pilgrim people. God will be with us wherever we go.
Let us not be discouraged. Let us rejoice and be open to the Light.
Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Advent Hymn:   All Earth is Waiting VU 5

(Words & Music: Alberto Taule, 1972; English trans. Gertrude Suppe, 1987)

1.    All earth is waiting to see the Promised One,
and open furrows await the seed of God.
All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty;
it cries out for justice and searches for the truth. 

2.    Thus says the prophet to those of Israel:
'A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel,'
one whose name is 'God with us' our Saviour shall be;
through whom hope will blossom once more within our hearts.

3.    Mountains and valleys will have to be made plain;
open new highways, new highways for our God,
who is now coming closer, so come all and see,
and open the doorways as wide as wide can be. 

4. In lowly stable the Promised One appeared;
    yet, feel the presence throughout the earth today,
    for Christ lives in all Christians and is with us now;
    again, on arriving, Christ brings us liberty.

Storytime for the Young at Heart          Rev. Lorrie

Have you put up your Christmas tree yet? We have. Neil and I bought an artificial tree this year for our new little place. I kind of miss having a real tree – but this way I get to enjoy it for a longer time, so that’s good. The other thing that’s happening is that presents are starting to pile up under it already!

Take a look at this one, isn’t it pretty? I wonder what’s inside? Hmmm… I could just open it up now and take a look… No one else is home, so, if I’m really careful removing the tape, I bet I can wrap it up again and nobody will even know that I peeked… I am excited, just thinking about it! It’s from somebody I love, somebody who knows me well, so I know it is going to be really nice, something I will really love… oh, I wonder what it is!... maybe just a little peek…

But, you know what? I’m not going to do it. Just looking at this gift and knowing that it is there waiting for me under the tree, gives me joy. If I open it and see what’s inside today, I am sure it will make me happy, but after that? Well, the joy will be gone, or at least it will be a lot smaller; I will have to pretend to be surprised on Christmas morning, and every time I look at this present between now and Christmas, I think I might feel a little bit guilty. That’s not very joyful. So, I think I am going to leave it just the way it is and enjoy the feeling I have today right up to Christmas.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. The candle we lit this morning is the candle for Joy. Did you notice that it is a different colour from the others in our wreath? The others are a dark blue or purple, but this one is pink. In this time of Advent, when we are waiting for Christmas, each candle gives us things to think about. We have been hearing stories about John the Baptist. In the first two Sundays, his words have helped us understand the meaning of Hope and Peace. He has had some hard messages for people to hear and some hard things for us to do to make sure that hope and peace are present in the world. Today, this pink candle reminds us that Joy is also important, because Joy gives light to the world, no matter how dark it sometimes seems. So, the candle today is a lighter colour to remind us of how Joy lightens the world and how important it is to spread that feeling around. We need Joy to help us as we wait – and work – to make the world a better place.

Advent is a busy time. As Christians, we take this time to reflect on the gift that Jesus was to the world. As Canadians in our culture, we also use this time to decorate and bake and shop and wrap and send cards and write letters to Santa… sometimes we just wish Christmas could just hurry up and be here! That would be fun, right?  and then we wouldn’t have to do all this work to get ready. But, then it would all be over and we would miss all the good things that happen in this time of Advent – the Santa Claus parade, going to get our Christmas tree and decorating it, all the Christmas music, all the movies, all the lights and decorations, all the crafts and baking cookies, all the dreaming of what might be under the tree for us on Christmas morning.

So, I think this candle we lit today is a reminder to us to lighten up, to slow down, and to find the joy in all the busy-ness of waiting for Christmas. So, let’s take the time to notice the joyful parts of all this preparation and waiting. And, let’s not forget to spread joy to others while we’re at it! I think it will make the big celebration on Christmas day even more special. In fact, even the hard work of getting ready will begin to feel like a celebration too!

Let’s finish with another body prayer:

Holy One (reach up and out)
May your joy (put hands toward centre, wiggle fingers)
Sustain me (reach arms to sides, flexing fingers)
May your joy
Bubble up in me (wiggle fingers, bringing over head)
May your joy
Grow in all of creation (circle wiggling hands around head)
Amen (head down, hands at prayer with palms together) 

Song:  He Comes! - CGS/Bell Canto with Erin Berard

He comes, He comes!
He comes in the name of the Lord our God.
Let all rejoice with heart and voice and thankful be.
The chosen one, God's only son, blessed is He.
Light for Him a candle, He is drawing near.
Sing for him a carol loud and clear!
He comes, He comes!
He comes in the name of the Lord our God.
Let all rejoice with heart and voice and thankful be.
He comes, He comes!
He comes in the name of the Lord!

Prayer for Illumination         Reader:  Denis Watson

Show us the way, O God, to reshape our lives
with your Word of wisdom.
Open our hearts to rejoice in renewed relationships
so we can look forward to the birth of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Gospel Reading:    Luke 3: 7-18 (NRSV)

The Ministry of John the Baptist

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 

9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 

11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 

13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 

14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,

16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

May the joy of God dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:    “Advent’s Expectation: Justice Overload!” Rev. Kim & Keith Bailey

Introduction (Kim)

          Prayer: Empower us all O God, by your indwelling Spirit, so that we may listen to your voice and move us to concrete actions. Amen.

          I read an article this week entitled, “Who Are the Best Preachers?” In that article, about 150 people were asked what they value in a preacher. The responses were overwhelming. The characteristic most often mentioned was the sincerity, compassion and deep faith of the preacher. Others liked preachers whose sermons were short & sweet. Over half of the respondents commented on the importance of the sermon relating to their everyday life. A surprising number mentioned good preaching as one that is solidly grounded in the Bible and a sound theology. Names of modern preachers like Billy Graham, William Willimon and Barbara Brown Taylor came up. And the last word was a plea from one of the respondents to all preachers. He said: "Please talk to us. Apply what you preach. A pinch of humour would be nice. When I leave the sanctuary, I want to remember what the message was."

          The plea of that fellow caught my attention. So, without the knowledge of the Worship/CE Committee, I invited a guest preacher today - one who might share good news or bad news depending how one listens to him. He doesn’t need any further introduction since I have introduced him to you in my sermon last Sunday. But just a word of warning, his words might offend or insult you. So, prepare yourself accordingly. Friends, on this third Sunday of Advent, please welcome our guest preacher, no other than the famous prophet, John the Baptist.

The Message of John the Baptist: (Keith)

          So I see that another large crowd of you have come out here into this dry, rugged and barren wilderness to see and hear me, the one you call John, son of Zechariah, the priest. But some of you call me The Baptist!  I know that everyone in Jerusalem and all of Judea is talking about me, this strange, smelly prophet ranting and raving out in the desert calling for repentance. Some of you have probably come here, just because you are curious; you want to see what I look like, and if I really dress as strangely as people say.  You may even hope that I will reach down and pick up a bug or two and munch them down, because you have heard rumours that for food I eat locusts dipped in honey. Others among you may have heard that I am a fire and brimstone preacher, and with nothing better to do today, you thought you might as well come out here in the hope of hearing an inspiring message, so that you can return home feeling good. Feeling good? Hahaha! You wish!

          You might have heard that I often harshly criticize those “brood of vipers” – those good-for-nothing, corrupt religious and political leaders of our time, and you have come in the hopes of being entertained by some of my famous rantings. But there may even be some of you, who are here because you are truly searching for ways in which you can be more faithful in your life, and more committed to serving God. For centuries our ancestors have been waiting for the coming of God's promised Messiah. God's special anointed servant who would come and fix all that is wrong with this crazy, mixed-up world, and make it the kind of place God intended it to be. 

          Well, I am here to tell you that our time of waiting is almost over, God's Messiah will soon come and God's love and power will be made real among us.  But we need to prepare ourselves – to be ready and undergo a total make-over – a re-construction of our lives - or we might miss it.  We could be so busy and preoccupied with the day to day tasks of life, that when the Messiah comes, we will not even notice.

          We should remember what the great prophets taught, prophets like Isaiah who spoke to our ancestors when they were in exile as slaves in Babylon.  Isaiah said that the Spirit of God would rest upon this Anointed One, so that he would rule with justice, equity, and righteousness, bringing good news to the poor, and release to the oppressed, while establishing a reign of peace and security for all of God’s people.  Isaiah told the people of his day to prepare the way for this coming Anointed One, to make the road straight and smooth for him to travel.  In the same way, our lives are the road on which the Anointed One will travel, and we need to get our lives ready, straightened, paved and levelled for his coming.

          Now some of you might ask, “How do we get our lives ready for the arrival of the Anointed One?"  Well, have you listened to your heart? Do you feel accountable of your sins and misdeeds?  Each of you must look at your lives and consider what is most important to you in order to make sure that you have your priorities straight.  Where do you spend most of your time, energy, and resources? What is it that hinders you from having a deeper faith in God? What limits your ability to live the way you know God wants you to live? What is it that holds you back from loving and being loved?

What did you say, brother Joseph? What should you do?” Well, you have a closet full of coats, while others have none. I’m sure you sleep well at night while others are shivering in the cold. Give away some of your coats! You there, brother Andrew – I know that you have pantries full of food and wine but your next-door neighbours don’t even have food and drink on the table. You want to be changed? Then go and share food and drink to your hungry neighbours! Or better yet, invite them to come to dinner!

          Oh- who do we have here?  Ah – the famous tax collectors who serve the temple and the emperor! What are you doing here? What did you say, Matthew? Are you asking me what you should do? Do you and all the tax collectors realize that people shun away from you because you were reputed to be scheming, dishonest and good-for-nothing cheaters! As long as you can exploit others with a big kick back in your pockets, you couldn’t care less. You want me to tell you what you should do? Simple! Collect no more than the amount prescribed to you! Do not cheat, do not lie. Treat others, especially the vulnerable, the gullible and the innocent fairly!

          You – out there – yes – you in uniform! Have you come to be insulted by me? Is that you Cornelius? Are you asking me what you should do? Are you not here by the order of your commander to maintain peace and prevent chaos in case I might incite a rebellion? Don’t you represent the Imperial Rome in all its glory? Are you ready to be offended? Then listen to what I tell you! Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation and be satisfied with your wages!  Do not take advantage of your authority or the weight of your badge. Do not take bribes – respect your position by respecting others. Do not assume that you are always correct. Treat others justly.

          Repent!! See what things you need to change. Shift the direction of your lives and re-orient yourselves towards God.  Don’t you go on waving your patriarchal cards at me; who cares if you are the descendants of Abraham? God could care less. Show you are serious by living justly! It is true that we have a covenantal relationship with God – a promise of hope, joy and reconciliation, but what is of true importance is what’s in our hearts.  our own lives must reflect the faith we have in God today.

          I do not know each of you well enough but I will say this.  Do not use your power and influence to take advantage of others.  Be completely honest in all you do, not just selfishly doing only that which is good for yourself and helps you get ahead, but also to consider the good of others in your dealings with them. I also encourage you to share what you have with those who are in need.   Each of us must look at our own lives, and find the ways we can continue to serve God where we are, for this is how we prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

          I know that I preach a harsh message of doom and gloom which is hardly good news in your hearing.  But I make no apologies for being blunt. Whether you like it or not, the news I am announcing is good news.  Because I believe there is hope. No matter how bad things seem to be in our world, or how far we ourselves have strayed from the path God has set for us, things can get better.  We can change - we can change our own lives, and we can change the world, when we repent and turn to back to God.  I know that change is not easy, and can be quite frightening.  In fact, I think the more comfortable we are, the less we want to change.  And yet it is obvious that if our world is to survive, there must be changes, and those changes start with us.

          Some people say my message of change and transformation through repentance is radical.  It upsets the status quo, and they want to stop me.  Well the status quo needs to change too.  We must never become complacent when it comes to our faith in God, and our love for God’s people.  And even if I will be imprisoned or killed for preaching my message, that won’t stop the changes which are coming, because they are God’s changes, and the Messiah is on his way. 

          As a symbol of your changed lives, I invite each of you to come and be baptized in the Jordan River.  Each of you needs a good refreshing, cleansing, renewing bath. Remember, I baptize you with water, symbolic of your change of heart, and renewed faith in God, but there is one coming after me who will baptize you with Holy Spirit and with fire; it is he that will truly fill your lives with the power of God's love. Now I tell you – Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near!

Closing Words (Kim)

          Thank you, John, for engaging us in your radical message of repentance and transformation. Friends, like his audience in the past, we, too, must ask the same questions, “What should we do in this big messy world? What should we do with our lives so we can experience God’s news of salvation?” I’m sure John doesn’t mind telling us what to do as he did in his world. “Share your resources. Don’t accumulate things you don’t need. Don’t cheat. Live within your means. Give of yourself.  Serve dinner to the community. Wrap gifts for the less privileged.  Give food to the Food Bank. Stop worrying and start praying. Trust fully in God because God loves you unconditionally. Give thanks.”

          “The whole tenor of Advent”, according to Walter Brueggemann, “is that God may act in us, through us and beyond us, more than we imagined because newness is on its way among us.” The good news of joy is almost here. God-in-the-flesh will soon come and will usher in a transformed world of kindness, generosity, compassion, justice and love. That is the good news John preached. It is the good news that we long to hear, the hope that sustains us, the vision toward which we work as a faith community. And it is no wonder then, why we celebrate this Sunday of Joy. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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

Our prayer today was written by Rev. Ted Dodd, a Diaconal Minister of the United Church of Canada. (Used with permission).

Holy One, Divine Friend, Spirit of Life,
these days of Advent, leading to Christmas, have a special magic,
but these days are also full of 
the wrath of gender-based violence,
the raised stones of political polarity,
the tree axing of clear-cut forests, and
the fruitless languishing impact of COVID.
One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire,
renew and change us, and the world, during this Advent time.
One who gathers wheat into the granary,
pull us together as your people.
One who burns the chaff with unquenchable fire,
help us sort out what is important, essential, and faithful.
Holy One, what then shall we do?
You teach us to share, be generous, and to care for the needy and naked.
Encourage us to offer this kindness to those in our lives and 
to work to convert the systems that keep poverty and hunger in place.
Divine Friend, what then shall we do?
You urge us to be honest, fair, and to not take more than our share.
Empower us to act in this way of integrity and grace in our personal lives,
and to insist this way is followed in our political, social structures.
Spirit of Life, what then shall we do?
You admonish us and tell us not to extort, not to threaten, not to accuse falsely.
In our relationships, our communities, our world,
inspire us to live without dominating, controlling, and power-grabbing.
Holy One, Divine Friend, Spirit of Life
proclaim your good news.
May joy ring through your children.
Advent heralds the coming of love, 
may unexpected and amazing newness arrive in our midst again this year.

All these we ask in the name of the one whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, Jesus, who in his later life would teach his disciples this prayer that we all recite together:

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

Even in difficult times we remember that God has done great things for us. We choose to live our lives in joy, counting on the goodness of God in every way.  As a sign of our trust in God, we share our gifts this morning, strengthening the ministry of this church as we seek together to extend joy to others.  Let us gather our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to God. 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.

Offertory Prayer (spaciousfaith.com)

Holy One, this Advent season we wait in joy,
and we give with joy.
Joy for all you have given us;
joy because of your sacred promises.
Receive these generous offerings,
and use them to spread your joy in our world. Amen.

Sending Forth          Rev. Kim

Go into the world with joy.
We are not alone. God is with us.
Joy is promised in these Advent days.
God bless you as you wait.
God bless you as you work for joy.
Your rejoicing is blessed. Go in joy! Amen.

Hymn:   Joy Shall Come VU 23 (Sung 3X)

(Words & Music: Israeli traditional)

Joy shall come, even to the wilderness,
and the parched land shall then know great gladness;
as the rose, as the rose shall deserts blossom,
deserts like a garden blossom.
For living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow;
for living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow.

Carol:  Silent Night VU 67

Advent Memorial Flowers

Departing Music:  You Shall Go Out with Joy  – Mark Hayes

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