The Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United Church of Canada
Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS
Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail: stmarksuc@gmail.com
Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
Presbytery Website: inverguyunited.ca
Ministers:The Whole People of God Minister: Nan Corrigan D.M.
Minister of Music: Al Fougere
February 14th, 2016-Lent 1-Mission & Service Sunday
* please stand as able
Announcements The Work of Church and Community
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Greeting
One: The peace of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.
Introit Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery vs. 1 VU 121
Call to Worship
This day we celebrate small things
a seed dropped, a hug shared, a gift given.
Small, perhaps even insignificant things
in the counting of humankind,
but in God’s grace the seed, fallen to earth,
is nurtured by soil and rain and sun,
to become a tree, shade for the weary,
shelter and home for the birds of the air.
In God’s grace a hug shared becomes a chain of love expressed,
person to person, heart to heart.
In God’s grace one gift is joined by another,
multiplied and shared, sending hope around the world.
We celebrate small things, seeds of God’s love,
grown to great things in us.
Welcome to this celebration.
Opening Prayer (together)
Holy One, ever creating God,
small things count in your kingdom.
Granules of yeast leaven bread,
a tiny mustard seed becomes a great tree,
a humble meal of two fish and five loaves
provides a feast for a multitude, and there are leftovers.
We hold within us small seeds of hope,
the promise of joy, and the possibility of great love.
Within your grace we are a people of abundance.
Holy One, send your Spirit into our lives
that hope may blossom, joy spill over,
and love hold all people of this earth.
Holy One, grant us your presence. Amen.
*Hymn In the Bulb There Is a Flower VU 703
Lenten Triad Candle Extinguishing (Tenebrae)
(Five purple candles, pink candle and Christ candle are lit prior to worship.)
Let us pray:
One: Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is a time to think about the things that block us from following God's way of loving and caring for this world and one another.
Two: Today we will put out our first Lenten candle. This candle represents anger.
One: As the candle is blown out, let us pray in silence for God to remove anger within us and anger in our world that leads to hatred and violence.
(Snuff out first Lenten candle and then pause with head bowed for silence.)
Knowing that God accepts us for who we are, but loves us into who we can be, let us join together in this song,
Sung Assurance: Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery vs. 1 VU 121
*Hymn For the Fruit of All Creation VU 227
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Deuteronomy 26:1–11 Now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground.
One: This is the witness of the Hebrew people.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 91 I will raise you up on eagle’s wings. (sung) VU 808
Opening the Word & The Lord’s Prayer
The Gospel Acclamation
Choral Reading Matthew 5: 13–16; Matthew 13: 31, 32
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot." (NRSV)
"Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage." (The Message)
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (NRSV)
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.
If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine!
Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up
to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (The Message)
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (NRSV)
One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.All: Thanks be to God.
* Hymn Small Things Count VU 361
Opening the Word 2 A Reflection with Placement of Symbols
A raindrop falls, splashes on the ground and meets another.
Drop by drop a puddle grows, overflows and becomes a stream.
Streams travel on their way join together and become a river.
This is the river of God, the river named Compassion
where heart meets heart and justice sails.
(Water is poured into the baptismal font.)
A seed is sown; nurtured by rain and sun it grows.
Rooted in the earth, stem reaching upwards, leaves branching forth.
The seed becomes a head of wheat, grain to be broken,
milled and baked, a loaf of bread.
This is the bread of God, life offered, the hungry fed.
(A loaf of bread is broken and placed on the communion table.)
One person stretches out hands with a gift presented.
One gift joins another and another and another.
Generous hearts giving.
These are the people of God where love gathers
and spills into the world.
(A picture of the congregation is placed beside the bread.)
The Mission and Service Fund of our United Church
is gifts gathered, joined together and sent into the world.
This is God’s love made known.
Praise be given to God. Amen.
(The symbol of the M&S Fund is added to the congregational picture.)
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
* Hymn I Love to Tell the Story VU 343
Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God
*Offering Prayer
Self-giving God, we give you thanks for all the blessings we know in this life and for the opportunity to give back. Use our offerings and our service to touch human lives and communities with the gentleness of your grace and the vitality of your goodness. This we offer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
WE GO TO SERVE GOD
* Hymn May the God of Hope Go with Us VU 424
*Commissioning
Go, knowing that your life has been touched by grace.
Go, convinced that you are connected to a larger world.
Go, filled with the love of the Gospel of Christ.
*Choral Amen
