Knox Presbyterian Church, Bayfield Rev Dolson May 17 2020
Greetings to my church family and friends. May the grace of God be with you. Although we are unable to gather as a group it is good to reach out to you with the printed word. Yet the printed word, whether on a computer screen or on paper, requires action on your part. The following material is broken out into two sections. The first section will include announcements and the second section will include scripture, the worship message, offering, prayers, and benediction.
Section 1 Announcements
Did you know that a small group gathered this week on Monday morning and Friday afternoon for Coffee & Prayer? We have grown in our understanding of the glitches that can occur and the connections are much smoother. I appreciate the courage of those who have taken the leap into virtual connections. We will continue exploring the ancient art of praying the scriptures with Lectio Divina. Invitations will be sent to everyone with email. Have you received your invitation to the sessions? If not, contact me 519-572-8529 and we can check your contact information. Also let me know if you would prefer to be removed from the invitation list. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
Do you have food to share? The FoodBank continues to accept food donations during the COVID crisis. Take your food donations to the bin outside at Trinity St James Church, on the south side verandah of the parish hall (opposite side of church from parking lot). Monetary donations can be made in several ways. Cheques can be sent to Bayfield Area Food Bank, 10 Keith Cres, Bayfield N0M 1G0 Cash donations & cheques are accepted in drop boxes at the Bayfield Garage & Esso Station and the Bayfield Convenience store (next to Renegades Restaurant). On-line donations accepted at website www.canadahelps.org
Keep calling! Many people have shared how their day is brightened by a phone calls and email from within our church community. Remember to reach out during this challenging time.
Stay home & keep moving! It is important that we keep moving about as much as we are able during this time of social isolation.
Jim Knox has volunteered to ‘safely’ pick up your offering envelopes. If you would like Jim to come to your house in the Bayfield area, call him to make arrangements. His home number 519-565-4214. The envelopes can also be dropped off at his home mailbox at 12 MacTavish St, Bayfield. Brenda will do bank deposits about once a month during the COVID 19 restrictions.
Are you dealing with food insecurity? Reach out to the Bayfield Area Food Bank if you are struggling to put food on your table. Make a confidential call to: 519 955-7444 (area manager) or 519 565-2790 (alternate contact). Leave a message with your information. All messages answered by a designated person to ensure privacy. Food will be delivered to your home on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Help is available!
Did you know that your feedback is important? Your comments & reflections about the weekly service always helpful but are especially important to me during this unusual time. Just call or send a quick note (email or paper) to say share your reflections on the service. You would be doing me a great service by sharing your comments.
Section 2
Call To Worship (Ps. 66:8, 9; Acts 17:24)
Bless the Lord, O people, sing! Let the sound of praise ring out.
Come and hear what the Lord has done, the Lord who has made everything!
Assurance of Pardon
Dear friends, the risen Christ is in our midst, speaking words of peace and forgiveness to us. God forgives, restores, and strengthens us through the risen Christ. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.
Prayer For Illumination
Let your Word, O God, open our hearts and minds this day through the power of the Holy Spirit. Spark us with a word of life, a message that we may share with others as we seek to live Christ’s love in the world. Amen.
Reading: John 14: 15-21
Jesus said, “lf you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
l will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ln a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Message Power of Love
This is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. It is the oddest long weekend of May that I have experienced. We are, hopefully, on the downslope of the COVID pandemic. We see relief on the horizon as the restrictions are beginning to ease. I was to walk into the hardware store, after standing in line with my mask on. Our interactions have changed in many ways. Change is often seen as difficult and unwanted, yet change can be very good. In the scriptures we discover that Jesus teaches us about change in many different ways.
It is said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It is important to recognize that change does occur and it can be helpful. The ways in which things change have a dramatic impact on the context of how life is experienced. The changes in the way we see cleanliness have created significant change. The simple act of washing hands can save lives. The ancient scriptures speak to this very thing. The washing of hands was an integral aspect of gathering for a meal. This ritual hand washing could also be taken out of context. Dipping fingers into a bowl of water, as we well know, is not the same as a good lathering of soap and water. The context is important. The context in which the gospel of John was written provides a depth to the stories he shares. It was the age of a powerful empire. The people in the scriptures were surrounded by the emperor’s influence and surrounded by the weapons used to enforce the imperial power. This context provides a striking contrast between power based in wealth and military strength versus the order that love brings to life and relationships.
Jesus lived the reality of embracing others with love, a love he shared with everyone. He fed the hungry, embraced lepers, healed the sick, and gave respectful care toward women. He responded to people who struggled to understand his teachings. Jesus reached out to teach those who were oblivious to his message. He took action to protest against those who abused and oppressed. He did all of this with a different vision of the world. He introduced love and peace into a space and time dominated by power, oppression, and complex societal rules. Jesus encouraged his followers to imagine a world where the well-being of all people, regardless of social status or gender, is possible.
It continues to be challenging for us to imagine this world differently. Perhaps that is why so many struggle with the changes brought about due to the Corona virus. Are you aware that living in Canada provides a privileged position within this world? Most of us are comfortable with our ability to earn an income, hold investments, have access to health care and social support systems, trust in our safe communities, and we enjoy the ability to freely express our opinions. Most of us enjoy these privileges, but not all. In the teachings of Christ, we are urged to consider the reality of other lives and how we might work toward a more just world. A world where abuse is minimized and children no longer die of hunger, disease, or neglect. A world where the colour of your skin or your gender will not increase the risk of abuse. A world where the love of God is shared.
Jesus teaches that when genuine love takes hold then a community of hope is born. With love, imaginations are sparked. Jesus offers his assurance that the love he offers is nothing less than God’s love. In the time of the gospels, people struggled to grasp if the power of love that Jesus embodied was more real—more truthful—than the oppression and humiliation of Roman rule. Jesus declared that this love was known to him as he was one with God. There is a circular quality to these words spoken by Jesus. “If you love me, you will obey my commands.” The most important of these commands being to love God, self, and neighbour. This is a message that many of you have been nurtured with for your entire lives. For some, this is a new way of seeing. It can be particularly difficult to take in a different way of seeing, to shift into a different perspective. Transforming experiences can occur when this shift in perspective occurs. Take a moment to reflect on this by saying, “God loves me. I am a beloved child of God.” Allow this time to settle into you.
During the last supper, the Passover meal, Jesus spoke of love and the truth of the relational power that love creates. He chose to speak of the power of relational love when he took up a basin and towel and washed the feet of the disciples. He spoke of the love in which God calls us to be neighbors. This is a love that we are to accept from God, to share with God, and to nurture with one another. This need to connect in love necessitates an understanding of one another. This love expands to embrace knowing, comforting, nurturing, giving, discovering, touching, healing, naming, praising, and justifying.
Jesus tells us that God’s love is true and that God’s love is the source of life. It may seem rather simple but it can be one of the most difficult aspects to grasp. How is it so difficult to keep this commandment to love one another? It seems that some people struggle to love themselves, let alone others. Some struggle to love God. Many struggle to love their neighbours, especially those who hold different world views or perspectives. It can be challenging to love people who have caused harm to us or to others. Yet, it is possible. Look to the life of Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela was devoted to ending apartheid in his country, South Africa. Trained as a lawyer, Mandela worked against oppressive racial policies. His efforts led to him being imprisoned for significant periods. He was able to share beliefs that developed through his struggles. In his actions and in his writing we find statements on forgiveness, love, equality and optimism. He stirred his nation with his belief that love was the root that connects us all. “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
This message resonates with teachings from scripture. In our reading today, Jesus urged the disciples to keep his commandments if they love him. He does not speak of a quid pro quo – if you do for me, I will do for you. The love of God is unconditional, God’s guidance and comfort are available for all people. As Mandela states, love comes more naturally to the human heart. Throughout the scriptures, Jesus lives within community with his disciples and others. These real people who struggled to understand his teachings and who struggled to get along with one another. Their stories, their hopes, and their struggles are shared within the scriptures. I wonder how well the people within the stories are known, especially when we follow the lectionary. The lectionary provides the weekly scripture readings, which tend to follow the rhythm of the church seasons and calendar. The lectionary tends to dip in and out of the stream of the gospels and letters, which can make it more difficult to piece together who is where and with whom.
Why is it important to know the stories of these people? We are connected to them through our common humanity. In order to better understand what the stories are telling us, it is helpful to be in relation with the people in the stories. In a similar way, in order to understand what others are telling us in our lives, it is important to be in relationship with one another. In relationship we develop an understanding of what is meant by our words and our actions. In relationship we develop an awareness of the context of our own lives and an awareness of the context of our neighbours lives. We are urged to look beyond the superficial, to dig deeper into our connections with one another within this premise of love.
When I was preparing the message I came across my file of Mission Moments. Typically, you will see this information in our weekly bulletin. In one way, the little write-ups inform the congregation about the good work being done by Presbyterians Sharing and PWS&D (Presbyterian World Service & Development). Yet, the little stories have a much larger purpose. As I read through this weeks ‘mission moment’ it occurred to me that Halidu’s message is a living demonstration of our love for Christ and for one another.
Mission Moment Paying it forward in Ghana
After losing his leg from an infection at the age of thirteen, Halidu Dayuma thought he would never be financially stable. Some simple pieces of thread and the caring support of Garu Community Based Rehabilitation Centre in Ghana changed everything. At this PWS&D supported centre, which is committed to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, Halidu learned cloth weaving and dressmaking so that he could make an income.
Inspired by his studies with skilled coaches, Halidu is now paying it forward by training more than 40 apprentices to continue the work he loves. In gratitude, Halidu reflected, “I am who I am today because of your generous work and love.”
Reading this multiple times has not dulled my emotional response to his story. It seems that this man’s story relates to the experience of so many now throughout the world. Many are facing the reality of physical and financial challenges that could not be anticipated or prevented. It is a time when each kindness is magnified in its impact. It is a time when reaching out to understand the context of other lives is particularly important.
Jesus points to the importance of understanding the context in this passage. He is well aware of what will happen in the coming days. He is also well aware of the fears and concerns the disciples will experience. He is helping them to build their awareness and provide what they will need in the coming years. He promised that they would not be abandoned or orphaned. Jesus promised his presence and the presence of the Spirit. How do we recognize that Christ is truly present among us? I encourage you to pause, even for just a moment each day, to reflect on your relationships and your broader community. How do you discern the presence of God, Jesus, and the Spirit? Praise be to God.
The Offering Of Our Life And Labour To The Lord
Quote: We owe it to each other – and to our children and grandchildren – to leave our planet in a better state than when we found it.
Christopher Dodd (1944 – ), former US senator
There is a bit of confusion about the process of donating to the church during the COVID restrictions. Donations may be made in several ways:
- The traditional method of Canada Post mail, just be sure to include the post office box: Knox Church, Box 565, Bayfield, ON N0M 1G0
- This is a good time to consider the consistency of postdated cheques or PAR. Both are easy to set up and easy to change.
- All cheques can be sent to the church by Canada Post. We would greatly appreciate monthly cheques, if possible.
- Jim Knox is willing to ‘safely’ pick up your offering envelopes. If you would like Jim to come to your house and do a pick up, his home number is 519-565-4214. The envelopes can also be dropped off at his home mailbox at 12 MacTavish St, Bayfield.
- Bank deposits will be done less regularly, likely about once a month
- PAR, the Pre-Authorized Remittance, is an automatic monthly withdrawal from your bank.
- Contact Brenda McLean (519) 524-8645 or email brmclean@hurontel.on.ca She is an expert at setting up PAR (and many other things too).
- Adjustments to postdated cheques and PAR can be easily made by confidentially contacting Brenda. All financial information is confidential.
All that we have is a gift from God. In faith and gratitude, we return a portion of what we have so abundantly received. During the worship service, we sing the doxology, a song of praise. You may actually hear an echo of the tune that Jean Walker and Betty Lou play each week.
We give thee but thine own, whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O lord, from thee.
Blessing Of Gifts *
Take a moment to pray for blessings on the gifts of time, talent, and financial offerings received by the church. Your generosity does much good within the community and the world.
Gracious God, we dedicate these gifts with deep gratitude. We are thankful for your call on our lives, for your guidance, and for blessing us that we may be a blessing to others. We pray you will multiply what we offer for your own good purposes. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Prayers Of The People
You are encouraged to share your concerns and celebrations with the congregation. Your requests will be shared in the prayers of the people and kept in my daily prayers and the prayers of our congregation. Let us pray for all people and all of God’s creation.
O Holy One, open our eyes to find you among us as we share your love with others. God of steadfast love, you raise us up when we fall and place our feet on steady ground. Strengthened by your faithfulness, we bring our prayers to you.
We pray for the mission of your church, that we may proclaim the good news as we put our trust in you. Almighty God, we live in a time that is fraught with the unknown. The most vulnerable among us are the most at risk. Help us to see new ways of reaching out to people in need. Help us to continue our generosity of sharing our abundance with those who have little. We are thankful for the gifts you provide to those who care for your people. We pray that you will continue to bless the work of PWS&D, Presbyterian Sharing, and all others who devote their efforts to walking alongside those in need.
We pray for the world, that your saving love may reach to the ends of the earth. We pray for all who suffer, that we may respond to your urging to attend to their cry to share in your steadfast mercy. We pray for your creation, that we may take good action to safeguard the beauty and wonder of all that you have made.
We remember those who have died. We pray you will linger with those who miss their loved ones. May they know your peace.
Almighty God, we are grateful for your everlasting and faithful presence. We pray for all the families and all the nations of the earth. May they turn toward you and find peace. Loving God, we lift up our people who are in need of your special care at this time. We lift up Ron, Sandy and their family as they continue to deal with the impact of Ron’s treatment. We lift up Brenda, Mark and family as they mourn the death of George and care for his widow, Evelyn. We lift up Jan Meyer’s sister Peggy as she waits for heart surgery. Be with Peggy, Jan, and family. We lift up Ron Sangster, family, and friends as they mourn the death of Jean. We lift up Betty Lou’s daughter, Bonnie, as she continues treatment for breast cancer. We lift up Susanne’s extended family in New Zealand as they heal. We lift up Gayle’s granddaughter Courtney and great granddaughter Kyla. Be with them as they heal and grow together. We lift up Rob, son of Jane and Jim. Be with him as he lives with the impact and consequences of a brain tumor. We lift up Lisa, daughter of Grace, in her duties as nurse & caregiver. We lift up Marlene, daughter of Jessie, as she heals from her injuries.
Oh holy God, be with your people as they suffer and seek your peace. Allow your Spirit to linger with them. We pray for those who live in situations of violence. May they find protection and peace. We pray for the residents and care givers in retirement homes and long term care facilities. We pray for those who are in hospital and hospice. Be with all who struggle with physical distancing. We pray for all who are suffering financial hardship and uncertainty at this time.
O Holy One, although we are apart and cannot lift our voices together, we speak the words aloud that Christ taught his disciples,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallow’ed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever.
Where hope has grown tired and thin, Gracious God, lift our sights, so that we may see hope beyond hope, life beyond death, and you, lifted up before us. We pray all this through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, forever and ever Amen.
Question for Reflection
According to scripture, God brought the people through trials, tests, burdens, and pain to a place of life, breath, and salvation. God heard their prayers and opened them to freedom.
Where have you felt such a place of freedom?
What stories do you share of the ways in which God is blessing you?
Benediction
Sisters and brothers, Jesus spoke the promise that God hears our prayers.
Go in peace to serve Christ, and always be eager to do what is good.
May the Christ who walked on wounded feet, walk with you on the road
May the Christ who served with wounded hands, stretch out your hands to serve
May the Christ who loved with a wounded heart, open your heart to love
May the grace of God, the love of Christ, and the joy of the Spirit surround you … now and forever more. Amen
Closing Chorus
May the Lord, mighty God bless and keep you forever, Grant you peace, perfect peace, faith in every endeavor Lift your eyes and see His face, and His grace forever, May the Lord, mighty God bless and keep you forever.