Wholeness and Healing, June

NAs I listened to my sermon while I was working to place this on YouTube I discovered that I continued to make an error that I have been trying to correct in myself over the past few weeks and months.  At least three times I use the phrasing “our own First Nations people.”  This is wrong and I apologize.  I am aware of that it is a result of my white privilege and upbringing in a system of colonialism.  The phrasing should be “the First Nations people.”  They are there own people.  In the Anglican Church of Canada, we are walking beside the First Nations people in the formation of their self-determining church.  The First Nations people belong to themselves not to the nation of Canada.

Steve Bell Music Links

Almighty God

Holy Lord

A Service for

Wholeness and Healing

June 21, 2020

With resources from the Church of England

Are any among you sick?

They should call for the elders of the church

and have them pray over them,

anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

                                                                                                                      James 5:14

Lord of All Creation  Hermas

Lord of all creation,

now before thy throne,

we thy people bring thee

gifts that are thine own.

Thine is all the greatness,

power and glory thine,

high o'er all exalted,

Majesty Divine.

Refrain:

Of thine own we offer,

of thy gifts we give

unto thee, O Father,

in whose life all live.

All the gold and silver,

corn on plains and hills,

grass upon the mountains,

water in the rills--

all things yield thee glory,

with thy light they shine;

thou all art inspirest;

science, skill, are thine.

Refrain:

Body, soul and spirit,

thought and speech and song,

come to thee, Creator,

and to thee belong.

These in bounden duty

we devote to thee;

thine is all the dower,

thine the glory be.

Refrain:

 

Of all works man doeth,

none can greater be         

than the work devoted,

O Lord God, to thee:

hither all to serve thee,

rich and poor repair,

joy awaits thy people

in thy house of prayer.

Refrain:

Alms-deeds, prayers and praises,

with "the willing mind,"

in the Name of Jesus,

shall acceptance find.

Evermore thanksgiving

to the Father, Son

and the gracious Spirit,

blessèd Three in One.

Refrain:

Still thy Church shall offer,

of thy gifts shall give

unto thee, the Giver,

in whose life all live.

Greeting                                                            

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

be with you all.

And also with you.

Collect for Purity                                               

Almighty God,

to you all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from you no secrets are hidden.

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name;

through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Confession

Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy,

healing the sick and forgiving the sinful. 

May God, who enlightens every heart,

help you confess your sins

and trust in his mercy.

Most merciful God,

Have mercy on us,

in your compassion forgive our sins,

both known and unknown,

things done and left undone,

Silence

O God,

uphold us by your Spirit

that we may live and serve you in newness of life,

to the honour and glory of your name;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Do you turn to Christ?

We turn to Christ.

Almighty God,

who forgives all who truly repent,

have mercy upon you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in life eternal;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

Collect of the Day                                                         

God of truth uncovered,

you trace the sparrow’s flight

and plumb the secrets of the heart:

bring our fear and conflict into the light of your presence,

so that we may lose our hollow life

and find our way to you;

through Jesus Christ, the master and the slave.  Amen.  

Prayers for an Inclusive Church (2009) alt.

 

Genesis 21.8-21

The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 86.1-10, 16-17   Inclina, Domine

Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,

for I am poor and in misery.

Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;

save your servant who trusts in you.

Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;

I call upon you all the day long.

Gladden the soul of your servant,

for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,

and great is your love toward all who call upon you.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,

and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,

for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,

nor anything like your works.

All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord,

and glorify your name.

For you are great; you do wondrous things;

and you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;

knit my heart to you that I may fear your name.

I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

and glorify your name for evermore.

For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.

The arrogant rise up against me, O God,  and the violent seek my life;

they have not set you before their eyes.

But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,

slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.

Turn to me and have mercy upon me;

give your strength to your servant;  

and save the child of your handmaid.

Show me a sign of your favour, 

so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;

because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Romans 6.1b-11

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks be to God.

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies  Heathlands

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ, the true, the only light,

Sun of Righteousness, arise!

Triumph o'er the shades of night:

Dayspring from on high, be near;

Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn

unaccompanied by thee;

joyless is the day’s return

till thy mercy’s beams I see,

till they inward light impart,

glad my eyes and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,

pierce the gloom of sin and grief;

fill me, Radiancy divine,

scatter all my unbelief;

more and more thyself display,

shining to the perfect day.

 

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.       

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

according to Matthew.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 10.24-39    

‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

          

‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father,

and a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed      

Let us confess the faith of our baptism as we say,

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again

to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.  Amen.

    

Your Hands, O Lord, in Days of Old  Kingsfold

Your hands, O Lord, in days of old

Were strong to heal and save;

They triumphed o'er disease and death,

O'er darkness and the grave.

To you they went, the blind, the deaf,

The palsied, and the lame,

The leper set apart and shunned,

The sick and those in shame.

And then your touch brought life and health,

Gave hearing, speech, and sight;

While strength renewed and health restored

Acclaimed you Lord of light;

And so, O Lord, be near to bless,

With all your healing pow'r,

In troubled home, in crowded street,

In sorrow's saddest hour.

O be our mighty healer still,

Great Lord of life and death;

Restore and strengthen, soothe and bless,

With your almighty breath;

On hands that work and eyes that see,

Your healing wisdom pour,

That whole and sick, and weak and strong,

May praise you evermore.

Prayers of the People

Anglican Communion

   Pray for the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

      The Most Reverend Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba

         Metropolitan & Primate of all Nigeria & Bishop of Abuja  

Anglican Church of Canada

   Diocese of Moosonee

      The Most Reverend Anne Germond, Bishop

      The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Assisting Bishop

Council of the North

   Diocese of the Yukon

      The Right Reverend Lesley Wheeler-Dame, Bishop

The Diocese of Edmonton

   St. Andrew, Camrose

      Jacques Vaillancourt, Interim Priest-in-Charge

      Daryle Kerr, Honorary Assistant

      Bev Shafer, Secretary

   The retired pastors of Buyé

      Joel Minani, Joseph Ahishakiye, Osee Niyibizi

   Whitefish Lake First Nation

 

We continue to pray for Burundi and our twinned parishes

      Kabanga and St. Luke’s Bigombo

We also pray for the Canadian Armed Forces

  serving at home and abroad.

God the Father,

your will for all people is health and salvation.

We praise and bless you, Lord.

God the Son,

you came that we might have life,

and have it more abundantly.

We praise and bless you, Lord.

God the Holy Spirit,

you make our bodies the temple of your presence.

We praise and bless you, Lord.

Holy Trinity, one God,

in you we live and move and have our being.

We praise and bless you, Lord.

Grant to all who are lonely, anxious or depressed

a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence.

Hear us, Lord of life.

Grant to all who minister to those who are suffering

wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience.

Hear us, Lord of life.

Mend broken relationships,

and restore to those in distress soundness of mind and serenity of spirit.

Hear us, Lord of life.

Sustain and support those who seek your guidance

and lift up all who are brought low by the trials of life.

Hear us, Lord of life.

Grant to the dying peace and a holy death,

and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit

those who are bereaved.

Hear us, Lord of life.

Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin,

in our lives, in our nation, and in the world.

Hear us, Lord of life.

You are the Lord who does mighty wonders.

You have declared your power among the peoples.

With you, Lord, is the well of life

and in your light do we see light.

Hear us, Lord of life:

heal us, and make us whole.

Let us pray.

Silence

O Lord our God,

accept the fervent prayers of your people;

in the multitude of your mercies

look with compassion upon us     

and all who turn to you for help;

for you are gracious, O lover of souls,

and to you we give glory,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

now and forever.  Amen.

 Our God is a loving God, gentle and merciful,

whose desire for us

is wholeness of body, mind, and spirit.

It is with this knowledge in our hearts

that we have gathered here today as a community.

We have reconciled ourselves to God and to each other.

We have heard God’s holy word

and pondered upon it in our hearts and minds.

We know that God is steadfast and true

and so we are able to pray with faith and trust:

Loving God,

By the power of your Spirit

may your blessing rest on all who approach you.

May they be made whole in body, mind, and spirit,

restored in your image, renewed in your love,

to serve you as sons and daughters in your kingdom.  Amen.

From Thee All Skill and Science Flows  Albano

From thee all skill and science flow,

all pity, care, and love,

all calm and courage, faith and hope:

O pour them from above.

Impart them, Lord, to each and all,

as each and all shall need,

to rise, like incense, each to thee,

in noble thought and deed.

And hasten, Lord, that perfect day

when pain and death shall cease,

and thy just rule shall fill the earth

with health and light and peace.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

We give thanks for this good earth,

your gift to us and our home,

and we pray for wisdom and gentleness

to care for your creation, O God.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come into God’s presence with singing.

We gather with grateful hearts,

remembering your mercy and strength,

your justice and your compassion,

your goodness and your grace.

Know that the Lord is God.

May we live what we know of you

and strive for what you seek, O God.

We are God’s people,

and the sheep of God’s pasture.

In humility we pray for the entire human family,

remembering those in need,

and all who are alone, dishonored or excluded.

Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving

and God’s courts with praise.

Move us through thanksgiving and praise to action.

Use us to heal wherever there is violence and harm.

Give thanks to God, bless God’s name.

May we embrace your just purpose, O God,

and offer ourselves in prophetic witness.

For the Lord is good;

We pray for your goodness to flow outward,

flooding this world with love.

God’s steadfast love endures forever,

We pray for your loving purpose in every life this day

and into the days to come.

And God’s faithfulness to all generations.

Hope Morgan Ward

We remember God’s love and care of all God created,

celebrating God’s healing and presence

in our lives and in our communities singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth of your glory are full.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Isaiah 6:3  

Music and Lyric by Steve Bell

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,

we are bold to pray,

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed 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.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and glory,

for ever and ever.  Amen.

Blessing

The peace of God which passes all understanding,

keep your hearts and minds

in the knowledge and love of God

and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God Is Love; His Mercy Brightens

God is love: His mercy brightens

All the path in which we rove;

Bliss He wakes and woe He lightens:

God is wisdom, God is love.

Chance and change are busy ever;

Man decays and ages move;

But His mercy waneth never:

God is wisdom, God is love.

E'en the hour that darkest seemeth,

Will His changeless goodness prove;

Through the gloom His brightness streameth;

God is wisdom, God is love.

He with earthly cares entwineth

Hope and comfort from above;

Everywhere His glory shineth;

God is wisdom, God is love.

Dismissal

Go Now in Peace