Easter VII

During this time of physical isolation, we look for ways to share words of comfort and hope in the face of uncertainty and fear. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Special thanks this week to Margaret “Bunny” Todman, our guest preacher and liturgist. Thanks too to Jenny, Bob, and Heather!

PRELUDE: (Scottish traditional tune)

CENTRING POEM: “Rio’s Messiah”

Overlooking the lush playground of Rio
Stands an open-armed Messiah
Welcoming everyone
Under his protective wings
Ready to embrace the world
With all its misgivings.

OPENING PRAYER

Dear Lord:
We are all your children
and we are all children of this earth.
Help us reach a calm within ourselves
to face the strange and unfamiliar happenings of these days.
Give us the strength to go toward what lies ahead
with confidence and conviction;
knowing that you are with us
and all will be well. Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and God’s righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Hallelu, hallelujah.

Ask and it shall be given unto you;
seek and you shall find;
knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
Hallelu, hallelujah.

We do not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Hallelu, hallelujah.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Dear God:
We ask you to help us forgive those who have wronged us…
but we don’t always ask for forgiveness
for the wrongs we have done to others.
Look into our hearts and help us to forgive.
We are all part of this earth
and should live in harmony.
Thank you, Lord.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God listens and makes available
everything we need for the future
and forgives our foolish ways of the past.
Thank you God.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “Better Than a Hallelujah” (Hart/Hartford)

FIRST READING: Psalm 91.9-16

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honour him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

SECOND READING: Matthew 8.23-26

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

HYMN: “O worship the king”

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing God’s power and God’s love;
our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise.

O tell of God’s might, O sing of God’s grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and broad is God’s path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, your power has founded of old;
has stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail;
your mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

REFLECTION: “Out of Service”

Isn’t it annoying when you dial a telephone number and you hear a voice tell you that that number is “Out of Service?” And you know “Out of Service” means it’s not working, not functioning, broken or currently unavailable.

Telephones and telephone numbers can be “Out of Service.” Subways and buses can be “Out of Service”. ATM machines can be “Out of Service” Yes, all of these things can be “Out of Service” whether temporarily or permanently.

Something that’s always available and never “Out of Service,” though, is our direct line to God. God is always with us and will listen to us whether we’re getting in touch to ask for help, to complain or to say “thank you.”

Yes, our direct line to God is often used in prayer.

As Psalm 27: verses 7-8 say: Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

All people ask for help. One of our readings today told us about the disciples waking Jesus during a storm on the lake. They asked for his help because they were frightened of the storm.

Many people today call on God for help. Yes, we all need help at one time or another—it could be because we are ill or in pain. We could be needing forgiveness. We could be looking for guidance. We could be searching for peace. Whatever the reason, we all should stay in touch with God through our prayers.

Yes, many of us pray to God; and David, who is considered the traditional author of many psalms, was no exception. The psalms call upon the Lord, in prayer, for many reasons. Let’s see how the psalms were used to communicate with God whether to ask God for help, whether to ask God questions or whether to give God praise and thanks.

First let’s hear some of the psalms that asked God for HELP.

In Psalm 5, Verses 1 and 2 say: O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to me cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.

In Psalm 17, verse 1 says: O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Yes, these psalms ask God to hear their pleas for help.

Then, in another psalm, the writer admits that the Lord did hear his pleas for help. Yes, in Psalm 40, verse 1 it says: I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

Now let’s hear how the psalms COMPLAINED and asked questions of the Lord.

In Psalm 10, verse 1 says: O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?

And then in Psalm 13, verses 1 and 2 say: O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Yes, like these psalms, we have a lot of questions for the Lord and sometimes don’t see how the Lord is guiding us and answering us. We lose patience with the Lord and don’t understand why our prayers aren’t answered immediately.

We all know that we all have crises in our lives and when those crises in our lives are over, we want to thank and PRAISE God.

And, of course, the psalms also PRAISED God.

In Psalm 9, verse 1 says: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done.

And in Psalm 30, verse 1 says: I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

And, lastly, in Psalm 34, verse 1 says: I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

So you see, some psalms certainly praised God a great deal and, like these psalms, we all have a lot to praise God for—we should praise him for his forgiveness, we should praise him for his guidance, and we certainly should praise him for his steadfast love.

Yes, David, and many of the people in Biblical times, called on God many times and we too, can call on God to assist us in our lives, and God WILL guide US as well.

We must never forget that God is always available to us—any time, any place. We always have a direct line and it’s never “Out of Service”.

AMEN.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Dear Lord:
We all need your peace and comfort.
As you gave your disciples,
give everyone around the world that peace
which is surely needed in this challenging and difficult time.
Give us the knowledge that this, too, will pass
and we will, once again, be able to show our love
to family and friends face-to-face.
Thank you God for your understanding.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “What a friend we have in Jesus”

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Christ the Saviour is our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do our friends despise, forsake us?
Are we tempted to despair?
Jesus’ strength will shield our weakness,
and we’ll find new courage there.

BLESSING

Remember we can go to God and ask for his guidance
and we can do this anytime, anywhere
because our direct line to God is never “Out of Service”
Amen.

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.