Mission Awareness Sunday April 29, 2018

Atlantic Mission Society

Theme: “Empowered By The Holy Spirit”

The Mission Education Committee has prepared these resources for the use of auxiliaries and congregations on Mission Awareness Sunday. In planning your service, you are not limited to the suggestions made here.

Contributors to this packet of materials:Carol Stymiest Shirley Weatherbee Margaret Craig

Penny Gillies Jessie Kelly Rob GriffithsRev. Marion Barclay MacKay

Scripture Readings: Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:25-31John 4:7-21John 15:1-8

Suggested Hymns (Book of Praise 1972 / 1997)Breathe on me breath of God 259 389O Spirit of the living God 387 401Spirit of God, descend 258 382All people that on earth do well 42 65Help us to help each other Lord 493 489Saviour, like a shepherd lead us 527 485Jesus bids us shine  391 773There’s a spirit in the air 764Spirit, spirit of gentleness 399Spirit of the living God 400We’ve a story to tell the nations 765Lord, you give the great commission 778

1

Call to Worship: Psalm 68:32-35Leader: Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.All: Sing praise to the Lord.Leader: To him who rides the ancient skies above,All: who thunders with mighty voice.Leader: Proclaim the power of GodAll: whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.Leader: You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;All: The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Prayers of Approach, Confession and ForgivenessGlorious God; Risen Lord; Spirit of Power; the wonder of your creation is all around us in this season of resurrection and new life. You have created and shaped us in love. You offer us forgiveness, guidance and the power to be all you call us to be. You are faithful in all things, and we are grateful. Continue with Prayer of Confession: (unison if you wish, or one voice)Merciful God, you call us to shine the light of your love into the dark and needy places of our world; but we confess that too often we get discouraged or even afraid. We underestimate your power and light within us. Forgive us when we turn away from you and from the needs of others. Give us faith. Empower us to carry your light and love wherever it is needed.We pray in the power of your Spirit, through Christ our risen Lord, Amen. OR: We pray in the power of your Spirit as we join our voices in the prayer Jesus taught us: Our Father…

Assurance of Forgiveness: Hear the good news! Our God is full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Through Jesus Christ we are forgiven, and called to forgive others. Thanks be to God who gives us new life in the Spirit! AMEN

2

Prayers of the PeopleJesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I will not leave you to face life all alone. I will send the Holy Spirit, to be with you forever.” Lord God, help us to see ourselves in our weakness, to see you in all your power.We praise you, O God, for the power of your Spirit, enlightening our minds, purifying our hearts, strengthening our lives and enabling us to do and to be and to become, what is impossible for us by ourselves. We are your Church, filled with your Spirit. Help us to share the good news of your love to the communities we serve and to all people everywhere.As we lift up our prayers to you, we do so in your strength, empowered by your Spirit, knowing that you are with us in every step on our journey through life.We pray for our families, our churches and our communities. By all that we say and do, help us to build up the faith and confidence of those we love. May the fruits of your spirit fill our lives each day: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE. KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL.We pray for all those who are sick at home or in hospital, that illness may not break their spirit, that you will comfort, cheer and bless them. We pray for all healthcare workers, that your healing gifts of skill, patience and understanding be given to them.We thank you for the stories of mission and other resources which enlighten us and inspire us to love and care in more meaningful ways.We pray for the poor, the lost, the hurt, the lonely, the bereaved and those who are imprisoned – behind both visible and invisible walls. Send your comfort, your peace and your calming presence to those who are without hope. Protect the defenceless and hold them close to your heart.In the silence now we lift up to you those concerns which lay heavy on our hearts. (time of silence)God of Love and God of Peace, may the power of your Spirit be seen in the world.May the knowledge of YOUR TRUTH overcome the pride, anger and greed which cause people to strive against each other.

3

May the knowledge of YOUR TRUTH guide and strengthen those who represent the people of the world in leadership positions, so that justice, mercy and peace may be victorious. So many needs, Jesus, and you can meet every need. Your name is powerful and your power is great. It is in your name we pray – and believe. Amen

Invitation to OfferingThe Apostle Paul wrote, in Galatians 6:10, to the early Christians in Galatia, “So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all”. As our heavenly Father has blessed us, may we, with our offerings, share with the people in the world who are not so fortunate: spiritually, emotionally and physically. May our offerings help to provide them with much needed food, clean water, good health, a safe and warm place to live and an unconditional love such as God bestows on us. May they know that they are worthy and loved. Our offerings will now be received.

Offertory PrayerLord, we dedicate these offerings. May they be used to glorify You and further the work of the church to help the needy and spread the Gospel to all the world. May you bless these gifts and the givers. Through Jesus we pray. Amen

Benediction May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

4

Message: “EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT”

“Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit,we proclaim the love and good news of Jesus Christ

through our words and actions.”(from 2016 Vision and Mission Statement, The Presbyterian Church in

Canada)

Seth looks out of the airplane window, far down to the unfamiliar landscape below him. It seems strange for him to have no car or apartment keys in his pocket…just the keys to his two suitcases. It’s truly a few hours of “limbo living”, from his home in Canada to his new home on the continent of Africa, where he has never been before. He mulls over the million and one uncertainties in his mind but comes to rest in a place of trust and confidence: God is with him. He’s embarking on this journey, with all its uncertainty in the firm conviction that God has called him to serve others; to use his gifts and training in agricultural development to encourage and support those who live day by day with far less than he has ever faced in his life. Seth has said “yes” to the challenge before him because deep within him a voice has taken up residence: “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” (1) Christine stands in her kitchen surrounded by happy chaos and energy. Tonight is weekly family supper night, when she and her two children prepare the meal together…before enjoying it…AND doing the clean-up together! As a single mother, Christine believes the energy it takes to maintain this weekly ritual time together is worth it. Sarah, aged 9 and Ben, aged 7 have come a long way in developing their confidence around food preparation and food choices, because everyone gets a turn to decide what the menu will be, week-about. But more than this, this weekly focused time has helped develop cooperation and communication together. Tonight, as the chicken bakes, the rice cooks and the salad greens get mixed the talk turns to those who don’t have a fridge full of food out of which to prepare supper. Christine offers a silent

5

prayer, for the right words to say to her children that will encourage gratitude within them for what they have. She takes a deep breath, and begins to tell them about children, who live on the edge of a large dump in Guatemala City, in Guatemala. Here, the food they would have for their supper would come from what the children, and their parents, had scavenged that day from the cast-offs in the dump. “Gross!” say Sarah and Ben together. They talk together some more and Christine tells them about a school now established in this “dump community” so that the children are able to receive an education. People who have more resources have given money to help fund this school so that one day the children might have different opportunities and choices for their lives. Sarah and Ben look at each other, and then at their mom “Maybe we could help too”, they say.Ruth’s feet hit the floor. At age 101, and still living on her own, this isn’t as easy for Ruth as it once was. But as her feet hit the floor, it is time for a little daily prayer…a prayer of thanks for seeing yet another new day, then giving the day over to God, asking for the strength to live by grace through it, whatever it may bring. “Grant me peace about the things I can’t change,” prays Ruth, “and may your Holy Spirit come both to my body and my brain!” Ruth’s heart of faith gives her perspective on the physical limitations of daily life she now faces but also orients her outwards towards others, finding ways to connect, share a laugh, and offer encouragement and support to those around her. At her age, Ruth knows that life brings bumps and hurdles but she also knows that faith in God can accomplish miracles. There is much cause for wonder and amazement at God’s presence at work in the ordinariness of daily life.Seth, Christine and Ruth seek to live their lives in faith, connected to Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This opens the lens of their lives to the larger world and the world’s deep need. For Seth, this has meant leaving the familiarity of his life in Canada behind and literally moving to share life with people of a different culture, language and history. For Christine, in the challenges of parenting it is finding ways to open her children’s lives to the needs of others, that are often over-looked or ignored in the affluence, commercialism and self-interest that represents so much of North American and Canadian culture.

6

For Ruth, her faith-inspired wisdom is a gift of healing salve to those who find their days overwhelming or disappointing. Hope begins with just one small step forward, and so, in the gift of friendship and words of encouragement, a burden is lightened and a shadow is lifted in someone’s life.As those who gather around Jesus and are called to live as Christ’s body in the world, it is significant for us to recognize that it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to do this. Fundamental to the early church is the calling to live out God’s love in the world, reaching out and allowing God’s love in Jesus Christ to transform lives. Time and time again the New Testament bears witness to the presence of a power that impacts people and their living in life-changing ways. This power seems to be present as those who have been touched by God’s grace and love come into contact with others. The story of Philip meeting the Ethiopian official is just one such story.We meet Philip as the earliest followers of Jesus face the first wave of persecution against them and the good news they boldly declare. Stephen has been stoned to death and hatred spews forth its venom all about, to those who are identified as followers of Jesus. An early follower, Philip flees northward from Jerusalem into Samaria, where he quickly garners a following as he proclaims Jesus as the Christ, and is empowered with gifts of signs that reveal the Holy Spirit’s presence in wondrous ways. In the midst of being a missionary to the people of Samaria, Philip is moved in heart and body to be on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. No purpose is given…Philip is just ‘sent’ by an angel messenger. Along the roadway Philip encounters a stranger. This stranger is nameless in the biblical story, but he hails from the country of Ethiopia, where he holds a position of status and means in the royal court of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. This court official has made the long, arduous trip, from his home to Jerusalem, to worship in the temple, an indication this man has spiritual awareness and thirst. In a world inhabited by many different gods, something in the Jewish faith, with its faithfulness to the One God and its strong moral code, must have been attractive and drawing to him in his spiritual seeking. No doubt his pilgrimage suffers a disappointment, for by strict Jewish law, no eunuch of any nation, is welcome to worship in the Temple. (By way of comparison, it might be like making the trek to the base of Mount Everest, only to face the

7

disappointment of having the summit enshrouded with fog for the complete duration of your stay.) However, the official from Ethiopia perseveres in his pursuit of understanding Israel’s faith and worship in the one identified as “the God of

the heavens and the earth”. Perhaps while in Jerusalem, he obtains the scroll of Isaiah that he is reading in his chariot when Philip happens upon him along the road. In answer to Philip’s query, he is reading words but does not understand their meaning.

It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and an opportunity for Philip, as he responds to the invitation of the official to join him in his chariot, and explain to him the words that he is reading. Philip sits down beside him and begins with this passage from Isaiah. Now understood in light of Jesus’ arrest, trial, death and resurrection, Philip begins to tell him the good news of God’s love that has come to be present in human life and living through Jesus, the Christ. This is great news, and of particular great news to this official, for in Philip’s witness, the man discovers himself to be included within the realm of God’s grace and love. It no longer matters that he is from Ethiopia, a gentile, and a eunuch…all factors that make him a permanent stranger and alien to Israel’s traditional faith. Philip’s witness of the ancient prophesy now fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ, and the emergence of a community of followers of Jesus, committed and emboldened to sharing the good news of God’s love with others, convicts the official that there is something here that is able to quench his spiritual thirst. Along the way, there is a desert spring, and the official asks Philip to baptize him. They stop. They go down to the water and there, Philip baptizes him…the water cleansing…spirit-quenching…life-renewing. As abruptly as this story has begun, it ends. Philip is moved again, in heart and body, and continues to be a witness to Jesus in the town of Azotus and the region about it. The Ethiopian official, we’re told, goes on his way “rejoicing”, carrying with him the scroll of Isaiah, the witness of Philip, and the truth of his baptism as he becomes embraced, and accepted, in the household of God, through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.As we celebrate Mission Awareness Sunday today, we are reminded through such a story as this, of the power of God to change and transform lives,

8

bringing release, new life and renewed hope. God’s Spirit is always at work, opening lives to hear the message of God’s love and enabling people to take risks in reaching out to others in faith that is rooted in, and built upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Philip’s witness reminds us of a vital faith that is trusting and accepting of the Spirit’s leading…even if it makes no logical sense. The journey of the Ethiopian official reminds us that God draws all people to the Divine Heart of love and life, even when such people may not fit the neat categories of our human ways and thinking. The encounter of Philip and the official together cause us to reflect on the gracious ways of God that beget new beginnings in the midst of human giftedness and vulnerability. God’s Spirit works a wonder in a wilderness place, along a desert road, with two strangers who become connected together in a life-giving way through faith in Jesus Christ. As those who belong to the Church and follow Jesus, we continue to acknowledge the empowerment of God’s Spirit leading us to new relationships and places of labour for the sake of sharing God’s love with others. We participate in this globally and locally. Together, as a part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Atlantic Mission Society, (or AMS) supports those who leave their home behind and serve in other places, in partnership with others. Today, we recall to mind people such as Dr. Nicholas and Rebecca Bauman, together with their children, who last year moved to Nepal to work with the United Mission to Nepal in a healing and teaching ministry. At the hospital where Dr. Nick works, the motto is “We Serve, Jesus Heals”. We remember Jacqueline Bannerman, a young adult, who has worked with the Reformed Church in Hungry as it seeks ways to reach out and support the many refugees that have flooded into that country. We remember the Rev. Dr. Blair and Vivian Bertrand and their children, who recently arrived in Malawi for a three-year term of work in theological education and youth ministry. This appointment continues a partnership with those of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Synod of Blantyre that has spanned many years. These people, and others with them, open their lives to God’s Spirit at work through them, in building bridges and deepening partnerships that nourish and nurture a vital and lively faith in Jesus Christ.

9

Closer to home, there are ways in which we open ourselves to be used by God’s Spirit in reaching out to others. God’s Spirit is continually inviting us to trust in God’s goodness and abundance for our lives and to risk stepping out to make a difference in the lives of others. Here are some of the ways this has been done in this congregation by those of the AMS: (At this point, some local highlights from the AMS group, or the congregation as a whole, can be shared.)Long ago, Jesus says to his disciples: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (2) This word-picture speaks to connection and fruitfulness. For us in faith, this means our connection to Jesus Christ and our commitment to investing our lives in serving the world as Jesus has served us. We learn, as the first disciples learned, we do not do this alone but in the power of God’s Spirit at work in us. In Jesus Christ, God promises to be with us, and we are empowered by God’s Spirit to share God’s love with others, to God’s honour and glory in the world. AmenPrepared by the Rev. Marion Barclay MacKay, member of the Ruth AMS,St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Sydney Mines, NS.

(1) (Mark 1:17 NRSV) (2) (John 15:5)

10

CHILDREN’S TIME

There are two suggested stories.

The Holy Spirit Lives in UsPreparation: Have a few flat balloons (not blown up) and a helium balloon (attach messages on a string to this helium balloon). If a helium balloon is unavailable, an ordinary one could work also as long as it is tied on firmly somewhere. (The flat deflated balloons represent all of us ordinary people/children and the helium balloon is us filled with God’s Holy Spirit.)

Good Morning Boys and GirlsDo you like balloons? They are fun and pretty to look at and play with when they are inflated, aren’t they?  But when they are flat like these balloons in the package, they look quite ordinary…kind of like all of us.  Now let me blow one up. WOW! This looks very good but if I let it go, it goes flat again. Sometimes that’s the way with all of our ideas and the things we want to do. When we don’t pay attention to what God wants for our lives, everything can just go flat.God has sent His Holy Spirit to be inside each of us so that we can be just like him. He wants us to be filled up and fly high just like the helium balloon. With the power of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can do great things for the Kingdom of God. The messages on our balloon will give us some ideas of what the Holy Spirit will help us to do. Let’s look!

Tell others about Jesus.Read and share Bible stories.Give thanks with prayer every day.

When we have faith we can be full of joy, flying high and trusting God in all that we do.

11

PrayerHeavenly Father We want to be like you, filled with your Holy Spirit. Please fill our hearts with the long lasting joy of knowing You. We know that when we try to fill ourselves with joy, it only works for a short time. Thank you for all that you have given to us and for keeping us safe. We trust You and will be kind, gentle and loving towards others.Amen

OR

The Holy Spirit Helps Us To SeeGood morning Boys and Girls Let’s play a game of “I spy” Can you see something that is red/blue? …square/round? Play a couple of games and then say how marvellous it is that God has given us eyes to be able to see the world around us. Explain that some people may wear glasses/reading glasses to help them see better. Perhaps one of the children may be wearing glasses. Can you see better when you are wearing or not wearing your glasses?Well there are some things that we are unable to see even with glasses on. Can you think of any?Electricity might be one. We can see the wires, plugs and poles but not the electricity inside and of course we know not to touch anything that is electrical, always being very careful.Wifi comes into our homes so we can use the computer and iPad and phones. We can’t really see that can we?The air that we breathe is something we cannot see either but it’s there allowing us to play and live each day.It’s like that with the Holy Spirit that’s inside each of us when we are followers of Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us see and know God and how we can live for Him. We can see more clearly if we have the Holy Spirit in our

12

hearts guiding us through life. The Holy Spirit will be with us every day wherever we are. It’s just like putting on a pair of “spiritual glasses” when we follow Jesus in all that we do being loving, kind, patient, obedient and forgiving. So when you get into a fight maybe with a friend and you are angry, put on your Holy Spirit glasses to help you forgive. Or when you are upset or confused about what to do, ask the Holy Spirit to help you make your decision.When we read Bible stories it’s good to have on our “spiritual glasses” to understand the wonderful stories of Jesus.

PrayerJesus, we thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to let us really see what is the right thing to do, especially when there are things we cannot see with our physical eyes. When we put on our “spiritual glasses” we are following You.Amen

This alternate suggestion for a story can be found at:http://www.creativebiblestudy.com/object-lesson-glasses.htmlThe Holy Spirit Helps Us See… and know God and how we can live for Him.This Christian object lesson uses a pair of glasses to help children as well as adults or youth realize how the Holy Spirit helps us see God working in and around us in the spiritual realm of His Kingdom.A craft worksheet to go with this story can be downloaded at:http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/Eyeglasses.html

13