St. Paul’s United Church30 Main Street South, Brampton, ON L6W 2C4

St. Paul’s - "A caring, Christian community,sharing the love of Jesus through our words and actions."

Worship Theme: "Writing the Vision"(*Please stand as you are able.)

"We are gathered on the traditional territory of Anishnabeg Nation (Mississauga/Ojibway). This land used to be the Iroquoian

territory for the Neutral Confederacy before the arrival of the Anishnabeg. We acknowledge their stewardship of this land

throughout the ages."

The Approach of the People of God

Music as we gather

Welcome and Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle

*Call to Worship Hymn: VU #401 “Worship the Lord”

Refrain: Worship the Lord (worship the Lord)worship the Father, the Spirit the Son,raising our hands (raising our hands)in devotion to God who is one!

1 Raising our hands as a sign of rejoicing,and with our lips our togetherness voicing,giving ourselves to a life of creativeness,worship and work must be one! R

2 Praying and training that we be a blessing,and by our handiwork daily confessing:we are committed to serving humanity,worship and work must be one! R

3 Called to be partners with God in creation,honouring Christ as the Lord of the nation,we must be ready for risk and for sacrifice,worship and work must be one! R

4 Bringing the bread and the wine to the table,asking that we may be led and enabled,truly united to build new communities,worship and work must be one! R

5 Now in response to the life you are giving,help us, O Father, to offer our living,seeking a just and a healing society,worship and work must be one! R

Words: Fred Kaan 1972, Music: Ron Klusmeier 1977. Words © Hope Publishing Company. Music © 1977 Ron Klusmeier.

Opening Prayer

Supportive God,through us you offer help and careto many who have lost their connectionswith what we call a ‘normal’ lifestyle.

Help us to seek out those for whom love is a difficult concept;Those who feel that family, or society, has failed them;Those who are caught in a cycle of trouble, or poverty, or despairand those whose problems are beyond our understanding.You understand and care and offer support.Help us to see where we fit into that network.

“Supportive God” by Marjorie Dobson in Geoffrey Duncan, ed., A Lifetime of Blessings,p. 126.

*Hymn: VU #365 “Jesus Loves Me”

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

1 Jesus loves me, this I know,for the Bible tells me so;little ones to him belong,in his love we shall be strong. R

2 Jesus loves me, this I know,as he loved so long ago,taking children on his knee,saying, ALet them come to me.@ R

3 Jesus loves me still today,walking with me on my way,wanting as a friend to givelight and love to all who live. R

Words: v.1 Anna Bartlett Warner 1859; v. 2 and 3 David Rutherford McGuire 1970. Music: William Batchelder Bradbury 1862. Words (v.2 and 3) © Cherie McGuire.

Time with Children

*Passing of the Peace

Today’s Anthem:

Listen to the Word of God

Today’s Lectionary Readings:

Hebrew Scripture: Habakkuk 1:1 – 2:4One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.All: Thanks be to God.

Quote for the Sermon: "It’s not what the world holds for you. It’s what you bring to it.”L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Sermon: “Gifts you offer”

*Hymn: VU #356 “Seek Ye First the Kingdom”

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

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

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

Words & music: Karen Lafferty 1972. Words, music, and descant © 1972 Maranatha! Music.

The Offering

*Offering Hymn: VU #543 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”

1 We give thee but thine own,whate=er the gift may be;all that we have is thine alone,a trust, O God, from thee.

2 May we thy bounties thusas stewards true receive,and gladly, as thou blessest us,to thee our first-fruits give.

Words: William Walsham How 1858, alt. Music: Johann Bathasar Konig 1738, adapt. William Henry Havergal 1947

*Offering Prayer

A Prayer for Healing:

Blessed are the poor in spirit.Blessed are those who are at the end of their tether.Blessed are those who have no one else to turn to.Blessed am I when I realise how much I need Jesus,For then Jesus is mine.

To a woman with the alabaster jar who comes, breaking the jar, breaking her heart, he says, ‘I forgive.’Blessed are the poor in spirit.To an intellectual too nervous to come to him by day, who tentatively asks, ‘How can it be?’, he says, ‘Because God so loved the world.’Blessed are the poor in spirit.To a centurion with a hopeless longing for the well-being of a sick child, who comes pleading, ‘I am not worthy, but just say the word’, he says, ‘There is healing.’Blessed are the poor in spirit.And to me, this day, coming to him with all the uncertainty of the twentieth century full of dilemmas, aware of failures, wondering what the future holds, fragile – to me he says, ‘You are the one for whom blessing is on its way. Never mind the others!You!’For this is the Gospel of Christ.

“Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” by Peter Graystone in Geoffrey Duncan, ed., A World of Blessing, p. 47-8

The Prayer of Jesus (said) VU #914

Our Father/Mother/Creator in heaven,hallowed be your name,Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth, as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us.Save us from the time of trial,and deliver us from evil:For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,now and forever. Amen.

*Hymn: MV #145 “Draw the Circle Wide”

Refrain: Draw the circle wide. Draw it wider still.Let this be our song, no one stands alone,standing side by side, draw the circle wide.

1 God the stillpoint of the circle, ‘round whom all creation turns;nothing lost, but held forever,

in God’s gracious arms. R2 Let our hearts touch far horizons,

so encompass great and small;let our loving know no borders, faithful to God’s call. R

3 Let the dreams we dream be larger, than we’ve ever dreamed before;let the dream of Christ be in us, open every door. R

Words and music copyright © 1994 Common Cup Company. Arrangement © 1998 Wood Lake Books.

*Blessing and Sending Forth:

(A New Creed VU 918)

We are not alone,We live in God’s world.We believe in God:who has created and is creating,who has come in Jesus,the Word made flesh,to reconcile and make new,who works in us and othersby the Spirit.We trust in God.We are called to be the Church;to celebrate God’s presence,to live with respect in Creation,to love and serve others,to seek justice and resist evil,to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,our judge and our hope.In life, in death, in life beyond death,God is with us.We are not alone.Thanks be to God.

Three-fold Amen

Music as we go back to the world

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PARTICIPANTS IN THIS MORNING’S SERVICE

Coordinating Minister The Rev. Richard C. Choe Organist Iain MorrisonChair of Council David HymersChurch Officer Jack DrewReader Alan Craig Coordinating Greeter Cathy Robertson Greeters Ron & Marion Mills, Beverly & Mohabir Ramnarine, Molly & Nimrod Ramnarine, Joan & Willard Rintoul,

Doug & Margo Rogers, Elizabeth Ward.