Innisfail United Church

Springbank United Church

Knox United Church

10th Sunday after Pentecost

August 9, 2020

Minister: Rev. Margaret Lange

Thank you for joining us today

Wheelchair Accessible Equipped For Hearing Impaired

Candle Welcome Call to Worship:

Jesus comes to us, showing us how to do the unlikely. Come, Jesus says: trust me. Jesus calls us to leave the boat to risk the waves. Come, Jesus says: trust me. Jesus calls us to rise from quiet prayer to risk the storms of witness. Come, Jesus says: trust me. Jesus calls us to rise from the gravity of doubt to risk the levity of faith. Come, Jesus says: trust me. Come, he says, come from safety into miracle. Come, Jesus says: trust me. Opening Prayer: God of safety and of risk, you who calls us over and over to leave what is familiar and comfortable and go out to the places where the Spirit blows wild and wonderful winds of change, give us the courage today to journey to the open plains and stand where your breath will pick us up and send us flying in new directions, and give us the trust of birds who float confidently on the invisible air knowing that you hold them in your mighty love. Amen.

Hymn of Praise: VU409 Morning Has Broken ©Eleanor Farjeon words by permission of David Higham Associates

1 Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

2 Sweet the rain's new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where God's feet pass.

3 Ours is the sunlight! Ours is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day! Prayer of Confession Upholding God, we gather in your presence confessing that we too often look for safety in life. When our anxiety leads us to insist on guarantees and warranties, invite us to let go of fear and reach for you. When our worry leads us to gather and hoard more things invite us to let go of fear and reach for you. When we try to hold our lives together with adhesive tape and safety harnesses, invite us to let go of fear and reach for you. When we are finally so burdened that we sink beneath the weight of everything that is supposed to save us, to protect us, to preserve and defend us, invite us to let go of fear and reach for you. Call us to let go of our fears, Holy One.

Call us to dare the unknown, to release our frantic grip on our expectations and our precautions, and to risk dancing into the wild embrace of the Holy Spirit. Call us to entrust our lives to your confident power. Call us to entrust our hopes to vision, Call us to entrust our doubts to your transforming faith. Assurance of Grace Hear the good news! God promises that wherever we go in joyful trust, God will go before us and beside us, our ever-present companion and guide. Thanks be to God. Amen. Sung Response: VU 958 Halle, Halle, Halle (2x) Reproduced with permission under One License #A-716394. All rights reserved.

Halle, halle, hallelujah! Halle, halle, hallelujah! Halle, halle, hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Kidz’n God Story Time: The Alligator in Naomi’s Pillow by David Giuliano Song of Praise: : MV 92 – Like a Rock ©1999 Borealis Music Reproduced with permission under One License #A-716394. All rights reserved.

Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet. Like the starry night sky God is over our head.

Like the sun on the horizon God is ever before. Like the river runs to ocean, our home is God evermore. Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33 Meditation: Don’t Try This At Home A copy of the sermon will be available from the office next week. Please contact the office if you would like one. Song of Praise: VU563 Jesus You Have Come to the Lakeshore © 1979 Cesáreo Gabaráin Reproduced with permission under One License #A-716394. All rights reserved.

1 Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones; you only asked me to follow humbly.

R O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me, and while smiling, have spoken my name; now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me; by your side I will seek other seas.

2 You know so well my possessions; my boat carries no gold and no weapons; - you will find there my nets and labour. R

3 You need my hands, full of caring through my labours to give others rest, and constant love that keeps on loving. R

4 You, who have fished other oceans, ever longed for by souls who are waiting, my loving friend, as thus you call me. R

The Offering This is the time we think of how much we have been given. In these times of COVID we have seen all the ways people have been supported by offering their gifts: flowers, food, phone calls, music and of course we have three communities of faith who are worshipping together that have been with each through the stormy times. Your monetary gifts support the buildings and each faith community. Offering Dedication Loving God, you save us and protect us. Take all that we offer – our gifts of money and those given through PAR and our very selves – use them to make known your great works of justice among all people, and proclaim the good news of your salvation and never-ending love. In the name of the Christ, who calms our deepest fears, we pray. Amen. Prayers of the People Merciful Creator, we breathe in your Spirit. We fill our nostrils with the smell of your creation. We fill our eyes and ears with the sights and sounds of your beauty. We touch the tenderness of those whom you have given us to share life. We give thanks with our breath, our senses, our singing, and our silence. Merciful Creator, we also know the sights and sounds of pain, the feeling of anxiety creeping into our joy and our worship, so our deep thanks mingles

with our deep longing for Shalom. We bring our thanks and our asking. Pause for a time of silent prayer.

We wake up in the night not only worried attending school about COVID, our health, our finances, our own children and ailing family members.

We are also deeply concerned for those who lack a sense of hope, love, and possibility.

Pause for a silent time to lift up particular individuals

Restore within us and between us a focus on your presence.

May your delight of our lives influence the way we see our lives and those of others

We ask you to hear all our prayers, O God, in the name of the one who taught us to sing: The Lord’s Prayer VU 959 Our Father 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.

Hymn: VU675 Will Your Anchor Hold 1 Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? When the clouds unfold their wings of strife, when the strong tides lift and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain?

R We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love!

2 It will surely hold in the straits of fear, when the breakers tell that the reef is near; though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow, not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow. R

3 It will surely hold in the floods of death, when the waters cold chill our latest breath; on the rising tide it can never fail while our hopes abide within the veil. R

4 When our eyes behold, through the gathering night, the city of gold, our harbour bright, we shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore, with the storms all past for evermore. R Benediction: Give thanks to God who lives in the whirlwind

and calms the storms. Thanks be to God. Give thanks to God who is with us when we sink in despair and lifts us into joy again. Thanks be to God. Give thanks to God that we have received this good news. Thanks be to God. Give thanks to God that we are sent

to bear the good news to others. Thanks be to God. Go and live life to the fullest knowing that God is with you in the calm and in the storms. Song of Praise: VU657 Will You Come and Follow Me © 1987, GIA/Iona Community / WGRG Reproduced with permission under One License #A-716394. All rights reserved.

1 Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don't know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known, will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2 Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same? Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare? Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3 Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name? Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same? Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen, and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4 Will you love the 'you' you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around, through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5 Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.

In your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show. Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Word Search Puzzle from Pinawa.Church/puzzles (use for free distribution only)

words in a straight line in all directions

S A I D E T R A T S S A V E

W P E T E R E A C H E D S I

A M W A N S W E R E D W R N

L A C O M M A N D N A H N T

K T U F R I G H T E N E D O

I T B E G I N N I N G N I W

N H C A U G H T C R I E D A

G E M O C E A S E D R O L R

E W F A I T H E Y H W I N D

E M A C E B L F G N O R T S

Y B Y L E T A I D E M M I S

D O U B T D E C I T O N I G

S A U I S A Y I N G K H O H

O T L S U S E J U W A T E R

(Matthew 14:28-32 NRSV) Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is

you, command me to come to you on the water." (29) He said,

"Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the

water, and came toward Jesus. (30) But when he noticed the

strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he

cried out, "Lord, save me!" (31) Jesus immediately reached out

his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why

did you doubt?" (32) When they got into the boat, the wind

ceased.

Word List

IMMEDIATELY FRIGHTENED BEGINNING ANSWERED

WALKING STARTED REACHED NOTICED MATTHEW

COMMAND TOWARD STRONG SAYING LITTLE CEASED

CAUGHT BECAME WATER PETER JESUS FAITH DOUBT

CRIED WIND WHEN THEY SINK SAVE SAID NRSV LORD

INTO HAND COME BOAT YOU WHY OUT HIS HIM GOT DID

BUT SO OF IF