Welcome to St. Paul’s Anglican, Fort Garry! Here you’ll find the order of service for Sunday, June 20, 2021. The service will be on our YouTube page by Sunday morning.
Prelude
Piano Solo
Acknowledgement (An act towards reconciliation)
For thousands of years Indigenous people have walked in this land, on their own country.
Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.
We acknowledge the Indigenous People of Canada, past, present, emerging, and their stewardship of this land throughout the ages.
Welcome
Good morning, welcome back to St. Paul’s as we gather in community to rest from our labours, to greet our neighbours, and to open our being to insight and intuition of that greater reality of which we are a part. Today we celebrate Father’s Day and those men of our lives that have mentored, supported and encouraged us in life. We also acknowledge that June is Indigenous awareness month and today is set aside as National Indigenous Day of Prayer
May we find in our time together inspiration and renewal. May we touch the holy in each other and be touched by the graciousness of life.
May we find here a calm peacefulness that will carry us through the days ahead.
We are the sisters and brothers of all that is, cherishing the earth, embracing its life.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Gathering Song
God of the Sparrow (414 BB)
God of the sparrow
God of the whale
God of the swirling stars
How does the creature say Awe
How does the creature say Praise
God of the earthquake
God of the storm
God of the trumpet blast
How does the creature cry Woe
How does the creature cry Save
God of the rainbow
God of the cross
God of the empty grave
How does the creature say Grace
How does the creature say Thanks
God of the hungry
God of the sick
God of the prodigal
How does the creature say Care
How does the creature say Life
God of the neighbour
God of the foe
God of the pruning hook
How does the creature say Love
How does the creature say Peace
God of the ages
God near at hand
God of the loving heart
How do your children say Joy
How do your children say Home
The Gathering (loosely based on the hymn Nature’s Beauty)
Nature knows the sounds and movements that are all around us every day
The rich abundance fills us with delight and we give thanks for the beauty of creation
The winds cause the trees to sway and whisper, storms bring tears from the clouds
Raindrops, snowflakes all mix together, the sun and the moon show the wonders of the sky
Nature calls us to experience all the textures, value the strength of the roots
Look deeper to see the beauty that the earth does not have on display
The creatures of the world are both bold and timid offering unique beauty when we see them in their splendour
Trees and flowers paint a picture across the plains and mountainsides
Beauty bursts everywhere and we are blest with the glorious profusion that nature displays
We offer a prayer of gratitude for all that we are gifted and thankful for the world that we share
Surprising God, whose love leads us to new experiences, help us to be open to your presence among us and within. Let us sense your glory in the sights and sounds and celebrations of this day. May it be so. May it be so with us. Amen
Jubilate Deo (Fred Dunn)
Jubilate everybody
serve the Lord in all your ways
and come before His presence singing
Enter now his courts with praise
For the Lord our God is gracious
and His mercy’s everlasting.
Jubilate jubilate jubilate deo
Jubilate everybody
serve the Lord in all your ways
and come before His presence singing
Enter now his courts with praise
The Proclamation of the Word
A Reading from the first book of Samuel (17. 32–49)
David said to Saul, ‘Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.’ David said,
‘The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the Lord be with you!’
Saul clothed David with his armour; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armour, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.’ So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.’ But David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.’
When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly towards the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Psalm 9.9–20
Refrain: You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you
You will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble. Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you
Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; proclaim to the peoples the things God has done. The avenger of blood will remember them and will not forget the cry of the afflicted. Have pity on me, O Lord; * see the misery I suffer from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gate of death; so that I may tell of all your praises and rejoice in your salvation * in the gates of the city of Zion. The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, and in the snare they set is their own foot caught. O Lord, you are known by your acts of justice; the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you
The wicked shall be given over to the grave, and also all the peoples that forget you. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever. Rise up, O Lord, let not the ungodly have the upper hand; let them be judged before you. Put fear upon them, O Lord, let the ungodly know they are but mortal.
You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you
A Reading from the second letter to the Corinthians (6.1–13)
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see— we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Gradual Hymn
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (384 BB)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, brothers and sisters draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under their wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy entreaties have been
Granted in what God ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with God’s love Creator befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Them;
Let the Amen sound from God’s people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Them.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (4.35–41)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
The Gospel of Christ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Homily
Affirmation of Faith (Rex Hunt liturgies)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share together, a celebration of faith...
The creativity of God fills the universe.
Like rain falling upon the earth and sun warming the rocks,
All the heart of God flows over us all in renewing grace and love.
The generosity of Christ fills our lives.
With company on the journey and mercy in understanding, All the Bread, the Way and the Truth set us free to live again.
The faithfulness of the Spirit fills our future.
It surrounds us with a cloud of hope and lifts our tired feet once more. In courage born of costly life, it calls and sings and dances on.
We are the people of freedom.
We lay down our past in God’s forgiveness.
We will walk on into God’s new day. Amen
Offering Hymn
Open Our Hearts (MV 2)
En
Open our hearts, open our minds
Open our lives to you O loving God
Open our hearts
Fr
Ouvre nos coeurs, ouvre nos pensees
Ouvre nos vies a toi, o Dieu d’amour
Ouvre nos coeurs
En
Open our hearts, open our minds
Open our lives to you O loving God
Open our hearts
Prayer over the Offering
Eternal God, you have made our Saviour Jesus Christ the head of all creation. Receive all we offer you this day and renew us in his risen life, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen
A Litany for the Healing and Restoration of our Church (From the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land, 2017)
Holy Creator, in whom all things in heaven and earth have their being,
Have mercy on us.
Risen Christ, through whom the whole creation is reconciled to God,
Have mercy on us.
Life-giving Spirit, whose love and truth fills the world and searches the depths of our lives,
Have mercy on us.
Blessed Trinity, source of both unity and diversity,
Have mercy on us.
From our failure to recognize and respect the revelation of your truth and love in the First Peoples of this land, Saviour, forgive and heal us.
From our participation in the systematic oppression of indigenous sovereignty, language, culture and spirituality, Saviour, forgive and heal us.
From our role in the Residential Schools designed to eliminate the unique society, wisdom and beauty of the indigenous peoples of this land, Saviour, forgive and heal us.
From our complicit tolerance of the decimation of Indigenous family structures leaving children vulnerable to abuses of every kind, Saviour, forgive and heal us.
From our continued acceptance of unjust legal, educational, health and social structures that continue to oppress and destroy the lives of many indigenous people, Saviour, forgive and heal us.
O God, we pray for the gifts of your grace and your love which never gives up on us and is forever faithful. Inspire our minds with a vision of the reconciliation of your kingdom in this time and place. Hear us, O Christ.
Touch our eyes, that we may see the sacredness in all creation. Hear us, O Christ.
Touch our ears, that we may hear from every mouth of every peoples the hunger for hope and stories of
refreshment. Hear us, O Christ.
The Lord’s Prayer
Collect
O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen
The Blessing
May the blessing of twilight integrate the light and darkness of all.
May the blessing of the equinox balance and anchor all.
May the angel of balance support and strengthen all.
May all of creation be truly blessed with harmony and stability.
And may the Holy God surprise you on the way,
Christ Jesus be your company and the Spirit lift up your life. Amen.
Closing Hymn
God of Grace (577 BB)
God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your power;
now fulfil your church's story;
bring its bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour.
Lo, the hosts of evil round us,
scorn thy Christ, assail his ways!
Fears and doubts too long have bound us,
free our hearts to work and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days.
Cure your children's warring madness,
bend our pride to your control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom's goal.
Set our feet on lofty places;
gird our lives that they may be
armoured with all Christ-like graces,
in the fight for liberty.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we fail ourselves and thee.
Dismissal
The presence of God reaches beyond this place...
We give thanks for the life and wonder that thrives within us
breath and heartbeat, joy and sorrow, dance and stillness
We give thanks for the life that thrives between us
loving, understanding, creating, imagining, embracing and letting go
We give thanks for all the life forms that surround and support us
the web of life that feeds and protects us and also needs our care
We give thanks for the life of the future hidden in the present moment
inviting us to walk the path of infinite compassion
We give thanks for the source of all life,
this living universe, of which our lives are an expression. Thanks be to God. Alleluia
Postlude
I'm Not Afraid of Anything
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