1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.
We began with “Blessed Quietness” as we prepared our hearts for worship then joyfully sang “This is the Day”! God is good – all the time. The service concluded with “Be thou my vision”. May you be blessed.
Psalm 118:19-29
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Worship was a little jagged this morning. YouTube wouldn’t load, lap top frozen, and my keyboard would not change keys. A dear friend told me to take a deep breath. That breath, Spirit lead, allowed me to continue on Facebook. Goodness knows.
The upshot is that there is no video to load this morning to share with you here.
Prayers this morning:
for Pat P. as she heals from her injury
for all those who have lost their jobs
for quick resolution for those waiting for the CERB
for the family of Reta Warlich who passed this week. (Sheri, Joey, Sasha, and Abby
for families near and far
for Nova Scotia in the midst of tragedy
The mind map is below. Follow the numbers on the map to get the flow of the message. You can still watch the Facebook video. Follow me @doll.creelman OR check out the DMS Pastoral Charge Facebook page.
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”[a]
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;[b] their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. 10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.[1]
WELCOME in the name of Jesus, the Christ.
Sharing with you some ideas about this psalm and our lives today.
We’re standing in the middle of something so much bigger than each of us but our God is big enough AND small enough to tap each of us on the shoulder and say, “Have no fear, I am with you.”
I don’t often write out my full prose of my message and today will be no different. The mind map that I will share at the end may seem confusing or odd but it gives a glimpse into my thought process throughout the week.
The big question and the following questions stem from this statement: “If you were to write a psalm today what would it look like?”
The psalmist today writes about how very present God is and not like the gods of the Canaanites. There are a lot or resources available on this Psalm – just ask Mr. Google if you want more.
Back to the questions.
How would you write your psalm today? Would you base it somewhat on Psalm 16?
What does your lament or tears look like? Would you share that part of you? That’s not always easy.
What songs would you sing today? Songs of joy, faith, or love perhaps.
Take the questions further – what does your dream look like? For tomorrow or for this time next year. What’s the dream for when we worship together once more?
Perhaps the dream would be about rising again. We will arise! We will find joy in today but also in tomorrow and whatever is next for us.
This morning we sang songs of Joy: Joyful, joyful we adore you, I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, and then finished with I can feel you near me God (Jump for joy).
Are you feeling joy? Are you able to get excited about your dreams to come?
This we know for sure: God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
See my Mind Map below which is the short form of my message today.
He is risen! Start at timestamp 4:38 to skip the set up.
He is Risen!
Mark 16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Resurrection of Jesus
16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and.
May we all share in the joy of the resurrection in new and different ways. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Amen
ST. ANDREW’S, ST. LUKE’S, EMMANUELUNITED CHURCHES OF CANADA
April 10th, 2020
Good Friday Service
Hebrew Reading: Mark 15 ST. ANDREW’S, ST. LUKE’S, EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCHES OF CANADA Email: dmsminister@gmail.com Designated Lay Minister: Barbara Creelman Phone: 613-333-9894 April 10th, 2020 Good Friday
WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD Musical Prelude We prepare our hearts for worship Welcome – Lighting of the Christ Candle Centring Prayer
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD FOR US Story of Jesus: Mark 15
25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.
29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
Message: What’s so good about Good Friday?
· Good Friday also known as · God’s Friday · Long Friday Good because the death of Jesus was the final sacrifice for all atonement needed Feels like a Long Friday to me. Dark day today; dark themes in our scripture; dark world we like in. We have time today, as we shelter in place, in the sanctuary of our homes, to prayer, to meditate on what is being sacrificed today – the health of those who work to care for others, those who continue to supply our needs.
The Death of Jesus 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land[f] until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[h] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
It is finished (the candle is extinguished)
Music: I know who holds tomorrow He giveth more grace
Our prayers for the world in turmoil, for our friends and family separated from us, for all who care for us.
Good Friday? Yes it is. What good to you find in this day?
Hymn: Jesus keep me near the cross 1 Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain; Free to all, a healing stream, Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain. Refrain: In the cross, in the cross Be my glory ever, Till my ransomed soul shall find Rest beyond the river.
2 Near the cross, a trembling soul, Love and mercy found me; There the Bright and Morning Star Shed His beams around me. [Refrain]
3 Near the cross! O lamb of God, Bring its scenes before me; Help me walk from day to day With its shadow o’er me. [Refrain]
4 Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait, Hoping, trusting ever; Till I reach the golden strand, Just beyond the river. [Refrain] Public Domain 1869 *Benediction Friday ends but Sunday is coming….
In an effort to reach the community during this time of uncertainty I recorded yesterday’s service held at St. Andrews in Matawatchan. This audio recording has not been edited. (I currently don’t have the technology to do so).
If you want to hear the message only you can go to time stamp 16:35
For those who attended in Schutt or Denbigh you will hear the message a little differently. As a few know, my sermons are not identical from church to church.
I’m also adding the service bulletin.
ST. ANDREW’S, ST. LUKE’S, EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCHES OF CANADA Email: dmsminister@gmail.com Designated Lay Minister: Barbara Creelman Phone: 613-333-9894 March 15, 2020 LENT III
*Indicates an invitation to stand in body or spirit. Bold type indicates responses to be said or sung by all.
WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD Musical Prelude We prepare our hearts for worship Welcome – Lighting of the Christ Candle Centering Prayer
Call to Worship: *Opening Hymn:
We share our blessings, celebrations, and community
We pray: May we hear the voice of the Spirit speaking to us through these words of Good News heard today. Amen.
Message: Righteous anger?
*Hymn: 378 Spirit of God descend upon my heart
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD Community and world prayers, the Lord’s Prayer
We share our gifts and give thanks
*Offering Hymn: 543 We give thee but thine own What e’er the gift may be All that we have is thine alone, A trust, O God, from thee. Amen.
*Hymn: 343 I love to tell the story
WE GO FORTH TO LOVE AND TO SERVE *Benediction We sing: We are one as we walk this road together. We are one as we journey side by side. We are one, even though we may be different. We are one. We are one. (Sing twice) Barbara Creelman June 2015