Watch Pastor Beryl’s service with communion as of Sunday morning here
Sunday Service: May 3, 2020
Once again, Pastor Beryl’s service will be available to watch as of Sunday morning at the link below.
A little surprise this week: she filmed it in the church! She reminds everyone watching to try to have a candle on hand, and something to light it with.
The Hymns this week are: VU 299 Teach Me God to Wonder; Psalm 23 VU 747; VU 806 O God Our Help in Ages Past. Find links to them below.
New Testament 101: Luke
This week we move on to the Gospel of Luke.
Did you know that Luke mentions God’s Spirit more than any of the other New Testament writers? For example, the power of the Spirit was with John the Baptist from the time he was born (1: 15). And, the Angel promised Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you….so your child will be called the holy Son of God” (1:35). Also, Jesus followed the Spirit (4: 1, 14, 18: 10, 21) and taught that the Spirit is God’s greatest gift (11: 13).
Luke stresses how important prayer was to Jesus. He prayed often – after being baptized (3: 21), before choosing the disciples (6: 12), before asking his disciples who they thought he was (9: 18) and before giving up his life on the cross (23: 34: and 46). We learn from Luke three stories Jesus used to teach about prayer (11: 5-9, 18: 1-8 and 9: 14).
An important party of Luke’s story is the way in which he shows the concern of Jesus for the poor- the good news is preached to them (4: 18, 7:22) – they receive God’s blessings (6:20) and they are invited to the great feast (14: 13, 21). Also, if you remember, Jesus commanded his disciples to sell what they had and give to the poor (12: 33).
In order to make sure readers would understand that Jesus was raised physically from death, the writer of Luke reports that the risen Jesus ate a piece of fish (24: 42, 43). There could be no mistake that the risen Jesus was not a ghost. His being raised from the dead was real and not the figment of someone’s imagination.
The writer of Luke also wrote another book – The Acts of the Apostles. This was to show what happened to Jesus’ followers after he was raised from the dead and taken up into heaven. No other Gospel has a second volume that continues the story.
Luke closes the first book he wrote by telling that Jesus returned to heaven. But right before Jesus leaves, he tells his disciples:
“The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from the death. They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So, beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened. (Luke 24: 46-48).
Next week we move on to my “favourite” – the Gospel of John.
Beryl
Order of service, June 7, 2020
This week we will again have communion at home. Below is the general order of service, and below that, the order of communion “insert”. In addition to a candle, this week you should have a glass of juice or water and a piece of bread or a cracker ready. Please try to watch the service starting at 10AM Sunday so we can take communion “together” though apart.
Holy Communion
The Lord be with you, and also with you
Lift up your hearts, we lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God, it is right to give God thanks and praise
Holy are you God for your mercy is endless. You have filled all creation with light and life and your glory stretches throughout the heavens.
And we say together:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest
Your Spirit calls us now, where we are, to gather all people into our celebration and in remembrance of Jesus’ life we say together Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again
Send O God your Holy Spirit upon us and what we do here that we and these gifts, touched by your Spirit, may be signs of life and love to one another and to the world
And we say together -Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all Glory is yours God most holy - now and forever
At this table, bread is broken and wine is poured as we remember not only the promise but also the price Jesus paid for who he was, for what he did and said and for the world’s brokenness. We taste the mystery of God’s great love for us and are renewed in faith and hope.
Blessing the Elements
The bread of our being loved and the wine of our joy stand as reminders that miracles in faith and risk continue to happen. In thanksgiving and remembrance, we ask you to bless this bread and this wine so that, in sharing them together, we shall be your people.
Sharing the Elements
The bread of life we eat together
The cup of love we drink as one
Prayer after Communion
For the bread we have eaten, for the cup we have shared, for the life we have received, we thank you God. Grant that we may grow in love and understanding and that our lives may be lived in faith.
Amen
Prayers of the People follow
Worship service May 31, 2020
The link to Pastor Beryl’s service will be live Sunday morning here:
Order of service: May 31, 2020
Here is the scripture reading for today, from Acts 2:1-21 (New Revised Standard Version)
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
New Testament 101: Mark
This is the shortest of the four books that tell about the life and teachings of Jesus, but it is also the most action-packed.
From the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus worked many wonders or miracles. After choosing four followers (1: 16-20) he immediately performed healings; among those were a man with an evil spirit in him (1: 32-34), Simon’s mother-in-law (1: 30-31), crowds of sick people (1: 32-34) and a man with leprosy (1: 440-45). Over and over the writer of Mark tells how Jesus healed people, but always in such a way as to show that he did these things by the power of God.
Mark details how the religious leaders refused to accept Jesus. This led to conflicts that finally made them start looking for a way to kill him (11: 18). However, the demons saw the power of Jesus and they knew he was the Son of God - although Jesus would not let them tell anyone.
This book is full of miracles which amazed crowds and Jesus’ own followers. However, according to Mark, the most powerful miracle of Jesus is his suffering and death. The first person to understand this miracle was the Roman soldier who saw Jesus die on the cross and said “This man truly was the Son of God” (15: 39).
This Gospel is widely thought to be the first one written. The many explanations of Aramaic words and Jewish customs in Mark suggest the writer of Mark wrote for Gentile or non-Jewish Christians. He wanted to tell about Jesus and to encourage readers to believe in the power of Jesus to rescue them from sickness, demons and death. He also wanted to remind them that the new life of faith was not an easy life and that they must follow Jesus by serving others and being ready to suffer as Jesus had done.
It is interesting that the writer of Mark (living in a male dominated culture) tells the reader that the first followers of Jesus to discover the empty tomb were three women and that an angel told them “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he is not here”. (16:6)
Next week we move on to the Gospel of Luke.
Beryl
image: The Sick Await Healing, by James Tissot (1836-1902)
Worship Service May 24, 2020
Watch the service as of Sunday morning here.
The reading this week is John 17:1-11
New Testament 101: The Book of Matthew
Although Matthew appears as the first book in the Gospels, it was not the first book written.
It does, however, contain some beloved stories:
The Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Golden Rule (treat others as you want them to treat you) are all in this book.
It is perhaps the best known and most quoted of all the books. It is written about Jesus. That is probably the reason Matthew was placed first amongst the four books about Jesus called the Gospels.
One of the most important ideas found here is that God expects God’s people to be obedient and that is what is meant by the Greek word that appears in many translations as “righteousness”. It is used seven times by Matthew (but only once by Luke and not at all by Mark). This is an important clue as to what Matthew wants his readers to understanding about the teaching of Jesus.
Jesus first uses this word at his own baptism when he tells John the Baptist “for now this is how it should be because we must do all that God wants us to do” (3:15)
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks five more times of what God’s people must do to obey God. (5: 6, 10, 20, 6: 1, 33)
Finally, Jesus reminds the chief priests and leaders of the people “John the Baptist showed you how to do it right” (21: 32)
The writer of Matthew wanted to provide for the people of his time a record of Jesus’ message and ministry. It is clear that the Old Testament Scriptures were very important to these people and Matthew never failed to show when these texts pointed to the coming of Jesus as the Messiah sent from God.
Matthew wrote this book to make sure the followers of Jesus (later called Christians) knew that their faith in Jesus as the Messiah was well anchored in the Old Testament Scriptures and to help them grow in faith.
Matthew ends his story with the words of Jesus to his followers, which tell what they are to do after he leaves them.
“I have given you all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”
(Matthew 28: 18b-20)
Pastor Beryl
Order of Service for May 24
Have you been watching Pastor Beryl’s online services? Have you missed having a bulletin in your hands to follow along? If so, this is your lucky day. Attached is an order of service for this Sunday. As we still don’t know when we’ll be able to gather again, we will be supplying these weekly or for a few weeks at a time moving forward. We will also share printable versions of the readings for the day whenever possible.
Scripture Reading (John 17:1-11)
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
17 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.