ST. COLUMBA
ANGLICAN-UNITED CHURCH
PO Box 1260, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0
Office Phone: 250-949-6247
E-mail: admin@stcolumbaporthardy.ca
Minister: Rev. Christine Muise
E-mail: cmuise@bc.anglican.ca
Wardens: Robert Fyles & Priscilla O’Neil
Treasurer: Judy Fyles
Music Ministry: Judy Fyles this week
Video: Ammie Yuipco
Community Partner: Cathie Wilson
www.stcolumbaporthardy.ca
Season of Creation 3 Year A
September 17th, 2023 Ecumenical
Mission Statement
As followers of Jesus Christ, our church is a community called to love, honour, worship, and serve God. We invite others to share our Christian journey as we grow in faith and engage in ministry in our town and mission in our world.
~ Leader: regular font
~ All: bold font
~ Sung words: bold italics
~ Asterix* stand as you are able
Welcome and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
THE COMMUNITY GATHERS BEFORE GOD
GATHERING: Song of the Three
Praise God and highly exalt God forever
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
Praise God and highly exalt God forever.
In the firmament of God’s power, glorify the Lord,
Praise God and highly exalt God forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
Praise God and highly exalt God forever.
O springs of water, seas and streams,
Praise God and highly exalt God forever.
O whales and all the move in the waters.
Praise God and highly exalt God forever
Let the earth glorify the Lord!
*Hymn: VU 260 God Who Gives to Life Its Goodness
God who gives to life its goodness,
God creator of all joy,
God who gives to us our freedom,
God who blesses tool and toy:
Teach us now to laugh and praise you,
deep within your praises sing,
till the whole creation dances
for the goodness of its King.
God who fills the earth with beauty,
God who binds each friend to friend,
God who names us co-creators
God who wills that chaos end:
Grant us now creative spirits,
minds responsive to your mind,
hearts and wills your rule extending
all our acts by Love refined.
Words: Walter Farquharson; Music: Cyril Vincent Taylor
Act of Penitence
For our incapacity to feel the sufferings of others
And our tendency to live comfortably with injustice,
God forgive us our debts.
For the self-righteousness that denies guilt and the self interest which strangles compassion,
God forgive us our debts.
For living our lives in careless unconcern.
For crying ‘Peace, Peace’ where there is no peace,
We ask your mercy.
For our failings in community, our lack of understanding,
We ask your mercy.
For our lack of forgiveness, openness, sensitivity
For our lack of generosity and self-sacrifice.
We ask your mercy.
For the times when we were too eager to be better than others,
When we were too tired to bother, when we didn’t really listen
When we were too rushed to care,
God forgive us our debts.
(Peitermaritzburg Agency for Christian Social Justice)
Prayer of the Day
THE STORY OF FAITH IS PROCLAIMED
Hutłilala's! Listen deeply as Scripture is read.
Hebrew Scripture (The Torah): Exodus 14: 19-31
Psalm 114:
Alleluia!
When Israel came out of Egypt
From a people who spoke an alien tongue,
Judah became God’s temple, Israel became God’s domain.
The sea fled at the sight: the Jordan back on its course,
The mountains leapt like rams,
and the hills like yearling sheep.
What was it, sea, that you fled – that you turned back,
Jordan, on your course?
Mountains, why did you leap like rams –
you hills, like yearling sheep?
Earth, tremble before your maker, before the God of Israel,
who turned the rock into a pool of water
and flint into a bubbling fountain
Epistle Romans 14:19-31
*Hymn: VU 691 Though Ancient Walls
Though ancient walls may still stand proud
and racial strife be fact,
though boundaries may be lines of hate,
proclaim God’s saving act!
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!
When vested power stands firm entrenched
and breaks another’s back,
when waste and want live side by side,
it’s Gospel that we lack.
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!
The truth we seek in varied scheme,
the life that we pursue,
unites us in a common quest
of self and world made new.
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!
The church divided seeks that grace,
that newness we proclaim,
a unity of serving love
that lives praise to God’s name!
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!
This broken world seeks lasting health
and vital unity.
God’s people, by God’s Word renewed,
cast off all slavery!
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!
Words: Walter Farquharson, Music: Ron Klusmeier.
May God be with you!
And also with you!
The Holy Gospel of Jesus the Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you Christ our Saviour.
*Gospel: Matthew 18: 21-35
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you Jesus the Christ.
Sermon Reflection
Affirmation of Faith:
The Immigrants Creed
I believe in Almighty God, who guided the people in exile and in exodus, the God of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon, the God of foreigners and immigrants.
I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean, who was born far from his people and his home, who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger, and returning to his own country suffered the oppression of the tyrant Pontius Pilate. The servant of a foreign power, who was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured, accused, and condemned to death unjustly. But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead, not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us, who speaks all languages, lives in all countries, and reunites all races.
I believe that the Church is the secure home for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it, who speak the same language and have the same purpose.
I believe that the communion of saints begins when we accept the diversity of the saints.
I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal, and in reconciliation, which identifies us more than does race, language, or nationality.
I believe that in the resurrection God will unite us as one people in which all are distinct and all are alike at the same time. Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal in which no one will be an immigrant, but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom, which will never end. Amen
(The immigrant’s Creed by Jose Luis Casal)
Prayers of the People
Minute for Mission/ PWRDF
Join in with these familiar responses
Kum ba yah my Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s crying Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s dying Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s shouting Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s praying Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
Kum ba yah my Lord, kum ba yah! (x3)
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!
*The Lord’s Prayer
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. Amen.
The Peace
The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
*Hymn: VU 236 Now Thank We All Our God
Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us,
and keep us in His grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
for all that has been given,
the Son, and Spirit blest
who dwell in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
Words: Martin Rinckart, English translation Catherine Winkworth, alt.; Music: Johann Crüger.
*Response: VU 581 When We Are Living (verse 2)
Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving, or when receiving,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
Prayer over the Gifts
Blessing
* Hymn: VU 646 We Are Marching: Siyahamba
We are marching in the light of God,
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God,
We are marching in the light of God (the light of God).
We are marching, marching we are marching (ooh) marching
We are marching in the light of God (the light of God)
We are marching, marching we are marching (ooh) marching
We are marching in the light of God.
Siya hamb' e kukha nyen' kwen khos,
Siya hamb' e kukha nyen' kwen khos.
Siya hamb' e kukha nyen' kwen khos,
Siya hamb' e kukha nyen' kwen khos (kha nyen' kwen khos’).
Siya hamba, hamba, siya hamba, hamba,
Siya hamb’, e kukha nyen' kwen khos. (kha nyen' kwen khos’).
Siya hamba, hamba, siya hamba, hamba,
Siya hamb' e kukha nyen' kwen khos’.
Words and music: South African traditional song. Translated and arranged by Anders Nyberg
Sending Out:
The poor of the world are thirsty for justice and for peace,
...
And join the river of justice until hate and oppression cease
Amen! Gilakas’la! Amen!
(Ruben Alves, Brazil)
*Three-fold Amen
Announcements:
Focus is for the church blessing box
Sept. 28 Church Council 6:30 PM Hybrid
Liturgical resources:
Psalm: The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation © 2007
Overall Service Resource: https://seasonofcreation.org
Music copyright:
Words for hymns reprinted and streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 or CCLI License # 11033010. All rights reserved.
Voices United 260 God Who Gives to Life Its Goodness Words: Walter Farquharson 1970, alt. Music: Cyril Vincent Taylor, 1941. Words copyright © 1970 Walter Farquharson. Music copyright © 1942, renewal 1970 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted and streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#150474). All rights reserved.
Voices United 691 Though Ancient Walls Words: Walter Farquharson, 1974 Music: Ron Klusmeier, 1974. Words copyright © 1974 Walter Farquharson. Music copyright © 1974 and arrangement copyright © 1995 Ron Klusmeier. All rights reserved. Reprinted and streamed with permission under CCLI License # 11033010 (436525) or ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#196184). All rights reserved.
Kum Ba Yah Words and music: African-American spiritual. Copyright: Public domain.
Voices United 236 Now Thank We All Our God Words: Martin Rinckart, ca. 1636 English translation Catherine Winkworth, 1858, altered; Music: Johann Crüger, 1647. Copyright: Public domain.
Voices United 581 When We Are Living Verse 2 only English translation verses 2-4 George Lockwood 1987. Music: Spanish melody; harmony Carlton R. Young 1989. Translation and harmony copyright © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House. Reprinted and streamed with permission under CCLI License # 11033010 (4968810) or ONE LICENSE #A-720359 Harmony (#00901) and translation verses 2-4 (#15060). All rights reserved.
Voices United 646 We Are Marching (Siyahamba) Words: South African traditional song 20th century. Music: South African traditional song 20th century. Translated and arranged by Anders Nyberg 1984. Words, Music: traditional. Translation and arrangement copyright © 1984 Walton Music Corporation. All rights reserved. Reprinted and streamed with permission under CCLI License # 11033010 (320947) or ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#65063). All rights reserved.
