Unless otherwise noted, this service is adapted from “Care for Caregivers” by Wendy Kean, Mandate Fall 2020
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.
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Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

The Community Gathers

Acknowledgment of Land

Opening Prayer
We come to you, O God, river of life:
May we drink deeply and receive your grace.
We come to you, O God, our rock of ages:
May we stand in trust and receive your strength.
We come to you, O God, source of our compassion:
May we open our hearts and receive your healing love.

Prayer of Confession
Sometimes,
I think I have all the answers.
Sometimes,
I ignore feelings of unease.
Sometimes,
I forget that you are active in my life, my calling, purpose.
Sometimes,
I don’t want to listen, I don’t want to act, I don’t want to serve.
Forgive us for these times.
Help us to respond to all that we are
All that you have made us,
With love, with abundance, with care.
Silence

Words of Assurance

Hymn: VU 374 Come and Find the Quiet Centre

Come and find the quiet center
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being, face to face,
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we're shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other's pain,
let our loves and fears unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
there's a place for deepest dreaming,
there's a time for hearts to care,
in the Spirits lively scheming
there is always room to spare!

Words: Shirley Erena Murray, alt. 1989; Music: attrib. Benjamin Franklin White, 1844; harmony Ronald A. Nelson 1978.

The Proclamation of the Word

Ecclesiastes 3 :1-15

Psalm 90: 1-5 (VU p. 805, Part One)
R: In every age, O God, you have been our refuge.
God, you have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were brought forth, before earth and world were formed,
from age to age everlasting, you are God.
You turn frail humans back to dust, saying: “Return, you mortals.”
For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, a day that is past, a watch in the night.
You sweep them away like a dream, like grass that is fresh in the morning.
like grass which in the morning is green, but in the evening is dried up and withered.
R: In every age, O God, you have been our refuge.

One: The Holy Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ according to Mark
All: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

One: The Gospel of Christ
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Sermon

Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess the faith of our baptism as we say:
We believe in God, who has created all life and continues to create new life within and without us. We believe in Jesus, son of God, son of man, the Saviour of the world. By his life, his death and his resurrection from the grave, we can know the true depth of human possibility and experience the true joy of abundant life. We believe the Holy Spirit is present now and always calling us to faith, giving us gifts, and empowering us for service. We believe the church is the community of faith called to experience the fullness of life through God’s Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. Amen

Offertory Hymn: VU 582 There’s a Spirit in the Air (v. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7)

There's a spirit in the air,
telling Christians everywhere:
"Praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working in our world."

Lose your shyness, find your tongue,
tell the world what God has done:
God in Christ has come to stay.
Live tomorrow's life today!

When a stranger's not alone,
where the homeless find a home,
praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working, in our world.

May the Spirit fill our praise,
guide our thoughts and change our ways.
God in Christ has come to stay,
live tomorrow's life today.

There's a Spirit in the air,
calling people everywhere:
praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working, in our world.

Words: Brian Wren, 1969; Music: John Wilson, 1969.

VU 542 We give you but your own…
We give you but your own, what e’er the gift may be; all that we have is yours alone, We give it gratefully.

Words: William Walsham How, 1858, alt.; Music: Johann Balthasar König, 1738; adapted William Henry Havergal, 1847 Copyright public domain.

Prayer over the Gifts
(By Gord Dunbar, used with permission from Gathering Advent Christmas Epiphany 2020/2021.)

Intercessions & Thanksgiving: In our Shared Ministry Church Cycles of Prayer we pray for Bishop Anna and the congregation of St. John Gualbert, Port McNeill….

Prayers for Caregivers:

...Lord and lover of all,
Bring healing and peace.
O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer, When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer, Come and listen to me.

This we ask in the name of the one whose flesh and blood have made all God’s children beloved.
Amen.
Adapted from John L. Bell (ed.), “A Wee Worship Book” (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1999)

Collect

The Lord’s Prayer (spoken in our mother tongue)

Hymn: VU 313 God, Whose Almighty Word

God, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight,
hear us, we humbly pray,
and where the gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light.

Jesus, who came to bring
on your redeeming wing,
healing and sight,
health to the troubled mind,
sight to the Spirit-blind,
O now to humankind
let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy dove,
speed forth your flight;
move on the water's face,
bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth's darkest place
let there be light.

Blessed and holy three,
glorious trinity,
wisdom, love, might,
boundless as ocean's tide
rolling in fullest pride
through the world far and wide,
let there be light.

Words: John Marriott, ca. 1813, alt. Music: adapt. from Felice de Giardini, 1769 Copyright: Public Domain.

Blessing

Threefold Amen

Gila’kasla

Announcements:

• Bible Study, Tuesday 5:15 pm by Zoom
• Celtic Prayer, Thursday 2 PM by Zoom
• Annual General Meeting February 21, 2021 via Zoom (with possible phone options)
• Please remember to bring in canned / dry goods for our community cupboard
• Mission focus this month is John Charlie Memorial Church

Reprinted and podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359. All rights reserved.

Come and Find the Quiet Centre Words: Shirley Erena Murray, alt. 1989; Music: attrib. Benjamin Franklin White, 1844; harmony Ronald A. Nelson 1978. Words: © 1992 Hope Publishing Company. Music: Public Domain. Harmony: reprinted from Lutheran Book of Worship © 1978, by permission of Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net License #A-720359 words (#93151).

There’s a Spirit in the Air Words: Brian Wren, 1969; Music: John Wilson, 1969. Words, music and descant copyright © 1979 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net License #A-720359 (#20676).

O Lord, Hear My Prayer Words: Taizé Community, © 1982, Music: Jacques Berthier, © 1982. Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net License #A-720359 (#00134).