“The one who finds Joy in the Word of God and thinks on it daily
​is like a tree planted by water, yielding much fruit in its time....”                          Psalm 1

​Opening ourselves  to Holy Presence, or “Grounding” 

Prelude: "Great is Thy faithfulness"    arr. V. Labenske
played by Deirdre Morrell-Ormerod

Welcome
Lighting of a candle (if you have one at home, light it now)
​

Opening Prayer.
Then, sing along with " Break forth o beauteous heavenly light...." Tune : J. S. Bach ,  text see below

Listening for the Word of God or “Rooting”:

First Reading:  1st Corinthians 12: 12-27 " Unity and Diversity in the church"   read by  Joanne Buckmaster

A hymn celebrating differences in ability from the More Voices hymn book # 136 "When hands reach out..."

​The Psalm: 19  "The heavens declare the glory of God..."  Please pray along with the bolded lines. Translation: NIV
For the director of music. A psalm of David.1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

 The Gospel for today: Luke 4:14-21  Jesus preaches in the Nazareth synagogue read by Rev. Elisabeth

Art: James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue (Jésus dans la synagogue déroule le livre), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 10 11/16 x 7 9/16 in. (27.1 x 19.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum.
​The second painting shows the indignation on the faces of the listeners, as they react to what Jesus said. The corresponding verses, Luke 4 Verses 22-40 ,will be read next week.

Message:   Spiritual Teachers and the Church's Mission
Rev. Elisabeth

For Listening, an energetic musical version of the Gospel: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" - Morris Chapman

Sing along with hymn # 588 from Voices United. Beautiful Photos in this music and lyric version to look at as well

​Offering our gift of Talent, Treasure and Time:
May we remind you at this time that we rely on donations to keep going with our ministry. Tax deductible donations to our church through the internet can be made via e-transfer to [email protected] or through Canada Helps.
 https://www.canadahelps.org/en/​

- A meditation on Luke 4: Offering our prayers
followed by the Prayer of Jesus

Commissioning and Blessing

Postlude: "Blessed Assurance" arr. J. Sanborn, played by Deirdre Morrell-Ormerod

Acknowledgements: Opening Prayer: Celebrate God's Presence. Offertory : Prayer for Justice and Peace, Iona. Prayer before the Lord's Prayer was based on a prayer from: "Pastoral Prayers to Share" by David Sparks