Gathering

We come from scattered lives to this time of community, seeking unity in the Spirit, seeking the grace of the Christ of all people, seeking the peace of the God of All.

God’s people have gathered, in our glorious diversity and difference, as God created and intended.

Let us worship God together.

Hymn

Confession & Words of Assurance

Merciful God,
You made us in Your image,
with minds to know You,
with hearts to love you,
with wills to serve You.
But our knowledge is imperfect,
our love inconstant and immature,
and our obedience incomplete and self-serving.
Help us to understand our own prejudices and narrow mindedness.
Help us to love our neighbour as we ourselves long to be loved.
Help us to serve others with humility and gratitude.

Jesus is gentle with our doubts. 
The Spirit offers us peace in the midst of our lack of understanding.
The One who created us leads us step by step into deeper trust. 
Thanks be to God.

Story Time

Scripture

Sermon on the Plain

Luke 6 ¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
²² Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Sermon

 Prayers

God our Maker, listen to the cry that rises from every corner of this fragile earth, from our human family:

To world leaders and decision makers,
grant the wisdom to reach beyond boundary and border. May our common humanity drive policy and foster peaceful dialogue and constructive collaboration.

To those who misuse their power or take power from others, through violent action or hateful speech. Grant mercy and grow in them a humble heart of compassion, peaceful dialogue and constructive collaboration.

To the innocent ones robbed of dignity, possession, or shelter, to the victims of these forces who have had life taken from them, we entrust them in Your everlasting arms, O God, that are wide enough to embrace all of Your creation.

All of these prayers and so may more we pull together and pray the prayer tradition has taught us…

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.