Gathering

Christ calls us together, with our different backgrounds, our different identities, our different gifts, our different ideas, and our different tastes. 

Christ calls us together, to share what makes our community special, to build each other up, to serve each other in love. 

Christ calls us together, knowing that we need all parts of the body if we are to be whole. 

Hymn

Confession & Words of Assurance

You speak to us in many ways, through rushing wind
or still small voice, in Scripture’s word or through Your Grace and we in turn find many ways to hear the world’s
insistent voice break through the silence and take Your place. We fail to recognize Your gifts in other people and their inclusion as children of God. And we are reluctant to use the gifts You have given us to make our own contributions to Your ministry.

Forgive our sin. Help us hear Your voice above the clamour of this world, recognize the difference and follow only You.

God’s promise doesn’t change. In all of our differences we are still one, and in our unity our differences make us a fuller representation of God in our world. Trust the promise and leave your sins behind.

Story Time

Scripture

Unity and Diversity in the Body

1 Corinthians 12¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized with one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other languages? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Sermon

 Prayers

Creator God, we come before You asking prayers for those who lead nations, cities, churches, and homes. As You poured out your love in the scriptures may we hear Your word and follow.

Holy One, we come before You as a people broken into shards of lives, some sick, some poor, some hungry, and some hidden by the limitations of our eyes. Help us to see as You see. Pour out Your love in the world. Give us the encouragement and grace to create the world You envisioned for us.

God of Mercy, we come before You seeking to live as You command, but often failing, and thus we are torn by cries of despair, anger, power, control, lost to foolishness and stumbling blocks. Help us to hear your word and follow.

Gentle God, we come before you giving thanks for all our blessings, the gift of life, of hope, of faith, of love, of family and friends, all we care for this day. Help us to be Your body.

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.