Order of Service for South Bay United Church and Picton United Church
Sunday September 6, 2020
Service by Dorothy Vincent
Music as We Prepare to Worship VU 245: “Praise the Lord with the sound of trumpets”
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0diWb-hd4E
The Lighting of the Christ Candle
Invitation to Worship
As we worship this morning, not united in person but one in faith and hope, we pray, Heavenly Father, that You will inspire and guide us in these difficult times.
Let us all open our hearts and our minds to receive the word of God. Let us take God’s message to heart and do our best to live by His words and follow His example in our homes, our community and our world.
Come, let us worship God.
Opening Prayer
O God, You love us so completely, and have sacrificed so much for us. We give You thanks and praise for all the ways that You show your love and devotion to us. We have not always been faithful, our devotion has not always been directed as it ought to have been. Forgive us, help us to live lives that demonstrate the faith we possess. Help us find the joy in living our faith fully, and help us to offer ourselves in unceasing devotion to you and to one another. May the way in which we live declare who Jesus is for us. In His name we ask it. Amen.
Opening Hymn “This is the day” (VU #175)
- This is the day, this is the day that our God has made, that our God has made; we will rejoice, we will rejoice, and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that our God has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that our God has made.
- Open to us, open to us, your gates, O god, your gates, O God, we will go in, we will go in, to your holy place, to your holy place. Open to us your gates, O God, we will go in to your holy place. Open to us, open to us your gates, O God.
- You are our God, you are our God, we will praise your name, we will praise your name; we will give thanks, we will give thanks, for your faithfulness, for your faithfulness. You are our God, we will praise your name, we will give thanks for your faithfulness. You are our God, you are our God, we will praise your name.
Bible Reading: Exodus 12:1-14 (New Revised Standard Version)
The Book of Exodus is the second book in the Torah of Judaism, and the second book in our Bible. It is sometimes called the Second Book of Moses. It contains the ancient story of the Hebrew people’s escape from slavery in Egypt – through the leadership of Moses. Most Biblical scholars agree that the stories were written down in the sixth century. This was at the time when Jerusalem was sacked and Solomon’s Temple laid waste by the Babylonian Empire. The Rabbis wisely recognized that the stories needed to be written down so that the people, living in exile far from their “Promised Land”, would be able to understand their identity as God’s chosen people.
Last week, we read about a central event in our Christian theology, Moses’ encounter with God through the vehicle of the burning bush. This morning, we continue the story of the life of Moses, as we hear once again the familiar story of the first Passover.
And as we hear these words, listen for the word of God.
12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; 4 and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. 7 Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen
Message: “The Lamb of God”
Today, in our reading from the twelfth chapter of Exodus, we continue the story of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt and of Moses, chosen by God to lead his people out of slavery.
We remember that, in last week’s reading (Exodus 3), God had charged Moses to tell the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but that the Pharaoh had refused.
As a consequence, God decreed that ten terrible plagues would strike the Egyptians: the water turned to blood, frogs, lice, flies, locust, darkness and fiery hail devastated the land, livestock died and the Egyptians were afflicted by terrible skin boils.
The tenth plague, described in today’s reading, was to be the worst of all: it would finally convince the Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
God’s curse on Egypt culminated with the slaying of ever first-born son and animal in the kingdom by an avenging angel. The Israelites, however, were told to mark their doorframes with the blood of a sacrificial lamb, so that the angel of death would recognize and thus “pass over” each Jewish household, leaving them all unharmed.
Our reaction to this passage is certainly one of great dismay: it may seem cruel to us that God would achieve his purpose – the liberation of the Israelites – by bringing about the death of many innocent children, too young to be responsible for the oppression for which their nation is being judged.
We must remember, however, that much of the Old Testament was written in a time when believers thought of their god and his actions in far more war-like terms than we do today: the stories we read reflect the beliefs and behaviours of the world in which their authors lived.
But let’s consider for a moment the central symbol of this passage – the image of the sacrificial lamb, and its crucial importance as a prefiguring of the coming and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Remember that the gathering at the Lord’s Supper was in fact a celebration of the Passover. Jesus was very clear about the sacrificial nature of the event and said to his disciples. “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15).
Remember too the words which we repeat during our Communion sacrament:
19 “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
20 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’ ” (Luke 22: 19-20)
With this Passover, Jesus is declaring a new covenant. It is not the covenant of God with the Israelites through Moses, by which the people of Israel are freed not only from the people and the government of Egypt, but also from its gods. God’s covenant, through his son, Jesus, is a covenant of grace, poured out to us through the blood of the Lamb of God and freely given to all.
It is through Christ’s death on the cross as God’s unblemished sacrifice for our sin and through his resurrection that we sinners can now have eternal life if we believe in Him. This is the glorious good news of the gospel declared over and over again in the New Testament:
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1: 18-21).
Amen.
Acknowledgement of Gifts, Tithes & Offerings
Each week when we are able to gather for worship in our church building, we take time to present our Gifts, Tithes and Offerings in gratitude for all the blessings that we have received. Some of you contribute regularly through the PAR Program. During this time of COVID-19, though we are prevented from meeting, the Ministry & Mission of our congregation continues. You may wish to make an offering by mailing your cheque to P.O. Box 102, Milford, ON K0K 2P0.
Prayer of Gratitude and Concern
Our Gracious and Loving heavenly Father, We come to You on this day as we have on many other days to give thanks and to express our appreciation for being in fellowship with You and this community of faith.
We are part of each other and rejoice in this belonging. We are grateful yet humble for these opportunities to learn and practice social justice, equality, and forgiveness. We need You and your presence, not only at this moment but throughout the week before we gather again in your name. We are thankful for your love and grace.
Often, when we look around us at our world we are troubled and concerned. Lord, we pray for your intervention and guidance as we in Canada and our brothers and sisters throughout the world try to cope with the ravages of the pandemic which has now been with us for over half a year. We pray for all those on the front lines of the struggle – doctors, nurses, first responders, health care workers, as well as for those who must work to keep us fed and housed. We pray too for our leaders: may they act according to your dictates and to Christ’s example.
May this day bring glory and honor to your son Jesus Christ as we give thanks for the forgiveness of our sins and your presence in our lives. All this we pray in your holy name. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Parting Hymn “All glory, laud and honour” (VU 122) YouTube:
- All glory, laud and honour to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. You are the King of Israel, and David’s royal son, now in the Lord’s name coming, our King and blessed one.
- All glory, laud and honour to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. The multitude of pilgrims with palms before you went, our praise and prayer and anthems before you we present.
- All glory, laud and honour to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. To you, before your passion, they sang their hymns of praise, to you, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
- All glory, laud and honour to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. Their praises you accepted, accept the prayers we bring, great author of all goodness, O good and gracious king.
Commissioning & Blessing:
Go forth into the world in peace
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you this day and forever more. Amen.
Extinguishing the Christ Candle
Music as We Move into the World “Amazing Grace” VU #266 You Tube:
- Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
- ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
- Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
- The Lord has promised good to me, this word my hope secures; God will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.
- When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.
