Epiphany Service for July 28, 2024

 

The flowers in the Sanctuary today are to the Glory of God and in loving memory of the Knight Family given by Bruce Jackson.

*Welcome Jeremy Smith.  Today.  2:00 p.m.  Admitance is free.
Free will donations are welcome to support our outreach programs.
Coffee Hour in the basement to follow.  Speak to Jan to help.

*We take a break from services for August until September 8.  The board gently reminds us that expenses go on even while we have a break.

*Trivia Night.  October 12.  For the lights fund.

*Mint smoothies Sandra $3

*Sept. 22. Bishop Todd visits.

*There are three ways to support our church.  Volunteering at events.  Generosity.  Prayer.  Our church is a team

*Meat and Veggie Pies.  5$ for a great meal.

*Our food cupboard needs help.
Looking for: Microwave rice or pasta. Pancakes & syrup.
Cereal.  Juice. Crackers.  Jam.  Peanut butter.
Pasta and sauce. Butch  519-615-9106.

*Come for lunch.  The sign up sheet is available.  

*Craft Club. Third Saturday at 10 a.m.  All welcome.  

*Cancelled stamps. Gloria Thompson.

*Rinsed empty drink containers Dan Davies

*If you wish, our regular weekly donations or special donations may be sent to our Envelope Secretary:

 

Barb Smallman

4860 Whiteoak Road

London, Ontario

N6E 3Y8

 

519-680-0649

 

Bible Readings for July 28

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Ephesians 3:14-21

John 6:1-21

 

Audio Service for July 28

 

Opening:

Holy Wisdom,

you granted Solomon’s request

for an understanding mind

and the knowledge to discern good from evil.

Fill us with such understanding and knowledge

that we may act as instruments

of your loving desire for creation,

working with you to transform

our conceit into concern for others,

our fear into love,

our violence into peace,

and our brokenness into wholeness. Amen.

 

Reading John 6:1-21  Jesus feeds 5000  

6:1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.

6:2A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.

6:3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

6:4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.

6:5When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”

6:6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

6:7Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”

6:8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,

6:9″There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”

6:10Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all.

6:11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.

6:12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

6:13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.

6:14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

6:15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

6:16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

6:17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

6:18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

6:19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.

6:20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

6:21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

 

Sermon 

John 6:1-15

An old prospector came into a saloon 

and ordered a glass of milk 

with a shot of whiskey in it. 

While the bartender was fixing his drink, 

the old prospector wandered over 

to speak to some of his friends.

 

Before he came back, 

a man came in wearing a black threadbare coat. 

 

He walked up to the bartender 

and timidly said, 

“Sir, I’m a poor traveling Methodist preacher.

I’ve just made it across the desert. 

I’m bone dry. 

Could you let me have that foamy glass of milk 

I see you’ve just poured?”

 

“Take the milk,” said the bartender 

with a twinkle in his eye. 

“We’re glad to have you in our town. 

Take that glass of milk and drink it up.”

 

The preacher drank that milk 

with the whiskey in it real slow 

savoring every drop. 

 

Then he looked up towards the ceiling 

and with a smile on his face he declared,

 “Lord, what a cow!”

==

This morning we want to think

 about the bounteous goodness of God. 

And we want to say,

 “Lord, what a bounteous God!”

==

Our text tells the story 

of the feeding of the five thousand. 

It is a marvelous story 

of God’s provision 

for human need. 

 

You know the story well. 

 

A multitude of people 

had come out to hear Jesus teach. 

 

Many had probably come 

hoping for a miracle of healing.

 

Some came, 

doubtless, 

out of curiosity. 

 

“How shall we buy bread

 for all these people?”

 Jesus asked his disciples. 

 

For he knew that though 

we cannot live by bread alone,

 we cannot live without bread either. 

 

The disciples were able to scrounge up 

only 200 denarii—

not enough to even begin to feed this mob.  

 

Andrew came to the rescue.

 

 “There is a lad here who has 

five barley loaves and two fishcakes,” he said, 

“but what are they among so many?” 

It can’t be done.

 

Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”  

The boy gave his whole lunch.

 

We experience the bounty of God, 

first of all, 

when we take time to sit down

as we are this morning.  

 

We experience the bounty of God

when we are not afraid to give like the child.

                       Giving his food when he is hungry 

                                   …the only one generous enough,

                                                             caring enough to share…

===

Someone from Hawaii once

 spoke on prayer 

to a seminary audience on the mainland.

 

“Before the missionaries came to Hawaii,” she said,

 “my people used to sit outside their temples 

for a long time meditating 

and preparing themselves before entering the Temple. 

Then they would go to the altar 

to offer their petition 

and afterward would again sit a long time outside, 

this time to `breathe life’ into their prayers. 

 

The Christians, 

when they came, 

just went up, 

uttered a few sentences, 

said Amen, 

and were done. 

 

For that reason 

my people called them `without breath,’ 

or those who failed 

to breathe life into their prayers.”

 

If we think about it, we realize that

we rarely set aside time 

to breathe life into our prayers. 

 

We are so busy doing, 

so rushed in worship, 

so lets remember to slow down when we are here

, …take time to breathe life into your prayers.

==

When we shut God out of our lives,

 we, too, 

shut out the very One 

who can meet our deepest needs. 

For you see, 

God’s greatest wish is to provide. 

 

God’s very nature is to give. 

 

God is love. 

Love is always giving. 

If we are not receiving from God, 

the problem may be on our end, 

for He is a giving God.

==

“Make the people sit down,” 

Jesus commanded his disciples. 

 

Then he took the loaves, 

and when he had given thanks, 

he distributed these loaves 

and these fish

to all who were seated, 

as much as they wanted. 

 

So also do we receive God’s blessings 

when we sit and wait.

 

Notice, finally, 

how John concludes this story: 

 

“So they 

filled twelve baskets with fragments 

from the five barley loaves,

 left by those who had eaten. 

 

When the people saw the sign 

which he had done, they said, 

`This is indeed the prophet 

who is come into the world!'”

==

One of the lessons Christ tried to teach us 

was the extravagance of God. 

 

God is the God who provides in abundance–

 

Most of the worries that beset us 

would disappear in a moment 

if we could lean back 

and rest ourselves 

on the extravagance of God’s provisions 

for His children’s needs.

 

 All of nature testifies to God’s bounty.

 

Consider our universe. 

 

Did you know that 

if you could bore a hole in the sun 

and somehow put in 1.2 million earths,

 you would still have space left over 

for 4.3 million moons. 

 

Galileo once put it this way,

 “The sun which has all those planets

 revolving about it 

and depending on it for their orderly functions 

can ripen a bunch of grapes 

as if it had nothing else in the world to do.”

 

And it doesn’t! 

 

God has brought into being a magnificent creation 

with the sole purpose 

of providing for His children’s needs. 

 

Isn’t that mind-boggling? 

 

But why such extravagance, 

why such bounty, 

why such seeming extra?

==

Generations ago John Spencer offered 

an interesting theory on this matter. 

He noted that the Jewish rabbis taught 

that when Joseph, 

in the times of plenty, 

had gathered much corn in Egypt, 

he threw the chaff into the river Nile. 

 

His purpose was to convey 

by means of the flowing river 

to cities and nations 

more remote

 the good news 

of the abundance laid up, 

not for themselves alone, 

but for others also.

 

“So God,” writes Spencer,

 “in his abundant goodness, 

to make us know what glory there is in heaven, 

has thrown some husks to us here 

in this world, that so, 

tasting the sweetness thereof, 

 

we might draw out this happy conclusion

 to the great comfort 

–that if a little earthly glory do so much amaze us, 

what will the heavenly do? 

 

If he give us so much in the land of our pilgrimage, 

what will he not give us in our own country? 

==

It reminds us of the old story of two fellows 

who died 

and were walking the golden streets 

of God’s celestial realm. 

 

There was more beauty 

and more splendor 

and more joy there than they

 had ever dreamed imaginable. 

One of them turned to the other and said,

 “Isn’t this wonderful?”

 

The other replied,

 “Yes, 

and to think we could have gotten here 

ten years sooner 

if we hadn’t eaten all that oat bran.”

===

God has so many blessings to pour out on all of us. 

He asks us to sit down 

and receive what He has to give. with extravagance.

 

Hymn:  On Eagles Wings

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, “My refuge,
my rock in whom I trust!”

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear
Under His wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

You need not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

For to His angels He’s given a command
To guard you in all of your ways
Upon their hands they will bear you up
Lest you dash your foot against a stone

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand 

 

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again

to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

Prayers:

As you heard the prayer of Isaac and Rebekah, O God,
and guided them in the way of your love,
so listen now to those who call upon you.

 

Prayers:  Debbie R. (Mary Liz)Jamie; Jackie M (Gloria); Paul; Suzanne; Peter (Ron and Jan);  Kenny;  Jim T.; Norma A,;Dave F.; Peter T.;  Dan B.;. (Garfield & Diane Mike J.; Scott H.; Lisa (Keeling), Roger & Maxine M.; Wendy; Eric P,; Beverley P.;, Sarah-Jane P.; Linda H.; Jacquie and Cam .; Janice  & Darrin R;  .(Suzie D.)

 

Move us to praise your gracious will,

for in Christ Jesus you have saved us from the deeds of death

and opened for us the hidden ways of your love.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

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.

 

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine.

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus,

for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Prayer based on Scripture:

Source of life,

you feed us with the spiritual milk of your love

and deliver us from darkness to light.

Encompass us in the circle of your protection,

that, secure in your sustaining power,

we may find the wisdom and strength

to challenge the evils of our time. Amen.

 

Blessing from the Book of Common Prayer:

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.

 

Our Parting Blessing Song:

May God’s blessing surround you each day

As you trust Him and walk in His way

May His presence within guard and keep you from sin,

Go in peace,  go in joy, go in love.

Go in peace,  go in joy, go in love.