October 13, 2002 - Thanksgiving Sunday
Decorating team, Jane Clarke, Sharon Clay, Carol Henderson, Barb Grozell
We remember and celebrate God’s Goodness
and respond with our Thanksgiving.
If you would like to stay seated for any or all of the “standing” parts of the service, please feel free to do so.
Prelude “Our Hymn of Grateful Praise” by J. Rasley
A time of silent preparation—Lighting the Christ Candle
Call to Worship (Responsive)
One: The flaming leaves of autumn are like the fire of God’s spirit.
All: The bounty of the fields is like the fullness of God’s love.
One: We are called to share the blessings of the land with the world.
All: Let us worship God.
Let us continue to pray responsively, the prayer found on the back of the bulletin.
We remember you, O God … how you gave us seeds for this ministry … how you blessed our beginnings … how you called us to a needed field … how you encouraged us to plant … We remember sunny good news times and stormy testing times … We remember your faithful, refreshing presence with us … We remember the joy of gathering in the harvest together …
We remember you, O God. You are the one at the heart of this ministry. We return to you, bringing our harvest baskets filled to the brim with the colourful bounty we have gathered for you. Thank you for the joy of this calling, lived out with you and others in this fruitful ministry of your creation. Keep us ever responsive to the spaces you create to grow in love and service in Christ’s name. Thank you, God, for your indescribable gift! Amen.
Hymn #224 “Sing a Happy Hallelujah”
Time with the Young & the young at heart
The Sunday School & Youth leave for their classes.
We Remain in God’s Presence Through Confession
Merciful God, you made us in your image, with a mind to know you, a heart to love you, and a will to serve you. But our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconstant, our obedience incomplete. At times, we fail to grow into your likeness. In your tender love, forgive… (Silent Confession)
Assurance of Pardon (One)
Our past is behind us. We are free to live new lives, be new people, to try again to be who God invites us to be. Rejoice! I say again, rejoice!
Biblical Notes
“First Fruits”
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 From the Epistle Pg. 212
Rights and Duties of an Apostle
Jesus Heals Ten Men (Read from the New Revised Standard Version)
One: This is the Good News of Jesus Christ
Hymn #520 “We Plough the Fields”
Thanksgiving
Lesley Harrison awoke at the usual time with the sun, 5:30 a.m., and prepared for the school day. She had been teaching English as a second language at Los Quinchos, a school in Nicaragua, for almost four months. She looked forward to each day and the lively interaction with the nearly 800 children who attend the school. These are children who, if it were not for this unique school, would otherwise be on the street working to support their families.
The school day is long--from 7:00 to 4:30. This school is not just about academics but about life skills and faith.
On this particular day only the fifth year students (equivalent to our grade twelve) and the teachers attended. This time together was one of healing.
Each student told about their families or lack of families, of struggle to find enough food, of selling on the streets, buses, or corners. They told of abuse, of fear, of alcoholism, of drugs. Some shed tears, and others told their story with a determination to speak the truth. There was a deep thanksgiving for the school--a thanksgiving that there is a safe place with adults who cared and expressed their faith, a place where you can speak the truth and someone will listen, a place where you are guaranteed a meal, a place of possibility, of transformation, of vision, a place of God.
The work of Los Quinchos School is supported, in part, by your contributions to the M & S Fund. As we give thanks for our gifts, let us give joyfully to others.
We Respond In Giving And Gratitude
Offertory
Vineyard of Our Delight, you yield abundant fruit for all to share, and invite us into your chamber to feast and celebrate. As we present our gifts, fill us with your passion to feed the world, that, leaving no one poor or hungry, all may dwell with you in peace. In your name we pray. Amen.
Hymn #523 “O God of All the Many Lands” tune #625
Commissioning
May the grace of God, deeper than our imagination; the strength of Christ, stronger than our need; and the communion of the Holy Spirit, richer than our togetherness; guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows.
Choral Amen
#298 “When You Walk From Here”
When you walk from here, when you walk from here.
Walk with justice, walk with mercy, and with God’s humble care.
Postlude “Plough the Fields” arr. R Hughes
The Life And Work Of The Congregation
Flowers are placed in the Sanctuary this morning
in loving memory of
Frank Maddaford
by
B.J. Maddaford and families
South Alberta Presbytery
Your prayers this week are requested for George Takashima and South Alberta Japanese Pastoral Charge.
Next Week’s Readings from: Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22: 15-22
Thought For Today
You will begin to succeed in life when the hurt and problems of others begin to matter to you.
by Mike Murdock
New Piano Appeal
We plan to replace the existing Tokai 5’0” piano with a new Yamaha 5’8” C2 piano. This instrument will provide a much richer sound and is more appropriate for a sanctuary of our size.
The balance owing with trade-in is approximately $20,890.00. We have gathered $10,256.82 from various accounts and donations to date.
You may choose to support this project in various ways.
1) Outright donation marked “Piano” fund on an envelope.
2) A donation in memory of a loved one marked again “Piano”.
3) A donation in lieu of a Christmas gift to someone. We will acknowledge the gift made by sending a card and/or a receipt to whomever you designate.
We will run this appeal for the next several weeks.
Thank you for your interest.
Al Pols
Treasurer
Camp Okonoki Board Meeting Sep. 22nd, 2002
1) Karen Madill resigned as Board Chair sighting her increasing work commitments.
2) Treasurer Dale Stein reported that we had an operating loss of approximately $33,000.00 for the year. Some of this is for a new roof $10,500.00, a new garbage bin $4200.00, painting $4500.00 and renovations to the ladies showers $2000.00. We have also had significant increases to our utilities (60%) and insurance (80%) that necessitates rental fee increases. He and Pat Connell have agreed to meet to come up with new rental rates.
3) Dale Stein and Mel Spence are working to find a new caretaker to replace our previous caretakers who moved out on September 15th, 02.
4) The summer church camps were a great success thanks in great part to Darla Sawatsky, Betty Stroh and Pat Connell who contributed many volunteer hours towards making them all happen. Thanks also to Jeanette Merrick for stepping in as Camp Cook.
5) Mel Spence is authorized to work with Rev. Blaine Schaufele to hold one of the combined summer services (Medicine. Hat and Redcliff) at Camp Okonoki in the summer of 2003.
6) Annual General Meeting, November 3rd, 2002, at 2:00 PM in Brooks United Church, Cold Plate Potluck.
Mel Spence
Acting-Chair
Report of the Board of Elders Meeting of October 8th
The board unanimously voted to endorse the Discernment committee’s recommendation to forward, to the Presbytery Education and Student’s Convenor, Jane’s application for Lay Pastoral Minister in Training.
Mission statement development workshop is scheduled for Saturday, October 26 from 9am to 4pm. The workshop will be hosted by Clair Woodbury and Joyce Madsen from the Congregational Life Centre. This event is open to anyone who would like to attend. Results from the Saturday session will be incorporated in the Sunday worship service on Sunday, October 27.
The rental property is progressing nicely. Renovations completed to date include new insulation, flooring, paint and sidewalk. The painting was done by Carlos Esteban and his family and they did a great job! More renovations should be completed soon. These include new windows for the house.
Nancy D’Agostino led us through the financial reports. Regarding our budget, we are about where we should be at this time of year for both expenditures and income.
The annual Fall Supper is set for November 2.
Meeting adjourned at 8:20.
Yours in faith,
Blake Reichert
Acting - Chairperson.
A midrash is an " imaginative development of a thought or theme suggested by scripture. The following midrash is a retelling of the story of Exodus and of Thanksgiving.
A long time ago, maybe even 3,000 years, there lived a family in the country of Aramea. This country was going through a tough time. The summers had been hot and dry, civil unrest had made many people homeless, and there was not enough food to eat. People were desperate.
Our family decided enough was enough. If they didn't want to starve or get killed, they would have to move to a country where they had a good chance of finding work to support themselves. They sold off their ox, gave away the heavy furniture, packed up a few possessions, and said goodbye to their neighbours and friends.
The journey was long and difficult, but they all agreed that moving to a new country was a lot better than staying put and suffering. On and on they travelled until they came to a new country, Egypt. Its borders still seemed to be open, although there were many other Aramean refugees flooding in. The family felt quite optimistic. Egypt looked like a great place to start a new life and, with all these other Arameans, surely they would never be lonely.
Our family set up camp at the edge of a small village. There was enough land to start a garden and there would also be room to graze a few sheep.
At first things went well. Father dug in the new garden and planted what he hoped would be enough vegetables to keep them going through the winter. Mother used money from the sale of the ox to buy flour, and baked bread. The children set about trying to learn the new language and culture by playing with new friends. Mother's bread became so popular with the villagers that people stopped going to the local baker to buy bread, and bought hers.
However, the Egyptian locals soon became resentful. There seemed to be so many of these new families settling in the village. They worried they were becoming outnumbered and started to complain: "How come these foreigners are here anyway? We didn't ask them to come." "Yes, and look, they are taking business from my brother‑in‑law, the baker. I don't like living next to them, they smell. Why, their children don't even have the right kind of sandals. I don't want my children to play with them."
The villagers decided to act before it was too late. They had to teach these foreigners a lesson. Even if they couldn't get rid of them, why not just exploit them and get some cheap labour?
Things got really bad for the family. People stopped buying the bread, and the garden was vandalized in the middle of the night. Both mother and father were forced to find jobs. Father went to work for a wealthy Egyptian farmer, and mother cleaned house for his wife. The children had to stop their studies and went to work in a carpet factory. Whenever the father paused in his work, the farmer beat him.
The other Egyptians took delight in ridiculing him and playing mean tricks. In the big farmhouse, things were no better. The mother worked for long hours without rest, scrubbing and polishing. She too was abused and picked on by the farmer's wife and the other women.
Our family and their Aramean friends were desperate. What could they do to stop this persecution? They prayed to God, “Oh help us. Deliver us from this misery. Show us a new way. What can we do?”
As if in answer to her prayer, the mother found she could not go back to work. A tornado had ripped through the farmhouse! There was no house left to clean. When he went to beat the father, the farmer suffered what looked like a massive heart attack. He fell to the ground and died!
The Aramean community all agreed, terrible things were happening to the Egyptians. Maybe they should take this as a sign that God was helping their plight and move on again.
Once more they packed their bags and set off for a new land. God seemed to show them the way. The road was easy. All along the route were springs of fresh water and wild berries to eat, and this time the Lord let them settle in a good place, the land of Israel. The land was fertile. Crops and gardens grew well. People settled in new villages and were happy.
At the first harvest the people remembered their journeys. They remembered leaving starvation in Aramea. They remembered being treated as slaves in Egypt. They were grateful to God for delivering them from oppression and for giving them a new land, but they did not want to forget the struggles of their ancestors.
They came to the temple. Each brought the first part of each crop and took it to the one place of worship. The priest said these words to help them remember their struggles and appreciate all that was good in their new lives:
“My ancestor was a wandering Aramean who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number when they were there, but they became a large and a powerful nation. The Egyptians treated us harshly and forced us to work as slaves. Then we cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our suffering, hardship, and misery.
God rescued us from Egypt. God worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen. God brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land. So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that God has given me.”
“The priest then turned to the people and said: ‘Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebrations.’” I acknowledge the work of Marion Agnew, Woodroffe United Church, Ottawa, Ontario for today’s midrash.
//////
The Joy of giving thanks and God’s presence are not the sole property of only a few with privilege, but of all created in the image of God. All peoples and Every person.
This Midrash is in the tradition of the midrash that has been part of Hebrew culture for as long as we know. Its style we still read in the stories of our faith and in those stories we continue to be invited to consider what it means to be a people who consider God as moving and active in our lives. Sometimes we continue to interpret events as the will of God, which only in another time, stand to be reinterpreted.
But always we are invited to recognize that through our plenty and through our want we, like Paul, can learn to give thanks for the presence of God that we encounter throughout all our days. That is a gift to us that does not return void.
In that spirit, join me as we raise our thankful voices by sharing together, A New Creed, #918 in your hymn books.