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Wesley United Church– Year C
June 1, 2025, 11:00 am
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Worship Leader: Joan Chaisson
Reader: Mabel Spencer
Music: Mabel Spencer
Greeter: Joyce Seaward
Bell Ringer: Ross Cooper
Gathering in the Spirit
Welcome to our worship service either online or in printed form.
Life and Work of the Church may be found at the end of the service.
Our Blessings & Birthdays for this week are:
Lighting of the Christ Candle
L. In this time of differences in our world, we light this Christ Candle as a beacon of promise and love. We are reminded that Jesus is the Light of the World who has always prayed for us to see the light, rather than divisions in each other.
Introit: VU # 167 Christ Is Risen From the Dead
Christ is risen from the dead, glory, hallelujah!
Christ is risen from the dead, glory, hallelujah!
Jesus Christ is risen, glory, hallelujah!
Jesus Christ is risen, glory, hallelujah!
Call to Worship
L. The Lord is sovereign; let the earth rejoice!
P. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne.
L. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.
P. The heavens proclaim God’s righteousness, and all peoples behold God’s glory.
L. For the Lord is most high over all the earth; God is exalted above all Gods.
P. Let us worship God!
*Opening Hymn VU # 374 Come and Find the Quiet Center
1 Come and find the quiet centre
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.
2 Silence is a friend who claims us,
cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us,
knows our being, face to face,
making space within our thinking,
lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we’re shrinking,
finding scope for faith begun.
3 In the Spirit let us travel,
open to each other’s pain,
let our loves and fears unravel,
celebrate the space we gain:
there’s a place for deepest dreaming,
there’s a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit’s lively scheming
there is always room to spare!
Opening Prayer
Gracious Creator, you invite us into relationship with every breath. Settle us, center us, and calm us to the ever-moving flowing of your Spirit calling us to become one with you. We pray in humility and hope of grace. Amen.
Invitation to Confession
Sometimes as hard as we try not to, we form opinions and fixate on differences that we have with others. We even go as far as being divided from that person. We tend to look the other way and are not always there when needed. This is our time now to come to God to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, first with silent prayer.
Silent Prayer
Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, we take this world for granted, abuse its beauty and destroy that which in theory we should rely on. Forgive us. We take our faith for granted, forget the love and grace by which your Son selfishly poured out his life for us. Forgive us. We take your power for granted, forgetting walls are broken down, foundations shaken to bring us liberty. Forgive us. We take our lives for granted, consider no one but ourselves, forget to whom we ultimately owe them. Forgive us. Amen
Words of Assurance
L. Our God fulfils his promises and is true to his word.
We have confessed our sins.
God has forgiven us, because Christ died for us.
P. Thanks be to God. Amen
*Hymn: MV # 138 My Love Colours Outside the Lines
1 My love colours outside the lines,
exploring paths that few could ever find;
and takes me into places
where I’ve never been before,
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.
2 My Lord colours outside the lines,
turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
and takes me into places
where I’ve never been before
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.
We’ll never walk on water
if we’re not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking
from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones
if we’re not prepared to die,
and realize there are worlds outside the lines.
3 My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries
where I’ve never been before,
throw open doors to worlds outside the lines.
We’ll never walk on water
if we’re not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking
from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones
if we’re not prepared to die,
and realize there are worlds outside the lines.
Listening for the Spirit
Scripture Readings
Acts 16:16‒34
This reading describes two significant episodes: the deliverance of a slave girl and the miraculous prison escape. The core meaning revolves around themes of power, faith, and salvation. The passage teaches us about unwavering faith, divine intervention, and the transformative power of the gospel.
Acts 16:16‒34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.
But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’ The crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Psalm 97
This psalm emphasizes God’s sovereignty and righteous judgment. It portrays God as the supreme ruler over all creation, instilling awe and reverence among the faithful. The psalm encourages believers to trust in God’s rule, rejoice in His justice, and live righteously. It also highlights the contrast between the joy of the righteous and the fate of the wicked, reinforcing the theme of divine justice.
Psalm 97
L. You reign, O God! Let the earth be glad! Let the islands and coastlands rejoice!
P. Clouds and thick darkness are round about you; righteousness and justice the foundation of your throne.
L. Fire goes before you, consuming your enemies on every side.
P. Your lightnings light up the world; the earth trembles at the sight.
L. The mountains melt like wax before you, before the Sovereign of all the earth.
P. The heavens proclaim your righteousness, and all the peoples see your glory.
Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, let all the earth rejoice.
L. Be ashamed, all you who worship images, who boast of idols;
P. bow down before God, all you gods!
L. Zion hears, and is glad; the cities of Judah rejoice, O God, at your judgements.
P. For you are the Most High, above all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
L. You, O God, love those who hate evil.
P. You preserve the life of your saints. You deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
L. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the up-right in heart.
P. Rejoice in God, righteous people, Give thanks to God’s holy name!
Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, let all the earth rejoice.
Response to Psalm
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Gospel Reading: John 17: 20-26
This gospel reading is the High Priestly Prayer offered by Jesus just before He goes to Gethsemane. In these verses, Jesus prays that all disciples of all time may be one in the specific sense in which Jesus and the Father are one, the mutual inheritance of love that has defined that relationship not only in the life of Jesus but also in the oneness of God and the creative Word from before the foundation of the world. Jesus also prays for those who will come to faith in Him through the writings and teachings of those apostles.
Gospel Reading: John 17: 20-26
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Message: Difference or Division?
It is the night of the last supper. Jesus is praying to the Father. He has shared a meal with his disciples, washed their feet, given them a new commandment to love as he loves, and told them of his leaving. Now he prays. In today’s Gospel we hear a portion of his prayer to His Father and our Father. He prays for us. Three times he asks our Father that we would all become one as, he and the Father are one.
If Jesus is praying for our oneness, then he is also recognizing and rejecting the boundaries and differences that may divide us. There are times in our lives when there are divisions within ourselves, our families, our churches, our nation. We live in a world full of divisions – male or female; rich or poor; gay or straight; Christian or Muslim; conservative or liberal; educated or uneducated; young or old; divine or human; sinner or saved. We could go on and on listing the boundaries that we encounter, and at times may even promote one side or another. When we do this, they are not just divisions; they become oppositions. Michael Marsh, a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, says these divisions exist not only out there in the world but first in the human heart. We display onto the world our differences by living out how we feel.
I am sure you have heard of the saying “Making a mountain out of a molehill”. This is what happens when we establish differences. It may start with a little issue but grow into much more. Also, for every boundary we establish, there is also a human being involved. Truly, boundaries and differences are not about issues; they are about real people, with names, lives, joys, sorrows, concerns, and needs just like us. Sometimes, we forget or ignore this, and our mind finds it easier to think about an issue than a real person.
Marsh says, whether or not we admit it, the boundaries we establish and enforce are usually done in such a way as to favor us; to make us feel ok, to reassure us that we are right and in control, chosen and desired, seen and recognized, approved of and accepted. In order for me to win, someone must lose; in order for me to be included, someone must be excluded. The divisions of our lives in some way become self-perpetuating.
We often deal with the boundaries and differences that divide us by writing agreements, covenants, treaties, and legislation that govern how we will get along with each other and behave in the midst of our differences. But that is not Jesus’ prayer.
Jesus does not pray for our tolerance, our getting along, or just being nice to each other. He does not even pray that our differences would be eliminated. Instead, he prays for our oneness. He prays that we would be one as he and the Father are one so that our oneness would be the revelation of God’s presence to the world. Oneness in the midst of difference becomes a sacramental presence of God’s life in the world.
That does not mean, however, that we lose our identity or individuality. Jesus does not stop being Jesus and the Father stop being the Father because they are one. Oneness is less about numbers and quantity and more qualitative. Jesus and the Father are one because they love and give themselves to each other. Oneness is a quality of life – God’s life. Jesus’ prayer for oneness is ultimately that we would be and live like God.
Oneness is not about eliminating differences. It is about love. It is about accepting our differences. Love is the only thing that can ever overcomes division. Over and over Jesus tells us that.
• Love God.
• Love your neighbor.
• Love yourself.
• Love your enemy.
Our love for God, neighbor, self, and enemy reveals our oneness, and the measure of our oneness, our Godlikeness, is love. In love there may be differences but there is no division.
God’s love knows no boundaries. God loves male and female, rich and poor, gay and straight. God loves Christian and Muslim, conservative and liberal, educated and uneducated. God loves young and old, divine and human, sinner and saved. All are loved fully, completely, and uniquely as each person is.
Marsh also says that God does not even draw boundaries between Jesus and us. If we think God loves Jesus more than anyone else, we have missed the point of the Gospel. God loves us the same as he loves Jesus. God loves our neighbor the same as he loves Jesus. God loves our enemy the same as he loves Jesus. If that is how God loves how can we do anything less and still call ourselves Christians?
For far too long we have dealt with each other’s differences through divisions. We can see where that has gotten us! We need only look at the world, read what is on social media, listen to the talk shows or watch the news. When we deal with others through our divisions we label, do violence, and hunker down to defend our position. There is no oneness in that.
Though Jesus is praying to the Father, it is up to us to be the ones to answer Jesus’ prayer. We answer his prayer every time we choose how to love, who to love, where to love. We answer when we accept another’s difference and when we show love, not division. We answer when we live and work together as one unit.
Thanks be to God
Responding to the Spirit
Hymn: VU # 457 As We Gather at Your Table vs 1
1 As we gather at your table,
as we listen to your word,
help us know, O God, your presence;
let our hearts and minds be stirred.
Nourish us with sacred story
till we claim it as our own;
teach us through this holy banquet
how to make Love’s victory known.
Let us stay standing and say the New Creed of the United Church of Canada
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Sacrament of Communion
As your Sacrament Elder, I invite everyone who is baptized in any denomination and committed to Christ or anyone who thirsts and hungers for God, righteousness, or peace to come and feast with us today.
So, in saying this,
In the name of Jesus Christ I invite all who profess him as Lord and Saviour, and are seeking to follow in his way and to live in unity, one with the other, to come to his Table with reverence, faith and thanksgiving. Eat and drink for your strengthening, that you may grow in grace and be blessed with all spiritual blessings, remembering that we, although many, are one body in him.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
We thank you, God, Creator of us all; from the beginning you made the world and all its creatures. You made people to live for you and for one another. We praise you, O God.
You created Adam and Eve and gave them a garden;
You showed Noah a rainbow;
You gave Moses strength to free your people
And taught Miriam to sing;
You gave courage to Esther
And loyalty to Ruth;
You gave David a harp to sing your praise,
And helped him defeat the giant.
We praise you, O God.
Yet, even they turned away from you and forgot about you, as we do too. But you did not forget. You sent Jesus to the world to show how much you love us and to bring us back to you again.
We praise you, O God.
He came as one of us, first an infant, then a child, later a youth, then an adult. He rejoiced with those who rejoiced and wept with those who wept. To the despairing, he spoke a word of hope. To the sick, he gave healing. To the hurting, he was a friend.
Still, people turned away from you. They betrayed Jesus and nailed him to a cross. But he was lifted from the grave and restored to life, that he might be with us and we with him, alive for evermore!
Therefore with all the saints of every time and place, we join their angels in their praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Heaven and earth praise you,
O God most high!
We gather at this table to remember that on the night before he died, Jesus ate with his friends. He took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying; “Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Each time you do this, remember me.”
That same night, Jesus also took a cup, and after giving thanks, passed it to his friends, saying: “Drink. This cup, poured out for you, is the promise of God. Whenever you drink it, remember me.”
At this table, we remember Jesus’ death and celebrate his resurrection; we await with hope his coming again to bring peace and justice to the earth; and we proclaim the mystery of our faith.
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Also, God, at this time we remember all those whom we wish that could be sharing the feast with you. We pray for all who are in sorrow or in pain, all who are ill or alone, all who would like to be here with us today but for personal reasons are not. Please God, hear the names of those we say aloud or silently in our hearts:____________.
We pray for your church and its varied ministries, for nations as they strive for peace and justice, for the earth, and the fragile web of life we share, for our families and friends. With Jesus we pray together, saying: 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 and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
Send, O God, your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who share in this loaf and cup may be the body of Christ.
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, God most holy, now and forever. Amen
These are the holy gifts of God for you, the holy people of God. Come now, for all things are ready!
Sharing of Communion
Prayer after Communion
For the bread we have eaten, for the juice we have tasted, for the life we have received, we thank you God. Grant that what we have done and have been given here, may so put its mark on us, that it may remain always in our hearts. Grant that we may grow in Christian love and understanding, and that ours may be lives of faithful action, in Christ’s name. Amen
*Hymn: VU # 457 As We Gather at Your Table vs 2 & 3
2 Turn our worship into witness
in the sacrament of life;
send us forth to love and serve you,
bringing peace where there is strife.
Give us, Christ, your great compassion
to forgive as you forgave;
may we still behold your image
in the world you died to save.
3 Gracious Spirit, help us summon
other guests to share that feast
where triumphant Love will welcome
those who had been last and least.
There no more will envy blind us
nor will pride our peace destroy,
as we join with saints and angels
to repeat the sounding joy.
Offering Invitation
As God gave us Christ, the first fruit of creation, let us humbly offer the substance of our lives in thanksgiving to our God. Our offering will now be presented.
Offertory Hymn VU # 542 We Give You But Your Own
We give you but your own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is yours alone,
we give it gratefully.
*Offertory Prayer
Eternal God, take and use these gifts for your purpose in the world- giving food to the hungry, Hope to the despairing, and new life to the dead. Teach us to live each day for you, so that future generations will know your goodness and praise your glory; in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen
*Closing Hymn: VU # 402 We Are One
1 We are one as we come,
as we come, joyful to be here,
in the praise on our lips
there’s a sense that God is near.
We are one as we sing,
as we seek, we are found;
and we come needful of God’s grace
as we meet, together in this place.
2 We are one as we share,
as we share brokenness and fear,
in the touch of a hand
there’s a sense that God is here.
We are one as we care,
as we heal, we are healed;
and we share warmth in God’s embrace
as we pray together in this place.
3 We are one as we feast,
as we feast, peace becomes the sign;
in the bread and the wine
there’s a sense of love divine.
We are one as we come,
as we feed, we are fed;
and we feel God’s refreshing grace
as we meet at table in this place.
4 We are one as we hear,
as we hear, heart and hand unite;
in the word we receive
there’s a sense that God is light.
We are one as we leave,
as we love, we are loved;
and we seek justice in God’s ways
as we move together from this place.
*Benediction & Commissioning
We are surrounded by the presence of the Holy.
We are held in the love of the Creator.
We are filled with the inspiration of the Spirit.
Now, let us go from this place as our Lord’s disciples
to live lives that hold this world in care and compassion.
Go in the peace and love of our Lord. Amen
*Sung Benediction VU # 224 Sing a Happy Hallelujah vs 1
1 Sing a happy hallelujah,
sing it out with heart and style,
we’re the echo of God’s laughter,
we’re the image of God’s smile.
Hallelujah, all creation,
hallelujah everyone!
Hallelujah, all creation,
hallelujah everyone!
Life and Work of the Church
Donation received in memory of
Patrick & Brenda Butt by Donna Elms and Paul Critch
Today, on our Memory Board, we are remembering
Maggie Miles, Rev Canon Clayton Billard and Shirley Laura (Seaward) Hann
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Broadview Magazine. As of last Sunday, we will be sending in $127.00 to the magazine. Joan did send a copy of our church service to Ms. Bell, the editor, and received a wonderful email back congratulating our congregation on such a service plus thanking us for the donation.
UCW are inviting all women of the congregation to their annual Spring Closing potluck supper and entertainment tomorrow evening beginning at 6:00 pm
Large & Small Print Copies of “Our Daily Bread” are available on the long table.
Special Broadview 100th Centennial Magazines are now available to purchase. The cost is 4.00. Please see Evelyn.
June 8- We are planning a special Sunday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the United Church and also the 50th anniversary of our own church building.
National Centennial Worship Service will be held on Sunday, June 8 at 7:00pm at Gower Street United Church in St. John’s. Please let Joan, Bev Bragg or Evelyn if you are interested in coming to the church to watch this service on the big screens.
June 15- We will be having a musical Father’s Day service.
UCW thanks everyone who donated towards their May Bakeless Bake Sale.
Columbarium Niches: There are just two niches left that can be reserved. Each niche, which can hold two urns, cost $2500.00. Please contact Mabel Spencer if you are interested in purchasing a niche.
Walking Group – is now finished until the fall.
Dart Group- This group is now finished until the fall.
Knitting Group – This group is now finished until the fall.
Sewing/Quilting Group- These groups are now finished until the fall.
Food Bank –The Food Bank needs sugar, can milk, tea bags, butter or any nonperishable item. You may bring your items to church or drop them off at the Thrift Store.
Recycling Depot Thank you to those who have been donating their recyclables to our account. Our account total is now $27.40. Thank you to the person who donated on May 27/25. You may donate by using the pin number 6953434 (our telephone number) when you drop off your recyclables.
Sunday Morning services on our web site. You are able to read our worship service by clicking on the following link: www.wesleyunitedchurch.sitew.ca Once you are on the site, click Sunday Worship which will take you to the service.
PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance Program)-This is a program where you can authorize for your bank to deposit a certain amount each month into our church’s bank account. Please contact Mabel Spencer or send an email to us if you would like to take part in this easy program.
Offerings Needed to Meet 2025 Budget
Local: $5000.00 Monthly
M & S: $200.00 Monthly
Date Local Account M & S
January 2542.00 262.00
February 3969.00 217.00
March 3544.45 288.00
April 3058.79 178.00
May 4711.85 199.00
Many blessings for this week and let us remember Jesus’ prayer of us being one with each other as He and our Father are one.
Website Created: December 29th, 2021
Website Designer, Creator And Administrator: Curtis Francis
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