Wesley United Church– Year A
June 28, 2026, 11:00 am.
  Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
Worship Leader:  Evelyn MacDonald

 

Reader:  Mabel Spencer
Music: Bev Bragg
Greeter:  Ross Cooper
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

 

We light this candle as a reminder that it takes effort to seek God.  It's not always easy – and yet, by seeking the holy in community, we give meaning to the journey we take together.

*Introit:  VU  #315 “Holy, Holy, Holy”  

1  Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!  

*Call to Worship:

L. We gather in this place to worship our God.

 

P. We give thanks to the God who came to us in Jesus.

 

L. Yet we question the God who asked Abraham to give up his son.

 

P. We know the God who comforts us in times of sorrow,

 

L. but we are afraid of the God who might put us to a test.

 

P. God is with us, yet God is also beyond us.

 

L. In spite of all this, we are drawn into worship,

 

P. to worship the God who is known to us, yet remains a mystery.

*Opening Hymn: MV #1  Let Us Build a House

 

1  Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions;
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.

2  Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek
to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.

 

3  Let us build a house where love is found
in water, wine and wheat;
a banquet hall on holy ground,
where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus,
is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.

 

Opening Prayer:

You touch our lives, God, in many ways – You raise us up when we feel down and discouraged.  You ground us when we are flighty and on edge.  You inspire us when we have lost a sense of who we are.  You provide for us in unexpected ways. You accompany us in the many and varied journeys we undertake day by day.  Be with us in this time of worship and give us the direction we need to face the future with hope and energy.  We pray all of this in Jesus' name.  Amen.

 

Invitation to Confession:

 

When we gather to worship, we put on our faces that proclaim we trust God completely.  But often our hearts betray the doubts, the hurt, the questions.  Let us not be afraid to be completely honest before God.  Let us join together in our prayer of confession.

Prayer of Confession:

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, and we give thanks that we no longer sacrifice human beings.  But then we think of those who are left to fall through the cracks and we are sorry.  We remember the ones who are kept homeless so that our taxes stop going up and we feel ashamed.  We remember the ones who are underpaid for their labour so we can have cheaper products. And somewhat chastened, we say:  Well, at least we don't sacrifice our own children.  Or do we?  For then we think of our reluctance to change how the world operates.  A reluctance that degrades the natural world our children will inherit.  And we think of those parents whose dreams for their children drive them to push so hard for academic, athletic, or artistic success that the desires of the child get lost.  And thoroughly chastened, we say:  Thank you, God, that you do not require such sacrifice.  And in so saying, we ignore the sacrifices that are asked, preferring the known to the unknown, the old to the new, the comfortable to the risky.  Forgive us, God and help us to know what sacrifices to make, and not to make.  Forgive us when we fail to trust you to provide for us.

 

Words of Affirmation:

 

L. Here, then, is good news.  Rather than condemning us for the sacrifices that we do and don't make, God keeps calling us back.  We are forgiven and restored.  We have another chance to live in God's Way.  

 

P. Thanks be to God who is love.  Hallelujah!  Amen.

 

*Hymn:  VU #223  Eternal, Unchanging, We Sing

 

1  Eternal, Unchanging, we sing to your praise:
your mercies are endless and righteous your ways;
your servants proclaim the renown of your name
who rules over all and is ever the same.

 

2  Again we rejoice in the world you have made,
your mighty creation in beauty arrayed,
we thank you for life, and we praise you for joy,
for love and for hope that no power can destroy.

 

3  We praise you for Jesus, our Master and Lord,
the might of his Spirit, the truth of his word,
his comfort in sorrow, his patience in pain,
The faith sure and steadfast that Jesus shall reign.

Listening for the Spirit

Scripture Readings:

Genesis 22:1-14

This scripture reading narrates the test of Abraham’s faith, where God commands him to sacrifice his son Isaac.  This passage illustrates profound themes of faith, obedience and divine provision.  Abraham’s willingness to obey God, despite the personal cost, highlights his deep mercy and foreshadowing the future sacrifice of Jesus.

 

Genesis 22:1-14

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”
So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

 

Psalm 13

This psalm reflects a period of intense personal distress, possibly during times when David faced enemies like King Saul, who sought his life.  It begins with raw honesty, as David cries out to God: “How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from Me?”  This opening expresses a universal human experience of feeling abandoned or overwhelmed by trials.

 

Psalm 13

L.  How long, O God, will you utterly forget me?

P.  How long will you hide your face from me?

 

L.  How long must I suffer anguish in my soul, and be so grieved in my heart day and night?

P.  How long shall my enemy triumph over me?

Refrain:
Be still, my soul, for God is on your side.

L.  Look at me, and answer me, O God my God;

P.  give light to my eyes, lest I fall asleep in death,

L.  lest my enemies claim to have prevailed against me,

P.  lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.

L.  But my trust is in your mercy.

P.  Let my heart be joyful in your salvation.

L.  I will sing to you, O God,

P.  because you have dealt so lovingly with me.  I will praise your name, O God most high.

Refrain:
Be still, my soul, for God is on your side.

 

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

 

Matthew 10:40-42

 

This Gospel reading teaches that welcoming and supporting Jesus’ disciples is equivalent to welcoming Christ Himself and God, and even the smallest acts of kindness toward His followers are recognized and rewarded by God.

 

Matthew 10:40-42

‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

 

Message:  God Has Provided   

by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild

 

The sermon for today is based on the Old Testament story we heard this morning of God testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah.  It is a shocking story.  And people today, as in centuries gone by, have problems with it, problems with understanding it, problems with accepting it, problems with interpreting it.  
Scholars have debated and marvelled over this story throughout the centuries, just as have ordinary people like you and I.  Indeed, the tale, told as a story about God and about Abraham and about God and you and I, evokes for us all some very deep feelings.
Did God really ask Abraham to sacrifice his son upon an altar?  How could God ask that? What kind of God would ask that?
The feelings that we have fuel our questions, our debate.  We feel a sense of horror as Abraham sets out on his trek with Isaac beside him.  The suspense is awful when, near the end of that trek, we hear Isaac addressing his father, saying: “Father, the fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  And we hear Abraham respond with what seems to be an awful lie, saying, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”
We sense relief when, as the knife is about to descend, God speaks and stays Abraham's hands and indeed provides the sacrifice for the altar which Abraham has built.
A lot of thoughts and feelings are evoked by this story:  thoughts and feelings about God and thoughts and feelings about Abraham.
What kind of father was Abraham?  What kind of man could offer up his own son?  Should he really be held up as a model of faith for us all? Powerful, potent, questions.  Powerful, potent feelings.
And yet consider, in the midst of your thoughts and feelings, the story for what it purports to be with its opening line: “After these things God tested Abraham.”
We may not understand why God tested Abraham, but do we not understand the fact that tests come to us?  Do we not pray each day as Jesus taught us “and lead us not into temptation”, lead us not into the time of trial,” but deliver us from evil”?
What faith had this man whose son came from God by a promise?
What faith had this man who, as he leads that son towards what seems to be his certain death, says to him when asked about the lamb for the sacrifice “God will provide”?
Would that we would never have this trial, this test.  Would that no one would ever ask of us, in the name of God, to give up our children.  But would that we would be like Abraham, able to trust God that far, that much.  Would that we would be like him and be able to say: “God will provide.”
But for me, the story is not just about Abraham's faith.  It is about God and what God does.
In Abraham's giving up of his son, something marvellous happens.  His son comes back to him.  God provides the sacrifice as Abraham tells Isaac he will.  We have no way of knowing just what Abraham meant by that comment he made to Isaac, what he expected to happen, or to not happen, but the fact is, that in this tale of Abraham, we see something new about God emerge.
We see a God unlike the gods of Abraham's neighbours.  Those gods not only demanded the sacrifice of the first born from time to time but took the sacrifice and gave nothing back for it. The God of Abraham provided the sacrifice.  The God whom Jesus believed in did not let Abraham down.  The God who was the father of Jesus showed that despite the awfulness of the test he set Abraham, he was a God who could be trusted utterly.
The scripture says, “After all these things”, after all that Abraham and Sarah and Lot and his wife had experienced from the hand of God over many years, “God put Abraham to the test”.
We don't know why and may not approve of the kind of test it was.  But in the midst of it, God provided.
The story of Abraham does not end with Isaac being restored however.  For the God who asked Abraham to give up his son, and who then gave the son back to him, ends up giving up his own son, giving him up out of love for us, just as Abraham was prepared to give up Isaac out of love for God.
And in the process of God giving up his son, Jesus for us, something marvellous happens.  His son comes back to him, as did Abraham's.  He comes back to him and in coming back to him, brings to God all of us here today.
God has provided.  The story of Abraham is the story of God.  And it is our story.  The God of Jesus who said “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” has provided and will provide.
The God of Jesus, who said, “Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me” has provided and will provide.  Loving God more than we love ourselves, more than we love our family is not easy.  Taking up a cross is not pleasant, it is work.  Indeed, it is work unto death, but God has provided and will provide.  And no other god does that.  God – The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jesus, provides.  And more.  We see God do what no other god has done, what no idol, no demon, no power has done.  We see God give up his own son rather than demand the sons of those who worship Him.
God provided the sacrifice for Abraham.  And God provides the sacrifice for us as well.  A sacrifice made on our behalf, once and for all, forever.
That is part of the meaning of the communion table.  We celebrate God having provided the perfect sacrifice.  We celebrate God giving back to us not only our children and their children after them, but God giving back to us the very life that we owe to him.
There is a mystery to God.  A mystery to Christ.  His suffering redeems our suffering and through him, our suffering also redeems the world.
People can talk and debate and argue about what God might or might not expect of us.  They can go on for hours about how a loving God would never ask Abraham to give us Isaac.  They can even cast doubt upon the necessity of Jesus dying upon the cross so that our sins might be forgiven.  They can and they will.  And much of the debate is good.  But good or bad, the fundamental fact is that in the situation in which Abraham found himself, and in the situations in which we find ourselves, God has provided and will provide, now and forever.
My God is a mystery.  But my God is a mystery of love.  A mystery of love that calls me to give up all that I treasure, even myself, and then provides to me something that is so much better.
May your God be the same to you.  May your God be the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God of Jacob and of Jesus, both now and forevermore.  Amen.

 

Responding to the Spirit

*Hymn:  VU #342   You Servants of God

 

1  You servants of God, your Saviour proclaim,
and publish abroad that wonderful name;
the name all victorious of Jesus extol,
whose kingdom is glorious and rules over all.

 

2  God rules from on high, almighty to save,
whose Word still is nigh, a presence we have.
The great congregation God’s triumph shall sing,
ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.

 

3  Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!
Let all cry aloud, and honour the Son!
The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
bow down in deep reverence and worship the Lamb.

 

4  Then let us adore and give as is right,
all glory and power, all wisdom and might,
all honour and blessing with angels above,
and thanks never ceasing and infinite love.

 

Prayers of the People:

Gracious God, we thank you for your love and comfort as we open our hearts to you.  We thank you that we have been reassured that you provided for Abraham and you will provide for us.  Hold us close to you, God, that we might gather your strength in us.  Be with all those who are weighed down with grief and pain, who are suffering anxiety or fear.  Help us draw on your love, remembering your compassion for us, and be sustained by the promise of courage.  Hold us close to you, God, that we might know your will for us.  Be with all those facing uncertainty or change, contending with decisions to be made, both large and small.  Help us draw on your love, trusting in your care for us and guided by the comfort of faith.  Hold us close to you, God, that we might feel your peace in us.  Be with all those who struggle through each day, stressed or overwhelmed, smothered by depression or despair or addiction.  Help us to draw on your love, receiving your healing for us and finding reassurance through the power of hope.  Hold us close to you, God, that we might feel your strength sustaining us. Hear us as we name those for whom we have concern today, in silence or aloud:________________
Living God and eternal love, abide in us, now and forever.  We pray in the name of Jesus, our Saviour, who taught us to pray, “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”

 

M & S Story

Caring For Caregivers

Across Northern communities, Indigenous ministers are carrying extraordinary burdens. They walk alongside families through heartbreaking loss and hold space for grief that often has no easy words. It is sacred work. But it is also exhausting work. And too often, it is carried alone. 
“When I started in the United Church, we buried a lot of elderly people,” says Rev. Grant Queskekapow. “But now we bury a lot of youth who die as a result of suicide.” 
Rev. Queskekapow was a participant in the first Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat, held in 2024 at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre in Manitoba. For many, including Rev. Queskekapow, it was the first time they had gathered in this way with fellow ministers.  
With support from our gifts to Mission and Service, the Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat is entering its third year. The retreat offers a much-needed opportunity to pause, to grieve, and to find healing. Ministers receive trauma-informed support and opportunities for rest and have spoken about how important it is to experience a space where they do not need to carry everything on their own.  
The retreat includes sharing circles, a sweat lodge, and opportunities for rest and relaxation. Participants also spend time making star blankets, moccasins, ribbon skirts, and beadwork together. These activities create space for conversation, reflection, and connection, while also supporting cultural and spiritual healing. 
The need continues to grow. Wildfires and ongoing crises in Northern communities have only deepened the strain many ministers are carrying. Plans are now underway for the 2026 Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat, where even more ministers will be welcomed into a circle of healing and renewal. 
"Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:2 
Through Mission and Service, our gifts help cover travel costs, support facilitators, and create space for ministers to receive care themselves. Let’s give generously. 

 

Offering Invitation:

Like a cup of cool water in the deep of the night, may God's presence wake us up.  Like a cup of cool water on a dew-soaked morning, may God's Word be sweet on our tongue.  Like a cup of cool water in the heat of high noon, may God's Spirit shock us, renew us, refresh our lives!  Like a cup of cool water in another's hands, may we offer Christ's cup, and give, even as we have received.  Your offering will now be received.

 

*Offertory Hymn MV # 191  What Can I Do?

What can I do?  What can I bring?
What can I say?  What can I sing?
I’ll sing with joy.  I’ll say a prayer.
I’ll bring my love.  I’ll do my share.  (twice)

 

*Offering Prayer:

 

Giver of all things, as people alive to your goodness, we offer these gifts and the giftedness of this community to the service of human kindness within the communities in which we live, our country, and the world, through our local church, and the Mission & Service of The United Church of Canada.  Amen.

 

*Closing Hymn: VU #288  Great is Thy Faithfulness

 

1  Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Great is thy faithfulness!  Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided-
great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!

2  Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Great is thy faithfulness!  Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided-
great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!

 

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow-
wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.

Great is thy faithfulness!  Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided-
great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!

*Commissioning and Blessing:

 

L. In responding to God's call,

 

P. there is fear of what will be required of us.

 

L. In responding to God's call,

 

P. there is a willingness to venture into the unknown.

 

L. In responding to God's call,

 

P. there is a sense that God will be with us and provide for us.

 

L. In responding to God's call,

 

P. we know we will go faithfully forward.

 

L. And so, we will listen for God's call.
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord's face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with kindness and give you peace.

 

*Sung Benediction  VU # 424 May the God of Hope 

May the God of hope go with us every day,
Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace. 
May the God of Justice speed us on our way, 
Bringing light and hope to every land and race. 

 

Praying, let us work for peace, 
Singing, share our joy with all,
 Working, for a world that’s new,
 Faithful when we hear Christ call!

 

 

Life and Work of the Church

 

Today, on our Memory Board, we are remembering Amy Riles. Keith Francis and Mary Osmond.

Donation received in loving memory of :
Fathers, Edwin Anderson and Campbell Mosher by Vaughan &Vida Mosher

Thank you to all who helped in any way for the Celebration of Life and Memorial Service for Pat and Brenda Butt on Thursday, June 25.

 

Reminder that due to fire regulations, there are to be no solar lights in our cemetery.  

 

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.

 

Recovery Is Possible Support Group meetings have been changed to Monday nights at 7:00 pm for the summer months. The coordinator for this group is Andrea Feaver. 

 

Wesley United Library- in our former Choir Room. Please take time before or after our services to borrow, exchange or donate books.

 

Groups that are now concluded until the fall:
Walking Group- Coordinator Dinah Carter
Darts- Coordinators David Davis and Debbie Moss
AIM’s Empower Rangers Group- Coordinator Reed Bartlett
Quilting, Sewing, Knitting, Crafts and Social get-togethers Coordinators Evelyn MacDonald and Ruth Deveaux

 

Previous bulletins have been placed on the Information Table in case anyone would like one.  These are nice to give out to people who are unable to attend.  

 

Copies of “Our Daily Bread” are available on the Information Table.

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 $42.40. You may donate by using the pin number 6953434 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.

 

 

 

A Time to Chuckle

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan, 3.  The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.  Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake.  I can wait’.  Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.”

           
      
            

 

 

 

 

            Offerings Needed to Meet 2026 Budget
Local: $5000.00 Monthly
M & S: $200.00 Monthly

 

Date                           Local Account               M & S
January                          3739.00                      127.00
February                         2513.00                     258.00
March                             3644.63                     150.00
April                                3939.00                    206.00
May                                4,214.35                      252.00
June 7                              374.00                        38.00
June 14                             341.50                        42.50
June 21                             493.75                         16.00                    

 

Many blessings for this week and let us all remember 
God is a mystery of love, and He has provided and will provide, now and forever.