Free website created on
Wesley United Church– Year
September 14, 2025, 11:00 am
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Worship Leader: Evelyn MacDonald
Reader: Bev Hinks
Music: Bev Bragg
Greeter: Elsie Organ
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. We all experienced God’s wonderful creation on our way to church this morning. We light the Christ candle to remind us of God’s wonderful works around us and within us as well.
*Introit: MV #18 Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary
Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary,
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for you.
Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary,
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for you.
*CALL TO WORSHIP
L: We gather here this morning
P: seeking to ground our lives in your love.
L. We gather here this morning
P: knowing that you sustain all life on earth.
L: We gather here this morning
P. to praise and worship God, the Creator.
*Opening Hymn: MV # 182 Grateful
Refrain:
Grateful for the life you give us,
thankful for your Holy Son,
joyful in your Spirit flowing
over all, O God of Love.
Grateful for the Bread of Heaven,
thankful for your Holy Word,
joyful in your mercy flowing,
we will praise you.
1 You are more than we imagine,
Ancient, Holy, Living Lord.
Even when we doubt your presence
you are faithful to your Word.
Grateful for the life you give us,
thankful for your Holy Son,
joyful in your Spirit flowing
over all, O God of Love.
Grateful for the Bread of Heaven,
thankful for your Holy Word,
joyful in your mercy flowing,
we will praise you.
2 May our lives proclaim your justice,
may our voices sing your praise.
May our hands work in your service
to the glory of your name.
Grateful for the life you give us,
thankful for your Holy Son,
joyful in your Spirit flowing
over all, O God of Love.
Grateful for the Bread of Heaven,
thankful for your Holy Word,
joyful in your mercy flowing,
we will praise you.
Opening Prayer
Loving God, you call us to faithfulness, not to perfection. Seeking God, you call us to be open to one another, without trying to make the other person just like us. Persistent God, you continue to issue the invitation: “Come home; you are my beloved.” Rejoicing God, we seek to share in your happiness when any who feel lost and alone are searched for and found and guided on their way home. Thanks be to God. Amen
Invitation to Prayer of Confession
We gather together as God’s people-in our strength, but also in our weakness. We acknowledge that in the journey of faith, there are moments we stumble, moments we do not live for God, but only for ourselves. Let us turn to God, seeking the strength to be God’s faithful people once more. Let us join together in our prayer of confession.
Prayer of Confession
Creator God, Hope of the World, like a garden in need of clearing at the end of season, we are in need of a clearing of our hearts. Sometimes we are like the Pharisee in Jesus’ stories, ignoring our faults, thinking we are superior to others, paying no attention to your call for righteousness, and using our bravado to cover a multitude of failings. Help us to have the heart of the tax collector, free to admit our sins and imperfections in your presence, free to receive your soothing grace. In this moment of silence, clear our hearts and make us new. Amen
Words of Assurance
L. As surely as the Shepherd goes looking for a lost animal, as surely as a householder goes looking for a lost coin, the One who made you seeks to restore all his children to relationship and joy.
P. Thanks be to God! Amen
Listening for the Spirit
*Hymn: VU # 365 Jesus Loves Me
1 Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so;
little ones to him belong,
in his love we shall be strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
2 Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, “Let them come to me.”
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
3 Jesus loves me still today,
walking with me on my way,
wanting as a friend to give
light and love to all who live.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Scripture Readings
Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28
This scripture reading addresses the judgement and destruction that will come upon the people of Judah due to their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God.
Verses 11-12 describe a “A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights in the desert towards my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse— a wind too strong for that.” symbolizing a destructive force that will come from the north, leading to lamentation and despair among the people.
Verses 22-28 emphasize the foolishness and stupidity of the people, who are described as “stupid children” who do not understand how to do good. This indictment highlights the moral and spiritual decline of the nation, leading to a future of judgement and destruction.
Overall, these verses convey a sweeping indictment of the people’s actions and a hopeless situation that God is about to bring upon them.
Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights* in the desert towards my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse— a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgement against them.
‘For my people are foolish,
they do not know me;
they are stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
but do not know how to do good.’
I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
For thus says the LORD: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Because of this the earth shall mourn,
and the heavens above grow black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
I have not relented nor will I turn back.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Psalm 14
In this Psalm, David is meditating on this theme: Atheism. The lack of belief in and obedience to God. Atheism in its intellectual, theoretical form. And atheism in its practical form – in the way that it’s worked out in the lives of practically every single human being.
David notes the evil of both kinds of atheism and God’s final dealing with atheism.
Psalm 14
L. The foolish have spoken in their heart and said, “There is no God.”
P. They are corrupt; they do abominable things; there is no one who does what is good.
L. God looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if any are wise and seek after God.
P. But all have gone astray; all alike are corrupted; there is no one who does good; no, not one.
Refrain:
Dear God, who loves all humankind, forgive our foolish ways.
L. Have they no knowledge, all those who do evil?
P. They devour my people like so much bread, and do not pray to God.
L. But see, they will tremble with fear, for God is on the side of the righteous.
P. Do not mock the hope of the poor, for God is their refuge.
L. O that deliverance for God’s people would come forth from Zion!
P. When God restores the fortunes of the people, then shall Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Refrain:
Dear God, who loves all humankind, forgive our foolish ways.
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: Luke 15: 1-10
This scripture reading revolves around the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, illustrating God’s relentless pursuit of the lost and the immense value He places on each individual.
These parables emphasize that God actively seeks out and rejoices over those who repent, showcasing His boundless love and grace towards all of His children, regardless of their past mistakes.
These teachings challenge us to extend grace and forgiveness to others, reflecting the same love and compassion that God shows towards us.
Gospel Reading: Luke 15: 1-10
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Message: God is Deeply in Love With Each One of Us
By: Rev. Dr. Amy Richter
God is deeply in love with each of us. Not just humanity in general, but each and every person. To make this truth about God plain, Jesus tells two parables, about a lost sheep and a lost coin, and about how their owners searched and searched until they found even just one that was missing.
A true story: A little girl was looking at the things in her mother’s jewelry box. One item particularly fascinated her- an opal that had once been set in a ring but had come loose from its finding. The little girl liked the opal a lot. She liked how it sparkled, how its iridescence gave it different colours depending on how she held it and in what kind of light. She liked looking at this opal so much that she took it out of the box and carried it around, until she became more interested in something else and she lost the small stone.
When she told her mother, her mother began the most thorough search of their house the girl had ever seen. Her mother looked under rugs and between the sofa cushions. She swept. She looked everywhere. She was so energetic in her search that the little girl knew that what was lost must truly be precious. The little girl had no idea her mother owned such a treasure. Did her mother own precious gems? Was she really the daughter of royalty?
She asked her mother, “Is this the most precious jewel?”
Her mother said, “No, there are jewels worth far more, that cost more. But this one was given to me by my great aunt, and since she gave it to me, it’s precious to me and I want to find it.”
Jesus says God is like a woman who, when she loses one of her ten silver coins, does not say, ah well, I still have nine others, that will just have to do. No, the woman turns her house upside down until she finds the one lost coin.
A certain parish has an endowment for outreach that was started from found coins. Two parishioners started it, and others joined in. When they find change on the ground, it goes into the endowment for outreach. They collect their found coins during the year in a jar and then put them in the Easter offering so this found money can be used to serve people who need it. People who participate get really excited about finding money. Sometimes the money is easily accessible: you see a penny and pick it up. Sometimes one has to be a bit more adventurous. One parishioner reported riding a bicycle down a busy street and seeing a bright shiny quarter. A whole quarter for the jar! Should she stop in the middle of the road? In traffic? What risks should she take?
Thankfully, God has no such limitations. God is like a woman who will turn her house upside down to find even one coin. God is like a shepherd who will search high and low for even one sheep. There are no bramble bushes, no deep ravines, no alley ways, or hidden corners, or closets into which God will not go to find those who are lost. Even just one.
In the parable, the woman is so excited at finding her one lost coin that she calls all her friends. “We have to celebrate! I found my coin that was lost!”
And just like that, says Jesus, the angels of God rejoice when even one person who is lost is found, when even one person repents, comes home, allows God to embrace them and say “You are mine. I love you. I would search and search the whole world if I had to. Even for just one.”
Jesus told these parables because at the time, a group of people were grumbling about what kind of people Jesus was busy finding, what kind of people Jesus was inviting to the table and eating with. These grumbling people were religious people, sure that they themselves were safely in God’s fold, safely deposited into God’s change purse.
Maybe they didn’t realize that they too were lost ones that God was trying hard to gather up. Did they know that God was turning the world upside down to find tax collectors and sinners as well as good religious people, to claim us all as God’s own sheep. God’s own precious coins?
That’s what God did. From the beginning, God’s Spirit has been sweeping through the world seeking people to rejoice in belonging to God, whether they deserved it or not. And in Jesus, God really did do something to turn the whole world upside down. The God of the universe came among us as a human baby named Jesus, who lived and died as one of us, stretched his arms out to us from the cross to welcome the lost, the least, the losers. Even just one.
God still yearns to gather us all up, so that not even one more person ever feels lost, as if they have to do it on their own, as if they’re not worth a cent, because even just one is precious to God.
Maybe it’s significant that when the woman finds the coin that had been lost, she throws a party for all her friends. Hear the irony: the woman may be thorough, but she’s not miserly. She may be meticulous, but she is not a wizard of home economics. She found one coin and then spent who knows how many to throw a party! Is it irony or is it grace?
If we are the coins in the story, so precious to God that even just one is worth everything, and the occasion of finding just one is cause of seeking and finding and celebrating. God doesn’t just tuck us away in some safe-deposit box, a heavenly coin collection waiting for our value to increase. God says, “Let’s have a party now.”
Even just one means everything to God. Even just one is cause for great celebration. Even just one who offers himself or herself to be spent for God’s purposes is a great blessing for the whole neighbourhood.
In our worship this morning we practice God’s economics. We gather, acknowledging that all we are and all we have comes from God, belongs to God, is loved by God, can be given and offered and spent for God. We offer our time, our talents, our money, and the produce of our hands and our minds in God’s service here in this place, out in the neighbourhood, and in the world. Our ministries are varied, but each one is valuable, each one is important to God, because even just one enables us to continue God’s work of seeking and finding and celebrating.
Even just one. Even just you. Even just me. Precious to God. And precious here, in God’s house, in God’s family.
Amen
*Hymn: VU # 266 Amazing Grace
1. 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.
2. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed.
3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
4. The Lord has promised good to me,
this word my hope secures;
God will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
5. 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.
Responding to the Spirit
Prayers of the People
Almighty God, infinite and eternal in wisdom, power and love, we praise You for all that You are and for all that You do for the world. You have shown us Your truth and Your love in our Saviour Jesus Christ. You seek us out when we go astray. You look for us when we are lost. You call to us and rejoice when we are found. We thank you for the abundant life you have made us for- the life you give us even before we know to lift our hands to you. You are our rock and our redeemer O God- the higher power that restores us to our sanity- the path which is light to our feet- the well from which we can draw that which satisfies.
We know, O God, the wonder of having been blind, and then being able to see; of being lost and then being found. Today we pray for the parts of us that may yet remain in darkness and for those who abide in blackness; we pray too for those things about us that may yet be lost, and for those who have not been able to find their way.
Today, as we contemplate your mercy and your grace, we hold before you our faith community and its ability to reach out to others in our church and in our community. Help us to serve you and show forth your light and your love. O Lord, as we think of your love and your plan for our earth, we hold before you our government and governments of all nations and their respective leaders. We recall the need for justice- for an equal sharing of the things that this earth affords- for a human touch and a divine way of walking.
Today O Lord, we think of the individuals and events that concern us, naming them before you, aloud or in silence ___________ . Your name, Oh God be blessed, now and forevermore. We praise you; we thank you, we adore you, through Christ Jesus who showed us the way of your Spirit and taught us to pray to you as your precious children 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”
M & S – Letter Sent to our Congregation
Offertory Invitation
Truly all that we are, all that we do, all that we offer is in response to our God. Let us respond, trusting that our gifts not only support the ministry of this church but God’s work in the broader church family, neighbourhood, and around the world where needs call and the Spirit directs us. Our 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.
*Offertory Prayer
Creator God, take my gifts of money that represent the fruits of our love for you, for our community, and for our congregation. Use these gifts as you use us to spread your message of love throughout the world. Amen
*Closing Hymn: MV # 161 I Have Called You By Your Name
1 I have called you by your name, you are mine;
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you;
all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called, and chosen;
you are mine.
2. I will help you learn my name as you go;
read it written in my people, help them grow.
Pour the water in my name,
speak the word your soul can claim,
offer Jesus’ body given long ago.
3. I know you will need my touch as you go;
feel it pulsing in creation’s ebb and flow.
Like the woman reaching out,
choosing faith in spite of doubt,
hold the hem of Jesus’ robe,
then let it go.
4. I have given you a name, it is mine;
I have given you my Spirit as a sign.
With my wonder in your soul,
make my wounded children whole;
go and tell my precious people
they are mine.
*Benediction & Commissioning
Go into the world noticing the love of God by noticing others, sharing the love of God by sharing with others, responding to the love of God by loving others, for the sake of Christ Jesus.
May the love of God Almighty always sustain you.
May the grace of Jesus the Christ ever enfold you.
May the wonder of the Holy Spirit grant you delight.
This day and forevermore. Amen
*Sung Benediction MV # 215 Peace Be With You
Peace be with you, peace forever,
Peace be with you, my friends.
Till we meet again, may God be with you.
Peace, peace, peace.
Peace be with you, peace forever,
Peace be with you, my friends.
Till we meet again, may God be with you.
Peace, peace, peace.
Life and Work of the Church
Today, on our Memory Board, we are remembering Minnie Farrell 1903-1978, William Farrell 1895-1976 and Ross William Mauger 1915 – 1982
Happy 100th birthday to Violet Taylor who celebrated her birthday this past Tuesday, September 9th.
Walking Group will be starting on Monday, September 15. They will be meeting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 am. Dinah Carter is the coordinator for this group. This group follows a video to do walking exercises in their own spot at one’s individual pace.
Darts will be starting this Tuesday, September 16, at 1:00 pm. Please come along and bring a friend. David Davis & Debbie Moss are the coordinators for this group.
Women’s Bowling will be starting Tuesday, September 16 at the Bruce 11. There is room for any new players to join. Scoring is done based on your individual average, so a new player is just as equal as a seasoned player.
Board Meeting on Wednesday, September 17, at 7:00 pm. Please let our secretary, Linda Farrell, know if you have anything that you would like to add to the agenda.
Ministerial meeting for all clergy/representatives of each church in our area on Thursday, September 18 at 10:30 am. Please let Joan or Evelyn know if you have any ideas that you would like to bring to this meeting.
Quilting & Sewing groups are starting on Thursday, September 18, at 1:00 pm. Evelyn MacDonald is coordinator for this group.
Knitting Group is also starting on Thursday, September 18 at 1:00 pm. Ruth Deveaux is coordinator for this group.
UCW will be hosting a luncheon on Friday, September 26, 11:30-1:00. The menu will be turkey or pea soup with a roll, followed by a dessert and tea or coffee. Admission is by donation.
UCW will be hosting a fall fair where people may rent a table for 10.00 to sell their items on Saturday, October 25 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
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.
Pop Tabs – Thank you to Glenda and Dave Feltham for delivering our pop tabs to the Ronald MacDonald House in St. John’s.
Small and large Print Copies of “Our Daily Bread” are available on the Information Table.
Columbarium Niches: There is just one niche 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 this niche.
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 $77.35. You may donate by using the pin number 6953434 (our telephone number) when you drop off your recyclables.
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
June 2815.00 1389.00
July 1813.50 157.00
August 1850.50 179.00
September 7 184.00 56.00
Many blessings for this week and let us take the time to find the one who may be lost.
Website Created: December 29th, 2021
Website Designer, Creator And Administrator: Curtis Francis
© Copyright Wesley United Church - 2022
|