Beginning in Thanks to God

It is Thanksgiving weekend for us in Canada. It is good to be thanks-filled as a general rule. As people of faith it is even better to aim our thanks to God. It is a good practice to trace the origin of the things we are thankful for. Spend a minute finish this sentence as many times as you can. Make this our starting prayer this today:

God, we give thanks to you for ____________.

Thanksgiving Invocation prayer

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season, and for the labours of those who harvest them. Make us faithful stewards of your great bounty, in the provision for our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Worship – Based on Psalm 90

In every generation, the people of God have been
blessed to find their home and resting place in God!
We gather to worship and praise the God of all people.

All creation since time began, have been blessed
to find that the place of their birth is their Creator’s hands.
We gather to worship the God of all creation.

We gather to worship and praise our God, and to
ask God to fill us with the joy of your unfailing love.
May the favour and blessing of God be upon us this day. Amen. (Joan Stott)

Take a minute to be still and silent before this God of blessing. Then move on in song.

Song

Behold the Banquet of Christ
As we gather at your table
As we listen to your word
Help us know oh 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 loves victory known

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 this world you died to save

Behold, behold the banquet of Christ!
The banquet of Christ

Grant us vision gracious Spirit
Seeking 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

Behold, behold the banquet of Christ!
The banquet of Christ

Offering

Take a few minutes, while listening through this song, to consider again how God has been good to you. Think beyond just this week. Think about your whole life… Hasn’t God been gracious and kind? In what ways? All good and perfect gifts come from the Father. This should spur us to give back in gracious thanksgiving. God bless you as you give.

Kids Activity (Good for adults too!)

Hey Kids! We have spent some time in this service saying thank you to God who gives us good gifts. It is also good to say thank you to people. Have you ever received a thank you card? It feels really good to have someone take the time to write you a card saying thank you for something you gave them or did. As part of practicing thanksgiving take some time to make a thank you card. You can fold a piece of blank paper in half, draw some pictures, have your adult help you write out your words if you need, and then send it in the mail! This is a great activity for adults to do too! Who can you say thank you to today?

Sermon – Psalm 92

Word of Witness

Song of Response

Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness oh God my Father
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 Lord unto me

Summer, and winter, and springing, 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 Lord unto me

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
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside

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 Lord unto me

Benediction

As you go from here, remember the promise of God (from Psalm 91:14-15):

“I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue them and honour them.”

So go from here with joy, confident that the love and mercy of God goes with you.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
AMEN

Greet One Another

Greeting one another is part of our weekly rhythm in worship because we are a community of people. We come to worship God but we do so with one another. It may not feel like we are gathered together so take a few minutes to reach out to someone. Send a text, a meme, a gif. Make a call. Be for someone today a reminder that we are still a worshiping COMMUNITY.

Call to Worship – Psalm 86

If you are in a pair or more, divide the call to worship and read aloud these words of thanksgiving and praise.

Teach us your way, O LORD,
that we may walk in your truth;

give us undivided hearts to honour your name.

We give thanks to you, O God, with our whole heart,
and we glorify your name forever.

For you, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Prayer

Great and good God,
give us pure hearts that we may see you,
humble hearts that we may hear you,
hearts of love that we may serve you,
hearts of faith that we may live in you,
here and in the world out there,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Covenant Book of Worship

Song of Praise

“Sing Alleluia”

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Sun, moon, and stars rejoice on high
Praise to the Lord of light divine

Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
Praise the Father above
Sing alleluia
Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
For his infinite love
Sing alleluia

Praise to the giver of good things
Merciful Father, holy king
Join with the angels, sing out loud
Praise him who reigns above the clouds

Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
Praise the Father above
Sing alleluia
Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
For his infinite love
Sing alleluia

O praise him (when the morning comes)
Alleluia (for the rising sun)
O praise him (when the day is done)
Alleluia (praise the Lord of love)
O praise him (alleluia)
Alleluia (alleluia)

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing

Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
Praise the Father above
Sing alleluia
Sing alleluia, sing alleluia
For his infinite love
Sing alleluia

Scripture Reading

Select readings from Exodus 13 & 14

Song of Response

“Way Maker”

You are here moving in our midst
I worship you, I worship you
You are here working in this place
I worship you, I worship you

You are way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God that is who you are
(REPEAT)

You are here touching every heart
I worship you, I worship you
You are here healing every heart
I worship you, I worship you

You are here turning lives around
I worship you, I worship you
You are here mending every heart
I worship you, I worship you

You are way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God that is who you are
(REPEAT)

That is who you are
That is who you are
That is who you are
That is who you are
(REPEAT)

Even when I don’t see it you’re working
Even when I don’t feel it you’re working
You never stop, you never stop working
You never stop, you never stop working
(REPEAT)

Way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who you are
(REPEAT)

Offering

As we have been discussing the Psalms we speak of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation. One way we orient our lives is around our finances. We can also experience much disorientation with our finances. Generosity is one way we orient our lives towards God, trusting his provision for us and for others. We invite you to make your thanks and trust tangible with a gift to a ministry like ours or another Kingdom work as the Spirit directs you.

Kid Sermon and Craft

Sermon – Psalm 77

Time of Silence

Take some time to silently ask God to help you remember how he has worked in your life. Remember the blessings, the healings, the rescues, the provision, etc. After some time of remembering before God end your time of silence with a simple prayer: Thank you. Amen.

Song of Response

“It is Well”

Grandeur earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of his voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
Through it all, through it all it is well
Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
And it is well with me

Far be it for me to not believe
Even when my eyes cannot see
And this mountain that’s in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
Through it all, through it all it is well
Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
And it is well
It is well

So let go my soul and trust in him
The waves and wind still know his name
Let go my soul and trust in him
The waves and wind still know his name
The waves and wind still know his name

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul
(REPEAT)

It is well, it is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
Through it all, through it all it is well
Through it all, through it all my eyes are on you
And it is well with me

Benediction

Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. (Psalm 85:9-11)
Go in peace.

Kids’ Project – Psalms Poet Tree

Greet One Another

We encourage you to do one of these things (below) for your greeting time this morning. We recognize how difficult it is to feel connected to a physical church community while being physically distant. Try one of these this morning:
1. Call/Video Chat a friend and “connect” with them in this way before moving any further into this service.
2. Text someone who maybe isn’t a part of your inner circle from church. Greet them and let them know you’re thinking of them today.
3. Set up a phone call/coffee/walk outside with someone from church for this week. Text or call… set it up right now… schedule it. Make a first step. Remember this motto when thinking of taking steps towards making connection with those at church: “If not you, then who? If not now, when?”
4. Think of 3 people from your church community and take a couple minutes to pray for them on your own or as a family.

Psalm 47 – Call to Worship

Read this Psalm. If you are with others, split up the reading with the bold/non-bold text.

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!
He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

Song

“I Will Praise”
I will praise (I will praise)
You oh Lord (You oh Lord)
With all my heart (With all my heart)

I will tell (I will tell)
Of your wonders (Of your wonders)
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee

I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name
I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name

I will praise (I will praise)
You oh Lord (You oh Lord)
With all my heart (With all my heart)

I will tell (I will tell)
Of your wonders (Of your wonders)
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee
I’ll be glad and exalt in thee

I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name
I will sing praise to your name most high
I will sing praise to your name

Scripture Reading – Psalm 51:1-10

Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
    teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Sermon – Psalm 51

Confession & Assurance

Call to Confession:
When we let envy, greed, resentment, lust, and selfishness eat away in us, we can be destroyed. I call you now with me to admit our wrongs before God, knowing that such confession is essential to the health of our souls.

Prayer of Confession (pray this within or one person read while others around pray within):
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Words of Assurance:
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May you know that you are forgiven. May you be at peace. May you experience divine joy! AMEN.

Song of Response

“Saved My Soul”
You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

I was lost when you came for me
Held in chains by the enemy
But you broke them in victory
I am free
I am free

You’re my joy and you are my hope
I am saved by your grace alone
I will sing of your love for me
I am free
I am free

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

Now I stand with the King of kings
He has paid for my every sin
And from now through eternity
I am free
I am free

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul

What once was dead is now alive
You gave to me the breath of life
You brought me up out of the grave
I’m bursting out with songs of praise
(REPEAT)

I’m bursting out with songs of praise
I’m bursting out with songs of praise

You my God have saved my soul
I am yours forevermore
I won’t be moved of this I’m sure
You are my God and you saved my soul
(REPEAT)

Offering

When we have heard the word of God, we respond with song and prayer, and also with witness and money, for all things we are and have are small yet tangible offerings of ourselves to the Lord.

PRAY: Lord, we desire that this offering express careful and willing sharing on our part, with fruitful blessing on your part, as together we seek to build your kingdom among the nations and God’s will among the peoples, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Psalm 65 – Reorientation

We invite you to grab a bible and open up to Psalm 65 – a thanksgiving Psalm that gratefully celebrates forgiveness and God’s abundance. Enjoy opening the actual physical book for this reading. Read all 13 verses, either quietly or aloud. Underline, memorize, or write down on a piece of paper any phrase(s) that strike you today. Keep those phrases close to you this week. Live in Psalm 65 until we meet again next week.

Closing Song

Whether you sing along or not, as this song is playing we invite you to lift your hands as an act of ascribing greatness and recognizing the holiness of God in your midst.

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”
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

Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee
Who wert and art and evermore shall be

Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide thee
Thou the eye of sinful flesh thy glory may not see
Only thou art holy there is none beside thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons blessed Trinity
God in three persons blessed Trinity

Benediction

Read the following quietly or if you are in a group have one person read the charge out loud:

Go now, remembering what we have done here. Go, remembering that you are a forgiven people, eternally loved, thoughtfully instructed, gratefully obedient, responding and responsible wherever you are. You can never be the same again. AMEN.

Greet One Another

Once again we “gather” together to worship the living God. The ever present God is with you wherever you are in this moment. He is with those who gather inside a church building. He is with those who gather around a device scrolling through a website. We are the Church, united in Christ. Take a moment to reach out to someone you haven’t touched base with in awhile. Send an e-mail, text, maybe even try a letter! Offer the peace of Christ and know that he is with each of us.

Call to Worship – Psalm 1

Divide the following reading of Psalm 1 among yourselves. If you are participating alone, maybe Facetime or Zoom a friend to walk through this service together.

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all they do they prosper.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Prayer

God our Creator, yours is the morning and yours is the evening. Let Christ the Sun of righteousness shine forever in our hearts and draw us to that light where you live in radiant glory. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. (Covenant Book of Worship)

Song of Worship – Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compasions They fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

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, Lord, unto me

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
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

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, Lord, unto me

Kid’s Lesson

Psalm Writing Exercise

As Cody explained, the Psalms are honest expressions of our human emotions. It has been said that the Bible speaks to us, but the Psalms speak for us.

This exercise of psalm writing may feel strange to some of you, but give it a go and see how writing your own psalm to God becomes an expression of your thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Grab some paper and a pencil and give the following a shot.

Psalm 13 is a prayer asking for God’s help through a long season of struggle. Read Psalm 13. Now write out your own Psalm using these prompts:

O Lord, how long will you ______________________?
How long must I _______________________________?
How long will my enemy/burden _______________?
I need you to _____________.
Don’t let my enemies/burden____________________.
But I trust in your (God’s)_______________________.
I will rejoice because you (God)_________________.
I will sing to the LORD because he is ___________.

You are encouraged to pray the psalm you have written to God. Save it. Pray it every morning or evening this week. Share it with a friend. Share it with a pastor.

Sermon – Psalm 29

Prayer of response based on Psalm 29

Speak O Lord.
Speak your peace over the chaos of our lives. Order our lives. Order us.
Speak O Lord.
Speak your powerful justice over the injustices that abound.
Speak O Lord.
Speak your healing over brokenness and suffering.
Speak O Lord.
Speak your joy into our hearts that we may praise you as you ought to be praised.
In the name of the LORD – who is peace, justice, healing, and joy – amen.

Song of Response – “Our God”

Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like you
None like you
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like you
None like you

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
No one like you
None like you

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Who can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

Offering and Thanksgiving

One way our lives are oriented toward God is through generosity. In times of abundance we give in gratitude. In lean times we give believing that the One to whom we give is faithful to care for us. We invite you to make your thanks and trust tangible with a gift to a ministry like ours or another Kingdom work as the Spirit directs you.

Benediction

Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen