Worship Outline and Sermon

Worship Outline: June 28, 2026 - Time after Pentecost (Service of the Word)

Introduction to the day

The welcome of baptism is for all God’s children. This baptismal gift sets us free from the power of sin and death. In today’s gospel, Christ promises that the disciple who gives a cup of cold water to the little ones serves Christ himself. From worship we are sent on our baptismal mission: to serve the little ones of this world and to be a sign of God’s merciful welcome.

(*=stand, as able)

Time for Quiet Reflection and Prayer

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

*Gathering Song For the Beauty of the Earth (# 879)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glg4GToQ5

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies:

Refrain:

Christ our God to thee we raise,

This our sacrifice of praise.

For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flow’r,

Sun and moon and stars of light:

Refrain:

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind’s delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight:

Refrain:

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above;

For all gentle thoughts and mild:

Refrain:

For each perfect gift of thine,

Peace on earth and joy in heav’n,

For thyself, best gift divine,

To our world so freely giv’n:

Refrain:

(Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, alt. Music: Conrad Kocher. Text and music: public domain.)

*Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

*Canticle of Praise Now Thank We All Our God

(# 840, st. 3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOWo5NGjf5w

All praise and thanks to God

The Father now be given,

The Son, and Spirit blest,

Who reign in highest heaven,

The one eternal God,

Whom earth and heav’n adore;

For thus it was, is now,

And shall be evermore.

(Text: Martin Rinhart; tr. Catherine Winkworth. Music: Johann Crüger. Text and music: public domain.)

*Prayer of the Day

O God, you direct our lives by your grace, and your words of justice and mercy reshape the world. Mold us into a people who welcome your word and serve one another, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

First Reading: Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Your love, O Lord, forever will I sing. (Ps. 89:1)

1 Your love, O Lord, forever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2 For I am persuaded that your steadfast love is established forever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your line forever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.’ ”
15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
16 They rejoice daily in your name;
they are jubilant in your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our might is exalted.
18 Truly, our shield belongs to the Lord;
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Hymn Blessed Assurance (# 638)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8e_g2fwY8w

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain:

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Refrain:

Perfect submission, all is at rest;

I in my Saviour am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

Refrain:

(Text: Fanny J. Crosby. Music: Phoebe F. Knapp. Text and music: public domain.)

Second Reading Romans 6:12-23

Sin is an enslaving power which motivates us to live self-serving, disobedient lives. Sin’s final payoff is death. We, however, have been set free from sin’s slavery to live obediently under God’s grace, whose end is the free gift of eternal life.

12 Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, so that you obey their desires. 13 No longer present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that, if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that you who were slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted 18 and that you, having been set free from sin, have become enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of your limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, leading to even more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification.

20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what fruit did you then gain from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the fruit you have leads to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

*Gospel Acclamation (said)

Alleluia. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Alleluia. (1 Peter 2:9)

*Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

When Jesus sends his disciples out as missionaries, he warns them of persecution and hardships they will face. He also promises to reward any who aid his followers and support their ministry.

[Jesus said to the twelve:] 40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 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, 42 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 Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon – Pastor Matthew

*Hymn of the Day Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love

(# 708)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dpx7Opu6qo

Refrain:

Jesu, Jesu,

Fill us with your love, show us how to serve

The neighbours we have from you.

Kneels at the feet of his friends,

Silently washes their feet,

Master who acts as a slave to them.

Refrain:

Neighbours are wealthy and poor,

Varied in colour and race,

Neighbours are nearby and far away.

Refrain:

These are the ones we will serve,

These are the ones we will love;

All these are neighbours to us and you.

Refrain:

Kneel at the feet of our friends,

Silently washing their feet;

This is the way we will live with you.

Refrain:

Offering

As the gifts are collected and brought forward, we join in singing:

In Christ Called to Baptize (# 575, st. 3 and 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUZ4xB7R2qw

In Christ called to witness, by grace we preach

The lifegiving gospel; God’s love we will teach.

By grace may our living give proof to our praise

In costly compassion reflecting Christ’s ways.

Unite us, anoint us, O Spirit of love,

For you are within us, around us, above.

Equip us for service with gifts you bestow.

In Christ is our calling. In Christ may we grow.

Offering Prayer

Loving God, we offer at the gifts of our hearts. Help us take heart in you and share freely of your love, so that all creation can taste your abundance. Amen.

*Prayers of Intercession

Gathered together by the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the church and the needs of the world.

A brief silence.

Faithful God, establish your church to offer welcome and proclaim your peace, including here in Canada. Nourish us so we can proclaim your hope to the whole world. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Creator God, bring life to places experiencing drought, deforestation, and pollution. Help us to cultivate and care for the natural world around us. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Loving God, bring an end to conflict and division. Sustain the work of prophets in our time, and work through world leaders to foster understanding, justice, and peace. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Provider God, bless caregivers as they show God’s hospitality through their generous service. Give your children what they need physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Those for whom we include … God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Living God, listen to our silent prayers … God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Eternal God, we remember with thanks the faithful departed of this community and of the wider church and world. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Trusting you receive all our prayers, we commend our spoken and unspoken prayers to you, O God, through Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

*Lord’s Prayer (said)

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. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

*Blessing

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, ☩ one God, bless, heal, and hold you today and always. Amen.

*Sending Song How Great Thou Art (# 856)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkMp_CXMGQQ

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works thy hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art! How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art! How great thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,

I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Refrain:

But when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin;

Refrain:

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration

And there proclaim, “My God, how great thou art!”

Refrain:

(Text: Carl G. Boberg; tr. and adapt. Stuart K. Hine. Music: Swedish folk tune; adapt. Stuart K. Hine. Text and arr. Tune: © 1949, 1953 The Stuart Hine Trust. Reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net #A-714392. All rights reserved.)

*Dismissal

Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Sermon: June 28, 2026 - Time after Pentecost

Text: Matthew 10:40-42

Jesus says today, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." At first glance, these words seem straightforward. Offer hospitality. Be kind. Open the door. Share a meal. Give a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty. Yet, as Pr. Esther Sianipur, whom we also heard from last week, points out, ‘Jesus is talking about something deeper than good manners’ here. In his teaching we hear an invitation to journey in faith, a journey filled with risking to reach out into the world with God’s love and compassion … it is a spiritual practice of recognizing God's presence in another human being. Jesus tells his disciples that when they are welcomed, Christ is welcomed. And when Christ is welcomed, God is welcomed. That means that every encounter becomes holy ground.’ (WH)

A fly in the ointment to this call, however, is the teaching of Jesus that formed the Gospel reading last week. In the midst of commissioning the disciples to go out and offering them instructions for what they were to do, he was clear about how hard and challenging it would be. So then why bother trying to be welcoming at all? ‘Ah,’ replies Jesus. ‘I forgot to tell you about the reward system. Every time you meet with someone in this way, you will receive a reward. Whether it is with an itinerant prophet who gives you a hard time, or a righteous leader who calls you out for not living up to the religious law, or even a poor one who asks you for a cup of water, God will see what you’ve done and give you something in return. Don’t worry about what the prizes are. Get out there, get welcoming; and get what’s coming to you!’

The thing is, I don’t believe that Jesus is announcing a heavenly point rewards program here. The prizes are the promises he also shared last week. These are that whatever we face on account of our faith, whatever we do in response to it, however we find the journey, we can do so with the trust that we have already received God’s grace through Christ and continue to do so. There is always a place for us with God, among God’s people; there is always the promise of forgiveness, always the vision of new life. In the midst of this, we receive the good news and the freedom to love and serve with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. No matter how it turns out, we continue; in Christ we have received the reward that can never be taken away. (Calvin)

Pr. Olav Traa, Assistant to Bishop of the Synod of Alberta and the Territories, writes in his sermon for today’s part of the national church’s summer series that ‘these words remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we all have a role in God’s mission, and that even the smallest acts of kindness and support matter deeply in the kingdom of God.’ They also remind him of mission and vision statements, including those written by congregations. A mission statement focuses on the present—it answers the question, “What do we do, who do we serve, and how do we do it?” It’s like a daily roadmap, guiding our actions and decisions. A vision statement, on the other hand, focuses on the future—it answers , “What do we want to become, and where are we going?” It’s the ultimate destination, the long-term impact we hope to achieve.

In today’s reading, Traa hears Jesus giving a clear mission: to go out into the world, proclaim the Good News, and to embody the love and power of God. The vision is equally clear: a community where all are welcome, where even the smallest acts of kindness—like offering a cup of cold water—are recognized by God. This vision, notes Traa, is not just for the twelve disciples; it’s for all of us. It’s a vision of a world transformed by God’s love, where everyone has a role to play in the mission.

After our congregation formed from the merger between Immanuel and Our Saviour’s, council held a retreat to review our mission and vision. Both congregations had had multi-paragraph statements, with many good points. Yet those facilitating the reflection challenged participants to produce a new one-sentence statement, bringing together both mission and vision. The phrase that resulted continues to guide our life as a congregation: ‘Come share the gifts of God – serve the world.’

Last week at council we learnt that when Bishop Jason met with the Call Process Committee he gave high marks to that statement for its sharpness of mission and vision. He observed in the congregational profile that many of our ministries, both inside the congregation and in the wider community, form faith-filled responses to its words.

I wasn’t at that meeting, so I don’t know more of what the Bishop said. However, I believe he is encouraging this community of faith to keep coming together, to keep sharing God’s gifts through worship, learning and fellowship; and then to go out in Our Saviour’s name. Our service, our welcome, includes those in this congregation, but equally reaches out to all. It includes working together in partnership with the wider church, with other Christians, and with members of the community, even those who believe, look, and speak far different than we might do. There is much being done. There is much to do. We do not need new special rewards, for we all have received God’s free gift in Christ. We are to go forward in mission, serving the world, welcoming others, sharing God’s love and God’s promises for all.

Amen.

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