Freelton Strabane United Church
To live our discipleship with integrity and grace.
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost
September 15 2024
Minister: Rev. Will Wheeler, B.A. M. Div. 905-659-3380 E-mail: [email protected]
Music Director Joan Simpson
Prelude
Call to Worship
One: God is our light and our salvation; whom shall we fear?
All: God is the stronghold of our lives; of whom shall we be afraid.
One: God lifts us up from our doubts and fears, granting us confidence and courage.
All: We will freely offer our praise and thanksgiving we will sing and make melody to our God.
Prayer Of Approach

Wise God, beyond our understanding, the whole creation looks to you for care. We are children of your creation, who need insight and empowerment. In these moments of worship, we bow in awe before your majesty and in trust before your peace. May this time of worship together guide us and strengthen us in doing our part in your plans. Amen
One Let us listen for the whisper of the Spirit. Our lesson is
Epistle James 3:1-12
One This is the word of the Lord
All Thanks be to God
Gospel Here the good news of the Gospel our
Gospel is Mark 8:27-38
One: The Word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God
I have the privilege this week of having been asked to speak at the Flambourgh Horticultural Society on herbal medicine in 1912. A little Westfield on the road. Truly it is an honour because it is a well known fact that my horticultural skills are limited to weeds.
They ask me for a short Bio. You just can’t say. “ Well I’m me. Unless you are a certain presidential candidate, I think most folk are a wee uncomfortable talking about themselves. Partially it is a Canadian thing, partially I was taught long ago that in all things be humble.
It is a hard question to ask. “who am I”
From the Musical and movie, Les Miserable there is a soul searching song sung by Jon Valjohn on were he askes the question “How am I,” in a defining question a stirring song.
The quest for the eternal self “who am I?” “Who am I.” Why me and not that person. The question of owning your past owning your future owning the authentic self “Who am I”
Is it a self serving question? Ego centric? Should we not look outward rather than inward
There is a story in the Gospel of Thomas about Jesus as a boy. His parents higher him a tutor. You get the impression that this one is not the first.
The tutor explains that the Alpha is the first letter and then goes on to speak of the Beta. But Jesus call’s him up short. How can you speak of the Beta before you understand the true nature of the Alpha. The tutor quit.
Can we know others before we know ourselves, can we know ourselves before we understand our relationship with the divine.
Before one can understand the question “who am I” one must first let go of the self and the I. One must strive to understand the divine contentious God. In seeking the divine we are able to understand the needs of other and in understanding the other we come to know ourselves.
“Who am I”
The question Jesus asks “who do people say that I am.
Peter did kind of say the first thing out of his mouth which would be classic Peter. It’s not like he was thinking it threw. Given a moment It could have gone like this.
Jesus said: "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter could have answered, "You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being. the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our personal relationships." At which point Jesus says "What?" Who is Jeus and who do people say that he is has been a rather sticky point through out the church’s history.
The question to be asked is “ is the early church asking the question?” A community trying to define who they are. Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. They were asking “who are we” and vailed in scripture the answer we name Jesus as our Messiah.
Who are we? Perhaps it is not an inward looking question but one that one must ask of themselves. In the words of the queen of all drag queens Ru Paul…”how can you love someone else if you can’t love yourself?” Do we need to know our own divine nature found with in ourselves and all of creation to be able to be in the world?
This question is a question that needs to be asked of our every changing self and who we are as not just an institution but perhaps more so as a community of faith.
Freelton Strabane who are you. Almost three years ago you said To begin…
“Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.” (2 Corinthians 3:12)
Freelton Strabane United Church together honours over 170 years of Christian leadership and discipleship in the communities of Freelton and Strabane. Together we take pride in our commitment to worship in which our faith story is told in word and song. In living out our Faith we own that...
Who are you?
It is our mission to take forward the vision of a vibrant faith Church Community from the past into the future,
It is our mission to provide a safe place of worship for all who call this their spiritual home.
It is our mission to greet people where they are in their spiritual journey and promote spiritual growth.
It is our hope to be a place where people will find support and recharge their faith.
It is our hope to extend hospitality and a sincere welcome to all into our Faith Family
To provide a venue where local groups can meet in community;
We are Called by God, as disciples of Jesus, to reach beyond our own faith community to seek right relations and be supportive to the wider community and world
In all of this We go forward in faith knowing that we are not alone but one with Christ.
Is that who you are today. Who do people say you are? Have we every asked that question?
The Church as we know it has had the mortar of faith crumble from between its stone and can only now begin to look at the evolution from an institution to a vehicle for spiritualty
The United Church has asked this Question who are we, We have struggled with it. It is a question that needs to be asked again and again for in asking the question we are able to then discern our core beliefs, our core truths, that which defines us. In that our faith will find its roots.
A defining question a stirring song. A song of faith.
The quest for the eternal self who are we Who are we. Owning our past owning our future the authentic self Who are we
Who are we?
We are Children of God who can state That
We are not alone,
we live in God's world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
Who are we? We are the children of God.
We trust in God.
Who are we?
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God's presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In all that we as individuals, as a people of God gathered in this place as a wider church allow Jesus to be the measure that we use in defining who we are, May we Trust in God and may we never forget to be open the action of the God’s Holy Spirit.
Who am I, who are you? A part of the divine creation on a wonderful journey of self relation discovering how we are entwined together through the divine. In this we know that
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God
Prayers of the people
Slow me Down Slow me Down
Still my restless mind Still my restless mind
Quell my fears Quell my Fears
Quench my Thirsty soul Quench my thirsty Soul
Fill me with your love Fill me with your love
God of Truth God of Truth
God of love God of love
Sometimes God we are so focused on the world around us, sometimes we are so focused on searching for the divine, we fail to see the divine within us.
Help us to look inward for you. Help us to embrace the divine within and allow that to guide us in the world.
For truly the world needs your guidance. Each day in the news we are faced wit those that are so greatly in need of your presence.
Send your Spirit upon the lost and hungry the sick the grieving. May the Spirits presence bring comfort and hope.
We pray for those whom we are called to walk with. Those whose lives intersect with our own. For if we are to look inward we must look outward so others might now of your compassion. We ask for courage and strength for those who we name before you in our hearts
Wondrous God as we see a new week coming strengthen us as a community of faith to see who we can strive to be your Church in our community. Help us never to shy away from the question: “Who are We?” Help us never to shy away from the question: “who am I?” For in self questioning, we will find enlightenment and enlightenment leads to you. We offer these prayers to you through Jesus the Christ. Amen
Offering
We offer you our Joy and thanksgiving O God for you have bless us in mercy and wisdom, opening us to reason, gentleness, and purposeful service May our work for you bear good fruits, and these offerings help to accomplish the tasks for which you have called us. Amen.
Commissioning and Blessing
Commissioning and Blessing
One: You have received wisdom from above; carry it into your daily lives.
All: We go forth as servants of God, devoted to peace and righteousness.
One: Be peaceable, gentle, and open to the full mercy and good fruits of the Spirit. The light of God’s salvation shines upon you go forth in the strength of Christ.
One: Now may the blessing of God travel with you, May the teachings of Christ Illuminate you path and may the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit lead you forward. All Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be world without end, Amen.
Yesterdaywe honour our heritage.
Todaywe know that we are not alone,that we live in God's world.
Tomorrowwith God,we will discoverthe undiscovered country.
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