Sunday Hybrid Worship 8 June 2025
Celebrating 100 years with The United Church of Canada
8 June 2025
Rev. Suzanna Bates
Music Director: Dorothy Dittrich
We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome here!
Words For Worship
Words in bold italics, please say together
Prelude: Shout For Joy John Bell, Iona Community
Gathering
Words of Welcome
On June 10th, 1925, the inaugural service of the United Church of Canada was held. Today, we join with others across the church to give thanks, mark and witness to the church that we are and the church that we are becoming by the grace of the Spirit.
Acknowledgement of the Land
For thousands of years, long before settlers arrived, First Peoples lived on and cared for this land. We are thankful to the Creator for this island,
but we also recognize Canada’s colonial history and the harm we have caused to indigenous peoples. We acknowledge that Christ Church Gabriola worships on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish People and the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
We give thanks for their stewardship of this land,
and pray for and will work towards just sharing of this land
and true reconciliation.
Lighting the Christ Candle
As we light this candle today, we celebrate resurrection and life.
Christ is the light of our lives; spilling over into every space,
bringing new creation, breaking barriers, bringing light.
We are here.
God is here.
This place is sacred ground.
Call to Worship
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Today, we gather in many places and ways, yet we are one in heart!
Touched by the Spirit, the first disciples were enlivened.
By the Spirit, we live and thrive!
On the day of Pentecost, the Church was born.
Today, we celebrate 100 years of being with the United Church!
In their gathering that day, people were changed by the Spirit.
In our gathering today, we seek the Spirit’s direction for tomorrow.
With open hearts, let us worship God and pray for the Spirit’s presence amongst us.
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Hymn: Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven VU #240
Praise, my soul, the God of heaven, glad of heart your carols raise;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who, like me, should sing God’s praise.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the Maker all your days!
Praise God for the grace and favour shown our forebears in distress;
God is still the same forever, slow to chide and swift to bless.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Sing our Maker’s faithfulness!
Like a loving parent caring, God knows well our feeble frame;
gladly all our burdens bearing, still to countless years the same.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! All within me, praise God’s name!
Frail as summer’s flower we flourish; blows the wind and it is gone;
but, while mortals rise and perish, God endures unchanging on.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the high eternal one
Angels, teach us adoration, you behold God face to face;
sun and moon and all creation, dwellers all in time and space.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise with us the God of grace!
Opening Prayer
Again and again, God, we come to this time and place with a song!
Each day you give us a chance to begin anew: to drink deeply of your Spirit, to boldly follow in the Way of Jesus, and to dare to seek justice as we seek relationship with our neighbours and you.
Again and again, God, you call us out of our old lives and into your new day. And so, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this United Church of yours, help us to reflect back with clarity upon all that deserves to be celebrated, all that deserves to be lamented, and all that deserves to be let go. We are not perfect, God, but we are yours, and we trust that you are with us every day.
This day, and always, help us to be good grain that is planted and tended by your love, so that in the year to come we may flourish in this time and place.
Amen.
Psalm 33 VU #760
Prayer of Confession and Restoration
Receive our silent prayers as we confess our words, actions and attitudes that have marred our good world…
(A time of silence)
We name some of the obstacles that have impeded and prevented the seeds of love from flourishing:
When we have taught hate instead of love in White supremacy, moral superiority, homophobia, sexism, racism, antisemitism and ableism.
Forgive us
When we have oppressed other people in forced adoption homes, Japanese internment camps and residential schools.
Forgive us
When we have not boldly denounced the injustice of classism, environmental racism, colonialism, or failing to care for seeds that have been planted by misusing or failing to nurture the gifts of others.
Forgive us
When we have prioritized power and possessions over the gospel and of people, when we have relied on ourselves and our own understandings, failing to live in community as the body of Christ.
Forgive us
When we have failed to reconcile and be in good relations with the earth and with each other.
Gracious God, allow the fields of our hearts and lives to be gardens of your new hope and love.
All of this we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Words of Grace
Faced with this lament, marking where we have been, may we remember, that God is slow to anger and full of compassion.
Abounding in love, God offers forgiveness to all who humbly repent.
Let us be confident of this: the Great Creator who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Thanks be to God!
Prayer Before the Reading of Scripture
Holy One, we believe you speak to us through the songs of birds and the wind in the trees, through the wisdom of living elders and our spiritual ancestors in faith. As we share these words of scripture today, God, may we receive what your Spirit is saying to the church.
Amen.
Scripture: The Good Story (Acts) 2:1-41 First Nations New Testament
The tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) celebrated another great feast called the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost, meaning “fifty,” because it was celebrated seven weeks after the Passover festival, on the fiftieth day. This was a harvest festival when the people would bring the first-fruits of the harvest to Creator’s lodge in the Sacred Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and give thanks for his provision. Creator was about to send the Holy Spirit, promised by Creator Sets Free (Jesus), to begin the time of the great harvest and gather people from all nations who would represent the Great Spirit.
The time for the full meaning of the ancient festival had now arrived. The followers of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), numbering about one hundred and twenty, were waiting and praying in the upstairs room where they were lodging. It had now been fifty days since the Passover festival.
Wind and Flames of Fire
They had all gathered together in one place, when suddenly the sound of a great windstorm came from the spirit-world above and could be heard throughout the house where they were sitting. They saw flames of fire coming down from above, separating and resting on each of their heads. The Holy Spirit had come down upon them and began to fill them with his life and power. New languages began to flow out from their mouths, languages they had never learned, given from the Holy Spirit. The Sacred Village of Peace (Jerusalem) was filled with devoted members of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), who had come for the festival from every nation under the sun. A crowd began to gather when they heard the loud noise.
In wonder and amazement the crowd began to ask, “How is it that these people from Circle of Nations (Galilee) are speaking in our many languages? For we all can understand them in the languages of the places we have come from! There are people here for the festival from nations and places close by and far away who are members of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), and those from Outside Nations who have been taken into the tribes. “They come from Land of Victory (Parthia), Land in the Middle (Media), and Land of the Ancient Ones (Elam). Many come from Land Between Rivers (Mesopotamia), Land of Promise (Judea), Land of Handsome Horses (Cappadocia), Land of Black Waters (Pontus), and Land of the Rising Sun (Asia). Some come from Dry Wood (Phrygia) and Many Tribes (Pamphylia), and the territory of Land of Tears (Libya) near the village of Strong Wall (Cyrene). There are travelers from Village of Iron (Rome), both Tribal Members and Outsiders who have become Tribal Members, along with those who come from Flesh Eater Island (Crete) and Land of Wanderers (Arabia). “We can hear them, in the languages of these nations, telling about the great and powerful things done by the Great Spirit!” Many were amazed and confused and began to ask each other, “What can this mean?” But others in the crowd just laughed and said, “They are drunk on new wine!
Stands on the Rock Speaks Out
Stands on the Rock (Peter), along with the other eleven message bearers, stood up to the crowd, and with a loud voice said, “Tribal members from far away and all who live in Village of Peace (Jerusalem), listen closely to me. I will tell you what this means!” The crowd became quiet and turned to hear Stands on the Rock (Peter). “No one among us is drunk on wine, for it is still the middle of the morning. This is not what you think it is. This is what the prophet Creator Is the Great Spirit (Joel) spoke of long ago when he said, “In the last days,” says Creator, “I will rain down my Spirit upon all human beings from every nation. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Young warriors will see visions and elders will have dreams. When that time comes, my Spirit will rain down on all who serve me, both men and women, and they will boldly speak my words. There will be powerful signs and omens in the spirit-world above and on the earth below—blood and fire with clouds of smoke. The sun will grow dark and the moon will be red like blood, as the great and dreadful day of Creator shines like the sun. Then the ones who cry out to the Great Spirit will be made whole and set free.”’”
Stands on the Rock (Peter) cried out, “Listen to me, you men of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel)! You already know about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) from Seed Planter Village (Nazareth) and about the powerful signs and the wonders he performed among the people that proved Creator was with him. Creator knew, before it happened, that the tribes would use the power of the People of Iron (Romans) to have him violently killed by nailing him to a tree-pole—the cross. But the Maker of Life let you have your way with him, because he had made a plan, long ago, to bring him back to life. Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was released from the painful grip of death, for even death itself could not hold him captive.
Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled
“When the great chief Much Loved One (David) spoke these words long ago, he was telling us about Creator Sets Free (Jesus). Listen to what he said, ‘The Great Spirit will never leave me. I will not tremble with fear, for he is close by my side, and guides me on the pathways of life. My heart is glad and my mouth sings! I have hope that even after my body is dead, I will not be left alone in the ground to return to dust. You will not leave your Holy One in the Dark Underworld of Death (Hades). For you have given me a clear path to your life of beauty and harmony. When I stand before you face to face, my heart will leap for joy!’” Stands on the Rock (Peter) waited while the crowd thought about his words.
Then he said, “My fellow Tribal Members, there is no doubt that our ancestor, Much Loved One (David), died and was buried long ago. His burial cave is with us to this very day. The Great Spirit gave him a sacred promise that one of his descendants would be a Great Chief to rule over all the tribes. Much Loved One (David) was a prophet and saw, ahead of time, that the Chosen One would rise from the dead and that he would not be left alone in the Dark Underworld of Death (Hades), nor would his body return to the dust of the earth. “Creator Sets Free (Jesus) is this Chosen One who has been raised to life from death! We have seen him with our own eyes. He has now returned to his seat of honor at the right hand of the Great Spirit. The Father above has gifted him with the Holy Spirit whom he promised to send. This Spirit has now been poured out upon us like the rain. This is the meaning of what you now see and hear. “Much Loved One (David) did not go up into the spirit-world above, so when he says, ‘The Great Chief said to my Great Chief, “Sit down beside me at my right hand, my place of greatest honor, until I defeat and humble all your enemies,”’ he was not talking about himself. He was talking about the Chosen One. “So let all the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) have no doubt about what the Great Spirit has done. He has made Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the one you put to death on a tree-pole—the cross—to be both Chief of all the tribes and the Chosen One, the one he promised to send long ago.”
The Crowd Responds
When they heard this, the words pierced their hearts like a long knife. With troubled hearts they lifted their voices to Stands on the Rock (Peter) and all the message bearers. “Fellow Tribal Members,” they said, “tell us what we must do.” “Change your thinking,” Stands on the Rock (Peter) instructed them, “and participate in the purification ceremony that is done in the name of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One, representing him and initiating you into his right ways. You will then be healed from your bad hearts, released from your broken ways, and gifted with the Holy Spirit, who will give you the strength to walk the good road with him. He has promised this to all generations of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), and to all the Nations who live far away. For the Great Spirit, our Creator, is calling out to all who will, to share in this life of beauty and harmony.”
Stands on the Rock (Peter) said many more things to the ones who were listening. With strong words he kept telling them, “This is how you will be set free and rescued from the bent and twisted ways of this generation.”
The ones who believed the words of Stands on the Rock (Peter) became a part of Creator’s new sacred family and participated in the purification ceremony. About three thousand people were added to the family on that day!
This is God’s Word.
May God’s Spirit raise us to life.
Gospel Reading Reader: Angela Nutter
As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.
God be with you.
And also with you
The Good News of Jesus the Christ according to John.
Glory to you, Christ Jesus.
John 17:20-26 New revised Standard Version, Updated Edition
I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”
This is the Gospel of Christ.
We give thanks for Good news today!
Word: This is Us
Hymn of Response: She Comes Sailing on the Wind VU #380
Refrain:
She comes sailing on the wind,
her wings flashing in the sun;
on a journey just begun, she flies on.
And in the passage of her flight,
her song rings out through the night,
full of laughter, full of light, she flies on.
1Silent waters rocking on the morning of our birth,
like an empty cradle waiting to be filled.
And from the heart of God the Spirit moved up on the earth,
like a mother breathing life into her child.
2Many were the dreamers whose eyes were given sight
when the Spirit filled their dreams with life and form.
Deserts turned to gardens, broken hearts found new delight,
and then down the ages still she flew on. [R]
3To a gentle girl in Galilee, a gentle breeze she came,
a whisper softly calling in the dark,
the promise of a child of peace whose reign would never end,
Mary sang the Spirit song within her heart.
4Flying to the river, she waited circling high
above the child now grown so full of grace.
As he rose up from the water, she swept down from the sky,
and she carried him away in her embrace. [R]
5Long after the deep darkness that fell upon the world,
after dawn returned in flame of rising sun,
the Spirit touched the earth again, again her wings unfurled,
bringing life in wind and fire as she flew on. [R]
Invitation to Offering
We have witnessed the fruits of God’s Spirit, in the faithful ancestors who came before us building the church, in the humble acknowledgement of wrongs and the seeking of reconciliation and in the works done for justice. We have witnessed God’s blessings, in communities gathered sharing love and grace and in resources shared for the flourishing of all. With thanksgiving and joy, we present our offerings this day for what has been and what will come.
Offering
Doxology: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow VU #451
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low;
Give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word and Spirit, One.
Prayer of Dedication
Gracious God,
we believe that you are calling us forward into a new day.
We believe that you have a future for Christ Church Gabriola and our shared ministry with The United Church of Canada
that is rooted in your abundant life,
and we trust you with this future,
even though it’s beyond the horizon of our dreams.
So, we offer you the blessings you have already given us –
our time, our talents, our finances, and our hopes,
so that you might use them and transform them f
or the good of your whole world.
May these gifts be a blessing to the people of Christ Church Gabriola and beyond! Amen!
Affirmation of Faith The United Church of Canada, General Council 1968, alt.
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.
We trust in God.
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 life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Communion Hymn: (Then Let us Sing) For Everyone Born VU #23
1For everyone born, a place at the table,
for everyone born, clean water and bread,
a shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
for everyone born, a star overhead.
2For all who share life, a place at the table,
revising the roles, deciding the share,
with wisdom and grace, dividing the power,
for all who share life, a system that’s fair.
Refrain
And God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy!
3For those we neglect, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for those we neglect, the right to belong.
4For all who have breath, a place at the table,
a covenant shared, a welcoming space,
a rainbow of race and gender and colour,
for all who have breath, the chalice of grace. [R]
5For you and for me, a place at the table,
though wounded and sore, with need to forgive,
in anger, in hurt, a mindset of mercy,
for you and for me, a new way to live.
6For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out, to witness and worship,
for everyone born, the right to be free. [R]
Holy Communion
Invitation
On Pentecost, the gift of God’s Spirit was given freely to all who longed to receive it. On this day of Pentecost, we welcome all those who long
to follow in the Way of Jesus to share in this sacrament of Communion.
God is with us. We are not alone. Christ is present here. The Spirit is among us! Let us give thanks to God in memory and in hope.
Prayer of Great Thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Gracious God, for you grace this world with life and light and love. In the beginning, your Spirit moved across the deep waters like the northern lights dance across the skies at night.
Amid emptiness and chaos, you sought connection and so, you created day and night, skies and seas, plants and trees the stars in the sky,
the animals that fly and the animals that swim, the animals that walk and swing and sing, and you called us all good.
And over time, your Spirit continued to call forth wisdom and courage for your people: Filled with the Spirit, Miriam danced for joy on the
shores of the Red Sea. To Elijah, the Spirit was heard in the still, small voice after the fire and wind. Ezekiel witnessed your Spirit breathe life into a people without hope. To the prophet Joel, you promised: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your children will prophesy, your elders will dream dreams, your youth will see visions. And on my servants, people of all genders and races, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
Yet we turned from you - afraid and uncertain of what you would do.
Yet you continued to pursue us in love, coming to Mary who boldly said yes and so, you brought that Spirit into the world once more, alive and embodied in Jesus, the Christ.
He lived with the Spirit’s deep passion and wisdom. He boldly shared the Spirit’s joy and compassion. He dared to dream that your kin-dom will come on earth, as it is in heaven, and he called us all to follow in his way.
And, on Pentecost, his followers received your Spirit, too.
They proclaimed your goodness in every language, saying:
Holy, holy, holy!
God of power and might.
All the earth is full of your glory.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of our God.
Hosanna in the highest!
Living in the Spirit’s ways drew attention, both from those who sought to follow and those who were afraid. And so, we remember the courage and vision Jesus shared with his friends on the night he was betrayed.
During supper, Jesus took a loaf of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: “Take this bread and eat. This is my body which is given for you. Whenever you eat, do this in remembrance of me.” And after supper, he took the cup of blessing, he gave thanks to God, and shared it with his disciples, saying: “Take this cup and drink. This cup is God’s promise, shared in my life. Whenever you drink it,
remember me.”
Loving God, we rejoice in the life of Jesus Christ and in the gift of your Spirit that is poured out upon us. We now open ourselves to your power and presence so that our lives may proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Pour out your Spirit once more upon us, O God, and upon these gifts of bread and cup so that we might witness your Spirit in action and join in Christ’s life, proclaiming your joy and your Reign.
On this Pentecost day, we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Amen!
The Prayer Jesus Taught
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Your kin-dom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kin-dom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Breaking the Bread
When we share the bread, the pita, the tortilla, the bannock and the rice together, we remember that Jesus’ strength was shown in his most weak and vulnerable moments.
This broken loaf is the bread of life.
This broken loaf is the bread of life.
When we fill this cup, we remember the common cup, and the abundant blessings that have been entrusted to us.
This is the cup of blessing.
This is the cup of blessing.
The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Sharing the Bread and Cup
Prayer after Communion
In your grace, O God and by your Spirit,
we have been fed at this table and brought into communion with you and each other.
May this banquet so inspire us to love as we have been loved, feed as we have been fed, and to welcome all as Christ has welcomed us.
In this way, we will witness your reign on earth,
as it is in heaven. Amen.
Hymn: Guide Me O Thou Great and Holy VU #651
Guide me, O thou Great and Holy,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side:
songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.
Prayer For The Church
(From the center of the center aisle. The Christ Candle is processed into the middle of the congregation, the congregation is invited to turn towards the light)
Voice One:
Holy One, we are your church, your people gathered. Since the beginning, you have been with us. In the dry and desert-like moments,
when decline and death surround us, you teach us that we need you and to trust in you. When these truths have been remembered, your people have flourished.
Voice Two:
We have been together as The United Church of Canada for 100 years. On this historic threshold, we remember yet again that we live and move and have our being in you. It is time to dance with the Holy Spirit as we move past this moment.
Voice Three:
Empower us loving God, to live by your Spirit,
unafraid of where She is taking us.
Now is the time to dig deep in our faith!
To dare to be your resurrection people, for Christ’s Way is our way.
Let us be alive by your Spirit’s power!
Awaken us to your moving among us even now
so we can boldly follow your call into tomorrow.
Amen VU #967
Sung Amen while candle is being carried out
Blessing and Sending Forth
Beloved, as you go out into the world through this year,
hold this blessing on your heart:
God who created you has chosen you for hope.
So, may the Word of Life dance in you like star-light
and sparkle like the sun’s rays on water.
May the power of the Spirit awaken your heart with awe,
and may your witness awaken the world in which you live.
May we travel together, listen together,
love together, and grow together in the life of Christ,
as the Body of Christ.
For we are called to life–
To live a Deep Spirituality, a Bold Discipleship,
and a Daring Justice in Christ’s name, through whom all things are possible.
Praise be to God, whose power working in us can do
infinitely more than we can ask or imagine!
Glory be to God, in the Church, and in Christ Jesus,
from generation to generation.
Amen!
Postlude: O Breath of Life Mary Hammond/Elizabeth Head
______________________
Acknowledgements:
Parts of this service are from The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada © 2024 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca.
Hymns are reproduced under CCG’s One License No. 740107-A
Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven VU #240
Words: Henry Francis Lyte, Alt. adapt. Vv.1-3, 5 Ecumenical Women’s Centre, 1974, Music: John Goss
She Comes Sailing on the Wind VU #380
Words, Music: Gordon Light © 1987 Common Cup Company.
(Then Let us Sing) For Everyone Born VU #23
Words: Shirley Erena Murray, 1998, alt. Music: Brian Mann, 2006
Hope Publishing Company ©2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries
Guide Me O Thou Great and Holy VU #651
Words: Welsh, William Williams 1745, Translated Peter Williams and William Williams, 1771. Music: John Hughes
Contact Info
Christ Church Gabriola
- 2600 South Road
- Gabriola Island, BC
- V0R 1X7 Canada