Fellowship "Elbow Bump" for April 27

Our World Belongs to God 4

Thank you for joining us for worship and the Lord’s Supper yesterday.  What a new experience for our church!  We thank God we could do so in unity.  We continue to expand our capabilities in worshiping with new technology, a step at time.  We were encourage that some of our members were able to join for the first time. We would really benefit from sharing your experience of worship, as we continue to learn. Would you take a moment and share your experience by phone, email or comment below?

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O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.

When you send forth your Spirit, all are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground (Ps. 104:24, 30).

Last week we began looking at the Preamble of Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony. Today we look at paragraph 4:

1. As followers of Jesus Christ, 
living in this world— 
which some seek to control, 
and others view with despair— 
we declare with joy and trust: 
Our world belongs to God!

2. From the beginning,
through all the crises of our times,
until the kingdom fully comes,
God keeps covenant forever:
Our world belongs to God!
God is King: Let the earth be glad!
Christ is victor: his rule has begun!
The Spirit is at work: creation is renewed!
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

3. Still, despair and rebellious pride fill the earth:
some, crushed by failure
or broken by pain,
give up on life and hope and God;
others, shaken,
but still hoping for human triumph,
work feverishly to realize their dreams.
As believers in God,
we also struggle with the spirits of this age,
resisting them in the power of the Spirit,
testing them by God’s sure Word.

4. Our world, fallen into sin,
has lost its first goodness,
but God has not abandoned the work of his hands:
our Maker preserves this world,
sending seasons, sun, and rain,
upholding all creatures,
renewing the earth,
promising a Savior,
guiding all things to their purpose.

[See Genesis 3; 9:8-16; Psalm 104, especially verse 30; Matthew 5:45; and Acts 14:17. For the promises of a Savior, see Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 11:1-5; 42:1-7, 53; and Micah 5:2.]

Our song today is “Christ the Life of All the Living,” suggested by Hank.  I have chosen a simple version; if you have a favourite version, please share it below for others to enjoy..

Yesterday, Alice VDK brought a prayer request for her brother, who pastors a church in the midst of the grief in Nova Scotia. If you want to hear his words and worship spoken in response to this week's tragedy, their service is posted on their website.

"Dear Jesus, at a time when sickness and death are too present, we praise you as our life.  As we have remembered your sacrifice and your victory over death, we are grateful for your life and the life you give to us.  Bless all those offering life in your name, to all those suffering from the virus and all those grieving violence. Lord, take away our fears.  Lord, grant us peace."

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

Click here for God’s blessing sung in Hebrew and English.

Pastor Mark

PS – My online office hours resume tomorrow, 11am-noon and 1-2pm.