Bulletin – Sunday, August 24, 2025 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, August 24, 2025
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

We Gather as People of Faith

Welcome

Announcements

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship

One:   For the gift of this day, let us give thanks.
All:      In our singing and our silence, God is among us. In out doubting and believing, God is among us. In turmoil and in hope, God is among us.

One:   For the gift of this day, we give thanks.

Hymn – “Teach Me, God to Wonder” (VU# 299)

Teach me, God, to wonder, teach me God to see;
Let your world of people speak to me.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,
Life be celebrated, joy you give.

Let me, God, be open, let me loving be;
Let your world of people speak to me.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,
Life be celebrated, joy you give.

Let me, God, be ready, let me be awake,
Let your world of people speak to me.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,
Life be celebrated, joy you give.

Teach me, God, to know you, hear you when you speak,
See you in my neighbour when we meet.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,
Life be celebrated, joy you give.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

One:   Holy One, Maker and Mender of the Universe, You know our hopes and our fears, our longings and our suffering, our joy and our love. Because we trust in your love and your grace, we bring prayers for ourselves and for our world. When greed and power are more appealing than compassion and kindness,
All:      Maker and Mender of the Universe, shake us to our foundations so that we may find our way back to you.

One:   When hope grows dim and love grows cold, when despair takes hold and hope withers,
All:      Maker and Mender of the Universe, shake us to our foundations so that we may find our way back to you.

One:   In all the ways we have forgotten your image in us, for all the ways we have missed seeing your presence in others and in our world,
All:      Maker and Mender of the Universe, shake us to our foundations so that we may find our way back to you.

One:   Move among us, we pray. Take us, break us, and remake us…in the image you have created us to be.
All:      We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Sung Response – “Trust These Words”

Trust these words: you are forgiven!
Through Christ’s mercy, broken hearts can be restored;
Trust these words: you are forgiven!
Live in peace, beloved, know you are adored;
Trust these words, trust these words, trust these words.

Trust these words: we are forgiven!
Through God’s mercy broken lives can be restored;
Trust thee words: we are forgiven!
Live in grace and peace, oh, love and serve the Lord;
Trust these words, trust these words, trust these words.
Trust these words.

A Story for All

We Hear God’s Word

Scripture Reading:    Psalm 103:1-6

One:   Bless God, my soul, and all my being, bless God’s holy name.
All:      Bless God, my soul, and forget not all God has done for you.

One:   Bless God, who forgives all your sin, who heals you in all your infirmities,
All:      who redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and love,

One:   who fills your life with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s,
All:      who works righteousness and justice for all who are wronged.

Gospel Reading:        Luke 13:10-17

¹⁰ Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹ And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”

¹³ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

¹⁴ But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵ But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.

May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!

Reflection: “Set Free”

Hymn: “Give to Us Laughter” (VU# 624)

Give to us laughter, O Source of our life.
Laughter can banish so much from our strife.
Laughter and love give us wholeness and health.
Laughter and love are the coin of true wealth.

Give to us laughter as sign of deep joy;
Let us in laughing find Christian employ,
Joining with stars and with bright northern lights,
Laughing and praising and sharing delights.

Why do we worry that we will lose face?
Why act like king for the whole human race?
Often in family, and often with friend,
Laughing at pride causes anguish to end.

Even in sorrow and hours of grief,
Laughter with tears brings most healing relief.
God, give us laughter, and God, give us peace,
Joys of your presence among us increase.

We Respond to God’s Word

Invitation to Share

Offering Sung Response – “There’s Enough for All”

There’s enough for all if we would learn to share it,
There’s enough for all, oh, help us to believe.
There’s enough for all.
Let’s bring our loaves and fishes, and offer them to Jesus.
There’s more than enough for you and me.

Offering Prayer

Prayers of the People

Passing of the Peace

The Prayer Jesus Taught Us:

One:   Please join me in praying as Jesus taught us.
All:      Our Mother and 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, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

We Go Into God’s World

Hymn – “My Love Colours Outside the Lines” (MV# 138)

My love colours outside the lines,
Exploring paths that few could ever find;
And takes me into places where I’ve never been before,
And opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

My Lord colours outside the lines,
Turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
And takes me into places where I’ve never been before
And opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
Body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones if we’re not prepared to die,
And realize there are worlds outside the lines.

My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
Tear back the curtains, sun, some in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries where I’ve never been before,
Throw open doors to worlds outside the lines.

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
Body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones if we’re not prepared to die,
And realize there are worlds outside the lines.

My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
Tear back the curtains, sun, some in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries where I’ve never been before,
Throw open doors to worlds outside the lines.

Commissioning

Benediction

Sung Response – “May the Peace of Christ”

May the peace of Christ be with you,
May the love of God dwell deep in your heart.
May the Spirit enlighten your way.
May you walk in the comfort of God’s care.