ST. COLUMBA
ANGLICAN UNITED CHURCH
6th Sunday after Epiphany
Service of the Word
February 16, 2025
Worship leader: Rev. Bob Gilbert
Mission Statement
As followers of Jesus Christ, our church is a community called to love, honour, worship, and serve God. We invite others to share our Christian journey as we grow in faith and engage in ministry in our town and mission in our world.
9190 Granville Street
PO Box 1260, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0
Office Phone: 250-949-6247
E-mail: admin@stcolumbaporthardy.ca
Ministers: Rev. Sheila Cook
(250)-230-7433 scook@bc.anglican.ca
and Rev. Bob Gilbert (250) 686-5695
Wardens: Robert Fyles and Heather Jones;
Treasurer Judy Fyles
Music Ministry: Roldan Yuipco
Video: Ammie Yuipco
Community Partner: Cathie Wilson
www.stcolumbaporthardy.ca
~ Leader: regular font
~ All: bold font
~ Sung words: bold italics
~ Asterisk* stand as you are able
Welcome and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
THE GATHERING OF THE COMMUNITY
Call To Worship
We come to this place and time of worship trusting in God’s goodness, open to receive God’s blessings.
We come as the Body of Christ sharing with each other: our joys and sorrows; our triumphs and tragedies.
We come to be blessed so as to be a blessing to others.
We worship the God whose blessings are without number, whose love is never ending.
*Hymn: VU 333 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver;
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, you have drawn us together this day from a variety of backgrounds, situations, hopes, and dreams.
Be with us, O God, in this time of worship as together we experience your loving presence, your healing touch, and your ongoing guidance.
Open our hearts and our spirits to recognize, receive, and share your many blessings.
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Hutłilala's! Listen deeply as Scripture is proclaimed.
Prayer of Illumination
Jeremiah 17:5-10
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 1 VU 724
Refrain: Blessed are those who follow the law of God.
Blessed are those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, or linger in the way of sinners, or sit down among those who mock.
But their delight is in the law of God, and on that law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted beside steams of water, yielding their fruit in due season.
Their leaves do not wither, and whatever they produce shall prosper.
R: Blessed are those who follow the law of God.
As for the wicked, it is not so with them,
but they are like the chaff, driven away by the wind.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand when judgement comes, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For God watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
R: Blessed are those who follow the law of God.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn: VU 286 If You Will Trust in God to Guide You
If you will trust in God to guide you,
and hope in God through all your ways,
God will give strength, whatever betide you,
and bear you through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
builds on the rock that will not move.
God will embrace your pain and weeping,
your helpless anger and distress.
If you are in God’s care and keeping,
in sorrow will God love you less?
For Christ, who took for you a cross,
will bring you safe through every loss.
Sing, pray, and keep God’s ways unswerving,
so do your own part faithfully,
and trust God’s word; though undeserving,
you'll find God’s promise true to be.
God never will forsake in need
the soul that trusts in God indeed.
*The Gospel
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 6:17-26
This is the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Prayer of Confession: (based on Jeremiah 17:5-10)
Gentle guide, loving guardian, heal our foolish ways. We long to forsake the advice of the wicked and the slow seduction of sinful paths, but our speech and actions often belie us.
We yearn to be like trees planted beside living waters, bearing the fruit of righteousness in due season, but the seat of scoffers calls to us and the temptation to return evil for evil withers our souls like shrubs in the desert.
Our hearts seek the ways of your Spirit and the waters of life, but our footsteps lead us into arid, desert sands. This is not your hope and plan for us.
Forgive us. Turn us again to the healing you so freely offer, and mend the brokenness in our lives and in our world. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Prayers of the People
Mission stories: M&S or Alongside Hope
Prayer leader: Faithful God,
Response: hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom 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 kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
The Peace
The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
(We share a sign of peace with one another)
Invitation to the Offering
Hymn: VU 581 When We Are Living
When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we're dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving, or when receiving,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
'Mid times of sorrow and in times of pain,
when sensing beauty or in love's embrace,
whether we suffer, or sing rejoicing,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
Across this wide world, we shall always find
those who are crying with no peace of mind,
but when we help them, or when we feed them,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
English translation: v.1 translation Elsie S. Eslinger v. 2-4 George Lockwood Music: harmony Carlton R. Young.
Response: VU 542 We Give You But Your Own
We give you but your own,
what e’er the gift may be;
all that we have is yours alone,
We give it gratefully.
Prayer over the Gifts
Hymn: VU 633 Bless Now, O God, the Journey
Bless now, O God, the journey
that all your people make,
the path through noise and silence,
the way of give and take.
The trail is found in desert
and winds the mountain round,
then leads beside still waters,
the road where faith is found.
Bless sojourners and pilgrims
who share this winding way,
whose hope burns through the terrors,
whose love sustains the day.
We yearn for holy freedom
while often we are bound.
Together we are seeking
the road where faith is found.
Divine Eternal Lover,
you meet us on the road.
We wait for lands of promise
where milk and honey flow.
But waiting not for places,
you meet us all around.
Our covenant is written
on roads, as faith is found.
Words: Sylvia Dunstan
Commissioning and Benediction
Go into the world again, as one body,
the body of Jesus Christ,
blessing all with whom you come in contact,
loving all we meet,
upholding your neighbour,
in the Way of Christ.
And now may the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ; the love of God; and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Now and forever. Amen
Three-fold Amen
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God! Gilakas’la!
Announcements
- Coffee following the service!
- Canned and dried food are always appreciated
- Mission Focus: Camp Spirit
- March 4 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner 5-7 PM
- March 5 Ash Wednesday 5 PM
- March 14 World Day of Prayer 7 PM
- March 15 deadline for tribute donations; names to be included in the June 100th anniversary commemorative edition of Broadview
- April 1 deadline to order single copies of 100th anniversary commemorative edition of Broadview cost $5
Liturgical Resources:
Prayer of Confession & Assurance of Pardon adapted from ‘Ministry Matters – Worship Elements, Feb. 16, 2025, by B.J. Beu – A free selection from “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2019”.
Offering Invitation, Prayer Over Gifts, Prayers of the People, adapted from the Presbyterian Church in Canada Worship Planner for Feb. 16, 2025.
Commissioning and Benediction - adapted from a resource by George Allan in Gathering, Epiphany, Year C, p. 49
Sermon Resources:
“God’s Strange Blessings” – Heritage Presbyterian Church resource – January 13, 2008.
“Blessing or Curse?” by The Rev. Sarah Jackson Shelton in Day1.org http://day1.org/1029-blessing_or_curse February 11, 2007.
Music copyright:
Words for hymns reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 or CCLI License # 11033010. All rights reserved.
Voices United 333 Love Divine, all Loves Excelling Words: Charles Wesley, 1747; Music: Rowland Huw Prichard, ca. 1831. Copyright: Public domain.
Voices United 724 Psalm 1 Refrain Words: Public Domain. Music: © 1979 T. Barrett Armstrong, 1929-2009. Permission for all use on file (St. Michael's Choir School, Toronto, administrators of the estate of T. Barrett Armstrong).
Voices United 286 If You Will Trust in God to Guide You Words: Georg Newmark, 1641; translation (v 1 and 3): Catherine Winkworth, 1863; translation (v 2): Jaroslav J. Vajda, alt., 1978; Music: Georg Newmark, 1657. Words, Music, English Translation (v 1 and 3) copyright public domain. English Translation (v. 2) © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, used by permission of Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#02540). All rights reserved.
Voices United 581 When We Are Living Words: v. 1 Spanish anon., translation Elsie S. Eslinger 1983; vv.-2-4 Roberto Escamilla 1983; trans. George Lockwood 1987; Music: Spanish melody; harmony Carlton R. Young 1989. Translation and harmony copyright © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 Harmony (#00901) and translations verse 1 (#22687) and verses 2-4 (#15060) or CCLI License # 11033010 (4968810). All rights reserved.
Voices United 542 We Give You but Your Own Words: William Walsham How, 1858; Music: Johann Balthasar König, 1738; adapted William Henry Havergal, 1847. Copyright, Public domain.
Voices United 633 Bless Now, O God the Journey Words: Sylvia Dunstan 1989; Music: Basil Harwood 1898. Words copyright © 1991 G.I.A. Publications, Inc. Music published by permission of Executors of the late Dr. Basil Harwood (in 1995); copyright now public domain. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#08081). All rights reserved.
