ST. COLUMBA
ANGLICAN UNITED CHURCH
Lent 4
Anglican Morning Prayer
March 30, 2025
Worship leader: Robert Fyles

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: Judy Fyles
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

Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found, call upon him when he draws near; let the wicked forsake their ways, and the evil ones their thoughts; and let them return to the Lord, and he will have compassion, and to our God, for he will richly pardon. Isaiah 55.6, 7

Dear friends in Christ, as we prepare to worship almighty God, let us with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy. Silence is kept.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy:
O come, let us worship.

*Hymn MV 8 And on This Path

And on this path, the gates of holiness are open wide,
and on this path, the gates of holiness are open wide,
and on this path, the gates of holiness are open wide!
Open wide! Open wide! Open wide! The gates are open wide!

So enter in the gates of holiness are open wide,
so enter in the gates of holiness are open wide,
so enter in the gates of holiness are open wide!
Open wide! Open wide! Open wide! The gates are open wide!

Words: Lynn Bauman Music: Linnea Good

Collect
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world, evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Lent 4 – The Candle of Love
Three candles plus the Christ candle are lit.
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we lit a candle to welcome the love that can bring us together and make us whole.
We rest in the glow of that candle now.
(a moment of silence)
As we hold this dream of love tightly to us, we acknowledge how hard it is to recognize this love as being lived out as fully and unconditionally as it should. We grieve the places where indifference and hatred are so overwhelming that love doesn’t get a chance to be experienced by those who need to know it is for them, too. Our hearts break at how love is withheld and denied from those who need it most.
As the shadows of Lent surround us, we extinguish our candle of love, just for today, as we seek to break down all barriers that exist between us and love.

All sing: VU 108 Throughout These Lenten Days and Nights (verse 1 only)

Throughout these Lenten days and nights
we turn to walk the inward way,
where, meeting Christ, our guide and light,
we live in hope till Easter Day.

Venite Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his for he made it, *
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Hutlilala’s! Listen deeply as Scripture is proclaimed.

Psalm 32 VU 759
Refrain: Be glad in God you righteous. Rejoice, O saints, rejoice.
Blessed are those whose offences are forgiven, whose sin has been put away.
Blessed are those to whom God imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
R: Be glad in God you righteous. Rejoice, O saints, rejoice.

When I kept silence, my body wasted away, while I groaned all the day long.
For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; my strength dried up as in a summer drought.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I did not hide.
I said, “I will confess my sins to God”; and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you in time of trouble.
when great floodwater rises, it shall not come near them.
You are a hiding place for me, you will preserve me from trouble;
you will surround me with shouts of deliverance.
R: Be glad in God you righteous. Rejoice, O saints, rejoice.

I will teach you, and guide you in the way you should go.
I will keep you under my eye and instruct you.
Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding,
whose course must be checked with bit and bridle.
Many pains are in store for the wicked,
but whoever trusts in God, is surrounded by steadfast love.
R: Be glad in God you righteous. Rejoice, O saints, rejoice.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

*Hymn: MV 150 Spirit God, Be Our Breath

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn...
Spirit God, be our song.

Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.
Comfort us. When we know you are near
we grow more certain, our vision is clear.
Patient God, calm our fear.

Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer.
Reaching out, joining hands as we share,
we seek your guidance through friendship and care.
Loving God, be our prayer.

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Through change, through challenge, we'll greet the new dawn
Spirit God, be our song.

Words and music: Bruce Harding.

*The Gospel
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
This is the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

GOD’S PEOPLE RESPOND

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of the People
Mission story: Mission & Service or Alongside Hope
Prayer leader: …we pray
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer
Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us,
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 for ever. Amen.

The Peace
The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
(We share a sign of peace with one another)

*Hymn: MV 172 God Says

God says, “Be still so you may hear
the words I whisper in your ear.
If you will listen, you will know
I’m with you always where you go.”

God says, “Look up and see the prize
I’ve placed here right before your eyes.
Find beauty in the things of earth,
a cause for wonder and rebirth.”

God says, “Come here! I need your voice.
Please teach my people to rejoice.
In who you are, in what you do,
your life will show my love for you.”

God says, “Reach out! The world’s in need
and wants a word, a song, a deed.
send you forth to speak, to sing,
to act for Christ in everything.”

Words and music: Mary Bittner.

*Response: VU 541 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

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! Amen

Prayer over the Gifts
God of mercy and compassion, your Word calls us home to faith and love. Accept all we offer you this day, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hymn: VU 271 There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy

There's a wideness in God's mercy
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in God's justice,
which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth's sorrows
are more felt than up in heaven;
there is no place where earth's failings
have such gracious judgment given.

There is plentiful redemption
in the blood that Christ has shed;
there is joy for all the members
in the sorrows of the Head.

Troubled souls, why will you scatter
like a crowd of frightened sheep?
Foolish hearts, why will you wander
from a love so true and deep?

For the love of God is broader
than the measure of the mind,
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.

Benediction
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of peace enable us to do his will in every kind of goodness, working in us what pleases him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. 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
• Lenten Study Tuesdays at 2:00 PM
• April 1 deadline to order a copy of June Broadview Magazine $5
• April 14-17 & 19 Holy Week Worship 11:00 AM In person & via Zoom at St. John’s Port Alice
• April 18 11AM Good Friday service at St Columba
• April 25 10 AM Church Council

Liturgical resources:
The Book of Alternative Services (BAS). Copyright © 1985 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduced under license from ABC Publishing, Anglican Book Centre, a ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, from Anglican Liturgical Library.

Sermon resources:
Cheryl A. Lindsay: Sermon Seeds: Squandered 4th Sunday of Lent Year C

Music copyright:
Words for hymns reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 or CCLI License # 11033010. All rights reserved.

More Voices 8 And on This Path Words: Lynn Bauman; Music: Linnea Good. Words copyright © 2000 Lynn Bauman, from Ancient Songs Sung Anew: The Psalms as Poetry. Music copyright © 2003 Borealis Music. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#99739) or CCLI License #11033010 (4951793). All rights reserved.

Voices United 108 Throughout These Lenten Days and Nights Words: James Gertmenian; Music: Musikalisches Handbuch, Hamburg 1690; arr. W. H. Havergal 1864. Words copyright © 1993 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#12108). All rights reserved.

Voices United 759 Psalm 32 Refrain Memmington ms., 17th century, Harmonized by George Ratcliffe Woodward 1904.

More Voices 150 Spirit God, Be Our Breath (Embracing Change) Words and music: Bruce Harding, 1997. Words and music copyright © 1997 by Bruce Harding. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 (#117764). All rights reserved.

More Voices 172 God Says Words and music: Mary Bittner, 1993. Words and music copyright © 2004 by Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted, streamed and/or podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359 words (#244878). All rights reserved.

Voices United 541 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow Words: Thomas Ken ca. 1674 Music: Genevan Psalter 1551 Copyright: public domain.

Voices United 271 There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy Words: Frederick William Faber, 1854 Music: Johann Ludwig Steiner, 1723. Copyright: Public domain.