South Stormont Pastoral Charge

In today’s first reading, Paul does not say that he has already arrived at the goal. He says, “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal.” Paul did not deny his past or what he had accomplished. But he no longer saw these things as proof that his life was complete. He was still on the way, and he was not afraid of that. Paul reminds us that Christian faith is not about proving that we are perfect. It is about humility. It is about being willing to admit that we still have more to learn and more room to grow. Our worth does not depend on being perfect. Humility gives us the courage to keep learning and growing. Paul also shows that Christian faith is not about speed. It is about direction. Christians are people who move toward Christ. But it is important to remember that we move toward Christ with Christ. Paul says, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” This is not a journey we make alone. Christ is already with us. Christ...

  # Gathering Hymn For the Beauty of the Earth (#226 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: From many places and many stories, we gather as one people in Christ.   All: We come to share in God’s welcome and grace. One: Around the world, people of faith gather at Christ’s table today.   All: One table, many communities, held together in love. One: Here there is room for every voice, every story, and every hope. All: Here we receive the bread of life and the cup of blessing. One: Come, let us worship God, who draws us together in peace. All: With the church around the world, we worship with joy and thanksgiving. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Come, O fount of Every Blessing (#559 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Gracious God, you gather people from many places, cultures, identities, and ways of life, and welcome us to one table. Yet we confess that we do not always live with the openness, care, and compa...

Our first Scripture reading today begins with a water crisis. The crisis was real. It was a serious problem that had to be addressed. The lack of water threatened not only the people, but also their children and their animals. Without water, there would be no life and no hope. But the real problem was not only the crisis itself. It was how they responded to the crisis. The crisis made them afraid, and their fear led them to act in the wrong way. They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” Moses was blamed for the crisis. Their anger put him in danger of being stoned to death. The French anthropologist René Girard developed the concept of the “scapegoat mechanism.” When fear and hostility grow during a crisis in a community, anger can become focused on one person or one group. Instead of facing the real cause of the crisis, people redirect their fear and anger toward a single victim. By excluding or removing that vic...

  # Gathering Hymn For the Beauty of the Earth (#226 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: The earth is God’s and all that is in it.    All: Holy Love is the sea we swim in. One: Green pastures give us safety and life.    All: Justice and peace are our calling. One: The saints of every age and every type of creature surround us. All: We open ourselves to the Creator Spirit. One: Let us worship God! *Adapted from Robin Wardlaw. Gathering Pentecost 2 2026. Page 26. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Morning Has Broken (#409 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Creator God, we come before you in a time of crisis. We know that much of your creation struggles; we begin to see and acknowledge the changes around us; we search for the causes and the cures and the collaborative ways we can commit to care for creation. We want to do what’s right, but we don’t always know what that is or agree how best to do it. Help...

Today’s first Scripture reading comes from Philippians, a letter Paul wrote while he was in prison. The letter does not tell us why he was imprisoned, but the book of Acts gives us a picture of the kind of opposition he faced as he shared the gospel. In Philippi, he freed an enslaved woman who had a spirit of divination, which her owners used to make money. When they realized they had lost their source of income, they turned against Paul and Silas. The two men were beaten and thrown into prison. This story reminds us that the Christian faith often challenged systems that profited from the suffering of others. Paul did not know what would happen to him. He could even face execution. In that uncertainty, he wrote about feeling caught between life and death. And yet, even in the middle of this crisis, the centre of his life remained clear. He said, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” When a crisis feels too large to control, it can easily narrow our vision. We see this in wha...

  # Gathering Hymn This Is God’s Wondrous World (#296 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Let us lift our voices in praise.   All: Let us sing to the Creator of heaven and earth. One: Let us praise the rock of our salvation.   All: We give thanks to the one who has created and is creating. One: With all living things, let us bring adoration to our God, All: who was, who is, and who always will be. One: Let us worship God! *Frances Flook. Gathering Pentecost 2 2026. Page 26. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn We Praise You, Creator (#293 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Dear God, too often humanity asks for more, even though there is enough. You gave us the earth with its wind, water, fire, and food, and there is enough for all, but even then, people want more. We are rich in many ways. Wealth is counted in better ways than money and personal possessions. We may count the wealth we have in each other an...