South Stormont Pastoral Charge

Isaac is now old enough to marry. So, Abraham calls his most trusted servant and asks him to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s hometown. The servant sets out on a journey to the north, and after travelling about 1,000 kilometres, or 620 miles, he eventually arrives at the city of Nahor. Near the city, there is a well where young women gather to draw water. When the servant comes to the well, he asks a young woman for a drink. Her name is Rebekah. She gives water not only to him but also to his ten camels. This takes quite a while because a thirsty camel can drink a lot. But Rebekah is willing to do it. As the servant sees her kindness, he asks about her family and whether there is a place for him to stay. He wants to find out if she belongs to Abraham’s family. It turns out that she is the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Then the servant explains the purpose of his journey to Rebekah and her family. When her family asks whether she is willing to go with him, she answers, ...

# Gathering Hymn This is God’s Wondrous World (#296 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: We gather in the presence of the God who has guided our ancestors in faith and still leads us today.    All: We come to worship with grateful hearts and listening spirits. One: God’s love moves through generations, not only in words, but in acts of courage, generosity, and trust.    All: May this love take root in us, and may it bless those who come after us. One: Let us worship God, whose steadfast mercy is from age to age. All: We come with joy and hope. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn The Church Is Wherever God’s People (#579 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Faithful God, you have called your people to walk in your ways and to receive one another with dignity and care. Yet we confess that we do not always live as your people. You have entrusted us with faith, memory, community, and hope. Still, we sometimes fail t...

It is shocking. In the first reading from Genesis today, God tells Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham has already sent his first son, Ishmael, into the wilderness with great pain. Now God commands him to take his beloved son to the land of Moriah. Isaac is the child born after many years of waiting. His name means "laughter," and he is Abraham's joy. He carries the future of Abraham’s family and the promise of God. So, this command is not only about giving up someone he loves. It is about letting go of his hope, his security, and even his identity. However, we need to remember something very important if we want to understand this story properly. The God of the Bible does not delight in human sacrifice. God abhors it. In Leviticus 18, the people are commanded not to offer their children to Molech. Deuteronomy also says that other nations burned their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods, but Israel must never do such a thing. God does no...

  # Gathering Hymn This is God’s Wondrous World (#296 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: We come to worship the God who meets us in hard places.    All: God is with us when the way is unclear. One: We come with our questions, our fears, and our hopes.    All: God receives us with mercy and love. One: On the mountain, Abraham named the place, “God will provide.” All: We trust the God who sees, provides, and makes a way. One: Come, let us worship God. All: We come with open hearts. Thanks be to God. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Jesus Loves Me (#365 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Providing God, we confess that we do not always trust your care. When life feels uncertain, we try to control what we cannot hold. When we are afraid, we sometimes forget your promise. When others are in need, we may look away instead of sharing what we have. Renew our hearts, O God. Teach us to listen for your voice and ...

Genesis 21 begins with the birth of Isaac. The name Isaac means “laughter.” After Abraham welcomed the strangers, Sarah received the promise that she would bear a child. At the time, she laughed at the promise because it seemed impossible. She believed she was too old to have a child. But now she laughs with joy. As she experiences God's faithfulness, her laughter of doubt is transformed into laughter of gratitude and delight. However, Isaac’s birth does not lead to a simple happy ending. Abraham already has a firstborn son, Ishmael, the son of Hagar. When Sarah thought she would never be able to have a child, she gave her Egyptian slave woman, Hagar, to Abraham so that he might have a child through her. What Sarah once saw as a solution now becomes a source of conflict and tension.  When Isaac is weaned, Abraham holds a great feast. In the ancient world, it was never certain that a child would survive the early years of life. So, reaching this stage brought deep joy to the whole h...

  # Gathering Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You (#232VU | vs. 1,2,3) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come, people of God. God meets us in the wilderness and in the sanctuary.    All: We come to worship the God who sees us. One: God hears the cries of the forgotten and opens a way where hope seems hidden. All: We come to worship the God who hears us. One: The Spirit calls us to notice, to listen, and to love. All: Let us worship God with open hearts. Amen. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn We praise you, O God (#218VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Loving God, you hear the cries we often miss. You see the people we sometimes overlook. Forgive us when we choose comfort over compassion, silence over courage, and distance over love. Open our eyes to the people you see. Open our ears to the voices you hear. Renew us by your Spirit, and lead us in the way of Jesus. In silence, we bring to you our own confessions and ou...