South Stormont Pastoral Charge

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is one of the most important figures in 20th-century literature. He was a German-speaking Jewish writer who wrote about the human struggle and anxiety in a unique way. He died of tuberculosis in 1924, just one month before his 41st birthday. It was also a very difficult time socially because, after World War I, Germany experienced extreme inflation. However, in the months before he died, he was able to spend some meaningful time with a little girl. One day, Kafka was walking with his friend Dora Diamant, who was taking care of him. They saw a little girl crying because she had lost her doll. He felt compassion for her and approached her, saying, "You didn't lose your doll. She went on a trip." The girl looked at him in surprise. He added, "She sent me a letter." The girl asked, "Where is the letter?" Kafka replied, "I'm sorry, I left it at home. Can I meet you here tomorrow?" Kafka went home and wrote a letter. The...

*Gathering Hymn This is the Day (#412 VU | vs. 1-3) Welcome& Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Welcome to this summertime place of gathering and of witness.   All: We come to worship God as revealed in the risen Christ. One: Open your hearts to the movement of the Spirit within. All: We come to live our faith in a world of need and of opportunity. One: Widen your understanding of the movement of God within and without. All: We come to pray in mind, in body, in spirit, and in action. *Gord Dunbar. Gathering Pentecost 1, 2024. Opening Prayer (Unison) Feed us here, we pray, Generous and Providing God, with the bread of life, through music and stories, at table and font, so that we may each tell another where there is bread, where there is a cup of sharing, and where there is welcome. We offer praise and thanks for Jesus, the Bread of Life, who nourishes us. In hope and courage, we come to you to be fed. Amen. *Robin. ...

 After Saul, the first king of Israel, died, David became the second king (2 Samuel 5:3). The biggest challenge David faced was unifying all 12 tribes of Israel. David was not Saul's son, nor was he a member of the tribe of Benjamin to which Saul belonged. Before Saul's death, there was serious conflict between Saul and David, which raised the possibility of a civil war breaking out after David's coronation. David tried several political strategies to unite Israel as soon as he became king. First, he established Jerusalem as the capital (5:6-9). Saul had made Gibeah, a key city in the tribe of Benjamin, his base. David, however, was crowned king in Hebron, the centre of the tribe of Judah, located in southern Israel, about 41 km (25 miles) south of Gibeah. To unite the north and south, David did not make Hebron his capital. Instead, he conquered Jerusalem where the Jebusites lived, and made it the City of David. Jerusalem was only 9 km (5.6 miles) south of Gibeah, making it...

*Gathering Hymn This is the Day (#412 VU | vs. 1-3) Welcome& Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come, let us worship God, for She delights in the praises of Her people.   All: We come before the presence of God with joy and gladness. One: As King David danced before God with all his might, All: So we lift our hearts and voices in worship and adoration. One: Let the music of our praise resound, All: For God has brought us into Her presence today. Let us rejoice and worship the God who reigns forevermore! Opening Prayer (Unison) Holy One who delights in our worship, we come before you with joyful hearts. Like a perfect dance, God, Christ, and Holy Spirit move in harmony, inviting us to join in the eternal rhythm of Your love. Help us to grasp the beauty of this divine dance, where unity and diversity find perfect expression. May our worship be a pleasing offering to You as we lift our voices and hearts in praise. Amen. *O...

The Gospel reading today is about Jesus' homecoming. It starts with: "He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him" (6:1). Since beginning his public ministry, Jesus had been very busy around the Sea of Galilee. As people experienced God's love and care through him, he became more famous, and many came to him for his teachings and healing. But as he grew tired from his ministry, he turned towards his hometown. What was Jesus thinking as he returned home? The Bible doesn't tell us specifically, but we can imagine his feelings through a poem called "Heimkunft (Homecoming)” by the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843). The poem begins like this: “It is still bright night in the Alps, and a cloud,   Authoring joyfulness, covers the yawning valley. Playful mountain breezes rush and toss about, and a ray   Of light shines abruptly through the firs and disappears.” The way home would never have felt dark, even at night. As Jesus ...

*Gathering Hymn This is the Day (#412 VU | vs. 1-3) Welcome& Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come, let us gather in the presence of God,   All: We gather in awe of God’s greatness and steadfast love. One: For God is our refuge and strength, All: our mountain of salvation in times of trouble. One: As we worship today, let us lift our hearts in praise, All: For God is our guide forever and ever. Amen. Opening Prayer (Unison) Gracious and loving God, we gather here today with grateful hearts, thankful for the gift of this new day and this opportunity to worship together. In your presence, we find peace and joy, and in your word, we find guidance and wisdom. As we begin this service, open our hearts and minds, that we may hear your voice speaking to us, and be inspired to follow your path of love and compassion. Amen. *Opening Hymn Come, Let Us to the God of Love (#653 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) ...