L’Église presbytérienne

The Presbyterian Church

au Canada in Canada

Worship Planner
16th Sunday after Pentecost
September 12, 2021
Year B

Colour Green

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 1:20–33 and Psalm 19

OR
Isaiah 50:4–9a and Psalm 116:1–9
James 3:1–12
Mark 8:27–38

Hymns

#333 – I sing the almighty power of God

#495 – The heavens declare your glory, Lord
#10 – God’s glory fills the heavens (for Psalm 19)
#76 – I love the Lord (for Psalm 116)
#704 – Teach me, God, to wonder
#211 – Take up your cross
#645 – Follow me, the Master said

Responsive Call to Worship

One: Come, people of God, worship the One who listens to our prayers.
All: We will worship the One who hears us.

One: Come, people of God, worship the One who watches over us.
All: We will worship the One who cares deeply for us all.

One: Come, people of God, worship the One who offered his life for us.
All: We will offer thanks and praise to the One who gives us life.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Living God, artist of the changing skies, builder of the steadfast earth,
Lively Christ, born to walk life’s journey with us,
Spirit of life, always moving in us and among us,
Your presence surrounds us here and everywhere we go.
Your purpose holds the world in its place;
Your imagination engages us each step of the way.

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In our time of worship, show us how we can serve you,
and open our imaginations to the future you create,
for we seek your guidance and your grace now and always. Amen.

God of time and eternity,

we confess that we have long memories, especially for things that hurt us,
for moments we resent or regret.
Week by week we seek your forgiveness for our mistakes,
but we confess we do not forgive others so faithfully.
Sometimes we seek opportunity to even the score.
Confront us with your mercy, O God,
and open our hearts to its cleansing power.

Assurance of Pardon

(Worship leaders might consider saying the assurance of pardon while pouring water into the
Baptismal font. This serves as a visual reminder of the forgiveness that is offered in baptism.)

From now on, St. Paul declared, we regard no one from a human point of view.
If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation.
Everything old has passed away; and everything has become new.
Through Christ God has reconciled us and given us a ministry of reconciliation.
Thanks be to God that we can all make a new start, this day and every day!

Prayer for Understanding

God of Wisdom, the Psalmist tells us your law is perfect, making the simple wise.
Send your Holy Spirit to quiet any distractions within us, so we may hear your voice and grow
wiser as we learn to follow you.

Invitation to the Offering

Jesus asked his disciples what could anyone give in return for the gift of life? He challenged us
to take up our cross and follow him. Whatever we offer him speaks of how we take up his
challenge. So, give with grateful, loyal hearts.

Prayer of Dedication

Generous God, you poured out your love for us through Jesus Christ, who gave up everything on
the cross. We bring what we have to offer you in love and loyalty. Receive our gratitude and
bless all that our gifts can do to share your love for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

God of inspiration and imagination, you are the artist of our lives.
You have filled your world with gifts,

50 Wynford Drive, Toronto ON M3C 1J7  416-441-1111 or 1-800-619-7301  presbyterian.ca

expressed through the creativity and dedication of so many.
We give you thanks for a new season of opportunity
to gather together again and share gifts that have lain in wait
for months of isolation and uncertainty.

Response: One: Artist of our lives,

All: Awaken our gifts again to serve you.

Today we give you thanks for the artists among us,

emerging from time in solitude and reflection:
Thank you for painters and poets,
for lines on a canvas and lines on a page,
which inspire us and leave us wondering.
Thank you for sculptors and storytellers
who fashion faces in stone and scenes in words
to outline the profile of your truth for us.

Response: One: Artist of our lives,

All: Awaken our gifts again to serve you.

God of grace and goodness,

We know your creativity in the arts of fabric and foodstuff,
and in hands that work with wood and keep machinery humming.
We give you thanks for those who stitch patterns with thread
and those who set patterns on our plates, mixing colours and flavours.
Thank you for those who build and repair, refinish and restore
the things we need and the things we cherish.

Response: One: Artist of our lives,

All: Awaken our gifts again to serve you.

God of music and movement,

We know your beauty in the gifts of keyboard and composer,
in the blending of voices and the bending of dancers.
We thank you for these sounds and sights
that can touch our hearts once more,
and open our souls to praise you.

Response: One: Artist of our lives,

All: Awaken our gifts again to serve you.

God of hope and healing,

We thank you, too, for the healing arts,
for the care and relief offered by professionals throughout our health-care system
and for support given to those who suffer by friends and volunteers.
We pray for all who seek healing—

50 Wynford Drive, Toronto ON M3C 1J7  416-441-1111 or 1-800-619-7301  presbyterian.ca

those anticipating or recovering from surgery.
those living with pain or illness,
those struggling with grief and loss,
those who bear anxiety, depression or dementia,
and other conditions which trouble mind and body.
Give each one your presence and peace
through our prayer and friendship.
Reach out through us to bring aid and advocacy
to the most vulnerable of your creatures.
We sum up all our prayers, silent and spoken, in the words Jesus taught us:

The Lord’s Prayer

Mission Moment – September 12, 2021

An Education for Robina

Robina lives with her mother, father and five siblings in a make-shift house in Afghanistan. Both
of her parents are unemployed, and Robina is the only member of her family attending school. In
Afghanistan, 62 percent of children do not attend school. Often, families with many children
cannot afford uniforms and school supplies for each child. Girls are especially disadvantaged
because of a shared cultural belief that if girls study, they bring shame on their families. Only
one in five students in Afghan schools are female, and only about one in 10 adult women are
literate. Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) is passionate about ensuring a
world in which all children can access quality education. Working with local partners, PWS&D
helps parents and religious leaders understand girls’ rights—most importantly, the right to
education.

Prayer Partnership

Sunday, September 12 We give thanks and pray for organizations who work in partnership with
Presbyterian World Service & Development to empower and teach girls in Afghanistan to read,
write and improve their standard of living.

Monday, September 13 We pray for Christian educators as they nurture the faith of young
people.

Tuesday, September 14 We pray for LGBTQI+ student groups and their teachers as they build
communities of love, learning and support in their schools.

Wednesday, September 15 We pray that the members of the Presbytery of Oak Ridges’
Pastoral Relations Committee will feel a strong sense of God’s presence in their work and
discernment.

Thursday, September 16 We pray for the members of the Continuing Education Grants
Committee that meet this month.

50 Wynford Drive, Toronto ON M3C 1J7  416-441-1111 or 1-800-619-7301  presbyterian.ca

Friday, September 17 We pray for the Rev. Angie Song, Nuri Lee and the evangelism
initiatives of Vaughan Community Church in Toronto, Ontario.

Saturday, September 18 We pray for God’s wisdom and guidance to protect creation and the
world’s biodiversity.

50 Wynford Drive, Toronto ON M3C 1J7  416-441-1111 or 1-800-619-7301  presbyterian.ca