Sunday, April 28th, 2024, 4:00 PM Service | Welcome to St James and St Brendan Anglican Church Praise And Worship Service | By St. J&B Anglican Church, Port Colborne | Take a check close off your feet so I just want to praise you I just want to praise you take shackles off your feet so I just want to praise you I just want to praise you take a check almost off my feet so I can I just want to greet you I just want to praise you Good afternoon. Welcome to Saint James and Saint Brendan's Anglican Church for Sunday, April the twenty8th. As we begin our service of worship, we acknowledge the land which we gather on is the traditional territory first of the new child people. Then the and the people. Many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, the Niagara Purchase Treaty, and is a land protected by the dish with the one spoon agreement. Today, this gathering place is home to many, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people. Let us continue to work towards reconciliation with our siblings and always remember that our great standard of living is directly related to the indigenous people's resources and their care for this land. I invite you to sit or stand or dance in the aisles whichever you may feel. For our opening songs. God of Goodness, and I belong to you. I love you lord for your mercy never fails me I will sing and all my life know my life you have been so so I would say all the goodness of your voice led me through the fire other in the goodness all my life my life you have every breath that I would sing your with my life they tell will surrender goodness is running after running after me running To me down and surrender you're doing this he's running life my life you have been so so with every breath that I will sing she's running out this is running running after my life laid down I've surrendered give you everything your goodness is running after goodness he's running your goodness town I've surrendered listens running and all my life you have been and all my life you have been so so with every breath that I will sing of the goodness of god of the goodness I will sing of the goodness silent and the voice you define voice will define me the enemy can take my right hand change who I am enemy can't take what I have treat you I am adopting you when I need you know the enemy take what I change who I am long to you take on a hill change who I am greater are you who is in is in the world the words that you have spoke stronger than who is in me than he who is enemy can take what I change who I am take what I change who I am I belong Hallelujah. May his grace and peace be with you. Let us pray. Almighty god, your son, Jesus Christ, is the way and the truth, and the life Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments. Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God Our first reading The reading is from the first letter of John. Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God. For God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way. God sent his only son into the world. So that we might live through him. In this is love. Not that we love God but that he loved us. And sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since god loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen god. If we love one another, god lives in us and his love is perfected in us. By this, we know that we abide in him and he in us. Because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen it and we have seen and do testify that the father has sent his son as a savior the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the son of god and they abide in god. So, we have known and believe the love that god has for us. God is love and those who abide in love abide in god and god abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness on the day of judgement because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear. For fear fear has to do with punishment. And whoever fears has not reached perfection and love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say I love God and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. For those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this. Those who love God must love their brother and sisters also. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please stand for the gospel acclamation. Hopefully, I put the right one up hallelujah hallelujah your servant is listening you have the words so everlasting life The lord be with you. And also with you. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Jesus said I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you you abide in me I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit. Because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away in a branch and withers. And such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me and my word abides in you. Ask for whatever you wish. And it will be done for me. Done for you. My father is glorified by this and you bear much fruit. And become my disciples. The gospel of Christ. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. I speak to you in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen. Please be seated. Thank you. Last week, if you were here at the 1030 service, I asked a question, who would you lay your life down for? And if you could lay your life down for a stranger, just as the good shepherd laid themselves down for us. The theme was love. And I continue that topic today. The reading that we heard this morning was from the first letter of John. It oozes love. Did you know that John was the disciple, the apostle, whom was always referred to as the one whom Jesus loved. Therefore, I believe it is safe to say that if John is writing a letter in regards to Christ in love, there is a deep understanding in regards to the topic. John writes the word love in one form or another. 29 times. If someone is going to write a word 29 times, in less than 14 sentences. We have to believe that it's extremely important. So what is John telling us? His most critical sentence is that actually the beginning Beloved, Let us love one another because love is from God. And everyone who is born of and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. God is love John is trying to make very clear to us that god's love throughout God Throughout his character God is good. Therefore God does good. God is love. Therefore, God does love. The unfortunate thing is that we We do not always love. We are cruel and we are mean and we put conditions on our love. God's love is unconditional and unceasing. Because love is the very essence of who God is. Love, god cannot stop loving us. Which for me brings great comfort. But just a thought What would happen if God actually stopped loving? With god's thought to exist Would we stop to exist? The good thing is that for now, we do not have to worry about that because we truly know that god does exist. If we look around this church right now and just look at the person sitting beside you or in front of you, you take a walk outside take a look in the mirror. There is an outpouring of God's love everywhere that we are. And that is so absolutely wonderful about God's love. Because no matter where we are God loves us. In our worst and darkest moments. God will still continue to love us. As I said this morning when I was writing my sermon, the Taylor Swift song came in my head, Shake It Off. And there is a line in that song that says, a hater's going to hate, hate, hate. And I think unfortunately there are people who are just like that. It doesn't matter. You can show em a multitude of times how the glass is how full. You can show em all the wonderful benefits and it's just in their nature. That they're going to hate. And for me that is so tragic and so sad. Because what John is trying really hard to make clear and strength is truth is is that we are not meant to be haters. We are beloved. We are called to love others as God loves us. John's logic makes incredible sense because god is love and god loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son who also demonstrated this great, great love. Cuz Jesus didn't care about who he loved. He didn't worry about who they were or where they were on the societal ladder. He just demonstrated a great a great deep, deep love Therefore, because of this demonstration and because of this love, we are invited. We are encouraged to also demonstrate it. So what does this love have to do with today's gospel? Well, we heard the line, I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me, you can do nothing. So let me rephrase that for just a moment. I am love and you are a part of that love. If you love me and love others, you will have, you will bear great love. But if you do not love, you can have nothing. If you do not love, you can have nothing. If you abide in me can have nothing. Now, if we take a moment and we think about it, there are many things that we can do on our own that we don't even think about Jesus or god while we do it and again, if we think about it for a second, there's a variety of people in the world that you're like, I have, do not want to love that person in any way, shape, or form. There are hundreds, if not, thousands of people in our world today who don't even believe in god or Jesus or the Holy Trinity. But they still do great, great things and they do those great things supposedly without Jesus in their lives and supposedly without knowing the love of God. How are they different from you and me? I think of John Knox, a theologian, who said, Faith is not a blind leap into the unknown. But a confident trust of all god's promises and love. The simple truth is that today, as followers of Jesus we know that we are nothing without God. And we know that we are nothing without love. So, how do we abide in Christ? How do we accept Christ and spend time with god? Daily scripture, daily prayer, weekly service, spending time with others. Daily prayer is just a conversation of God. It doesn't have to be structured. It doesn't have to be formulated. It doesn't have to be at any specific time of the day. Morning, noon, night, before meals, after meals. It is just a conversation where you spend some time with our Lord. And say I am grateful. I am grateful for all the blessings that you have given me. Or here's where I am troubled. And this is what I need your help in. It is just a conversation. Spending time in God's word. Spending time in scripture. God's word is what feeds us and feeds our soul. It is the bread we eat and the nourishment that we have. But as scripture says, we are not meant to live by bread alone The word is so much more and it comes from god. Dietrich Bon Heifer who is a Roman Catholic priest who died in a concentration camp once said everyday in which I do not penetrate more deeply into the knowledge of god's word in holy scripture is a loss for me. I can only move forward with certainty upon the firm ground of God's holy word. Exploring scripture is so important. Weekly services also essential because really it's just how we reset our spiritual well being. It is our Sabbath. It is the day that we are meant to keep holy. How do we abide in god? By paying attention to the fruits of the Holy Spirit In Galatians, we are told that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. These are the indicators of a good, healthy spiritual life. They are the fruit that we bear when we abide in God. The number one, of course, is always love Because without love, nothing else can be. So, the question you need to ask yourself on a regular basis is, are you loving others? Are you really loving others? Are you, as you wish to be loved? Joy. There's a big difference between joy and happiness Joy isn't or happiness, sorry, is an outward expression. Joy. Joy comes from when we have been enduring the hardships The trials and the tribulations. Joy is when we are able to connect all of it together with meaning and purpose And that we know that God has been there for all of us. Through all of it. Helping us through it. The peace that passes all understanding. Well, that that just comes from living within god. That peace of knowing that god is there, that the love is there, the joy is there. It's just knowing that god is there with you. Patience. Patience blossoms When we are able to truly and honestly see Christ and others. And accept them for who they are knowing that no matter what there is a story. We all have stories. We don't always share our stories but we all have a story. And patience blossoms when we are able to see Christ despite knowing that story. Whether we know it or not is irrelevant. But the fact that we can see Christ in that story. And then once we can see Christ, there's a generosity that blossoms also. Because we know that god is taking care of us and we know with confidence that god is taking care of that person who we know is struggling. And that we can afford to share and give away some generosity. When we have faith, trust, and generosity deep within us. There is a connection between God and the blessed Holy Trinity And there is no fear. When we talk about self control Such a hot button topic. I think what God wants us to understand is that we cannot control our passions. We cannot control our tempers. We cannot control our appetites, our weaknesses, whatever it may be that is our demon. Just on sheer willpower. That to control those things that challenge us in our lives. There has to be an acknowledgement of God within our lives. Because god will bring us the control that we need. Like a tree, we cannot bear fruit on our own. A tree needs roots and sun and water and nourishment. For us to bear fruit, we need to have love and faith, and hope, and trust in Christ. Apart from Jesus, we have nothing. I challenges us to glorify the blessed Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us bear as much fruit as we are called to bear. And let us be the branches that are solidly connected to Jesus. And love How John encourages, encourages us to love. We pray for the church that we may continually draw life from Christ and bear a rich harvest of virtues and gospel values for god's glory. We pray for all who help others deepen their relationship with god. Remembering Bishop Susan, Reverend Jody, and all priests, deacons, and spiritual leaders. That they may continue to grow in their relationship with god so that they can support the growth of others. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the grace to surrender. That God will help us to let go of those things which need to be pruned. So that God's life and love may blossom in our lives. We pray for all who are experiencing pruning through loss, transition, or change. That God will give them strength, guide them, and help them find courage and support. Through fellow believers. Lord, in your mercy We pray for all who feel cut off from God. That God will help them to recognize that God is always with them. From and from whom they can draw life. We pray for all who see themselves as spiritual but not religious. That they may discover God's presence in this community. And develop a new understanding of church. Through relationships with us here at Saint James and Saint Brendan. We pray for the members of our parish family. Remembering today Tanya Newart, Karen Nichols, Graham and Heather Ott, Maria Papa Dimitrio, Blaine and Yvonne Patterson, Betsy Perez, Larry and Eleanor Payton, and their loved ones. Lord, in your mercy, hear our We pray for a renewed spirit of evangelization That the Holy Spirit will help us to give witness to the good news of god's love, in deeds of loving service, and justice. Lord, in your mercy, hear our We pray for all who are ill or in need of support. Remembering today, Kelly Bennett, Mary Cullen, Elizabeth Ebert, Eleanor Kendall, Jackie Roy, Pam Simons, Angela Milne, Emily, Glen, Maria, Steven, Edith, Betsy Perez, John, Margaret T, Cheryl Wakefield, Eleanor Payton, Stuart White, Hugh Evan Doug Stewart, Jerry Fretz, Lindsay Shura, and Kristen and Miguel Royal. That Christ, the source of all life, will ease their pain, heal their illness, give them strength, and fill them with his loving presence. Lord, in your mercy, hear We pray for an end to violence and warfare. That God will turn hearts from destructive deeds. Help leaders to go let go of pride. And seek a common good and protect the innocent from harm. Lord in your mercy. Hear our We pray for those who have died, remembering Joe Perez and Rick Gretzinger. That they may share in the gift and promise of eternal life. May those who grieve their loss, find strength in the coming days, knowing that God is always with them. Lord, in your mercy, We ask these prayers in the name of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Dear friends of Christ, god is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy. He welcomes sinners and invites into his table. Let us confess our sins confident in god's forgiveness. Most merciful lord, 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 hearts. We have not loved our neighbors 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 name. Amen. May almighty god have mercy upon you. Pardon and deliver you from all your sins. Confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen. Please stand. May the peace of the lord be always with you. Let's share each other a sign of peace. I like being a black again He's leaving you. Your business with you. And and Peace with you. Yeah, I'm always in the corner. Well, just just like squawk. Yeah. Peace. Thousand stories think your life that you're pleased you're a good up by you so many searching if only this is what we and to you because you're perfect of your ways perfect in of your ways you're perfect perfect to oh it's so love so un undeniable unexplainable as you me deepest still you're a good by you you're a good and I love it's who I am Let us pray. Gracious god, you show us your way and you give us your divine life. May everything we do be directed by the knowledge of your truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen lord. Amen. The Lord be with you. And also with you. We lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the lord our god. Blessed are you, gracious god, creator of heaven and earth. We give you thanks and praise for the glorious resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ, our lord. For he is the true Paschal Lamb, who has taken away the sin of the world, By his death, he destroyed death, and by his rising to life again, he is one for us eternal life. Therefore, joining our voices with the whole company of heaven. We don't sing, we say. Our joyful hymn of praise to proclaim the glory of your name. Holy, holy, holy lord, god of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. Hosanna in the highest. We give thanks to you, Lord, our God, for the goodness and love of you have, you have made known to us in creation, and calling Israel to be your people, and your words spoken through the prophets, and above all, in the word made flesh, Jesus, your son. For in these last days, you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the savior and redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth. Out of sin, into right out of death into life. On the night that he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted. Our lord Jesus Christ took bread and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it. Gave it to his disciples and said, eat, take, eat, This is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. After supper, he took the cup of wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said, drink this all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me. Therefore, father, according to his command, we remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming and glory. And we offer our praise of thank, praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all. Presenting to you from your creation, this bread, and this wine. We pray you gracious God to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ, and his blood and the new covenant. You and us to your son and his sacrifice that we made acceptable in him may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ and make them new. Bring us to the city of light where you dwell with all your children. Through Jesus Christ, our lord, the firstborn of all creation, and the head of the church, the author of our salvation. By whom, with whom and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory are yours almighty father now and forever. Amen. Amen. Now, oh yeah, I forgot. Nope, that's perfect, Luke. Lord, we died with you on the cross, Now, we have raised you to life. We were buried in your tomb. Now, we are. And now we have shared in your resurrection. Live in us that we may live in you. These are the gifts of god for us, the people of god. Thanks be to god. As always. As always, we'll do the three, we'll do the band first and then we'll invite you. Please join us. Come out of sadness from wherever you've been broken heart you begin find your mercy or sinner earth has no sorrow earth has no sorrow down your down your chin no lift up your face you're not too far your heart you are there's hope for the hopeless and all those who stray come sit at the table has no sorrow down your down your cheek lift up your you're not too far so lay down down your heart come back to fall in his there's joy for the morning oh sinner be still there's no sorrow earth has no sorrow lay down your heavens down your shoe lift up your down your heart Let us pray. God of love. In the Secret, we have heard your truth and we share in your life. May we always walk in your way in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen. Please stand. Glory to God. Whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation. In the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah. Christ is risen. You. God the father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead, opens the gates of everlasting life, to you who believe. God the Son, who in bursting the grave has won a glorious victory and brings brings joy as you share in the Easter faith. God the Holy Spirit, whom the risen Lord, breathed into his disciples, empower you, and fill you with Christ's peace. And the blessing of god, almighty father, son, and holy spirit be among you and remain with you always. Please be seated for a few announcements. So, as it is praise and worship this evening, I hope that most of you, all of you will join us across the street at the Belmont for fellowship because yeah, it's always fun. It's a good night. Um if you are planning on coming to our Mother's Day high tea, I beg you, beg you, beg you, please to come in and purchase your tickets. Um this week, in regards to Food with Friends, I asked to help ask for your help to dispel a rumor. Um prior COVID Um out of the cold, food with friends, whatever you want to call it. Only ran from October till April And once COVID hit the people that volunteer hit the ground running and they were awesome. And they have literally been going since March of 2020 nonstop. And so they've made a very strong request if they could take the summer off. Of course I have said yes. But we are Port Colborne and we are a small town. And rumors are flying that we have cancelled the program altogether. And we have not. So, if you hear anybody in the community saying, you know, anything bad about Saint James and St. Brendan son cancelling the food with friends out of the cold program, please, please, please, I beg of you. Stand up and say no. We have not cancelled it. We are allowing the volunteers to take a breather for the first time in four years. That's it. We're just, we're allowing them to breathe. Um, because they deserve it. Um, for of you who are my regular beacon delivers, the beacon will be delivered, be ready for delivery this Thursday and that is it. So, I encourage you as always to stand, sit, however you want to be in the aisles for our closing song, Shine Jesus Shine. Of the darkness you now bring with grace and mercy but I shining the father's for replaced spirit song mercy as we gaze on your ranging from glory to may our lives tell you slowly but she set forth your shackles off my feet so I can dance I just want to praise I just want to greet you take a shot goes off my feet I just want to praise you I just want to praise you take a shackles off of my feet so I can I just want to praise I just want to break take a shackles off my feet so I just want to praise