Worship Leader:  Fred Vickery                                                      Music Director: Tim Hallman, B.Mus.,B.Ed.

Sunday May 25, 2025

Welcome / Announcements / Celebrations

Lighting the Christ Candle:
When Jesus spoke to the people he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
   
Opening Prayer:   (in unison)
Heavenly Father, today our hearts are full of gratitude for your love and grace. We thank you for the gift of life, the beauty of creation, and the peace that we find being in your presence. Open our hearts to receive your word and guide us in our worship and prayer. May we leave this service refreshed and renewed, ready to serve you in all that we do. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen."

Hymn:  “Jesus, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”  VU563  

Scripture:  Ecclesiastes 3:1-13. A Time for Everything

 Anthem:  The Times They are A-Changin’ a song by Bob Dylan 1964.

Reflection:  Change:
You have heard the choir give its version of the Bob Dylan song, “The Times They Are a Changin’”.  Dylan composed this piece about 1964.  His words tried to express that the world was changing and it would not be the same place as it was.  Changes in the world were as dramatic then as they are today.  People of a certain age back then, often wondered “what is the world coming to” but I suppose that now we are the people of that certain age, we are wondering the same thing.

From the time we are conceived in our mother’s womb, we as human beings constantly change until our death.  That is what part of life is all about. -  change.  The world from its conception with the big bang is constantly evolving and it’s happening even so today.  Some of these changes we notice are constant and occur regularly so we are not too concerned about them; like weather and the seasons.  Others less frequent and come suddenly as violent and disastrous storms or earthquakes.

 In the last six months the world has seen some dramatic changes in it economies, thanks or no thanks to some governments and their rash decisions for change.  Thousands of people’s lives just changed overnight with the loss of their jobs and careers.  Every day in so many countries, wars, droughts, famines, all change the way people live on God’s earth. So many have so little. Lives are lost, homes are destroyed.  Where do they find the strength, the hope and the means to change their devastated lives back to a good life.

Often it’s our routine that changes and gives us a lot of concern and stress.  As we get along in years, adapting becomes more difficult to accept or handle.  We want the comfort of a stable life.  Children and grandchildren seem to grow over night.  Birth, marriage, divorce and death can turn all of our lives upside down.

Have you looked in the mirror and wondered - what the ……. Happened?  Has anyone said, “you remind me of your mother or you remind me of your father”?

Have you ever thought you would like to return to the place you were born or lived.  The school, the friends, and the community you remember with fondness.  But it has changed in your absence.  It can’t be the same,  People have moved on, buildings refurbished or completely gone.  New ones built.  Things don’t stop changing just because we have moved on.

The clothes we wore a year ago just don’t fit the way they should.  Every year fabrics shrink.  We lose jobs, relationships break down.   All this and so much more is going on while our society redefines its values and traditions.  We realize this will happen, but when it does it can change the direction of our lives.

Think of our church and the changes it has made and we will continue to adjust to the new reality of this year in the twenty-first century..

Do the changes in the world get overwhelming, confusing, even terrifying.  They can make us feel lost and abandoned, like we’ve been tossed over-board in the midst of a storm.  We’re left reeling, trying to grab hold of anything we can find in our lives that is strong and stable.  Have you wanted to hide to escape the changes?

We asks ourselves:  “Why do things have to change?  What was wrong with the way they were?”

In the last dozen or so years there were changes to my life.  It all kind of snuck up on me.  I doubted that my God would be able to get me through some low points.  I was reminded that God answers our prayers for help, but in his time and that he does not give us any more changes than he knows we can handle.

So what is the constant thing in our lives that does not change?  Very little.

There is one thing though, that has never varied or ever will and that is the love of our unchanging God.  He has always been here and always will,  in times of extreme anxiety, distress, sadness, personal loss and even during all the good times of celebration and laughter.  He is there caring, loving.  We can rely on him to listen, guide, save and then eventually welcome us home into his heavenly kingdom.

As we all encounter major events in our individual lives, and as the world around us continues to be transformed, we need something to give us hope.  We need a solid place on which to stand.  There is only one thing that’s guaranteed never to change, the one thing that will remain the same:

our unchanging God.

The Bible tells us in Malachi chapter 6:  “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed”.  There is no transition, or inconsistency, in this God.  The same God who spun this massive blue marble we call home, is the same one who met Moses on Mount Sinai.  The same God who is with us here, today.

Yesterday, today and forever he is the God who, as written in Psalm 145 “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”.

Because God is unchanging, his word is ever constant. All that he has said about himself  and what he will do for us remains true forever.  Everything he has told us about how the world came to be and about what he has done to shape the world will never change.  No matter what anyone may say, no matter who denies or defies God’s word, it remains firmly fixed.

In Matthew chapter 24:  “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away”.  And because his word is always reliable, his love for us remains true.

The nature of God and his unchangeable word are real things, on which we can stake our lives.  It is a rock strong enough to securely hold our faith in him and an anchor big enough to hold onto in the midst of life’s waves and storms.  In Psalm 46:  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.

Things will continue to change  -  in the world around us and in our lives.  Some changes will feel like a tiny ripple and others will feel like being hit by a tsunami.  But no matter what changes we face, we need not fear.  We need not hide. We need not despair.  Our rock and anchor is our unchanging God, whose character and promises remain fixed forever.

Praise God for his steadfast and unchanging love.   Amen

Hymn:  “Will Your Anchor Hold” VU675 vs 1,2,3

Offering:
As the collection plate is brought forward, let us give thanks that we are able to help this church carry on with the good work it performs in our community and around the world.

Offertory Hymn:  “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow”  VU541

Dedication: (Unison)
Holy God, you are the source of all good things.  Every day you provide what we need from your abundance.  We trust in you that our offering today will have an impact on your world.  Open our hearts and our whole being to make compassion and love the norm, not the exception, in this trouble world.  We pray this in Christ’s name.  Amen

Hymn:  “My Soul Cries Out”  MV120

Prayers of the People:
Heavenly Father, we gathered here and listened to words and music praising your love and protection in these times of rapid change.  When our lives change, when we change, when the world around us changes, give us confidence to go forth knowing your love is steadfast and unchanging.

We ask for guidance, give us wisdom, understanding and patience to deal with those who come into our lives this week.  We ask for love to share with each other.

We ask you to be with those we know who are concerned with their health, suffering physical or emotional pain, saddened by loss or seeking their path to healing.  Give them assurance of your eternal loving presence.

We give thanks for this church.  We give thanks for the blessings you provide to us; for this safe and beautiful part of the world in which we live,  We give thanks for our families and friends.

We leave here today knowing that you are with us, wherever we may go and whatever we may do.
And we pray with the words you gave to the world:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen

Hymn:  “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”  VU 288

Benediction:
May the peace and everlasting love of our Lord be with us today and always, guiding us through the complicated changes in our lives and the changes in the world.  Let us go now, knowing God is with us, he loves us, he is here for us.  The Lord bless us, and keep us.  The Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious unto us   The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace, this day and always.  Amen

Hymn:  “I Saw the Light”  chorus x2
I saw the light.  I saw the light.
No more darkness, No more night.
Now I’m so happy, No sorrow in sight.
Praise the Lord. I saw the light.

         "A Village Church With A Heart For The World"

Christ United Church

12 Perth St., Lyn, ON, K0E 1M0
(613)498-0281 (Phone)   (613)498-2589 (Fax)

 lynunitedchurch@cogeco.net               www.lynunitedchurch.com               Follow on Twitter:  @Ch1United