First Baptist Church and First Presbyterian Church Combined

Service of WorshipSunday, July 26th, 2020 – the 8th Sunday

after PentecostLeaders in Worship:

Bruce Hynes, Kathleen Howard and the Reverend Marianne Emig Carr

Organist: Kathleen Howard___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prelude Cornet Voluntary John Travers

©1966, Oxford University Press

Call to Worship – Revelation 7: 13 – 17 New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Then one of the elders asked John, “These in white robes - who are they, and where did they come from?” John answered, “Sir, you know.” And John said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger. Never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”Hymn #461 – Be thou my vison Words and Music: Public Domain

1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.Naught be all else to me save that thou art.Thou my best thought in the day and the night.Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.2. Be thou my wisdom. Be thou my true word.I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.Thou my great Father, thine own may I be.Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.3. Be thou my breast-plate, my sword for the fight.Be thou my armour and be thou my might.Thou my soul’s shelter and thou my high tower,

raise thou me heavenward, my treasure thou art.4. Riches I heed not, nor vain earthly praise,thou my inheritance through all my days.Thou and thou only the first in my heart.High king of heaven my treasure thou art!5. High King of heaven, when the battle is done,grant heaven’s joy to me, O bright heaven’s Sun.Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Prayer of Invocation Welcome and Announcements

Thank you for worshiping with us today. We are glad to be able to praise God together! We would like to recognize that we are worshipping on traditional Anishinaabe and Iroquois of the Haudenosaunee Territory. We acknowledge this territory’s significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived, and continue to live, upon it. For those of you who are watching our service from other places, perhaps you might want to consider or name the traditional territory where you are located.

For First Baptist Church -For First Presbyterian Church

Please check our website https://pccweb.ca/firstchurch-brockville/ or our social media accounts https://www.facebook.com/Firstkirk/, https://twitter.com/first_kirk, and www.instagram.com/firstpresbrockville/ for the latest updates on life at First Church. For pastoral care or assistance, please email firstkirk@truespeed.ca or call 613-345-5014 or 613-340-3310 in July. Reverend Marianne and Kathleen Howard are on holidays for the month of July.AnthemChildren’s Message Reverend Marianne Emig CarrScripture Reading - John 10: 1 - 18 Reader: Kathleen Howard

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”  Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.  Therefore, Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”Reader: This is the Word of our Lord. All: Thanks be to God.

Pastoral Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen (Johnson) #766 Words: Traditional Public Domain Music: John Johnson

©1981 Lorenz Publishing Co. a division of the Lorenz Corporation - CCLI License: #20312607/20312614

Hymn #485 – Saviour, like a shepherd lead us Words and Music: Public Domain

1. Saviour like a shepherd lead us, much we need your tender care.In your pleasant pastures feed us, for our use your folds prepare.Blessed Jesus; blessed Jesus! You have bought us; yours we are.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! You have bought us, yours we are.2. We are yours. In love befriend us. Be the guardian of our way.Keep your flock from sin, defend us, seek us when we go astray.Blessed Jesus; blessed Jesus! Hear your children when we pray.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear your children when we pray.3. Let us always seek your favour. Let us always do your will.Jesus Christ our only Saviour, with yourself our spirits fill.Blessed Jesus; blessed Jesus! You have loved us; love us still.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! You have loved us; love us still.

The People ’ s Offering for the Work of Christ ’ s Church The mission and ministries of First Church are ongoing! You can give:

online through CanadaHelps at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/118918689RR0001-first- presbyterian-church/

by pre-authorized remittance (P.A.R.) (https://presbyterian.ca/plannedgiving/pre-authorized-remittance-par-program/). Contact the Church Office to sign up for P.A.R.

by mail to First Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 885, 10 Church Street, Brockville, Ontario, K6V 5W1

by delivering your offering envelope through the mail slot in the Church Street door. The envelopes will be collected regularly and deposits made each Friday.

By e-transfer to firstkirk@truespeed.ca

Offertory Patorale Charles Wesley

©1966, Oxford University Press

Prayer of DedicationScripture Reading - Psalm 23 King James Version (NIV) Public Domain

The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil and my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.Reader: This is the Word of our Lord. All: Thanks be to God.

Hymn #671 – I heard the voice of Jesus say Words and Music: Public Domain

1. I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come unto me and rest.Lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon my breast."I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad.I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad.2. I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Behold, I freely givethe living water. Thirsty one, stoop down and drink, and live."I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream.My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.3. I heard the voice of Jesus say, "I am this dark world's Light. Look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your days be bright."I looked to Jesus and I found in him my Star, my Sun,and in that light of life I'll walk, till traveling days are done.

Message – What Shall I Not Want?A few years back, my wife Eleanor and I were hiking in the Canary Islands - part of a small group guided hiking tour. We have hiked in various places in Canada and around the world, but the Canaries was a bit "out there" given its topography, rugged terrain, lots of cliffs, and

steep drop offs. The final hike on the tour was along this quite high ridge line. The path was here. To our left was this rock face that went up to the top of the ridge, and to our right there was a 45-degree rocky slope of some 30 meters or so - and then there was a cliff - two hundred meters straight down! So, as long as you stayed on the path - all was fine.

Now normally, we are not bothered too much by this. We have hiked Zion National Park's Angels Landing trail. As a warning, they post how many people have fallen and been killed on that trail in the last five years. We have also been high up in the Himalayans and the Andes and Canada's Rockies. But on this day in the Canaries, neither of us were feeling in top form. I had a knee which was feeling a bit wonky and Eleanor was not feeling up to par. Usually we are solid, middle of the pack hikers - we generally keep up with the group. However, on this hike we found ourselves falling behind. And then we became more and more conscious of the drop off to our right. We both got more nervous. We were also at a point where the finish is closer than the start, so turning back was not an option. Trail hiking, which for us had usually been enjoyable and stimulating, this day was not fun. It actually became downright scary. It was very strange.

So, what do you do in this situation, when doubts and worries start to take over? – when things get scarier or more difficult than you had counted on? What did Eleanor and I do on that ledge in the Canary Islands? Physically and mentally .... we focused. One step in front of the other. No careless boot landings. No slipping on small rocks. And emotionally well, we actually did practice what I have preached previously - from Philippians 4 - where St. Paul tells us:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.We could not very well close our eyes to pray, so instead, with the valley of the shadow of death just off to our right-hand side, we both started reciting .... yes - you guessed it .... the 23rd psalm .... quietly ... to ourselves. It is very calming - 'soothing' on the soul. Perhaps it is that comforting message of the psalm - one of peace and restoration - or perhaps it is that mention of the valley of the shadow of death - or the promise of life everlasting - but I would surmise that 90% of the funerals you go to - the 23rd psalm is read. Am I right? Which is sort of ironic to me, as I see it as more of an affirmation, a celebration of a life of faith in the here and now.

Let us look closer at this piece of scripture which we have all heard countless times. The 23rd Psalm is a Psalm of David. It was composed by him. And the message of the psalm is very much summarized by the first line. The Lord is my shepherd ....

First is the acknowledgement of God as the great shepherd; that he is in charge. When David was young, he was a shepherd. The parallels and imagery used in this psalm would have come quite naturally to him, even when he became King of Israel - which is most probably when he wrote this psalm. And more importantly, grazing and shepherding sheep and other animals was a common way of life in the middle east in David's day. Hence the imagery would have been familiar not only to other shepherds, but to the population as a whole. Also, this idea, or metaphor, of a deity or a king as shepherd was very common in the ancient near east - combining the dual roles of authority and care. Various rulers and gods in the Babylonian, Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations were given the status of shepherds or shepherd kings. So, along with their familiarity with the occupation of shepherding, the people of Israel would have been equally familiar with the shepherd role being applied to the God of Israel, as well as to David, now King of Israel, as the shepherd king

Now, in using the analogy that we the people are sheep - it says much, does it not? Sheep are not that intelligent, always getting into trouble, and a lot of work. They need guidance, care and protection. Enough said. You could just as easily be describing human kind. And yet with God as our shepherd, he is able to look after us, to provide for us, to protect us. Our Lord as shepherd - caring for and protecting us, the sheep, is not an image restricted to Psalm 23. You will find it is a common reference throughout the bible, used frequently in the New Testament, often by Jesus himself, probably for those reasons I discussed earlier - the people of the time could easily relate to it. If we skip ahead to Jesus' time, as told by John's gospel that Kathleen read earlier: Chapter 10 verse 14 where Jesus states "I am the good shepherd". And in verses 7 and 9: "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will find pasture." And from the start of the service: the book of Revelation, speaking of the new heaven and the new earth and those who have salvation: "For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd and he will lead them to springs of living water." We get a pretty clear and consistent message do we not? "The Lord IS my shepherd."

This second part of the opening line - I shall not want - captures the theme of the rest of the psalm - the Lord will provide for you and

protect you. And although it is very meaningful and compelling, it is easily forgotten in the day to day stuff, the busy-ness, of life. After all, - food comes from the grocery store or the veggie garden - water comes from the tap - guidance comes from Google, entertainment from Netflix - I sleep peacefully in my comfie bed at night, and my seatbelt and driving skills keep me safe on the roads. We have it all covered thank you very much! Yes, it is very easy to get caught up in the routine .... and cause and effect of our every-day lives and to be oblivious to the real source of our blessings. We need scripture and prayers, and yes, psalms like the 23rd to remind us of the source of all things in our lives. God made this earth, and the resources necessary for our lives on it.

The 23rd Psalm covers the full range of needs for which the Lord provides: physical needs (food, water, rest, protection), emotional needs (joy, comfort) and spiritual needs (guidance, restoration, and everlasting life).

I came across a wonderful summary of the Lord's blessings of the 23rd Psalm. It is from the great Methodist preacher and writer, Arno C. Gaebelein (late 19th and 1st half of the 20th century). A good way to read this Psalm is by asking yourself the question, “What shall I not want?” which is what the first line prompts us about - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. So, let us go through the psalm once more with this in mind.

What shall I not want for?I shall not want for Rest -- for He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. I shall not want for Peace -- for He leadeth me beside the still waters. I shall not want for Forgiveness -- for He restoreth my soul. I shall not want for Guidance -- for He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness. I shall not want for Companionship -- for Thou art with me.I shall not want for Comfort -- for Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. I shall not want for Food -- for Thou preparest a table before me. I shall not want for Joy -- for Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. I shall not want for Everything in time -- for goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I shall not want for Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

It is a pretty powerful summary of the blessings that God provides. The Lord is our shepherd. And we will not want. We will not

want!So - how did that hike in the Canary Islands end up? Well, the

message of the 23rd Psalm, and the peace of God did calm us and protect us and we did finish the hike and get down off the ridge. The good shepherd was there for Eleanor and myself. Recounting the hiking story caused me to reflect on where the world is right now. Where something that had always been one way - one day becomes something very different. The world is trying to make its way along an unfamiliar path that is COVID-19. Where regular and familiar practices and routines are now different, often more worrisome, and yes, often downright dangerous and scary.

I check the John Hopkins Corona virus site regularly. In late June - when this service was recorded - there have been just shy of 500,000 deaths worldwide. And experts say that number is drastically understated. And that day saw the highest number of new positive cases in the world since the pandemic started. Close to 200,000 cases in one day. Unsettling numbers, indeed! And how are these difficult and trying times of the pandemic going to end up? I have no idea. No one really does. But I do know that - each of us - individually - our churches - society in general - would do well to let the peace of God - and all that he provides - calm us and protect us ... as it did for Eleanor and I on the hike along the ridge.

The good shepherd is there for all of us. We shall not want.

Closing Hymn #650 – He leadeth me Words and Music: Public Domain

1. He leadeth me, oh blessed thought!Oh words with heavenly comfort fraught!Whate’er I do, where’re I be still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.RefrainHe leadeth me! He leadeth me! By his own hand he leadeth me!A faithful follower I would be for ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.2. Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,by waters still, o’er troubled sea, still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me! Refrain3. Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,

nor ever murmur nor repine.Content, whatever lot I see since ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me! Refrain4. And when my task on earth is done, when by thy grace the victory’s won,e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me. Refrain

Benediction and Choral Amen Words and Music: Jim Strathdee, ©1985 Strathdee Music, Desert

Flower Music CCLI License: #20312607/20312614Postlude Voluntary in G

Henry Heron ©1966, Oxford University Press

Moment for Mission Keeping communities hygienicPresbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) helps ensure that countries affected by natural disasters have access to proper sanitation. In South Sudan, continuous rainfall that caused massive floods washed away homes and food supplies of hundreds of

thousands of people. Waterways and latrines were also destroyed. Without proper sanitation, the chance of contracting deadly diseases like cholera and typhoid are much higher. With PWS&D’s support, 9,000 men and women are accessing clean water and adequate sanitation. Hygiene kits are distributed to families, along with training on improved hygiene practices. Ensuring cleanliness and sanitation is vital to keep communities as healthy as possible while allowing them to continue to thrive.

PWS&D promotes sanitation programs for a healthy community

Prayer for a Pandemic (Author Unknown)Dear God, may we who are merely inconvenienced, remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors, remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home, remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our own children when their schools close, remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips, remember those who have no safe place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult

of the economic market, remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home, remember those who have no home. As fear grips our country, let us choose love. During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours. Amen.