Metropolitan United Church
London Ontario, Canada
Sunday September 14, 2025
Organ Prelude: Contemplation – Alec Rowley - Organist: Dr. Gregg Redner
Welcome & Announcements
The Christ Candle
Call to Worship - The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you.
All: And also with you.
Hymn VU#389 - God Is Here - Blaenwern
Anthem: Rejoice in the Lord always – Anonymous (ECM -1)
Opening Prayer
A New Creed: Let us declare our faith together:
We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Sanctus Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Circle Time – Blessing of the Backpacks
Children’s Prayer
Anthem: Rejoice in the Lord always – Anonymous
Call to Confession
Confession
Assurance of Pardon
When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn. 1:9
Responsive Psalm 119:1-8 – VU#838, Part 1
The psalm is an acrostic poem in which each set of eight verses begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The theme of the verses is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah or sacred word of the Lord. First 8 lines all begin with the Hebrew letter, aleph.
Call for the Offering
Offertory Prayer
O Lord, giver of life and source of freedom
We know that all we have received is from your hand.
You call us to be stewards of your abundance,
the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us
Help us to always use your gifts wisely
and teach us to share them generously.
May our faithful stewardships bear witness
to the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Amen.
Doxology (VU#541)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
VU#595 – We Are Pilgrims – Servant Song
Pastoral & 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Anthem – Praise – Alec Rowley
The Scriptures – 2 Timothy 3:1-17
3 You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! 6 For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate silly women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires, 7 who are always being instructed and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not make much progress, because, as in the case of those two men, their folly will become plain to everyone.
10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is[b] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
Message: Backpacks and Education: what about the church?
“keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings/torah as the apple of your eye.” Prov. 7:2Rev. Dr. David McMaster
VU#633 – Bless Now, O God, the Journey - Thornbury
Commissioning & Benediction
Choral Amen
Musical Postlude: Paean – Alec Rowley
