St. Andrew's United Church, New Richmond

09/03/2026

Please find the link for Sunday's Service below:
https://youtube.com/live/TPyDMze3dCA?feature=share

We hope to be streaming this Sunday. Please be patient as we learn how to do this!

1 Corinthians 15:12-34 – Not Farewell, but we'll see you again!Far...

08/31/2026

13 September 2026 @ 10:00: Grandparents’ Day: Family Service – Postponed!
13 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time – Postponed!
18 September 2026 @ 16:00: Teaspoon Night
27 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time

08/31/2026

1 Corinthians 15:12-34 – Not Farewell, but we'll see you again!
Farewell service marking the end of the covenantal relationship between
St. Andrew’s United Church and Rev. Pierre Momberg.

Greetings:
 Welcome
 Celebration Bear
 Announcements:
o Important Dates:
 30 August 2026 @ 10:00: Food Bank for Charity Month (Personal care products)
 30 August 2026 @ 10:00: Rev. Pierre and Celèste Farewell Service with Holy Communion
 30 August 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time
 13 September 2026 @ 10:00: Grandparents’ Day: Family Service – Has been postponed!
 13 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time
 18 September 2026 @ 16:00: Teaspoon Night
 27 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time
o ?

Lighting of the Christ candle

Statement of purpose:
 Our church, like any community, changes.
Babies are born.
Children grow up.
Loved ones and friends grow old.
People move into our community and church.
Others leave us, moving on to new places,
new experiences, and new opportunities.
On 21 September 2021, when I arrived in Canada,
a covenant of ministry was created between St. Andrew’s United Church and me.
When a minister comes into a church,
we covenant with one another;
we promise to walk together as God's People,
deepening our commitment to Jesus Christ
and growing closer to God.
It is now time to mark the end of that covenant,
And we give thanks for the life and ministry we have shared together in Christ.
It is also time for you and Celèste and me to begin the next stage
of the journey as part of the Missio Dei to which God now calls us.

Prayer of Approach:
 God of life and resurrection,
be with us as gratitude and sorrow,
joy and tears fill our hearts.
We come to worship the Conqueror of death!
As seasons change and our paths part,
may You comfort us through prayer, Word, praise and holy symbols.
Please remind us that death is not the end and today is not farewell.
Because Christ is risen, death and life cannot separate us.
Hold us in Your love as we worship,
and give us faith to say with hope:
“We will see each other again!”
Amen.

Hymn of praise:
 VU 395 (Come is, come in and sit down)

Opening prayer
 O God, we give you thanks
for the time and the faith shared in this community.
Be with us in our worship,
as we open ourselves to the Spirit guiding us.
We thank You for the worship,
the learning, and the service
that have been ours together.
Help us to cherish these memories,
and to move forward with Your grace.
Be with us now as we mark the end of this relationship,
and guide us by Your Spirit
into the next stage of our life with You.
Amen.

Recognition of Symbols of Ministry:
 Introduction:
o Friends, you called me into your midst,
to serve with you in the ministry of
Word, Sacrament, Pastoral Care, Service, Leadership,
and all the other ministries in the congregation.
 Bible
o Departing minister:
 The Bible is the symbol of the ministry
of the Word among us.
May God’s Word continue to challenge,
nurture, and inspire you.
The Bible (closed on a stand on the stage) will be opened by the Presider to the Scripture of the day.
o Congregational response:
 We will continue to place Scripture at the centre of our life.
The Word of God lives among us.
Thanks be to God.
 Water
o Departing minister:
 The font is the symbol of our baptism,
the place of our birth into the Body of Christ.
May you continue to welcome new members
through the Living Waters of our faith.
Water will be poured from a pitcher placed on the table next to the pulpit, by the Presider into the font, and then returned to the table.
o Congregational response:
 We will continue to celebrate new life in baptism;
the font of blessing welcomes all.
Thanks be to God.
 Loaf and cup
o Departing minister:
 The table is the symbol of our communion in Christ,
the source of nourishment and strength.
May you continue to share the bread and cup,
remembering the One who is Bread of Life and True Vine.
An Elder brings the blue plate and cup from the back and gives it to the Presider, who places them on the communion table (no need to do it again during Communion).
o Congregational response:
 We will continue to break the bread and share the cup;
the table invites us to taste and see that God is good.
Thanks be to God.
 Congregation (Please stand):
o Departing minister:
 As a congregation, we are called
to love and serve each other,
to care and to heal, to teach and to witness to the Word.
May you continue to love one another as God has loved you.
The congregation stands for this symbol.
o Congregational response:
 We will continue to offer care,
challenge, and encouragement to one another,
sharing all that we are and have.
Thanks be to God.
(Please be seated)
 Keys:
o Departing minister:
 These keys are a symbol of our daily duties
and the work of administration; and of this building,
a witness to Christ’s presence in this community.
May your light continue to shine in this place.
The Chair of Official Board comes forward, and the Presider hands them the keys, which they place on:
o Congregational response:
 We will continue to build, to dream and to grow,
discerning the will of God for us in our time and place.
Thanks be to God.
 Hymn:
o VU 232 (Joyful, joyful we adore You)

Prayer for illumination

Service of the Word

New Testament Reading:
 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 – 12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
33Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

Sermon:
Introduction:
 Some of you have heard me mention that for two years, after school, I travelled from town to town with Service Year for Christ, bringing the Gospel to children in their schools.
o Each year ended with a formal dinner where a formal and tearful goodbye was said.
o Two gospel singers, Louis Brittz and William Warren, attended the formal dinner the year before my first year.
 They wrote a song specifically for that formal dinner that put into words what everyone there felt.
 The song is called “On The Other Side” and says that even though Christians' paths may separate in their lives, they will surely see each other again one day after death.
 I have used this song every time I had to say goodbye to a congregation, as it expresses exactly what I feel.
o Because saying goodbye is always an emotional occasion.
 It is sad to say goodbye.
 It is especially sad for us to say goodbye to you today, because of the role you played in our lives over the last five years.
• A colleague once mentioned to us that ministers are told that they are shepherds of God’s flock, but nobody ever mentions how long the fangs of the sheep are.
• Celèste and I were mauled, bitten, chewed up and spit out by the ministry in South Africa.
• So, when we came to you five years ago, we were broken and beaten.
• But you healed us.
o You showed us what it really means to be a congregation of God.
o You showed us that sheep can come without fangs…
o You healed us, and this is something you can be proud of.
 In this instance, you definitely did what God called you to do.
o And in doing so, you carved out a St. Andrew’s shape piece of our hearts and made a home there, and you will never leave our hearts.
 Because of God’s love between us, we will never be apart, even if distance and circumstances separate us.
 We know this because God’s Word promises that we will see each other again on the Other Side.
Body:
 A small group of church members in Corinth began to doubt the resurrection of the dead.
o They still believed in Jesus' resurrection but did not believe that believers would also rise from the dead.
 This upset Paul, and that is why he speaks in 1 Cor 15:12-34 about the resurrection of the dead.
o He addresses the issue on three levels:
 First, he plays devil's advocate. He asks the church whether they realize the consequences if there is no resurrection after death.
• If we have not been raised from the dead, then Jesus has not been raised from the dead either. There can be no exception to the rule.
• Secondly, if Jesus did not rise again, the gospel is without content.
• The third consequence is that the apostles lied.
• The fourth consequence is that if Jesus did not rise again, He did not overcome sin and death.
• All of this means is that we who hope for eternal life do so in vain.
o We can only live for the here and now.
 Secondly, he tells them the truth and its implications.
• Christ is the first to rise from the dead.
o Paul uses the term firstfruits here.
o This refers back to the Jewish laws where the firstfruits of the Jews' livestock and agriculture were dedicated to the Lord.
o Just as the firstfruits represented the rest of the livestock and agriculture, so does Jesus represent us, and thus we will also be resurrected from the dead.
• We are saved from sin:
o The term firstfruits also refers to Adam through whom sin entered the world.
o However, Jesus stands opposite Adam as the one who died on the cross for our sins.
• The third implication of Jesus’ resurrection is that God has subdued all of Jesus’ enemies, including death.
 And finally, he gets practical and tells them how the resurrection practically makes a difference in their daily lives.
• He first refers to a baptism practice in the congregation and asks, if they don’t believe in life after death, why do they still do the ritual?
• He then refers to himself.
o He says that he is willing to die every day for the gospel.
• If there were no resurrection from the dead, it would have made him a very foolish person.
• And finally, Paul says that if we do not have eternal life, then we have no need to die to ourselves.
o Then we can eat and drink whatever we want and enjoy life.
o But because God does give us life after death, we must live according to God’s will.
Conclusion:
 1 Cor 15 says that Jesus lives, and because He lives, we will also live, and this not only has an influence on life after death, but also today.
 In our case today, it means that because of Jesus’ resurrection, we will always love one another, and even if we are separated today, we will definitely see each other again, as the song “On the Other Side” says.
o We will definitely come back for a visit, God willing.
o But even if that doesn’t happen, we will always be connected over time and space, and we will see each other again on the Other Side!
Amen!

Service of the table:
 Preparing the table and distributing the signs:
o Please listen to “On the Other Side” by Louis Brittz and William Warren and read the lyrics on the screen, as the signs are being distributed.
 Invitation to the table:
o The United Church of Canada acknowledges that this table around which we gather is not actually ours.
 Jesus Christ is the Host, and He welcomes all.
 St. Andrew’s welcomes you in His name.
o We gather as Christ’s guests and friends to partake of this meal so that no one is turned away from God’s grace and love.
 When we eat the bread and drink of the cup, we do so with Christ and all his followers.
o We thus invite everyone who believes in the Triune God and believes that we will see our loved ones in the next life to join us in celebrating Holy Communion.
 Call to give thanks:
o The Lord is with you and will always be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God, for though we may be separated by distance,
God’s love for us and our love for each other will never separate us.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
 Thanksgiving – Preface:
o God of everlasting life,
we thank You for the people, love, and moments You give us by grace.
Even when our paths part, You hold us together in Your eternal love,
for Christ is risen and death has been defeated.
And that is why we,
with all creation and all those who now live,
have lived and will live
on earth and on the other side, sing:
 Sanctus – Song of Creation:
o Holy, holy, holy Lord,
the Conqueror of death,
heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
 Institution – Remembering Jesus at the table:
o On the night before He died, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:
“This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Then He took the cup and said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim that Christ is risen, death is defeated,
and our parting is not farewell, but “we’ll see each other again!”
 Sharing of the bread and the cup:
o Sharing of the bread:
 The bread we break is the communion with the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Take, eat, think about it and believe that his body was broken to achieve complete atonement for all our sins.
 Silent prayer
o Sharing of the cup:
 The cup of thanksgiving is the communion with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Take, drink, think of it and believe that his precious blood was shed as a sign of our renewed covenant with God.
 Silent Prayer
 Prayer after communion:
o Thanksgiving prayer
o Prayers of the People – remember pebbles’ prayers
o The Lord’s Prayer

Offertory:
 Invitation to Offering
 Offertory Hymn:
o VU 544 (In gratitude and humble trust)
 Memorials:
o A gift was given to St. Andrew's Memorial Fund in loving memory of Sheila and Butch Fessenden and Carl Fallow from Lorraine Fallow. Unforgettable memories.
 Prayer of Dedication

Marking the End of the Covenanted Ministry:
 Elder/M&P Chair:
o On 25 May 2021, St. Andrew’s United Church called Rev. Pierre Momberg
to serve as Minister of the Word, Sacrament, Pastoral Care, Service, Leadership,
and all the other ministries in the congregation.
And after a long struggle with Immigration and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, he arrived in Canada on 21 September 2021.
 Departing minister:
o Members and friends
of St. Andrew’s United Church,
brothers and sisters in Christ,
I thank you for your love, kindness, and support
during these past 5 years.
I am grateful for the struggles, the surprises,
and for the opportunities we have shared.
I ask you for your forgiveness for the mistakes I have made,
and thank you for the love you have shown to me, Celèste,
our five cats, Thomas, Chucky, Nobby, Spider and Scully,
and Martouf, our dog.
 Congregation
o We receive your thankfulness
and offer our forgiveness.
We ask you to forgive us for our mistakes.
We are grateful for your guidance and your gifts.
As we part, may we know God’s grace and peace.
 The Elder/M&P Chair may invite those present to stand as they are able.
o Members and friends
of St. Andrew’s United Church,
brothers and sisters in Christ,
do you release Rev. Pierre Momberg from the duties of the ministry of
the Word, Sacrament, Pastoral Care, Service, Leadership,
and all the other ministries in the congregation.
We will, with God’s help.
Will you respect the new relationship that now begins
and offer your encouragement and prayers
for his continued ministry elsewhere?
We will, with God’s help.
 The Elder/M&P Chair may invite the departing minister to stand as he is able.
o Will you, Rev. Pierre Momberg,
release St. Andrew’s United Church
from their dependence upon you
as a minister of the Word, Sacrament, Pastoral Care, Service, Leadership,
and all the other ministries in the congregation.
I will, with God’s help.
Will you respect the new relationship that now begins
and offer your encouragement and prayers
for their continued ministry here?
I will, with God’s help.
 Prayer:
o God of life and resurrection,
God of love,
God of covenant,
we give thanks for remembered times
when we together have shared the life of faith.
We thank You for the moments we have shared with each other,
in worship, in learning, in play,
in laughter, in tears, in prayer, and in service.
We pray that we would be aware of Your guidance,
as circumstances have separated us.
We pray that Your Spirit continue to guide St. Andrew’s United Church,
Rev. Pierre Momberg and Dr. Celèste Momberg
in the ministry that You called each and every one of us on.
Be with us in our time of celebration.
Bless the insights we have received by your grace
during this mutual covenant, now ending.
We pray for wisdom, healing, and abundant new life.
May we move forward confidently
with renewed energy and vision;
in Christ we pray.
Amen.

Final Hymn:
 “On the Other Side” by Louis Brittz and William Warren

Commissioning:
 As this season ends, God sends us on different paths to continue the Missio Dei.
Wherever God sends us, we will go and serve.
Go with joy and gratitude for what we have shared
and believe in the eternal life that the risen Christ gave us.
We will persevere in the knowledge that death is not the end.
We have eternal life!
Christ is risen, death is defeated, and our parting is not the end.
This is not farewell—we’ll see each other again!

Blessing:
 The Lord will go before you to make your journey even.
The Lord is beside you to keep you in God’s arms.
The Lord is behind you to ward off the attacks of the Evil One.
The Lord is under you to carry you if you should fall.
The Lord is around you to protect you.
The Lord is above you to bless you.
The Lord is in you to guide you with the Holy Spirit.
The triune God is with you, from now on and forever.
- Old Irish Blessing

Sending out Hymn:
 VU 424 (May the God of Hope Go with Us)

08/30/2026

Today we said a sad farewell to our beloved minister and his wife. We wish them all the best in St. John. They will be deeply missed!

08/30/2026

Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Please find the link for Sunday's Service below:
https://youtube.com/live/edBHrTQhCrE?feature=share

St. Andrew's United Church

08/24/2026

Labouring in faith

Hymn sing:
 VU 337 (Blessed Assurance)
 VU 508 (Just as I am)

Celebration bear:

Announcements:
Important Dates:
 23 August 2026 @ 10:00: Food Bank for Charity Month (Juices)
 26 August 2026 @ 14:00: Official Board

 30 August 2026 @ 10:00: Food Bank for Charity Month (Personal care products)
 30 August 2026 @ 10:00: Rev. Pierre and Celèste Farewell Service with Holy Communion
 30 August 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time

 13 September 2026 @ 10:00: Grandparents’ Day: Family Service
 13 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time
 18 September 2026 @ 16:00: Teaspoon Night
 27 September 2026 @ 11:00: Social Time

Lighting of the Christ Candle:

Call to worship:
We declare:
God was by our side!
And so, we weren’t swallowed whole.
God was with us!
And so, the anger of others didn’t engulf us.
Like raging waters, our enemies rose up against us, ready to wash us away.
But God is among us!
And so, we were able to stay steadfast.
God saved us from those who would tear us apart; God broke the trap we were in and set us free.
God protects us. Now and forever more!

Prayer of approach:
Eternal God,
you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow,
and yet you come to us afresh each new day.
You breathe new life into what has grown tired and discouraged.
You offer healing for what is worn or broken.
You restore hope when things seem impossible.
You are the source of life and love for all your creatures,
and you renew us to put our love for you
into action for the wellbeing of your creation.
And so, we worship you, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit,
and offer our prayers and praise to you,
eternal and ever-present God, now and always.

Hymn:
 VU 657 (He leadeth me)

Opening prayer:

Confession:
 Merciful God,
we confess that we have strayed from your purposes.
You set a path for us to follow, but we conform to the ways of this world.
You give each of us gifts to use for the work of your kingdom,
but we wait for others to do what needs doing.
Forgive us for taking the easy way out,
and renew in us the eagerness and energy to serve.

Assurance of pardon:
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn us? Only Christ – and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. So let us make a fresh start today!

Hymn:
 VU 665 (Pass me not, O Gentle Saviour)

Prayer of illumination:
 Source of all wisdom and understanding,
amid so many competing voices, let us hear your word for our times.
Send your Holy Spirit to help us discern your will
and follow the path Jesus sets for us as your Living Word. Amen

Service of the Word:

Scripture reading:
Exodus 1:8-2:10

Sermon:
 A misconception the world has always lived under – since the beginning of time and maybe especially today – is that every generation is better at doing things than the previous one. Young people have always looked back on their elders, and believed they could do things better than they did.
 And this, of course, holds even more true when we are looking at a story which originated over four thousand years ago.
 Yet, looking at today’s scripture, it is a beautiful piece of narrative, with every word chosen with care.
 When we start analysing it, we can see that it is three stories woven into one, where each story becomes more and more personal, and the stakes higher.
 Interwoven with these three stories, is the story of a ruler who became more and more desperate, until his ultimate betrayal came from within.
 Now, to be honest, I’ve never really liked this story. Yes, I know as a kid, its impact was less for me, because the Sunday teachers and the children’s Bible inevitably focused on Moses being saved, not on the atrocity of the Pharaoh.
 But reading it now – even reading it with knowledge of modern storytelling – it becomes apparent how much of a villain the Pharoah was.
 So, how does this story fit together?
 Exodus 1 verses 8-14 is the first part of this story.
o It follows directly upon the reminder of where Genesis left off. In modern times, it was a bit of a “previously on this series” kind of deal. And the reminder was of what Joseph had done to save Egypt and all the surrounding nations from a famine generations ago.
o Then we get a hard break, with the narrator telling us that a new order was in power; a king to whom Joseph was nothing.
 Actually, thinking about that sentence, it is a peculiar remark within the world of Ancient Egypt. See, ancient Egypt was set within a world where history was the greatest tool of education – interwoven, of course – with religion. A king – a Pharaoh – would have been taught who Joseph was and what he had done for the people of Egypt. Joseph was a part of history, but would also have been part of mythology.
 To say that the history meant nothing to the Pharaoh meant that the Pharaoh chose to disregard the history of his people and the people who lived within his borders, and the stage was set for a foolish leader. Only foolish Pharaohs disregarded the stories of the past.
o And so, the foolish Pharaoh decided that the Hebrews posed a threat to his people. Yet, if he had listened to his history teachers, he would have known the Hebrews never intended to stay – they had always just been biding their time until they could relocate to their own land.
o The Hebrews, however, have been paying heed to the prophets, the history of their people, and God. They knew that they were merely biding their time. Most of them also knew that the promise of a new land would not come in their lifetimes, for they already knew four hundred years would have to pass until they left Egypt.
o But instead of becoming difficult, and instead of rising up and becoming the problem the Pharaoh feared them to be, they went about their lives, labouring peacefully while waiting on God.
o And because they were willing to wait on God, God blessed them with great numbers.
 In Genesis, we read that the only Israelites – Hebrews, as this text refers to them – who settled in Egypt, were Jacob, his sons and their extended family and workers. But by the time they left Egypt 430 years later, there were about two to three million Hebrews.
• I mean, I get why the Pharaoh was scared of them, you know.
 The second part of this tale is from Exodus 1 verse 15 to the end of the pericope.
o In this story, Pharaoh was becoming desperate. The more he forced the Hebrews to work, the more they grew in number. He worked them to the bone, but their numbers just increased.
o And so, he thought he could get to the Hebrews another way, and he sent for the midwives of the Hebrews, two women named Shipprah and Pu’Ah.
o What he told them was an abomination: that when they went to tend to the births of Hebrew women, they should kill every boy that was born.
 This, of course, makes sense in a demented way: boys grew up to be men, and men were the ones who would take up arms against the Pharaoh, showing just how foolish he was, because the history of Israel is filled with stories of courageous women who changed history. The irony that all three of these tales culminate in the downfall of the Pharaoh by women, would not have been lost on the original audience.
o Of course, without it being said, the implication to these women was that they would be punished – probably with death – if they disobeyed the Pharaoh.
o Yet, despite the immediate threat to them, the women trusted God and spared the boys. In fact, in order to do so, they told the Pharaoh a bald-faced lie. Which he, fool that he was, believed.
 Why he didn’t send Egyptian midwives in these two women’s stead baffles me. I can only conclude, once more, that he was a thick as a brick.
o But because these women trusted God and laboured in that trust, God blessed them with families of their own – the greatest blessing a woman could have.
 Our third part happens in the first verses of chapter two of Exodus.
o By now, the Pharaoh was pretty much coming apart at the seams, and somehow, in his deluded mind, he thought he could get away with telling his soldiers to go around the Hebrew area and kill every newborn son.
 The story, which had started wide, with the tale of a nation, had narrowed to the story of two faithful women, and now narrowed to the acts of a single mother protecting her son, showing once more that the Pharaoh underestimated the power of women.
• I want to emphasize here that, when I set out to write this, this wasn’t a story about the power of women, but of faith. Yet, because women were so powerless back in those days, the true faithfulness of God shines brighter in that women were the ones to topple a might king and his kingdom.
o And so, the mother of an unnamed boy made a little basket and put it in the reeds of the Nile, trusting her boy to the mercy of God.
 Yes, Miriam, his older sister, did keep an eye on the basket. But what would she have been able to do if someone had found the basket? She wasn’t there to protect him, but to witness him.
o And then the ultimate betrayal, although I doubt she thought it was: the Pharaoh’s own daughter found the baby who would grow up to be the downfall of the foolish Pharaoh.
o And in the way of the daughters of Israel, Miriam stepped out from the reeds, and between the two women they ensured, in silence, the future of Moses.
o In fact, not only did God bless Moses’ mother by saving her baby, but God also allowed Moses’ mother to raise her own child until he was about eight years old. She had laboured in faith, and God blessed her by letting her hear her son’s first words, to see his first steps, and to sing him the lullabies and stories of her own people.
 And Pharaoh? Well, we know how it ends for him eventually: in tears and death. All because he hadn’t laboured in faith – even if that was faith to his own teachings and own gods – and God took everything from him.
 The Hebrews, meanwhile, flourished. Life wasn’t always easy, and every individual knew they were merely keeping space for the next generation, yet God blessed them with big families and all the love and joy that go with having a family.
 Now, we know life is not simple. We know that nothing we can do can bring about a happy ending.
 But, as Pierre said two weeks ago, if we look at time the way the Hebrews did – by trusting that God will provide for us in the future because we can see how God provided for us in the past – we will know that faith will be rewarded.
 Living in faith – labouring in faith – isn’t always easy. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, and the greatest opponent to our faith isn’t something even as easily definable as atheism or superficial science, which argues that there is no God. No, our greatest opponent is a world which took our own beliefs and turned them just enough to make them worldly, and so told us we were no longer needed.
 Think about it: we live in a world with unprecedented charity movements, with individual human rights only ever dreamt about by Christ and His followers.
 So, if the world is that awesome, why do we still need God?
 Well, if we look at history, we know that every so often the Christian church is threatened. And in those times, numbers at first dwindle.
 Yet, without fail, God’s people survive, no matter the hardships. And those of us who keep on labouring in faith, will not only be rewarded, but we will step out from our enslavement stronger in faith and stronger in numbers than the world had ever seen before.
 If martyrdom couldn’t break God’s people, then a twisted lie will not be able to, either.
 Maybe we are just keeping the seats warm until it is time for the Exodus, but even so, we know that this, too, is not futile or without reward.
 God rewards those of us who labour in faith, and even if we don’t see the fruits today, we can live assured that our children will reap the fruits of our steadfast labour.
 So, today, I ask you only one thing: remain faithful. Remain steadfast. Keep on doing what you are doing in faith. God sees you, and God will reward you.
 Amen.

Response to the Word:
 Giving God,
We give You thanks and praise
for all of your gifts to us.
The sacrifice that honours God is a thankful heart.
We know that You are the source of every good thing.
You have given us so much,
and it is because we recognize the gifts You have given to us
that we now give to the work of Your kingdom.
We share from our bounty for the Missio Dei.
We dedicate this offering
to the work of Your kingdom here on earth.
May your Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven.
May this offering be used wisely and diligently,
that Your love may be known widely.
May your redeeming love be known to all people.
For this we pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

Mission and service story:

Prayers of the People:

Offertory:
 Invitation to Offering
Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that we all have gifts to share. When we give, let us generously offer what we have. When compassion opens our hearts, let us share cheerfully, so that God’s good work may continue.
Offertory Hymn:
VU 544 (In gratitude and humble trust)
Memorials:
A gift has been given to the St. Andrew's General Fund in memory of my cousin, Sheila Brake Fessenden, from Doris (Campbell) Williams.
Prayer of Dedication

Hymn:
 BB 135 (Trust and Obey)

Commissioning:
 Go now, strong in the mercies of God.
Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
so that knowing the will of God
your whole lives may become a sacrifice of praise,
holy and acceptable to God.

Blessing:
And may God, the Creator of earth and sky, be your help;
May the Son of the Living God ground you on solid rock;
And may the Holy Spirit equip you with all the gifts and graces of Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Recessional:
 VU 424 (May the God of Hope Go with Us)