Worship Leader:  Doug Dunster                                                 Music Director:  Tim Hallman, B.Mus., B.Ed.

May 17, 2026

With the Men’s Choir

“Faith and Music”

Welcome / Announcements / Celebrations

Land Acknowledgement
We come here today to worship our God and sing praises to the Lord and be blessed.  We give thanks for the holy ground once inhabited by our native brothers and sisters who believed no man owns the land, we are but caretakers for a short while.

Lighting of Christ Candle and Rainbow Candle
We light the Christ candle as a symbol of the fact that Christ is the light of the world and if we follow that light we can never be lost.

We light the rainbow candle as a sign that all who believe are welcome.

Call to Worship

Hymn: “This Is the Day”

Passing of the Peace (responsive)
ONE:  The peace of the risen Christ be with us all.
ALL:   The joy of the risen Christ be with us all.
ONE: The Peace of Christ

Opening Prayer
Dear Lord, we pause our busy lives for a time of rest and restoration, to receive your blessings and receive your guidance for our lives.  Open our eyes so we see your love all around us.  Open our ears so we hear your holy word.  Open our hearts so we can receive your peace given us only by your grace.  For your love and peace are only ours by your gift of your grace.  We ask this in your holy name, Amen.

Hymn:   Praise to the Lord, (green music booklet #17)

Scripture:   Psalm 100: 1-5
                   Luke 17: 5-6

Anthem:  Happy the Home When God is There  (Blue Hymnary #394)

Reflection:  Faith and Music

We have the question- where do I get faith?  How do I get faith?  What is faith?  So what is faith?  If we reference the TV character Archie Bunker on the sitcom All in the Family, he in one of his arguments with his atheist son-in-law, the meathead, as Archie called him, described faith.

Michael challenged Archie, How can you believe in God?  A God you can’t see or touch, a God that allows poverty, sickness, crime and war?  How can there be a God?

Archie’s response was simple.  It’s Faith my boy, FAITH, you know it’s believing something that no one in their right mind would believe.

Archie’s response was somewhat correct, I suppose.  No we can’t see a physical being that we can touch, we can’t shake his hand or sit down to dinner with him.  We CAN have a person relationship with our God.  Through prayer and worship, we can see him in the love of others we meet every day in their acts of love and kindness.

If we believe the words in the bible, the teachings in the bible, we can nurture Faith.  It is not an instant thing, the more you learn the deeper faith grows.  So how/where do we get the faith.

We study God’s word, we join with each other in worship and community and we see the Faith of others and learn from them as well.

We cannot earn it or buy it, we have to learn and grow with God’s word and Grace.

My journey started here 70 years ago.  I was baptized at this very baptism font  I was raised in a home of faith, I attended Sunday School here through my teen years, and in my senior year of Sunday School, with Mrs Vada Davidson as our teacher, I found the joy of knowing the Lord.  We gathered in the front seats for class; there were eight or nine of us, I think JoAnn and David were part of that class.

Each week, Mrs Davidson started our lessons with a simple prayer with basically the same words.  Thank you for this day.  Open our ears and minds that we can learn more about your love.

As an impatient teen I remember thinking at the time, here we go, the same old prayer.

Then one day I truly listened to the words of that prayer with my heart and my personal journey began.

There were many others in the church family who helped my faith to grow; Catherine Clow, Grant Hudson, Edith Phillips, Reverend Burry Wiseman and Reverend Murray McGlashan, to name but a very few.
The most important were Mom and Dad.

Mother, an 86 year member of this congregation, was involved in the UCW, Sunday School, church board, youth group leader, bible study leader, choir and more.  Most important to me was her steadfast belief in her Lord, her God, her teacher and redeemer.  She was a shining light to all who knew her.  She especially was fond of the youth.  Many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon she helped to tie up skates in her kitchen for 20 or so neighbourhood kids  who came to skate on our family rink.

Father was also a life member of this church.  Although not active in the day to day operation of the church, in my memory Dad also had a strong enduring faith which he taught me by example.  Father believed in fair dealings with others he did not need a signed contract, his word and hand shake with yours was all that was needed.  But his faith was much deeper.

As a youngster part of my chores, morning and night, before school and after was to feed milk to the calves.  One year there were 35 all at once.  This had to be done before the bus came.  It was a 15 mile walk to school.  Thankfully I never had to make that walk.

Many times when I go out to the barn, above the rustle of the cows and the rumble of the old milker pumps, I would hear this song, my father’s voice,  And he walks with me and he talks with me, song in the garden.

From my father I gained a love for the old hymns.

In the youth group of the early 1970’s we were all excited about a new hymn, thanks to a gospel singing group called The Couriers.

I was playing this one song on the record player, over and over again (way before Google came along) so I could write down the words so we could sing it.  I must have annoyed dad with this.  He got up and left the room.  Actually, he went to the front room to the piano and brought out Grandma’s old Methodist hymn book, opened to my new song - written in 1896.

Some of my happiest memories here are with our youth group.  Twenty to 30 of us.  We played games that had a teaching theme, did some bible study, but mostly we sang.  Songs of faith and praise new and old.

For eight to ten years, the youth group presented an Easter sunrise service at 7 am with breakfast after.  The church most times was packed.  We learned God’s love and to use the talents God had given us.  More recently I was watching a Gaither music video.  Singer song writer Joey Feek was in hospital battling cancer.  Between her treatments she, with the help of her husband recorded an old hymns record and she sang all the time in the hospital.

Another patient in the same situation, asked Joey, how she can have such a positive attitude - you might not beat this thing?  Joey answered, If God takes this affliction from me, I am a winner.  But if God calls me home, I am still a winner because I will be with my Lord.

All through school I did not like to read and even a few pages  was as exciting as a good toothache.  By the time I got to page ten I forgot what page one was about.  That is likely why I got a 43 grade in grade ten English.

For me, my faith, my belief in the Lord was greatly strengthened and sustained by music.  I love the words of the bible, but it is as much the music that keeps my faith fresh and alive.

I heard it said, the job of a Christian song writer was to take the scripture and put the words to music.

I believe God is God, that he created all people and all things on this great earth.  He gave us the responsibility to look after his creation, he calls us to worship him and give him thanks and praise for his blessings.

The hardest trial in my faith journey was the passing of my wife Jean of 30 years.  While sitting in the hospital beside her bed I questioned the Lord why are you taking Jean from me.  As I sat there in the wee hours of the morning, with quiet thought and prayer, the answer came to me, as if someone whacked me across the head with a 2x4.  I came to realize God was not taking Jean from me, God was as he promised, waiting for her earthly journey to end, to receive her into her eternal home, which is there for all who believe.  For Jesus said to his followers, In my Father’s kingdom, there are many mansions.  I go to prepare a place for you and you will sit with me at the Father’s throne. 

Fifty years ago I went to a Sunday School teachers training day.  One of the speakers said.  There are four doors into the church.

1) You are born into the church, parents, grand parents all went here.
2) You moved to the area and seached for a church where you felt at home.
3)  You were not happy where you were attending church and sought out a church that held the same ideals you liked - community outreach - world outreach and so on.
4)  You were looking for and found a church that spoke the theology you agreed with and found it here.

A gentleman, quite an imposing figure, stood and raised his hand
Yes sir
This man said, you have four great doors to your church, but you have me locked out.  He shared his story.  I had a nice home, beautiful wife and kids, a good life.  Then the business I worked for shut down.  No job, no money.  Quit church, I became verbally abusive to my wife, kids and friends.  I could not find work.

A real friend told me of a good job in the next town where his cousin worked.  I got an interview and headed out, thinking, well I won’t get that job either.  As I drove down the road I turned on the radio; wife’s opera, hard rock, no way, easy listening, eh, then one more try. Here was a choir of about 100 voices, singing Amazing Grace.  For some reason these words touched me, I cried such that I could not drive.  When the hymn was over, I pulled myself together and went on to the interview  - I got the job.  I went home with the good news and begged my family to forgive my behaviour.  We went back to church.   Home and family saved.
So, if you want me to come to your church you must have a door marked, Music.

I was visiting with friends from the Amish community at Junetown, a family with children.  I was invited to supper.  Then went to the living room for a visit and then sang for an hour or so, songs of faith.  Pick a hymn and sing - accapella.  Some I knew well, some I had not known.  When they asked me to pick a hymn I said, Jesus Loves Me.  The father asked if there was a special reason for this choice.  My response was, people think of this only as a children’s song, but if we look at the words, even just the first line, JESUS LOVES ME, now.  If we don’t believe that, we might as well all go home right now.

Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life for us.  And only by his Grace can we claim salvation.

If I did not have this knowledge, this faith, I don’t know where I would be today, both physically and mentally.

My faith allowed me at the moment of Jean’s passing to say in quiet prayer, OK Lord, she is in your hands now, you look after her until you call me home. 

With faith and through prayer, the Lord can and will see us through all our earthly trials.  I leave you with this to think about.  What trials in your life has your faith carried you through?

Praise be to God.  AMEN

Hymn:  “Jesus Loves Me”  VU 365 vs 1 & 2

Offering
In response to the gifts given to us, let us now present our offering.

Offering Hymn:  “We Give Thee but Thine Own” VU 543

Offering Prayer
Lord bless these our gifts, a portion of what you have given to us, so they can be used to help those in need, bless also our gifts of time and talent that keep our church alive.

Men’s Choir:  “Blown’ In The Wind” and “Farmers Song”

Prayers of the People
Lord be with our government leaders, guide them to make the best decisions for our country.  Be with those with health issues and troubled minds.  Give them peace and health.  Be with those affected by war and strife.  Help them to know the strength of your gentle hands holding them up.  Help those Lord, who are hurting, grieving, hungry, lonely and scared, be with those who are homeless and those who are battling with life threatening addictions.  Give them peace of mind and soul, help them to know the touch of your healing hands.

Thank you Lord for all your blessings given to us all.  We offer this prayer knowing you are always holding our hand.  Amen

Hymn:  “O Lord My God (How Great Thou Art)”  VU 238

Benediction
Go into the world knowing God is with us always.  Go into the world sharing God’s light with everyone we meet.

Hymn:  “Go Now in Peace”

 

 

 

         "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