Colour Your World with M&S

2009/2010 M&S Fund Worship Service1

Colour Your World with M&S

by Brian Nicholson, minister of Kleinburg Nobleton Pastoral Charge, Toronto Conference

Preparing for the Service

Children’s Time

Supplies

black-and-white or sepia photos (of any subject)
colour photos (of any subject)
roll of newsprint
tape or glue sticks
numerous small pieces of paper
crayons in the M&S rainbow colours
MandateMission and Service Fund Special Edition (available annually in August; see to download sample articles)

Show the children the black-and-white or sepia photos. Askwhat they think when they see photos like these. Do they miss colour?

Next show them the colour photos. How do the different colours make the children feel? What are their favourite colours? Are there colours they don’t like?

Look at what the children are wearing. Make positive comments such as: “That blue brings out the colour of your eyes,” “Pink is your colour,” “What a gorgeous shade of purple,” and so on.

Then tell the story of Noah seeing the rainbow, explaining how it was a sign of hope to the world—God’s promise that never again would there be such a great flood. The rainbow is a sign of God’s love for us; it is a sign of hope.

Speculate that maybe that’s why the Mission and Service Fund logo is in the colours of the rainbow, explaining that we share God’s love with the world through our gifts to the M&S Fund and bring hope to those in Canada and around the world with whom we minister and share.

Sunday School Activity

Ahead of time,draw a rainbow on a piece of newsprint. Start with red at the top and then work down using, in order, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Leave a space between each arc of colour to attach pieces of paper. The size of the rainbow can vary to suit any size group.

Referring to the MandateMission and Service Fund Special Edition, write on small pieces of paper the names of UnitedChurch partners or countries where M&S works using the colours in the M&S logo. For instance, you could write“China” in blue or green crayon. Place each slip of paper below the corresponding colour on the rainbow.

Help the children write or print their names on the slips of paper. Give them as much paper as they want; they may write their names many times in all the colours.They may also wish to write other names, possibly family or members of the congregation.

Retell the story of Noah and the rainbow (Genesis 9:9–13), and remind the children that the rainbow is a sign of God’s love. Tell the children that the M&S Fund is a way to say thank you to God for this love and to help boys and girls in our own church, in Canada, and throughout the world.

Gather the pieces of paper, grouping them by colour, and have the children attach the names in the correct arcs using tape or glue sticks.

Preparing for the Sermon

Supplies

Minutes for Mission book (available annually; see download) or MandateMission and Service Fund Special Edition (available annually in August; see to download sample articles)
world map or globe
adhesive bandages (various colours, if possible)
a candle in each of the following colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,and purple (the colours of the M&S Fund logo)

In the annual Minutes for Mission book or the Mandate M&S Special Edition,find up to sixmission stories from different parts of Canada and around the world.Locate these areas on a map or globe and mark them with an adhesive bandage. For emphasis, choose stories from a wide area.

Notes for the Sermon

Note that the world is filled with bad news. Newscasts deliver 28 minutes of bad news and then end in a lighter vein. Television networks tell bad news: political scandals, economic downturns, increasing violence, and hopelessness. We live in a world that delights in gossip and the downfall of celebrities, sports stars, and business titans.

We are told things are getting worse; we say the world is going to heck in a hand basket and “The youth of today are so much scarier than when I was young. It wasn’t done that way in my day.” We believe people who say there is more violence now than a few years ago despite the fact statistics tell us the opposite is true.

We live in a world where we are taught that some people do not have enough to eat and that the world is running out of resources such as fossil fuel, clean water, and air. We are taught as children that it is a good thing to share with others, but in the same breath we are taught to protect or horde what we have already. We are taught to doubt that God has truly provided all we need to survive. We are taught to take care of ourselves first.

We are taught to be modest and ask what possible difference one person can make. We might say, “I don’t have anything special to contribute.” We pray that God will choose someone else and not us. We are taught to keep good news to ourselves. We don’t want to brag; to over-celebrate our gifts and talents is to be brash and rude.

Churches are not immune to this way of thinking. We do not celebrate what we have but think about what we do not have. We talk about who is missing and not about those who are here. We constantly think back to the church’s “glory days” and overlook the wonders of what we do now.

In this way, we ignore the riches that we have as a church. We can and still do much to make this world a better place. We are vehicles of hope.

The Mission and Service Fund is one way by which we can improve our world. Tell each of your chosen stories and point out the bandages on the map or globe. These represent that, through M&S, we help to heal a broken world. Remind the congregation that the work of M&S is not to simply throw money at a problem;rather, through M&S, we enter into partnerships with people in Canada and overseas to meet challenges.

As the rainbow is a sign of God’s hope for the world, the M&S Fund is a sign ofhope for the world. It is fitting that the colours of M&S are the colours of the rainbow.

HymnSelections

“Sing Praises to God” (Voices United 228)

“God of the Sparrow” (VU 229)

“When a Poor One” (VU 702)

“Thou Ancient Walls” (VU 691)

“It’s a Song of Praise to Our Maker” (More Voices 30)

“Spirit, Open My Heart” (MV 79)

“My Love Colours Outside the Lines” (MV 138)

“Go, Make a Diff’rence” (MV 209)

Colour Your World with M&S

A Service to Promote the Mission and Service Fund

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship

One:God, we give you thanks for creating the world in all its diversity.

All: You created the mountains and the plains; you created the deserts and the rain forests. You created the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, and all of the animals of the land.

One:God has made each one of us unique. Some are tall, some short, some strong, some weak, some male, some female.

All: Like the many different colours of the rainbow, we are united by God’s love to proclaim God’s glory.

One:Come, let us worship God.

Opening Hymn

“Sing Praises to God” (Voices United228)

“It’s a Song of Praise to Our Maker” (More Voices30)

Lighting of the Red Candle

Today we have a candlelighting ceremony representing the colours of the rainbow and the colours of the Mission and Service Fund. As these candles are lit, we remember the wonderful work we are able to do together through the Mission and Service Fund. First we light the red candle.

(If you do not have candles in all the colours, simply say, “We light this candle representing the colour red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple.”)

Red is a vibrant colour and is used to represent our striving for peace and justice in the world. As this candle shines this morning, may we think of all those people who are hurtingand those who are innocent victims of war. Through gifts to our Mission and Service Fund, we help to make the world a kinder place, where human rights are respected. Through M&S and the United for Peace Fund, we are working for peace. As the light from this candle fills this room, may we be reminded of the many ways we strive for a better world through M&S.

(The red candle is lit.)

Opening Prayer

Creating God, be with us now as we come together in worship. Strengthen us as we reach out to the corners of the globe, like the far-reaching rainbow. Open our hearts to the needs of others. Open our souls to the indwelling of the Spirit. This we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

God, we know that often we close our hearts and minds to the needs of others. We ignore the cries of our neighbours. We turn a blind eye to problems in our own country and overseas. We feel that we are helpless and there is nothing we can do. For this short-sightedness, forgive us,O God. Help us to remember that you are a God who is ever faithful. You are there for us at all times. You have given us a world of much wealth. Your promises like the one made to Noah are forever.

(Time of silence)

Assurance of Pardon

God is loving and giving. God’s abundant love reaches out to all of us. God’s mercy is bestowed on each of us. Amen.

Lighting of the OrangeCandle

We now light this orange candle, which represents the church on this day. We are reminded that it was the early orange light that shone on that first Easter Day and revealed the empty tomb. Orange also represents the life of our church. We are thankful for hymn books and Sunday school curriculum that teach us our faith. We are thankful for students who are studying for the ministry. We are thankful for the leadership of ministry personnel who inspire and encourage people on the way. We are thankful for lay leaders who give their time, talents, and treasure to our congregations. We are reminded of congregations who receive grants from the Mission and Service Fund to continue their ministry.

(The orange candle is lit.)

Children’s Time

Lighting of theYellow Candle

We now light this yellow candle, yellow being the colour of the sun. Yellow is a hopeful, cheery sign. Daffodils and forsythia, with their bright blossoms, are early signs of spring. May this colour be a reminder for us of the community ministries here in Canadathat help to brighten the lives of others. We reach out to the homeless, refugees, those suffering from addictions, new Canadians, women’s groups, teens in crisis, and all those affected by the current economic crisis. Wherever there is a need in this country, thank goodness the Mission and Service Fund is there, offering hope, like the first blossoms of spring after a long, cold winter.

(The yellow candle is lit.)

Hymn

“God of the Sparrow” (VU229)

or “Spirit, Open My Heart”(MV 79)

We Gather to Hear God’s Word

Genesis 9:8–17 God establishes the rainbow as a sign of promise made to humankind

Psalm 36 (VU page 762) A psalm about the abundant light of God

Lighting of the Green Candle

In the beginning of the world, O God, you looked at the creation and called it good. Green represents the colour of life. The first shoot poking up out of the ground, the opening buds on the tree after a long winter, and the many shades of green of the forest are all symbols of life. As we light this green candle, let us give thanks for those who grow our food, which provides abundance for many. Let us remember those who care for our environment. Let us remember those who push for clean drinking water. Let us think of those who promote healthy living. For all the ways that the Mission and Service Fund supports programs like these, we give you thanks.

(The green candle is lit.If you wish, special music may play here.)

Matthew 6:25–34 God’s abundance

Sermon: Colour Your World with M&S

We Respond to the Word

Hymn

“When a Poor One” (VU 702)

or“My Love Colours Outside the Lines” (MV 138)

Lighting of the Blue Candle

It is said that from space the world looks like a big blue marble. So this blue candle today represents the whole earth. As we light it we remember our overseas partners, who teach us much about what it means to be a person of faith in this time. We remember overseas personnel who work in countries throughout the globe. We pray for guidance as we work with our global coalition partners. We give thanks for the ministries of our partner denominations. As the light from this blue candles fills this room, may we remember our global partners, who are a source of light in our world.

(The blue candle is lit.)

Presentation of Our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory

Prayer of Dedication

Loving God, accept these gifts, which were given by our different hands. Individually each gift may be small. Yet, when added with the other gifts, they are a sign of our love and devotion for your church and the world. And today we give thanks for the Mission and Service Fund, our response to your call to live in partnership with the world. Amen.

Litany of Thanksgiving and Intercession

At the close of each petition, the leader will say, “Creator God, maker of all things” and the congregation will respond, “Colour our world with love.”Let us pray.

Holy One, you made this world as a lush paradise. You gave us soils that produce bounteous crops, flowers that fill our air with fragrance, and other people to fill us with love. Everything we need to survive has been provided for us. We do not want for anything.