Sunday Bulletin – Knox Presbyterian Church

Sunday, June 7th, 2026
Guest Minister of Word and Sacrament ~ The Rev. Kathy Fraser

Prelude Arioso
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. J.S. Bach. Arr. S. Drummond Wolff)

Welcome and Announcements

Responsive Call to Worship
As we gather in the love of God, the mystery of the risen Christ, and the blessing of the Spirit, let us listen for the voice of the Holy One.
As we offer our voices in praise and prayer, may we hear a whisper of greeting, an invitation to see beyond the obvious, a word of hope to calm our troubled minds.
Let us be still, and know that God is with us always.
Leading us into green pastures of grace, beside still waters of love, along paths of peace.

*Hymn # 436 God, We Praise You For The Morning
1. God, we praise you for the morning;
hope springs forth with each new day,
new beginning, prayer and promise,
joy in work and in play.

2. God, we praise you for creation,
mountains, seas and prairie land.
Waking souls find joy and healing
in your bountiful hand.

3. God, we praise you for compassion,
all the loving that you show;
human touching, tears and laughter,
help your children to grow.

4. God, we praise you for your Spirit,
Comforter and daily friend;
restless searcher, gentle teacher,
strength and courage you send.

5. God, we praise you for the Saviour,
come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising,
Christ is Lord of our days.

6. Hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Christ is Lord of our days!

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

The Lord’s Prayer
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and what shall be.
Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
the hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Assurance of Pardon and Peace
Surely divine goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives
And we will dwell forever in the house of God’s forgiveness and compassion.

*Hymn # 624 Blest Are They
1. Blest are they, the poor in spirit;
theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Blest are they, full of sorrow;
they shall be consoled.
Refrain:
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you; holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the Kingdom of God!

2. Blest are they, the lowly ones;
they shall inherit the earth.
Blest are they, who hunger and thirst;
they shall have their fill.
Refrain:
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you; holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the Kingdom of God!

3. Blest are they who show mercy;
mercy shall be theirs.
Blest are they, the pure of heart;
they shall see God!
Refrain:
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you; holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the Kingdom of God!

4. Blest are they who seek peace;
they are the children of God.
Blest are they who suffer in faith;
the glory of God is theirs.
Refrain:
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you; holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the Kingdom of God!

5. Blest are you who suffer hate,
all because of me.
Rejoice and be glad – yours is the kingdom –
shine for all to see.
Refrain:
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you; holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the Kingdom of God!

Anthem Psalm of Quietness
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. John F. Wilson. Arr. Jack Schrader)

Children’s Time

Scripture Readings

Responsive Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures;
leads me beside still waters;
3 restores my soul,
and leads me in right paths
for the sake of the Lord’s name.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for the length of my days.

Old Testament
Isaiah 11:1-3, 6-9 RSV
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
and the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall feed;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 5:1-9 RSV
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Response to the Word of God
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God for this word to us today.

*Hymn # 474 The Love Of God Comes Close
1. The love of God comes close
where stands an open door,
to let the stranger in,
to mingle rich and poor.
The love of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the love of God is here to stay.

2. The peace of God comes close
to those caught in the storm,
forgoing lives of ease
to ease the lives forlorn.
The peace of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the peace of God is here to stay.

3. The joy of God comes close
where faith encounters fears,
where heights and depths of life
are found through smiles and tears.
The joy of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the joy of God is here to stay.

4. The grace of God comes close
to those whose grace is spent,
when hearts are tired or sore
And hope is bruised and bent.
The grace of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the grace of God is here to stay.

5. The Son of God comes close
where people praise his name,
where bread and wine are blest
and shared as when he came.
The Son of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk the Way;
the Son of God is here to stay.

Sermon God Of The Unexpected

Offering

*Doxology All Things are Yours
All things are yours,
We make that true
When we return our gifts to you.
And so we give, and so we share.
In Christ’s strong name expressing care.
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Worship & Rejoice # 687)

Offertory Prayer

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession

*Hymn # 674 In The Bulb There Is A Flower
1. In the bulb there is a flower,
in the seed, an apple tree,
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
in the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

2. There’s a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there’s a dawn in every darkness
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

3. In our end is our beginning,
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing,
in our life, eternity,
in our death, a resurrection,
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

*Benediction

*Response Go, Make a Diff’rence
Chorus:
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

1. We are the salt of the earth,
called to let the people see
the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world,
Not to be hidden but seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Chorus:
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. More Voices # 209)