Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday June 20, 2021
Message: Be a Blessing
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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* Monday 7pm Bible Study via Zoom
* Tuesday 7pm, Knox Board of Managers
* Thursday 7:30pm Lectio Divina via Zoom
* I will be on study leave from Sunday June 27 to Saturday July 10. Reverend John Young lead worship while I am away. In the event of a pastoral emergency please contact either Rev. John Young (705-641-8997) or your elder.
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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All power, all honour, all glory belong to You, O Lord. From the chaos You brought order. You are the Creator of all that is. While we were still sinners, You offered up Your life to atone for our sins, precious Redeemer. You alone are our Saviour. When we are lost, confused or struggling, You offer us guidance, comfort, strength and direction. You are the Holy Spirit, our strength in times of trouble. Creator, Redeemer and Spirit of Comfort we lift our hearts in joyful praise to You, welcoming Your presence in our worship and in our daily lives.
Lord, God you lift up the humble and bring down the proud, You give strength to the weak and weaken those who use power to oppress, You give us guidance and enable the seeker to hear Your voice, while placing stumbling blocks before those who believe they need no guidance, before those who refuse to seek or hear Your Word. You do not allow your faithful ones to suffer forever; but rather, You lift them up and set their feet upon the solid rock of Your Word.
Gracious God, hear our individual prayers of confession in this time of silence. /// Lord, forgive us our sins. Forgive us and help us to offer others the same measure of forgiveness you offer us. Through Christ we pray. AMEN

SHARING THE PEACE May the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you.
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Prayer of Intercession
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Compassionate God we hold up to you all the people who face the hatred of others simply because they look different, or act different or hold different views or beliefs. We pray specifically for the lone survivor of the London attack and for the entire Muslim community also scared by this terrible act of hatred.
Lord we lift up to you everyone who feels the oppression of the powerful ‘kneeling on their neck,’ suffocating their rights and strangling their sense of worth and depriving them of a life well lived. Lord, lift the knees of the oppressors and free the powerless to live in peace.
We pray for our brothers and sisters at home and all around the world affected by the Coronavirus over this past year and a half. Grant us patience and calm as vaccinations increase and Covid-19 cases decrease. Ease anxieties as borders reopen. Help us to be cognizant of others fears and concerns, reminding us to bless others through the love, patience and kindness You have taught us.
We pray for the congregations of Knox and Zion, and for the communities they serve.
We pray for students and for teachers and school staff as the school year winds down.
We pray for Your presence in all these situations, and we bring our prayers before You in the life-giving Name of Jesus Christ our LORD. AMEN
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“ Be a Blessing ”
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So far, in our journey through The Story, we have covered the books of Genesis through to Ruth. You may have noticed two common themes as we have been going through the Old Testament
1) God longs to bless us - we are called to be a blessing to others - God blesses others through us.
2) God wants us to trust in Him – to rely on Him - to realize that He is the source of our blessings, the source of all that is. We are called to humble ourselves before God.
This week, chapter 10 looks at several characters – the Priest, Eli and his less than righteous sons, Elkanah and his two wives, Peninnah and Hannah, and then there is Samuel, the first born of Hannah and finally Saul, who would be the first earthly king to rule over God’s Nation. This chapter covers a significant period of time along with the various characters, which I believe can be summed up nicely by 1 Samuel 2: 1-10, often titled ‘Hannah’s Prayer.’
Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
“There is no one holy like the LORD, there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
“The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the LORD will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah’s prayer expresses her reliance upon God and her humility and gratitude. This prayer also makes clear that God provides for the hungry and guards the feet of the faithful, that God humbles those who exalt themselves and silences the wicked. Hannah’s prayer highlights another biblical theme; the last shall be first and the first shall be last – the humble will be raised up and the proud will be brought down. Hannah pours out her heart to God with words that express her experiences and her great joy at the blessing she has received.
So, lets back up a bit and get a little context. As I mentioned previously, Hannah was one of the two wives of Elkanah. Hannah was unable to give her husband a child, while the other wife, Peninnah, gave him many sons and daughters.
Now, lets think for a second about the theme of receiving God’s blessings, being a blessing so that God could bless others through you. Peninnah is blessed, and in a culture that looked down upon women who could not produce children, one might think that Peninnah might bless Hannah through kindness – perhaps including her in the life of her children. But the woman who has been blessed with many children does not bless others, instead, we read that she provoked Hannah to the point of tears. She flaunted her blessings, causing harm to another.
So Hannah goes to the House of the Lord, and she pours out her heart and her request before God, promising God that if he would give her a son she would give the child back in service to God. And it is while Hannah is deep in prayer that we meet the priest Eli, who accuses her of being drunk. Ouch!
Eli, it turns out has plenty of problems of his own with his rebellious sons, who, instead of serving in the House of the Lord, were helping themselves to more than their share of the offering. Instead of disciplining his sons and encouraging them to be a blessing, Eli turned a blind eye and lets the priestly line be tainted with corruption.
Hannah’s prayer was answered, and baby Samuel was born. She honoured her promise to God, and when the boy was weaned, she took him to the House of the Lord, to the priest Eli (yes, the same one who accused her of being drunk) to be raised under his guidance.
Each year when Hannah went to the House of the Lord she would bring Samuel a new robe she had made for him. The priest Eli blessed her, and she bore three more sons and two daughters.
Hannah’s prayer reflects her experiences as she praises God and gives Him the glory for lifting her from her suffering and blessing her with children. Her prayer also has a prophetic sense to it reflecting that biblical theme of the proud and corrupt being brought down and the humble and faithful being raised up. But the real prophecy in this prayer is the final line, “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Hannah had dedicated her son to serve in God’s house, but she could not have known that one day her son would anoint the first earthly king of Israel, Saul, and years later he would also anoint a young shepherd boy, David, who would become a king after God’s heart. At the time of Hannah’s prayer, God led the people through the priests and the Judges of Israel.
So, the curtain closes on Hannah’s story and moves to Samuel. Now the story of Samuel was set as the era of the judges was ending. You may recall that the book of Judges concludes with these words: ‘In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.’ Judges 21:25
God worked through Samuel to turn the chapter of Israel’s history from the era of the judges to the beginning of the monarchy. But before we turn that page, let us remember the two biblical themes I mentioned at the beginning,
1) God longs to bless us and we are called to be a blessing to others. When we do, God blesses others through us.
2) God wants us to trust in Him, to realize that He is the source of our blessings, the source of all that is. We are called to humble ourselves before God.
Well, the people are struggling on both themes. Like Peninnah was to Hannah, God’s holy nation were more prone to taunting, oppressing and complaining then they were to blessing others. God had blessed them with freedom, provisions, and fertile land as an inheritance. The people were given leaders – prophets – judges and priests to guide them. The people had been blessed abundantly, but over and over again they did not bless others, and much of that likely comes from them taking their blessing and then forgetting where their protection and provisions came from.
So as the era of the judges ends and the people are all doing their own thing, which, like every other time they have done their own thing, lands them at the mercy of surrounding nations, the people complain to Samuel they want a king to rule over them like all the other nations (because that ought to solve all their problems). What they fail to remember is that God is their king. By asking for a king, they once again reject God.
Samuel is not impressed with their request and He goes off to talk with God about it. Here we see the wisdom of Samuel, who despite his displeasure with their request does not refuse the people, but rather, goes and talks with God about it. God says, if they want a king, give them a king, but first let them know they have rejected me, their one true King, and this king they want will rule over them and enslave the people into service.
And the next character we are introduced to is Saul. He is a handsome dude, and although he hails from the smallest of the clans of Israel, he stands about a foot taller than the average person and proves to be a splendid military leader – for a time, anyway. God blesses Saul in his leadership, but, like so many before him, Saul forgets his blessings, forgets where his calling came from and who he serves. Saul forgets to bless others. Power and an over inflated ego led to his downfall. Instead of being a vessel through whom God would bless the kingdom, the mighty Saul was brought down, bringing the Israelite people down with him.
Before his time on the throne concluded, God would call Samuel to anoint a young shepherd boy as Saul’s future replacement. King Saul, the first king of Israel, lived out his final years in a jealous rage, exerting all his energy and resources trying to destroy the one who would become a great king and lead the people back into a covenant relationship with God.
It is sad, because it did not have to be this way. It is never God’s will that people should suffer, but God also does not stop us when we choose to do things our own way.
Amidst this cast of characters and their stories is a nugget of hope, Hannah and the child Samuel, a child born out of prayer and promise. A child and a promise that inspire Hannah’s prayer. I encourage you to read this prayer sometime this week from 1Samuel 2:1-10.
Peninnah chose to tease and torment instead of blessing. Eli’s sons abused their authority and stole from the House of God instead of living up to their call to bless. Eli overlooked the sins of his sons, thus serving the people hypocrisy instead of blessings. Saul let the power of his position go to his head and instead of leading the people to live in covenant with God, he led them into destruction and chaos. Instead of blessing the people he was called to serve, Saul let his jealousy derail them.
But Hannah gives us hope. She lives her life in faithful humble service to God. She acknowledges God as the source of all blessing. She blesses others by keeping her promise, and God blessed Israel through her child of promise – through Samuel.
Friends, it is God’s will to bless you and for you to realize Him as your source of blessing. It is God’s will for you to bless others by sharing God’s love and blessings with them. And when you will live in and live out God’s blessings, He will bless others through you.
God wants you to trust in Him, to realize that He is the source of your blessings, the source of all that is.
Friends, we are called to humble ourselves before God and to share God’s blessings in the world. So let us serve together in love to shine the hope of our faith into the world around us. Let us receive God’s blessings and let us bless our families, our communities and our world.
You are called to be a blessing! AMEN
Please join me in this prayer: Lord, it is so very easy for us to fall into the habit of thinking that all we have is the result of our own efforts and fail to see You as the source. Sure, our talent and hard work might earn us a good career, but You have provided us with our talents and given us good health – You are the source. Lord, we need a constant reminder to give You all praise for our blessings and to be a blessing to others. Help us remember You in all we say and do. Thank you for the stories of old that serve to remind us of Your great love and patience – stories that remind us to be a blessing. In Christ’s Name we pray. AMEN
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#763 To Show by Touch and Word.
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To show by touch and word devotion to the earth,
to hold in high regard all life that comes to birth,
we need, O God, the will to find y=the good you have of old in mind.

Inspire our hearts to choose the things that matter most,
to speak and do the truth, creating peace and trust.
for every challenge that we face we need your guidance and your grace.

Let love from day to day by touchstone, guide and norm,
and let our lives portray your Word in human form.
Now come with us, that we may have your wits about us where we live.

Words: Fred Kaan (1929 – ) Music: Ron Klasmeier (1946 - )
Words © 1975, 1996 Hope Publishing Company Music © WorshipArts, 1974
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Commission & Benediction
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Friends, go out knowing God’s blessings in your life. Go, and bless others.
And as you do . . .
May the love, grace and peace of God go with you. AMEN
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Support the Work of Knox and Zion in 2021
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DONATIONS TO ZION, TORRANCE
Mail cheques to Zion Presbyterian Church 1046 Torrance Rd, Torrance, ON, P0C 1M0
E-Transfers to zionchurchpc@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765 3797 to arrange pick up

DONATIONS TO KNOX, PORT CARLING
Mail cheques to Knox Presbyterian Church Box 283, Port Carling, ON,
P0B 1J0
E-Transfers to KnoxChurchPC@gmail.com No security question required