Joyful. Joyful we Adore TheeMuskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Message: Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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1) The Session of Zion meets via Zoom, Tuesday Jan 19th, 2p.m.
2) The Session of Knox meets via Zoom, Tuesday Jan 19th, 7p.m.

3) Lectio Divina is held via Zoom on Thursday evenings 7-9 p.m.

4) Worship services are recorded on Thursday mornings. If you have an announcement you would like included in the online service or in the printed copy of the announcements, please email them to Reverend Faith by Wednesday’s at noon.

5) The recent Emergency Measures issued by the Ontario government has left many feeling like this will never end! It reminds me of the feeling I used to get running cross country races. There was that rush of the starting line where you figure you can run this race and win – you are motivated and you follow the advice of your coach to pace yourself and not burn all your energy at the start. At different points along the race you have shifting emotions – you move ahead and feel it is in your grasp – someone slides past you and you begin to feel a little deflated. There is a point towards that last length where it is easy to give up – it feels like you have been running, but getting nowhere near the finish line. This is where the coach plants a motivator – someone to start cheering you on and pacing alongside you – “you can do It” – “the end is close” – “your tired, but you got this” – “keep moving” – “keep going” – “you have come so far” – “don’t give up now” – “seize the win!!!”
Friends, let me be your motivator today. The vaccine rollout has begun! Yes, we still have the last length of this race to go, but we will win this race and we will do it together. I encourage each of you to stay home as much as possible so we don’t win this race alone. Let us work together to save as many lives as we can, because we all deserve to cross the finish line together. It has been a tough race. It is not over yet. We have each other. Please, stay home as much as you can. Wear a mask when you are out. Respect one another’s space. Pick up the phone and call people everyday – one person a day. Send out cards and notes of encouragement, especially to people who live alone. Thank people for staying home, and motivate everyone you talk to. The vaccine is being rolled out – it will take awhile, but we are in the last leg of this race, and we are not going to let covid wear us down! May God bless you and may Christ be your motivator to the end! AMEN!
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Call to Worship
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Before the mountains were born or You brought forth all of creation,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Together, across the airwaves, we worship God. AMEN
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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All creation sings for joy to You, our Creator. You fill us with life and love and praise and You reveal Yourself through all Your hands have made.
The earth and the heavens reflect Your glory and the angels sing Your praise.
Earth and sky – sun and moon – flowers and trees – birds and the animals call out to rejoice in You.
All was created good, yet temptation triggered human desire, separating humanity from Your presence. Graceous and giving Lord, You did not let sin win out – giving of Yourself to free us from sins grip. You paid our debt that we might receive the undeserved gift of forgiveness. When we confess our sins to You, You cleanse us, replacing our shame and sorrow with abundant Joy.
O God of creation, teach us how to love as You do – lift us to Your Joy divine. ///
Fill us with Your joyous presence now, as we unite our voices to repeat the prayer Jesus taught us, saying, “ Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thine will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever. AMEN
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Scripture
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Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
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Message
“ Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee ”
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God has a plan for you – plans to give you hope and a future – good plans for God’s people. //
Yet we can, and often do, lose sight of God’s plans and the hope they bring when life’s challenges come along. Challenges, such as the current pandemic, isolation, frustration and fears for our future financial security obscure our view of God’s presence around us. We let troubles steal our joy. That is NOT God’s plan.
You may be familiar with our reading from Jeremiah, or at least part of it. “I know the plans I have for you, …plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future.” These are beautiful words of encouragement, and this is often where we stop reading this passage.
When we stop here, we tend to stop short of a very important detail the prophet is sharing with God’s people. Jeremiah wants us to know that we are part of God’s plan and that God wants good things for us, but the prophet also wants us to remember that we must seek to know God if we are to know His plans. Jeremiah assures us that if we seek God with all our hearts, we will find Him.
But how do we do this? How do we seek God? Perhaps we seek God the same way we seek anyone – we begin by earnestly looking. We seek God through prayer – ask God to reveal Himself. That is what God did in the garden when He sought Adam – “where are you?” We also seek God through His Word, which reveals God to us. We seek God through Jesus, who came specifically to reveal the Father. And we seek God in creation. Study the art to better know the artist. And we can also seek God through worship.
Worship, in all its various forms, plays a significant role in opening our hearts to God’s leading. Worship helps us to set aside the everyday and just listen for God’s plans for us.
Music plays a significant role in our worship. Worship often begins and ends with the singing of a hymn, and throughout the service hymns and special music are also enjoyed. Embedded into hymns, both traditional and contemporary, is a message. The words express thoughts and responses, often coming from the writer’s experiences.
A good hymn, like a good poem or novel, will enlighten us, or help us to see and understand something with greater clarity. Many of us have favorite hymns that hold special meaning to us; perhaps serving as a reminder to a meaningful event in our life – a time when we saw, heard or felt God’s presence with greater clarity.
The hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ lifts my spirit with great joy every time I hear it sung. Hearing this beautiful hymn reminds me of God’s presence and great love expressed in all of creation.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of teaching this great hymn to a Vacation Bible School group of about 120 children. Instead of an organ, the music was African drums. On the Friday afternoon friends and family from all across Tyne Valley filled the church to hear the children share the songs they had learned. It was a hot day, and, as is typical with large groups of children, it was organized chaos. The first song, ‘He’s Wild About Us’ was a hand clapping foot stomping message of God’s love. Each song carried a message through music and actions. For the concluding hymn, all the children lined up and this awesome drumming began. I must confess, I was surprised – joyfully surprised – when the children began lifting their hands to God singing ‘O Lord my God . . . ’ In that moment, the children singing God’s praise, the church filled with people joining in to sing a familiar hymn, and the presence of God smiling upon us, I could feel my heart rejoice and sing out, “my God, how great Thou art.”
Today’s message is seeking God and finding Joy, and our message comes from another old favourite hymn, “joyful, joyful we adore Thee.”
In 1907 a man by the name of Henry van Dyke presented the president of Williams College, Massachusetts with a piece of paper containing these words: (I encourage you to close your eyes and listen as I read these poetic lyrics)
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.
With this hymn was a note that read, “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains (the Berkshires) were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn of Joy.’”
Henry was a Presbyterian minister, professor and writer, so it is not surprising that he might pen such beautiful lyrics of praise. His inspiration, by his own admission, was found in nature, and is evidenced in every line he wrote.
Henry saw the beauty of God in all of creation and used his writing talents to put together a song that would lift the spirits of worshippers throughout the world as they joined together to sing God’s praise.
I doubt he ever imagined his lyrics would be included in the hymn books of different denominations and sung in churches around the world for over a century.
One thing he did know for certain is that these words were words of joy, drawn from witnessing God’s awesome presence within creation, and he knew that what he witnessed of God could only be expressed with JOY. Thus, he presented his gift with the clear message that it must be sung to Beethoven’s “Hymn of Joy.”
Henry was a lover of nature, so it is no surprise that he sought God out in nature and in worship.
God has given each of us the gifts and the means to know Him, and the promise that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we WILL find Him.
This is God’s promise to you, my friends: I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Please join along in singing this hymn of joy – Joyful, joyful we Adore Thee.
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Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession & The Lord’s Prayer
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Joyful Creator, we have much to be thankful for and even more to be joyful about, and we praise Your Holy Name, for You are our JOY!
We are mindful, however, that there are people who are struggling to see Your joy at this moment. Lord, life’s struggles can often block our view of Your glorious plans for us, so we lift up our prayers for our brothers and sisters who currently face difficulties and struggles in their lives.
We pray for those who are struggling with physical and mental illness’ or injuries. Help them to see past this moment and find hope in Your promises.
We pray for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Let your comforting arms wrap them in peace and wipe away their tears, Lord.
We pray for people who are struggling with their faith. Fill them with a desire to seek You out with all their heart, and grant them Joy in finding You.
We pray for our children and the growing social influences that surround them. Grant us clarity to speak Your truth into their lives and help them to find joy in knowing and serving You.
We pray for world leaders and local governments as they seek to lead their people through the socioeconomic challenges brought on by this pandemic. Give them discerning hearts and strength of character to make decisions wisely and compassionately.
This we ask in the beautiful name of Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour. AMEN
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Commission & Benediction
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This week, take time to remind yourself and others that God has a plan, a plan to prosper us and give us hope and a future. And as you do . . .

May the love of God, the Peace of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit go with you. AMEN