Read-along Service for Sunday, March 1, 2026 – 2nd of Lent

Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church
Order of Worship
Sunday, March 1^st 2026
2^nd Sunday of Lent

Prelude
Welcome & Telling Our Story 

Gathering to Worship God

Lighting of the Christ Candle
As we light this candle, we remember Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, who meets us in our blindness and gently opens our eyes. May this flame remind us that no shadow is beyond God’s reach,
and no heart is beyond God’s love

Introit                    ‘Tis the Gift to Be Simple                                   VU 353

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,
‘tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed;
to turn, turn will be our delight
‘til by turning, turning, we come round right.

Call to Worship
We gather this morning as people who do not see everything clearly. We carry questions about suffering. We carry assumptions we have learned without even knowing it. Yet Christ arrives among us, not to shame us for what we cannot see, but to open our eyes in love.  So let us come into the light. Let us worship the One who restores sight, who challenges our certainty, and who invites us into deeper compassion. Let us worship God together.

Hymn                  Joyful, Joyful we Adore You                              VU 232

1. Joyful, joyful we adore you,
   God of glory, life and love;
   hearts unfold like flowers before you,
   opening to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
   drive the gloom of doubt away;
   giver of immortal gladness,
   fill us with the light of day.

2. All your works with joy surround you,
   earth and heaven reflect your rays,
   stars and angels sing around you,
   centre of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   flowery meadow, flashing sea,
   chanting bird and flowing mountain,
   sound their praise eternally.

3. You are giving and forgiving,
   ever blessing, ever blest,
4.           wellspring of the joy of living,
   ocean depth of happy rest!
   Source of grace and fount of blessing,
   let your light upon us shine;
   teach us how to love each other,
   lift us to the joy divine.

4. Mortals join the mighty chorus
   which the morning stars began;
   God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
   joining people hand in hand.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   victors in the midst of strife;
   joyful music leads us sunward
   in the triumph song of life.

Gathering Prayer & Assurance of Grace
Loving God, you know how quickly we try to explain what we do not understand. You know how easily we look for causes and blame instead of sitting with mystery and pain. We confess that we do not always see clearly. We have blind spots, about ourselves, about others, about the ways injustice shapes this world. Forgive us for the times we have chosen judgment over curiosity, certainty over humility, distance over compassion. Open our eyes, O Christ. Clear away what clouds our vision. Help us see one another as beloved. Help us see ourselves as worthy of grace. Help us see you at work in ways that surprise us.  And now hear this good news: The One who knelt in the dust still kneels beside us. Christ does not turn away from our blindness. He meets us in it, touches our lives, and leads us toward light. In Jesus, we are forgiven, loved, and invited into new sight. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Time for the Young & Young at Heart

Hymn                   Be Thou My Vision                                             VU 642

1. Be thou my vision, O joy of my heart;
   naught be all else to me, save that thou art,
   thou my best thought, by day or by night;
   waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

2. Be thou my wisdom, my calm in all strife;
   I ever with thee and thou in my life;
   thou my loving parent; thy child may I be,
   thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.

3. Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight,
   be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
   thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower,
   raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

4. Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
   thou mine inheritance, now and always;
   thou and thou only the first in my heart,
   great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

5. Great God of heaven, after victory won,
   may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
   Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
   still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Blessed at Table & Font

Thanksgiving & Offering
In today’s story, healing begins with something ordinary: dust from the ground. God works with what is already here. With what is offered. With what seems small. As we bring our gifts, we trust that God can use them to open eyes, restore dignity, and bring light into places of shadow. Let us give generously, with gratitude for the ways God continues to work through us.

Hymn         Know That God is Good                                              MV 104

Know that God is good, (3x)
God is good, God is good.

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer
God of light and mercy, we come before you with a world that does not always see clearly. We lift to you those who live with illness or disability — those navigating new diagnoses, those managing chronic pain, those longing for healing, and those learning to live fully in bodies that do not fit society’s expectations. Surround them with dignity, support, and strength. We pray for those who feel unseen or unheard — those whose stories are dismissed, whose struggles are explained away, whose worth has been questioned. Let them know they are fully seen and deeply valued by you.

We pray for communities fractured by blame and fear. Where we are quick to label or judge, soften us. Where systems perpetuate exclusion, challenge us. Where we have been blind to injustice, awaken us. We pray for leaders in every sphere — in government, healthcare, education, and faith communities. Grant them wisdom shaped by compassion and courage rooted in humility.

We pray for this congregation — for those carrying quiet burdens, for those celebrating good news, for those uncertain about what lies ahead. Meet each of us where we are. Open our eyes to your presence in our daily lives. And in a moment of silence, we name before you the people and situations that rest on our hearts. (pause)

Receive these prayers, O God of light. Continue your healing work among us and through us. We pray in the spirit of Christ, who leads us from blindness into sight and who taught us to pray by saying…Our Father…

Listening for God

Hymn                             O Jesus, I have Promised                         VU 120

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve you to the end;
   remain for ever near me, my Saviour and my friend:
   I shall not fear the journey if you are by my side,
   nor wander from the pathway if you will be my guide.

2. O let me feel you near me: the world is ever near;
   I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
   my foes are ever near me, around me and within;
   but, Jesus, then draw nearer and shield my soul from sin.

3. O let me hear you speaking in accents clear and still,
   above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self-will;
   O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
   now speak, and make me listen, O guardian of my soul.

4. O Jesus, you have promised to all who follow you,
   that where you are in glory our servant shall be too.
   And Jesus, I have promised to serve you to the end;
   O give me grace to follow, my Saviour and my friend.

Scripture             John 9:1-13, 32-41                  Sandra Comba

Sermon
Anthem

Sent into God’s World

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

1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
   consider all the works thy hand hath made,
   I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
   thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
                   How great thou art! How great thou art!
                   Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
                   How great thou art! How great thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
   I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
   when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
   and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.          Refrain

3. But when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
   sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
   that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
   he bled and died to take away my sin.                        Refrain

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
   and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
   Then I shall bow in humble adoration
   and there problem, “My God, how great thou art!”     Refrain

Sending Forth

Go now into the world as people still learning to see. Go with humility where you have been certain. Go with compassion where you have been quick to judge. Go with courage where light is needed. And may Christ, the Light of the world, open your eyes, steady your steps, and hold you in grace always. Amen.

Sung Blessing:              Go Now in Peace                            VU 964

Go now in peace, go now in peace.
May the love of God surround you everywhere,
everywhere you may go.

Postlude

The Healing of Seeing
John 9:1-13, 32-41

 We all desire to be seen, to be heard, to be valued. And it’s not just about being individuals. But being recognized as human. Being recognized as seen, known and named by God. In the story from John’s gospel today we see several big moments and how we can understand not only the nature of God, but the ministry of Jesus and how that can inform how we live today. Unfairly, this man is begging because he cannot work. There are no jobs for him to do, or no employer that will hire him. Furthermore, a common belief at the time would have been that he was blind from birth because of some transgression his parents or he did. So, folks would have tended to stay away from him. Believing that he has been “cursed” for good reason. And not wanting to be affected by this he was subsequently shunned for years. Forced to beg on the streets. Relying purely on the charity of others for survival.

And that’s one way we could interpret the passage. But we must debunk the idea that one has misfortune because of something generationally and that it is some sort of punishment that they’re in this situation. I do not think for a moment that is what John is writing here. But, I do think he offers us a few different perspectives on how we can interpret that wondering from the disciples in their conversation with Jesus and his subsequent conversation with the pharisees and the gathered crowd.

What I found myself coming back to time and time again was how Jesus seemed to emphasize the point that this man was blind so he could not sin. But that those who could see clearly had the capability and perhaps the willingness to sin. Sin, of course, is not what may have thought it is- but it’s the actions, attitudes, behaviours that distance ourselves from the Divine. What Jesus says here caught me completely off guard. He virtually says it is impossible for this man to have sinned (because a) you can’t inherit that, and b) he couldn’t see). Now what that suggests to me, is that somehow, our way of seeing in the world, our human eyes and understanding of the world encourage us to make judgement calls about what we see, how we see and our understanding of that. That there’s something fundamentally off about how we see the world. Whether through generalizations, biases, media, nature vs nurture… There’s something about simply existing in the world that ironically blinds us to truly see people. And that is such a poignant point. As humans, we see and we interpret. We ascribe meaning. We desire to know cause and effect. And it’s that push to know everything, or rather, to have conclusions that aren’t ambiguous where we must make judgement calls and then act accordingly. Now friends, I’m human. We are here together in this. The joys and pains of being human. And Jesus, in this text points that out. Doesn’t condemn the people, but highlights how even those with 20/20 vision can be blind to the God’s world, to Jesus’ way of living in the world that is brimming with life and with life abundantly and fully.

A while ago there was a few moments of excitement in a church building. A man had walked in and was looking for some help. For the address of a business, an individual and a way to contact them. This man was well dressed, had a bit of a battered briefcase and had a hint of Old Spice cologne. You know like the white bottle that almost every day got each Christmas in their stocking? It was tough to make sense of what was needed. So, I ended up spending a while walking, talking, listening. And initially I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I just talked and listened. And at first perhaps you might have wondered well should we call the OPP? Addiction services? Is this man a harm to himself or others? And guiltily I wondered. But I paused and tried to move beyond that. And let me tell you, I learned a lot. Not just about the concerns this individual had and what was distressing. But, about myself. I learned about how I can be uncomfortable at times. After some time walking around the block, I was thanked for listening and the gentleman went on his way.  I imagine that you’ve been in situations where you’ve wondered what the end goal is. Perhaps rightfully so. But I wanted to highlight the real temptation for us as a species to have conclusions in seconds or minutes. And perhaps you’re hearing echoes of this theme from the last two weeks as well in our Lenten journeys… Perhaps you’ve noticed something new at work or in your volunteering? Perhaps this week someone might have called you to the mat for a bias or something you didn’t even know you had. And in that moment and subsequent reflection, you felt hurt or even angry.  Maybe we noticed something in ourselves that had us wondering existentially…

The struggle we have is that we don’t have the eyes of Jesus or vision like some superhero out of a comic book or Marvel movie. But, if we could see into the souls of those we look at… beyond the clothes, appearance, voice and behaviour; I expect we’d all see that hunger we have within all of us to be fully seen. We’d see the hurts we carry. And with that sight, I believe that how we engage with each other and the world would be dramatically different. And maybe, if we wholeheartedly believed that Jesus sees all that we are and loved us regardless, we would be able to take off our tinted glasses and see the world and see others just as Jesus does.

God… Jesus sees him and somehow knows he’s been blind from birth. Deeply sees this man. And acts. He not only heals this man’s physical eyesight, but his view on life too, he witnesses and testifies to Jesus’ identity and then lives fully. His path fully illuminated before the light of the world.  Jesus heals this man through seeing him. Furthermore, this man is continually healed through finding of a new purpose and is continually healed socially by now being restored to a full member of community. This justice that comes with Jesus’ “judgement”, his “assessment” of the situation is restorative for all parties. For the blind man, for the disciples, the crowd and the pharisees.  Healing physically, spiritually… There’s healing to be held for all. And perhaps, one of the miracles of this text isn’t just the blind man that was healed. But the crowd who then sees this man as a man. The pharisees who then perhaps see they need an eye exam, the disciples see how Jesus sees others and the power his words and deeds can do… And then this man, who becomes a missionary for Jesus…This story of healing is more than about one historical man. It is a healing of a community, of religion… A taste of the kingdom of God here on earth. God desires a world where there is authenticity and abundant life lived fully. Justice in this sense, in the Christian sense, is not a religious or even a judicial issue. It is a human rights cause.

One of the graces in this text is that whether we understand this story as having a literal miracle healing or understand it metaphorically is the outcome is the same. What God asks of us doesn’t change whether we understand this story John wrote down literally or metaphorically. So now one gets off the hook for homework eh? Faith is asking us to act. And I’d like us to consider a few of the options that we can get out of the reading. First, is patience. Can we take time to and be patient before rushing to judgement or conclusions. Whenever we are interacting with another person, whether in email, text, phone or live- can we simply be there and be attentive. To see the person as a beloved child of God. To see them as deeply and completely as Jesus did.  This is a simple one, at least on the surface. Before going into an interaction simply ask for Jesus to bless your sight so that you may see it the way He does. That bit of intention as we are walking, pacing or sitting on our chesterfields will continue to help us build that connection through seeing God in the world around us (something you may have noticed I’ve been reiterating lately). Secondly, take a few moments from your day and look up two things. First, what organizations the Thrift Shop has supported in their givings lately. Read up about that justice work that is happening there. Or, look up the Mission and Service Fund of the United Church of Canada. Or, and Margo didn’t pay me for this, take a look at the grace that the Canadian Foodgrains Bank does. May something there inspire you to participate with God and others in the restorative healing of this world.

Now, if we could truly see people… What a world this would be. If we could see beyond afflictions, politics and attire… How might we live together in this world? If we were able to see the world clearly when following Jesus, the light of the world, how might we be able to see others, the world and even ourselves? Jesus firmly believed that the world can be rehabilitated. That creation could be restored. We can do this, friends. Not just because Jesus does it in the text. But because even his disciples in this story are asking what can we do. The disciples engage with a societal dilemma and act. The man is healed and tells people about what Jesus did for him. Those stuck in their ways truly begin to see perhaps for the first time… The mud is falling from their eyes so to speak… This is the world that we are called to steward and to minister to. It’s not a far-off reality or a fever dream. It is an achievable possibility should we follow Jesus, believe in his power and in our agency to affect the world in ways we sometimes believe that only God can do. Let’s pray with steadfast hearts that we may see the world as Jesus does. May our seeing be healing by the grace of God. Amen.