Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church
Order of Worship
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Today we welcome Danah-Lee Krieger as our guest speaker.
We also welcome Schroeder Nordholt as our guest music director.
Prelude
Words of Welcome and Announcements
Lighting the Christ Candle
As we light the Christ candle in this season of Epiphany, we remember that Christ is revealed not only in light, but in the fruit our lives produce. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” When we remain connected to him, love, joy, peace, and goodness grow through us. May this light remind us to be good soil, faithful branches and people who reflect Christ by the fruit we bear.
Introit
Passing the Peace of Christ
Call to Worship
Come and worship the God who brings light into the world. In this season of Epiphany, we gather to see more clearly and to notice what is growing within us and among us. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” When we remain connected to Christ, life flows through us and our lives bear fruit rooted in love. Come with open hearts. Come ready to grow. Come and worship the God who makes all things flourish. Amen.
Hymn I’ve Got the Joy
- I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy,
Down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart,
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy,
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.
Refrain: And I’m so happy, so very happy,
I’ve got to the love of Jesus in my heart,
And I’m so happy, so very happy,
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
- I’ve got the peace that passeth understanding,
Down in my heart, Down in my heart, Down in my heart,
I’ve got the peace that passeth understanding,
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. Refrain
- I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart,
I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. Refrain
- For there is therefore now no condemnation,
Down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart,
For there is therefore now no condemnation,
Down in my heart, down in my heart, to stay. Refrain
Prayer of Approach
Holy and Loving God, we come into your presence just as we are, rooted in your grace and seeking your light. In this season of Epiphany, open our eyes to see where you are at work within us and where you are calling us to grow. Jesus, you are the true Vine. Draw us close. Nourish us with your Spirit, so that our lives may bear fruit. Fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control. Quiet our hearts. Centre us in your presence. And prepare us to worship you in spirit and in truth. We offer this prayer with trust and gratitude. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Scripture Reader: Leslee Gervais
John 15:5-8
Galatians 5:22-23
Hymn Will You Come and See the Light VU 96
- Will you come and see the light from the stable door?
It is shining newly bright, though it shone before.
It will be your guiding star,
it will show you who you are;
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
- Will you step into the light that can free the slave?
It will stand for what is right, it will heal and save.
By the pyramids of greed
there’s a longing to be freed;
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
- Will you tell about the light in the prison cell?
Though it’s shackled out of sight, it is shining well.
When the truth is cut and bruised,
and the innocent abused,
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
- Will you join the hope, alight in the young girl’s eyes,
of the mighty put to flight by a baby’s cries?
When the lowest and the least
are the foremost at the feast,
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
- Will you travel by the light of the babe new born?
In the candle lit at night there’s a gleam of dawn,
and the darkness all about
is too dim to put it out:
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Homily The Proof Is in the Fruit
Special Music
The Offering
We give thanks for everyone who continues to support TSA and our many ministries. Your gifts of support and encouragement mean a lot to us. You can get more information about making a donation by contacting the church office or by visiting our website. There are also many opportunities to volunteer in our different ministries. For all the gifts you share, for all the people you bless by your serving and giving as a disciple of Jesus, we give thanks.
Offering Song Know That God is Good MV 104
Know that God is good, (3x)
God is good, God is good.
Offering Prayer
Generous God, we offer these gifts with grateful hearts. Bless them and bless us so that together they may bear good fruit for your world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness VU 375
Refrain Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
blow thro’ the wilderness calling and free,
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
Wind, Wind on the sea.
- You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,
then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep;
and over the eons you called to each thing;
wake from your slumbers and rise on your wings. Refrain
- You swept thro’ the desert, you stung with the sand,
and you goaded your people with a law and a land;
and when they were blinded with their idols and lies,
then you spoke thro’ your prophets to open their eyes. Refrain
- You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill,
then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still;
and down in the city you called once again,
when you blew through your people on the rush of the wind. Refrain
- You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes,
from the bondage of sorrow the captives dream dreams,
our women see visions, our men clear their eyes,
with bold new decisions your people arise. Refrain
Pastoral Prayer
Loving and faithful God, we come before you in this season of Epiphany. We seek your light in a world that often feels uncertain and fragile. You are the true Vine and we are Your branches. Apart from You, we struggle to grow, but connected to You, life flows and even in difficult soil, good fruit can take root. We pray today for a world in need of peace and justice. We lift before You the people of Venezuela. For families living with fear and instability. For those who have lost loved ones, homes or hope. Shine Your light where there is violence and where there is confusion. Strengthen all who work for peace, compassion and truth. We also bring before You the needs closer to home. For the worries we carry and the names we whisper in our hearts. Or the joys and sorrows we have not spoken out loud. In this moment, we hold these people and situations before you in silence. God of grace, receive the prayers spoken and unspoken and the cries we have named and those too deep for words. Help us to remain rooted in Jesus, to be good soil for Your Spirit and to bear fruit that reflects Your love. A love that heals, a peace that endures and a hope that shines in darkness. As we continue in worship, keep us connected to You so that our lives may reveal Your light to a world longing for good news. We pray in the name of Jesus, the true Vine and the light of the world, using the words He taught us to say*
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn Take My Life and Let It Be VU 506
- Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, all for thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
- Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and purposeful for thee.
- Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
- Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
- Take my love: and I will pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Benediction
Go now into the world, rooted in Christ, the true Vine. Carry the light you have received and let your lives bear good fruit. Bear fruit of love, joy, peace and kindness for a world in need. May the God who reveals light in every season strengthen you, guide you and send you forth to live what you believe. Go in peace and grow in grace. Amen.
Choral Amen I Am the Light of the World VU 87, chorus only (2x)
Refrain: “I am the light of the world!
You people come and follow me!”
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery
of what you were meant to do and be.
The Proof is in the Fruit
I want to begin with something that might give you a little groan this morning. A husband and wife were celebrating their 60th birthdays together when an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and said, “God is going to grant each of you one special wish for your birthdays.” The wife didn’t hesitate. She said, “My request is that we get to travel all around the world.” Poof! Smoke swirled… and when it cleared, she was holding 2 plane tickets in her hands. Then the husband looked down, thought for a moment, and said, “My request is that I’d be married to a woman 30 years younger than me.” Poof! The smoke cleared… and he was 90 years old.
This morning, I want to talk to you about, “The Proof is in the Fruit”. Many times, in the scriptures, there are references to fruit, seeds and gardening. And if you’ve spent any amount of time in the Church, you’ve likely heard the term “Fruit of the Spirit”. And you might recognize some of the attributes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I am just going to be 100% honest here. I really wanted to speak on this topic today. And as I was prepping this week, I said to my partner, Carmen. “I’m not sure I am the best person to speak on this subject because, I still need a lot of TLC in many of these areas”. But I guess that’s what grace is about. Right? So maybe, just maybe I am writing this message for me as well.
So often, we live as though everything depends on us. We try to make ourselves more patient, make ourselves more loving, make ourselves more at peace. We push harder, try to fix our weaknesses, and pressure ourselves to “do better.” If you’re anything like me, I am constantly listening to self motivation podcasts, reading books or looking for ways to live “my best life”, or self-help. I am a junkie. But the more we push sometimes, the more tired and frustrated we can become. Paul reminds in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is not something we manufacture through effort. This is the result of a life that is connected to the Spirit of God. Fruit doesn’t come from striving. Fruit comes from abiding. Please make a mental note of this word “abide” because it’s going to come up again. The fruit of the spirit is not just a list of admirable qualities. It is evidence of God’s transforming work in our lives. But just like fruit takes time to ripen, spiritual growth is a process that requires endurance, consistency and continued connection to God. When we try to force spiritual growth on our own, it can feel like an inner battle. There’s no rest. No peace. And that’s not the life God intended for us. The Spirit-led life is not about pressure; it’s about showing up and consistency. It’s about staying rooted, staying connected and allowing God to do the work within us. But… I do want to point out one thing, because as I watch world events, spiral into what feels like complete chaos and my own faith in my fellow humans continues to dwindle… especially this week… I am reminded that Jesus says, “you will know them by their fruit”. And although many of these traits don’t appear lickety-split or overnight when we decide to follow Christ, because they are part of our own personal and long-term spiritual development. When we become Christians, how we look at life… and how we act should start shifting. Paul says we are “transformed by the renewing of our mind”. So, there should be some evidence of these qualities starting to take root within us when we make a conscious decision to follow Jesus. As Jesus said, “you will know them by their fruit”. Jesus didn’t say you will know them by their government rank, presidency, pension amount, job title, what kind of car they drive or how many committees they volunteer on… He specifically said, “you will know them by their fruit”. And later from Paul, we get this description of what “the fruit” actually is…. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control.
For some of your grammar nerds out there… you may have noticed that fruit is singular. Fruits of the spirit doesn’t exist. Fruit of the spirit exists. Which is pretty interesting considering we have these 9 qualities or characteristics, and it is being referred to in as a singular fruit. Well, why is that, Danah? Well… I am so glad you asked! Karpos in the Greek refers to a single harvest, a single outcome of something alive and rooted. Paul isn’t listing 9 separate virtues we’re meant to develop one by one through effort. Picture a cluster of grapes. Even though the grapes are separate, they’re on the same bunch. It is a unified growth. I would argue to say that if you’re going to increase in 1 of these qualities, the other 8 are likely going to increase with it. You can’t increase in love and not increase joy or goodness. And this is where the transformation piece comes in.
And another thing that you may notice is that all the fruit grows out of love. In a way, love is the fruit of the Spirit, because if love isn’t there, none of the rest will last. You can try to act patient or kind for a while, but if it’s not rooted in love… it’s just personal willpower… and your willpower will run out. We need God. Now sure, some people are naturally more patient than others. My partner is definitely more patient than I am. But the fruit of the Spirit isn’t just personality traits. It’s what grows in us because the Spirit lives in us and God’s love has been poured into our hearts.
And I picture love and self-control like bookends. Everything grows out of love, but without self-control, it all falls apart. Because if I don’t have self-control, I won’t keep peace. I’ll lose my joy the second something doesn’t go my way. Love is the root… and self-control is the guardrail that keeps the fruit steady.
So, as I was preparing for this message, I was thinking more and more about the fruit, or the outcome, of having patience. And honestly, that is the one that stuck out to me the most. I was talking with Carmen and I said, “Honey, do you feel like you are a patient person?” And without skipping a beat, she said, “Yes.” Okay then. Then I said, “Honey, do you think that I am patient?” And it went silent. And then she said, “Can I plead the fifth?” Yikes. Then she said, “I think you are patient with your students. But on the other things, I am going to plead the fifth.” And we had a laugh about it. And… admittedly… I have gotten much better over the years, and I will keep growing in patience.
But… despite what you may think… the word patience doesn’t actually mean waiting. The Greek word for patience in this context is actually HOW you act while you are waiting. And check this out… it only grows under trial. Sometimes I feel that the English language is so limiting. Think about this one… if you ask God to give you more patience, you better believe God is going to give you situations that require you to dial it in. It’s like a muscle. If you never use it, it stays weak. But every time you engage it, it becomes stronger. So, when we pray for patience, we shouldn’t be surprised if/when what follows is a challenge. If you ask God to grow the fruit of the Spirit in you, you’re probably going to encounter some difficult people and uncomfortable moments. But you know, those moments are invitations to grow. And growth requires courage… the courage to say, “God, I’m willing. I don’t want to stay stuck. I want to become who you’re shaping me to be.” Growth may be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary.
And as you sit here, I want you to think of one moment where you had your patience tested this past week. How did you respond? Did you lose your marbles? Or did you count to 10 and ask God to give you strength? I can think of a few of my own from last week. I am getting better at taking a deep breath before replying to messages. But it used to be that I would reply right away, and the poor person on the other side would get everything but the kitchen sink. But I had another full-on patience test last week.
Picture this…I’m already running late… like cutting it close. And I was heading to Arnprior for a full day of music lessons, morning until night. And I was a bit late leaving the house… and I realized I forgot my coffee on the counter… so I make a little deal to myself that I’ll stop and grab one in Arnprior. So, I get out to the highway… and I get stuck behind pokey Polly… with no way to pass and ironically has a bumper sticker that says, “I left on time”. Wow… do you think God was trying to tell me something there. I see the 4 lanes coming in my view and I feel like relief is in the mix… and I pass Polly… and look over… and give the little annoyed head shake… you know the kind… and then instantly… I am back to a crawl… because there are 2 snowplows going… side-by-side… and there is an entire parade of traffic behind them. Nobody’s going anywhere. We’re all just crawling along, and I can feel my blood pressure increasing. Because I am looking at the clock… I really want that coffee because I am about to go into 8.5 hrs of back-to-back piano lessons… without caffeine. I mean Yankee Doodle is great and all… but it is much better to hear it 17x incorrectly with a java jolt. So, by the time I finally get free, I’m thinking, “I’m late. I’m stressed. I’m behind schedule.” But then that little voice of temptation whispers, “You still have time to stop for a coffee.” So, I decide… that I can still swing through the brand-new Starbucks drive-thru in Arnprior and make it to my first lesson on time. Now, if anyone knows me, you know I don’t order fancy. I drink my coffee or Americano black as the night.
So, I pull up to the speaker and I say, confidently: “Hi! Can I get a grande Americano. Black, please” That’s it. Simple. Efficient. Let’s go. And the voice comes back: “Would you like milk or cream with that?” “No thanks. Black. Please.” “Would you like sugar?” “Nope. Black. Please” “Would you like to try our new egg white bites for $4.99” Are you freaking kidding me?? “Nope. Black. Americano. Please” Gripping the steering wheel, watching my minutes disappear, thinking… “Sweet baby Jesus, I do not need a coffee. I need a miracle.” And then there it is… the message pops in my head…. “You will know them by their fruit”. And all I want to say… “not now God… I just want my coffee”.
And it’s my turn to pull up to the window… and my face is red from my blood pressure… and I look up about to give a piece of my mind about how all I wanted was a coffee… and the young woman turns around with my americano in hand… and smiles and goes, “Hi Danah!!” And I realize it’s one of my former students… still home from university. And first thought was: “Thank you, Jesus for keeping me calm.” Patience is how you act while you’re waiting… when you’re rushed or irritated and apparently… patience is also remembering… you never know who’s at the Starbucks window. And in my head… all the while I am hearing, “You will know them by their fruit”.
So, what is the secret fertilizer for this luscious fruit? I am so glad you asked that one too! If we hop back over to the gospel reading in John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” That tells me something right away. As believers, we are connected to Jesus. We are intertwined and already connected to Him. We are the branches of the living vine. The vine is the source that is pumping life to the fruit That also tells me this, our role is clear. We are not the vine. We are the branches and we depend on the vine. And the trouble comes when we start trying to take on a role that was never ours. Fruit grows on the branch. We are meant to be the full expression of Christ. The vine supplies the life. The branch is meant to be full expression of the vine’s life force. They are one.
In the entire 15th chapter of John, Jesus specifically uses the word abide 11 times. Do you think he was trying to drive a message home? The word abide in the Greek is a verb (menō), which means, to remain, stay, dwell, make one’s home. Jesus is literally asking us to just stay put. He’s not asking us to work harder or become riper… He literally says abide in me… don’t disconnect don’t drift. Don’t walk away when things get harder… or uncomfortable… or unclear. The focus is not the fruit itself… but about staying. The fruit is what comes from remaining connected. It is a naturally occurring event. The work of the branch is not to produce life, but to stay where the life already is. That tells me abiding is not about intensity. It is about consistency. It is not about effort. It is about remaining. That’s why Jesus says in verse 5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
So… What does that mean for us? When everything around us feels like it is crumbling. When we feel like we’re living in a dystopian nightmare. When it feels like we are getting sucker punched after watching the news cycles, day after day… and although we wish we didn’t have to, it feels like it’s necessary to keep up with the ever-increasing insanity of what’s happening. One word… Abide. The world needs us to be the fruit in these times. The world could use a little more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Fruit takes time it grows through care and connection. Like the branch clings to the vine for life, we must stay attached to the vine. Now more than ever. If we become disconnected or cut off… our growth fades and our fruit will never come. Jesus is clear, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit”. “You will know them by their fruit.”
So, I would encourage us to stay connected to Jesus, abide in the true vine to bear the lasting fruit of the spirit. As you go throughout your week or your day… remember that the fruit of the spirit isn’t about perfection… it’s about progress and abiding. “You will know them by their fruit”. Amen?
To wrap up this morning, I’d love to do something that isn’t in the bulletin. We’ve spent time talking about fruit and about what grows when we stay connected, but before we move on, I want to invite us to lift our voices in unison, in prayer through a well-known song. I’d love us to open up Voices United 436. And instead of singing, we are going to read verses 1 and 2 out loud together. This will be our prayer:
Abide with me, fast falls the even tide
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day
Earth’s joys grow dim, it’s glories pass away
Change and decay in all around I see
Oh Christ, who changes not abide with me
Amen
