Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church
Order of Worship
Sunday, September 13th 2026
NL: 101 Flood and Promise 16th Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude
Welcome & Telling Our Story
GATHERING
Introit
Call to Worship
When the waters rise and the world feels uncertain,
God is with us.
When we wait for the waters to recede and wonder what comes next,
God is with us.
When a rainbow appears in the sky, reminding us of God’s promise,
God is faithful.
Come, let us worship the God who carries us through the storm and leads us toward new beginnings.
We come trusting in God’s promise. Amen.
Hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling VU 333
- Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
- Come, almighty to deliver;
Let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
- Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Gathering Prayer & Assurance of Grace
God of storm and stillness, we come to you in the midst of our own floods: the worries that rise, the losses that overwhelm and the questions for which we have no answers. Yet you meet us in every storm. You are our shelter in the waiting. And when the waters begin to settle, help us notice the small signs of new life. Gather us now, O God, and remind us that your promises are bigger than the storms we face. May we be so bold to believe this assurance of grace: God’s promise does not depend upon our perfect faithfulness. God remembers us, holds us, and meets us with love. Whatever waters we are facing, we are not forgotten. Receive God’s grace. Trust God’s promise. And live in God’s peace. Amen.
Time for the Young & Young at Heart
Hymn There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy VU 271
- There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
like the wideness of the sea;
there’s a kindness in God’s justice
which is more than liberty.
- There is no place where earth’s sorrows
are more felt than up in heaven;
there is no place where earth’s failings
have such gracious judgement given.
- There is plentiful redemption
in the blood that Christ has shed;
there is joy for all the members
in the sorrows of the Head.
- Troubled souls, why will you scatter
like a crowd of frightened sheep?
foolish hearts, why will you wander
from a love so true and deep?
- For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind,
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
WORD
Prayer for Illumination
God of promise, open our hearts to your Word. Help us hear not only the story of the flood, but the story of your faithfulness. Give us courage for the storms, patience for the waiting, and eyes to recognize the signs of hope. Speak to us now, and lead us into new life. Amen.
Scripture Genesis 6:5-22, 8:6-12; 9:8-17 Jane Lambert
Sermon
Special Music
Hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past VU 806
- O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:
- under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure,
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defence is sure.
- Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
- A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
- Time like an ever-rolling stream
soon bears us all away;
we fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
- O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while troubles last,
and our eternal home.
RESPONSE
Thanksgiving & Offering
The waters of the flood eventually receded, and Noah discovered that there was a world waiting beyond the storm. Our offerings are one small way we help make that world a little more hopeful; A way of caring for others, rebuilding what has been broken, and reminding our neighbours that they are not forgotten. So let us give with grateful hearts, trusting the God of promise who is always bringing new life out of the waters. Amen.
Offertory Hymn For the Gift of Creation VU 538
For the gift of creation, the gift of your love,
and the gift of the Spirit by which we live,
we thank you and give you the fruit of our hands.
May your grace be proclaimed by the gifts that we give.
Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer
Dear God of Noah, God of the storm and God of the rainbow, we bring before you today all those who feel as though the waters are rising around them.
We pray for those who are grieving, for those who are afraid, for those whose homes or livelihoods have been shaken, and for those who are simply tired from trying to keep their heads above water. Be near to them, O God.
We pray for those who are waiting — waiting for answers, healing, a phone call, or waiting for the waters to recede. Give them patience for the waiting and companions who will stay beside them. We pray for our families, our neighbours, and our community. Shape us into people who notice when someone is struggling and who are willing to offer a hand, a listening ear, or a place of shelter.
And God of promise, when we cannot see beyond the storm, help us trust that you have not forgotten us. Give us eyes to see the little signs of hope: a kindness offered, a burden shared or a new beginning quietly taking shape. We thank you for every rainbow you place before us that act as reminders that your love is steadfast and that you remain faithful.
Hold us, O God, through every flood and every dry season, until we discover once again that your grace is carrying us. And now, trusting in your promises, we pray as Jesus taught us by saying… Our Father…
SENDING
Hymn For the Beauty of the Earth VU 226
- For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
- For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light, Refrain
- For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild, Refrain
- For each perfect gift sublime
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven, Refrain
Sending Forth
When the waters rise:
We will remember the God who carries us through.
When the waters are still:
We will wait for the signs of new life.
When the bow appears in the clouds,
We will remember God’s covenant and promise.
Go now to walk in hope and live in grace.
God is faithful. God remembers. God is with us. 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
