Service Sunday October 4, 2026
HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH
Minden, Ontario
SUNDAY, October 4, 2026
World Communion Sunday
All are Welcome!
Worship Leader: Rev. Max Ward
Music Director: Melissa Stephens
Watch a video recording of the whole service below using YouTube
(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)
(For Rev. Peter’s Musings PDF version click this link)
THE GATHERING
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
One: What is the body of Christ?
All: We are the Body of Christ.
One: What does the body consist of?
All: People worldwide who keep faith in the Good News of Christ Jesus.
One: Why are we here today?
All: We gather to worship and give thanks to the One who calls us here and lights our way.
One: Come, let us gather in the light of Christ to worship as the Body of Christ!
Written by Sandy Ferguson, Strathearn U.C., Edmonton, Alta.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.40. Used with permission.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERRITORY In Unison
The United Church of Canada acknowledges that its buildings and ministries, from coast to coast to coast, are on traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples.
In this pastoral charge, we gather on the ancestral territory of the Nishnaabeg, with whom Treaty 20 and the Williams Treaties were signed.
Creator God, as we come together in worship, gathered on this territory, keep us mindful of the covenants that have been broken with First Nations Peoples. Be with us as we strive to work toward respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Our presence here this morning is an act of commitment to the communion of faith.
All: Thank you, God, for your eternal love that draws us to you and to each other.
One: Our openness to your word, O Lord, is an act of faith.
All: Help us grow together in understanding and compassion, in mercy and love, as part of the worldwide community of Christ.
One: Our involvement in this time together is an act of worship.
All: Accept our praise today, the songs from our hearts and psalms of our lives. Amen.
Written by Gill Le Fevre, Walton Memorial U.C., Oakville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.41. Used with permission.
* HYMN: “We Gather Here” VU#469
We gather here in Jesus' name,
his love is burning in our hearts like living flame;
for through the loving son God fashions us as one:
Come take the bread, come drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
No one is a stranger here, - everyone belongs;
finding our forgiveness here,
we in turn forgive all wrongs.
2 He joins us here, he breaks the bread,
the One who pours the cup is risen from the dead;
the One we love the most is now our gracious host:
Come take the bread, come drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
We are now a family of which Christ is the head;
though unseen he meets us here
in the breaking of the bread.
3 We'll gather soon where angels sing;
we'll see the glory of our Lord and coming King;
now we anticipate the feast for which we wait:
Come take the bread, come drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION:
One: We know that crying out our needs to God is not enough. We know that sin is not limited to what we recognize as sinful acts, small or large,. We know that we can focus our living on ways that close the door on God’s generous presence. We know that we are sinners in need of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. We offer words of confession knowing that reality. Remembering the words of the Ten Commandments and Paul’s words to the Philippians that sometimes what we consider our greatest gains are actually our greatest losses, let us pray:
Gracious God, we acknowledge we need to confess our moral failings.
We confess now our moral failures when faced with decisions requiring us to choose between right and wrong. Often, we know the difference, but…
(a moment of silence)
We confess our relationship failures, selfish acts, and thoughtless words.
(a moment of silence)
We confess our impatience when God is slow to respond to us.
(a moment of silence)
We confess our omission of daily time to nurture our gift of faith, so that it is of sufficient measure to sustain us,
(a moment of silence)
We remind ourselves that we live in the in-between spaces of “Christ crucified…Christ risen.”
In the in-between spaces, the spaces where decisions and relationships are not easy, God is with us. Amen.
Words of Assurance
We believe God’s love and grace is infinite, meaning God forgives us.
All: We are a forgiving people! Thanks be to God.
Written by Bill Perry, Belleville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.41. Used with permission.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
THE WORD
Scripture: Matthew 21: 33 - 46
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE
“Whose Vineyard Is This Anyway?”
Listen to an audio recording of the Message below or read it at the bottom of this page.
OUR RESPONSE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and
THE LORD’S PRAYER: sung VU#960
* COMMUNION HYMN: “All Who Hunger” VU #460 v1&2
1 All who hunger, gather gladly;
holy manna is our bread.
Come from wilderness and wandering.
Here, in truth, we will be fed.
You that yearn for days of fullness,
all around us is our food.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.
2 All who hunger, never strangers;
seeker, be a welcome guest.
Come from restlessness and roaming.
Here, in joy, we keep the feast.
We that once were lost and scattered
in communion's love have stood.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.
SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation
God’s banquet is coming. A time when all will gather from north, east, west, and south. A banquet where the rich and powerful will sit with the weak and poverty-stricken. A table where young and old will learn from each other. A time when all will sit together in peace, “And the wolf will lie down with the lamb.” Here at this table we get a foretaste of God’s banquet. This is indeed God’s table, not the church’s, and so all who seek to follow The Way are welcome to eat and drink from it. Come and taste the grace eternal, come and see that God is good.
Thanksgiving
One: The Spirit of God be with you.
ALL: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
ALL: We lift them up to God.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right that we give God our thanks and our praise.
One: God of the table, as we gather to taste your banquet, we offer prayers of thanksgiving. In this season of harvest, we give thanks for the fruit of the earth, for the food on our tables. In this global village, we give thanks for our brothers, sisters, and neighbours both near and far. In this world of strife and broken relationships, we give thanks for your hope, for the ways you draw us together. God of the banquet, we give thanks for your witness and work in the world across the ages. We remember Moses and Miriam and the people they led to freedom. We remember the prophets who arise over and over again to call your people back to the narrow path. We remember the countless saints who have gone before us, preparing the path, and we join our voices to theirs in hymns of thankfulness and praise. Holy, holy is your name indeed. Amen.
Remembering
One: In the midst of our thankfulness we remember the one in whose name we gather, Jesus, child of Mary. We thank you for his witness, for his commitment to your Way, for the way he brought healing to broken spirits and broken bodies. Thankfully we remember his life, his death, his resurrection, and his promised return for the banquet of grace. Now, as we gather at the table, we remember the last meal he shared with his friends. How they gathered in an upper room to celebrate the story of liberation and freedom. How he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and passed it among them saying, “Take, eat. This is my body broken for you. When you eat this, remember me.”
Then later he took the cup. He blessed it and passed it saying, “This cup is the cup of the new covenant, made in my blood. Whenever you drink from it, remember.”
And so, God of cross, empty tomb, and banquet, we remember the life and death of Jesus and we give thanks for the love he poured out on all he met: sinner and saint, leper and clean, Jew and Gentile. We remember and we share that great and terrible mystery:
ALL: Christ has died, Christ has Risen, Christ will come again. Amen.
Transforming
One: God, you call us to eat and drink together. You call us to let the Spirit wash through our lives. As we eat and drink, may we feel the fire of the Spirit in our bellies, the wind of the Spirit in our hair, and the love of the Spirit in our hearts. May the Spirit’s presence make this meal one that changes us and, through us, changes the world. Amen.
Conclusion
One: God of the banquet that is and is to come, we gather with your people all around the world to remember and share this meal. Creator, Source of Love, Christ, Love incarnate, Spirit, Love’s flowing power be praised. Now and forever. So be it. And the people all cried, “Amen.”
ALL: Amen.
Fraction and Distribution
One: The bread we break is the bread of life.
The cup we share is the cup of love.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
One: Come and eat, the banquet awaits.
Prayer following Communion: Unison
We have eaten, we have drunk, we have tasted your goodness. May this meal we have shared here today fill our souls with love. May the meal we share with all the world fill the world with hope. May we leave this table refreshed and replenished, ready to be recipients and agents of grace. Amen.
Written by Gord Waldie, Riverview U.C., Atikokan, Ont.
Gathering, Summer/Autumn 2006, pages 48 & 49. Used with permission.
* COMMUNION HYMN: “All Who Hunger” VU #460 v3
3 All who hunger, sing together;
Jesus Christ is living bread.
Come from loneliness and longing.
Here, in peace, we have been led.
Blest are those who from this table
live their lives in gratitude.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.
AFFIRMING MOMENT
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Collection Plate is located on the back table
OFFERTORY HYMN: VU #544
In gratitude and humble trust
we bring our best today
to serve your cause and share your love
with all along life's way.
O God, who gave yourself to us
in Jesus Christ, your Son,
teach us to give ourselves each day
until life's work is done.
OFFERTORY PRAYER: In Unison
Generous God of boundless mercy and care, may our offering today make a difference in the unnoticed and unknown places where your love is most deeply needed. Inspire us to sustain your ministries of hope and encouragement, of peace and acceptance. Extend our service to reach the corners of our communities and our world where your presence is most needed. Amen.
Written by Gill Le Fevre, Walton Memorial U.C., Oakville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.41 Used with permission.
SUNG BLESSING Christ Has No Body Now but Yours MV #171 vs 4
Refrain Christ has no body now but yours, no hands but yours.
Here on this earth, yours is the work,
to serve with the joy of compassion.
Through ev’ry gift, give back to those in need;
as Christ has blessed, so now be his blessing,
with ev’ry gift a benediction, be to the people of God. Refrain
SENDING FORTH:
A TIME OF FELLOWSHIP
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748,
Valid for: 26/10/2025 - 25/10/2026; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches.
Sermon 4 October 2026
“Whose Vineyard Is This Anyway?”
Matthew 21: 33-46
Gracious God, be with us today in this place, in the Scriptures and in our words.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts praise your Holy name. Amen.
One day Jesus told a parable about a vineyard owner who was having labour troubles.
But let’s back up a minute.
To understand this Parable we have to know its context.
Where was Jesus and who was he talking to when he told this parable?
Jesus spoke this parable in the temple the day after he had cleansed it.
If you remember Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday with the people singing “Hosanna” which means “Save us!”
When he got to the temple, Jesus threw out all the money changers and sellers.
He said, “It is written, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.”(Matthew 21:13)
These people were using the worship of Almighty God as an opportunity to make money and they were cheating the people in the process.
The religious leaders were charging these money changers and sellers for the right to sell in the temple.
Needless to say the religious leaders didn’t like Jesus for throwing these business men out and calling them thieves.
It was cutting in on their profits.
The next day Jesus came back to the temple and people took notice.
Here was the Prophet who the day before had called God’s house a den of thieves.
When Jesus came to the Temple he began teaching the people.
Teaching the people was the job of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Who was this Jesus to take over their jobs in the Temple.
So they challenged Jesus, “Who gave you the right to teach in the temple?”
Jesus responded, “First you answer my question”
It was in this context that Jesus told a parable that went something like this.
Once upon a time there was a business man who decided to go into the wine business.
He bought some land and planted a vineyard.
He put a wall around it to keep animals out.
He installed a winepress so that the grapes could be processed on the spot.
Finally, he set up a security system to keep out any grape rustlers.
Since this business man was a busy man he found a manager to watch over the enterprise for him.
Then the man went off to see after his many other business ventures.
After a while he sent someone to the vineyard to audit the books and get his profits.
But when the manager saw him coming they made sure that this auditor disappeared.
So the owner sent some more men and they were mistreated too.
Finally, the owner sent his son thinking they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him.
But the manager said, “Here’s the heir let’s get rid of him and the place will be ours.”
When Jesus finished telling the parable he turned to the people there including the Scribes and Pharisees and said,
“What do you think the owner will do to that manager when he gets his hands on him?”
They said, “He will put that man to a miserable death and find someone else to manage his vineyard.”
Then Jesus said, “Don’t you read your Bibles? God will take the Kingdom away from you and give it to someone else who will serve him.
At that the Chief Priests and Pharisees knew he was talking about them.
Once you know the situation the meaning of the parable is rather clear.
The religious leaders of that day had been using the Temple and worship of God to their own advantage.
They were supposed to be serving God but instead they were serving themselves.
They were like the tenant or manager that refused to give the profits to the owner.
The Temple was God’s house and Israel was God’s people; they were God’s vineyard meant to produce fruits of love and justice for God.
The Priests and Pharisees were using God’s Temple and people to their own political and financial advantage.
They were like the people in Jesus’ parable who mistreated the messengers.
The religious leaders in Jerusalem had rejected God’s messengers the prophets over and over again.
Sometimes they even put them to death because their messages did not benefit their personal, political and financial goals.
That’s what happened to John the Baptist!
So God had sent His Son, Jesus, to bring them the message to give glory to God.
But in the end they would eventually play an important role in having Jesus killed.
And what would become of them.
They would be replaced.
Worship of God would be placed in the hands of others.
The leading of God’s people would be placed in the hands of others.
In 60 AD the temple was destroyed and worship of God was placed in the hands of the Christians and the Synagogues.
The mistake that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day made was they thought that the temple was theirs to use as they wished.
People today make that same mistake with the church.
Some church people think they own the church.
And some preachers and church leaders think the people belong to them; that the congregations are there to serve their needs.
I know it is common for people to say “My church” or for a minister to say “My congregation.”
But in truth they are God’s church and God’s people.
Christianity - the church - the people of God are all here to serve God.
We are God’s creation and God put us here to manage and maintain the church with the help of the Spirit.
At the end of the day, the honour and glory for what we do should go to God alone.
This is God’s vineyard and its produce belongs to God.
Whose vineyard is this anyway?
If the church today will not produce fruit for the kingdom then God will make a new church that will.
Isn’t that how the Methodist church got started a few centuries ago?
The Church of England, in Wesley’s day, was not reaching the masses.
So God moved Wesley and Whitefield and others to take the Gospel out into the streets.
They brought forth fruits of the salvation of millions.
The established churches in Wesley’s day were silent in the face of slavery.
But Wesley and others preached against it.
The result was an eventual end to the practice of slavery.
They brought forth fruits of justice and mercy.
Similarly, there are many examples in our church history of why different denominations have formed.
Primarily, the needs of a portion of the people were not being met in one particular methodology of Christianity.
So a different group of believers formed a new church in the style that works best for that group.
Currently, most established churches are silent in the face of Climate Change or racism or Residential Schools.
Our church preaches environmental protection and provides awareness of the Enviro Cafés.
We support Truth and Reconciliation, and Orange T-shirt day.
Our hope is that the result will be an eventual end to environmental destruction & racism of all kinds.
We pray that we will bring forth fruits of justice and mercy.
We don’t own the church.
It belongs to God.
We are simply the hired hands here.
We are blessed by God’s Holy Spirit to comfort us.
Let’s be faithful to the One who gave us this glorious opportunity to serve God as a church.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
