Service Sunday September 20, 2026
HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH
Minden, Ontario
SUNDAY, September 20, 2026
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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERRITORY In Unison
The territory on which this building sits, and the places where most of us are worshiping today, is territory that has been walked on, hunted on, and lived on for thousands of years. It is the Traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people, and it is with humility and respect that we give thanks that we are here, in the space where we are in touch with Creator who made it and who made us. May our worship honour the relationships that are celebrated and invited here, and may we always remember the story of this territory, the people who live here, and the call to live with respect and thanksgiving.
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Let us lift our voices in praise.
All: Let us sing to the Creator of heaven and earth.
One: Let us praise the rock of our salvation.
All: We give thanks to the one who has created and is creating.
One: With all living things, let us bring adoration to our God,
All: who was, who is, and who always will be.
One: Let us worship God!
Written by Frances Flook, Knox U.C., Kenora, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.26. Used with permission.
* HYMN: “O for a World” VU#697
1 O for a world where everyone
respects each other's ways,
where love is lived and all is done
with justice and with praise.
2 O for a world where goods are shared
and misery relieved,
where truth is spoken, children spared,
equality achieved.
3 We welcome one world family
and struggle with each choice
that opens us to unity
and gives our vision voice.
4 The poor are rich, the weak are strong,
the foolish ones are wise.
Tell all who mourn: outcasts belong,
who perishes will rise.
5 O for a world preparing for
God's glorious reign of peace,
where time and tears will be no more,
and all but love will cease.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT: Spoken in Unison
Highland Hills is an inclusive and supportive community of faith that follows the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ. We offer worship, education, pastoral care and outreach for all. With a belief in God, we strive to include people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, differing abilities, colour, ethnicity, cultural identity, and economic circumstances, participating in all aspects in the life of the church. As a community of faith, we publicly declare a commitment to social justice initiatives, care for the earth, and equity for everyone. We will be intentional and explicit in welcoming and providing a safe space for all.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
LEARNING TOGETHER
* NEW HYMN: “ALL Who Are Thirsty” MV #4
1 All who are thirsty, all who are weak,
come to the fountain.
Dip your heart in the stream of life.
Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away
in the waves of his mercy as deep cries out to deep. We sing…
Refrain
Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
2 All who are thirsty, all who are weak,
come to the fountain.
Dip your heart in the stream of life.
Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away
in the waves of his mercy as deep cries out to deep. We sing…
Refrain
Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
3. Holy Spirit, come. Holy Spirit, come.
Holy Spirit, come. Holy Spirit, come.
As deep cries out to deep. We sing… Refrain
THE WORD
Scripture: Matthew 20: 1 - 16
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE
“Life Happens: Life’s Tough Choices”
Listen to an audio recording of the message below or read it at the bottom of the page.
OUR RESPONSE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and
THE LORD’S PRAYER: sung VU#960
* HYMN: “Would You Bless Our Homes and Families” VU #556
1 Would you bless our homes and families,
Source of life who calls us here;
in our world of stress and tension
teach us love that conquers fear.
Help us learn to love each other
with a love that constant stays;
teach us when we face our troubles,
love's expressed in many ways.
2 When our way is undemanding,
let us use the time that's ours
to delight in simple pleasures,
sharing joys in gentle hours.
When our way is anxious walking
and a heavy path we plod,
teach us trust in one another
and in you, our gracious God.
3 From the homes in which we're nurtured,
with the love that shapes us there,
teach us, God, to claim as family
every one whose life we share.
And through all that life may offer,
may we in your love remain;
may the love we share in families
be alive to praise your name.
4 Let us reach beyond the boundaries
of our daily thought and care
till the family you have chosen
spills its love out everywhere.
Help us learn to love each other
with a love that constant stays;
teach us when we face our troubles
love's expressed in many ways.
YOUR GENEROSITY MATTERS
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Offering Plate is located on the back table
OFFERTORY HYMN: VU #543 vs 1
We give thee but thine own, what e’er the gift may be; All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O God, from thee.
OFFERTORY PRAYER: In Unison
Loving God, through the life you give us and the bounty therein, we encounter the amazing web of interconnection and of interdependence in your good Creation. Bless us and our giving as we give back some of that bounty. May we find purpose in all our relationships. Amen.
Written by Gord Dunbar, Kincardine, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2026, p.29 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 20th September 2026
“Life Happens: Life’s Tough Choices”
Matthew 20: 1-16
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.
This is not going to be your average sermon today.
Today we will examine one way we can work for Justice and Equality including supporting the Minden Community Food Centre.
Our scripture today teaches us a lesson about how we live together.
When we work hard at something, our expectation is that we will be fairly compensated for our efforts: the more you give the greater the return.
But this does not seem to hold true for the workers who come early to the vineyard, or for those who came to work later in the day.
Many would proclaim it unfair that all were given equal wages for unequal work.
If this is unfair, then what does it mean to be fair?
Fairness is not when everyone gets what they believe they deserve, but when each receives what is needed.
Were those who came to the vineyard late less in need of a just day’s wages?
Jesus suggests to us that “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first” based on need rather than on feelings of worth or entitlement.
Hear this story and imagine Minden or Haliburton or Lindsay or Peterborough.
Anna Florence Carter speaks of her own hometown, she says…
In the town where I live, there is a spot everyone knows about.
It’s where you go if you want to hire day laborers.
Every day the out-of-work men gather there, at the bus shelter on Commerce Street across from the housing projects, and they wait for someone to hire them.
If you drive by in a pick-up truck, they all stand up and look at you intently, hopefully: are you the one?
The men are all different sizes and ages, and some of them look strong, and some of them look tired, and all of them look hungry, hungry to work.
You can see some of the same faces every day.
As the morning turns to afternoon, there are fewer of them, but not by many; I don’t think a lot of people are hiring, these days.
The men who are still waiting lean on the wall of the bus shelter or squat down in the grass, and watch the world passing by.
I’m not sure what time they give up and leave; maybe it depends on the heat, or the mood of the group, or the man himself, and how he interprets these events:
Today, I wasn’t chosen.
Maybe tomorrow will be different.
By evening, the bus shelter is empty, except for those who are actually waiting for the bus.
Today, I want to begin by giving you one of the reasons why we are having this special message.
Not long ago at one of our church meetings, the topic of supporting the Minden Community Food Centre came up.
One of our members said something like, I support the work of the food centre but I want to know more.
This message cannot answer all of anyone’s questions in only 10 minutes.
It is only an attempt to bring awareness to why we have a food centre and why we should continue to support it while working for justice.
The reason that we have a food centre is to support families in our community who do not always have enough healthy food to eat.
The Minden Community Food Centre is a member of Feed Ontario.
This information comes directly from Feed Ontario …
Hunger is growing in every community across Ontario.
This Hunger Action Month is an opportunity to understand what’s driving increased food bank use, how different levels of government can take action, and why engaging municipal leaders matters.
As incomes continue to fall further behind the cost of living, more and more people need to turn to food banks just to get by.
Even though food banks are working hard to provide support to people and families struggling to make ends meet, they’re not a long-term solution to hunger.
Working together, we can create meaningful change and support strong, coordinated solutions – so everyone in our communities has what they need to live, contribute, and succeed.
Did you know that more people than ever need to turn to a food centre in Haliburton County?
As incomes continue to fall further behind the cost of living, more adults, seniors, and even children rely on food centres just to make it through the month.
Food bank visits are increasing in every region of the province, but record high food bank use is only part of the story.
Hunger is not an isolated issue, it exists in every corner of Ontario, affecting families, neighbourhoods, and communities of every size.
The reasons for this are shaped by public policies that affect housing, employment, and social supports.
Record high food bank use tells us about the challenges our communities are facing, but understanding why the need is growing is how we create change.
What’s driving hunger in Ontario communities?
Food banks were only ever intended to offer support during times of temporary emergency – like an unexpected job loss, injury, or falling into a rough patch – they were never created to be a long-term solution to hunger.
Federal, provincial, and municipal policies that affect housing, employment, and social supports can impact the reasons people and families need to turn to food banks – and when these policies don’t align, the gaps get passed down the chain.
Ultimately, it’s local food banks and those who rely on them that pay the price.
We can only reduce the need for food banks by addressing the root causes of poverty in our communities.
Also in the news, there is violence in Israel & Palestine.
This is an illustration of the social upheaval that follows when the economic wealth is not fairly distributed.
It is in the best interests of the whole society that there is not a huge gap between the poorest and the wealthiest.
If there is, if a significant segment of the population loses hope, feels excluded from opportunities, can't make ends meet, they will do desperate things... they have nothing to lose.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyards…
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.
And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
“These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat."
I know it’s hard, the heat of the day.
But waiting to be chosen: that’s much, much harder.
Choosing between rent or food?--that is a terrible choice.
Why would any of us ever want our sisters and brothers to wait any longer?
Jesus teaches us to share.
Jesus teaches us to work towards justice for all.
Jesus suggests that “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first” based on need rather than on feelings of worth or entitlement.
Let us continue to address the needs of our community.
Let us address the root causes of poverty; lack of affordable housing, access to transportation and employment.
Let us continue to work for change.
Let us speak to our municipal candidates and get out a vote next month.
Let us also, in the meantime, support the food centre and those who feel they need to use it.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
