St. Paul s United Church CANADA DAY

Transcription

1 St. Paul s United Church CANADA DAY SUNDAY July 1st, 2012 *When you see this sign, please stand as you are able. WE GATHER IN GOD S NAME WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO WORSHIP *HYMN: VU#244 Sing Your Praise to God Eternal LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE As we light this Christ candle, may it remind us that Christ is in us and in Our world. INTROIT: Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, I can feel God s mighty power and God s Grace. I can feel the brush of angels wings I see glory on each face, Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. OPENING PRAYER: (In unison) All: Generous Creator of love and life, in your welcome embrace lies both our hope and healing. May this time of prayer and listening be for us, a renewal of spirit and courage for faith s journey. Amen (Seasons of the Spirit printed with permission) *HYMN #524 O Canada THEME CONVERSATION LORD S PRAYER (children may go up to Sunday school now) PRAYER OF CONFESSION (responsive) One: Eternal God, whose image lies in the hearts of all people, We live among peoples Whose language is different than our own, Whose faiths are foreign to us, Whose ways we fail to understand. All: Help us to remember that you embrace all people with your love, that all religion is a response to you, that the yearnings of other hearts are much like our own, and are known to you. One: Help us to recognize you in words of truth, things of beauty. and actions of love about us. All: We pray in the name of the One who calls us

2 to be neighbour and friend. Amen ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS WE HEAR THE WISDOM OF THE WORD PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (SAID BY ALL) May we hear these ancient scriptures with trusting faith and gentle hope, with creative enthusiasm and honest doubt, rooted in the teachings of Jesus and grounded in your love. May we hear your call in scripture today. Amen SCRIPTURE READING: Mark 5: MINISTRY OF MUSIC: Be Thou My Vision Piano and Organ duet with Phyllis McCullough and Paul Sloan SERMON WE RESPOND TO GOD S WORD GIVING OF OUR GIFTS HYMN VU# 559 Come, O Fount of Every Blessing *DOXOLOGY: #VU 541 Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures high and low; give thanks to God in love made known: Creator, Word and Spirit, One. OFFERTORY PRAYER PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE WE GO FORTH TO SERVE * HYMN VU#586 We Shall Go Out in Hope of Resurrection *COMMISSIONING/BENEDICTION * SUNG BLESSING Go in love; have no fear. God will guide you, He is always near. Go in Love; take His hand. God will hear you, He will understand. May His light forever shine upon you. May His peace be always in your heart. Go in love; face each day. God will lead you, He will show the way. Go in love and live in faith. Amen. (Reproduced with permission under license #c607447) POSTLUDE

3 NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS A special welcome to all new friends as we gather to celebrate God s presence in our lives. If you are a guest, visitor or newcomer, please make yourself known to us. If you have any questions, our greeters would be delighted to help you. Please put your name, mailing address and address in our guest book so we may have a record of your visit. Ministers: All the People of God with the Rev. Karen Ptolemy-Stam Lay Reader Wayne Morrison Director of Music Paul Sloan Pre-Service Music Rick Taylor Administrator Judy McConnell Custodian Mary Ellen Petticrew Phone Fax STPAULSUNITED@ROGERS.COM, Minister s minspucmidland@gmail.com Website: stpaulsmidland.org Office hours Monday thru Friday 9-12, 1-4pm Please join us today on the front lawn immediately following the service to have lemonade and cookies and enjoy the Canada day Parade. Thank you to our Trustees and Worship Committee for providing the cookies!!! Bakeless Bake Sale: The envelopes are on the back window for anyone who would still like to donate to our UCW. We thank you for any support you may be able to give to us. Please provide your name and address or your envelope # to receive a tax receipt at the end of the year. Your envelope may be placed on the offering plate at any time. Please make your cheque payable to St. Paul s United Church. Canada Day! the office and church will be closed Monday July 2 nd and re-open Tuesday July 3rd. We wish everyone a wonderful Canada Day! Canada is 145 years young. Holidays: Karen will be away on holiday from Tuesday July 3 rd and return on Tuesday July 24 th. We wish her and Keith a great vacation. Sunday July 8 Karen family service. (We return to 10am service) Midland Karen Community & Toronto Karen Baptist Church will jointly be leading our service, come enjoy a vibrant morning service. The service will be followed by a light lunch after Church in the Great Hall, put on by the Trustees and the Worship Committee, everyone is welcome. Sunday July 15 th - Colin Whiteside will be leading the service. Sunday July 22 nd Stephan Kramp will be leading the service. Thank you to Colin and Stephan for taking these services during Karen s holiday.

4 IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE AT HOME OR IN THE HOSPITAL THAT NEEDS A VISIT FROM OUR MINISTER, PLEASE CALL OUR CHURCH OFFICE AND LET KAREN KNOW. ( ) The UCW Fall Rummage/Garage Sale will be held on Friday Oct 26 th. There will be a few differences in our sale this fall and most will be announced later, however we would like to include a plant table for perennials and cuttings you may have started from your house plants. Perhaps you would consider starting some cuttings now so they could be well established by the date of the sale. Thanks! Compost Green Bins: The Fellowship club has placed two compost bins in the church. One in the kitchen and one in the custodian s area. Please use and take home full bags for pickup, the instructions for what goes in the bin are on the fridge. Please replace the bag with a new one; we hope if used properly it will reduce the amount of garbage we put out. Thank you for your co-operation! The executive of the Fellowship club. MINUTE FOR MISSION July 1 Learning about Neighbours The Rev. Ellie Hummel is the chaplain at Concordia University in Montreal. She shares this story about how Mission and Service helps students explore spirituality as part of their university experience. What do you know about Zoroastrianism? The group of students and staff from Concordia University who were invited to a Zoroastrian ceremony last winter knew very little. We followed, with interest and a sense of awe, the colourful ceremony, the prayers and words in a language foreign to us. We thought of our own spiritual traditions and the stories of our faith. Afterward, we were able to ask questions and learn more, and then we celebrated with a feast of laughter, good food, and friendships renewed and formed. As we left, we marvelled that, as much as this was a new experience, we also saw something very familiar: hospitality and welcome, the celebration of sacred stories, and the joy of gathering in community. We have attended other sacred ceremonies: a Quaker worship, a Jewish community centre, a labyrinth, an orthodox church. Every time, we discover something about our neighbours in this great city and in the world, and we learn about ourselves and our own spiritual path. Sacred Site Visits is one of the programs offered by Concordia Multi-faith Chaplaincy that helps students explore ethics, values, faith, and spirituality. Your donations to Mission and Service ensure that this program, and similar ones at universities across Canada, will remain strong and life-giving. HAPPY CANADA DAY!

5 SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday school Summer Volunteers Needed: Get to know our St. Paul's young people by volunteering in Sunday school this summer! We need volunteers to cover the months of July and August. Volunteer one time, or more if you are able. All material will be provided. Contact Angie Leis ( ) for more information. See you in Sunday school! Reflections on Our First Year Together: On Sunday, August 5 Karen is inviting anyone who would like to join her to grab a glass of lemonade after church and gather at one of the tables downstairs to just informally reflect together on our first year together. What were the surprises this past year? Highs? Lows? Just check in and see how things are going. Hope you can join us. Prayer Matters: We are no longer posting the prayer requests in the bulletin, but each week we are sending a list of people that prayer requests have come in for to people in our church who have volunteered to keep these people in their prayers. If you have a prayer request, write it on the pieces of paper provided at the entrance area s to the sanctuary where our greeters are and put in the pottery vessel on the back window provided for this. Brookside Music summer series: Friday night concerts are 8pm at St. Paul s and one Monday concert August 6 th with Anton Kuerti at 2pm Sunday concerts are being held at the Cultural Centre at 2pm. July 6th (Friday) - Sinfonia Toronto July 13th (Friday) - Thompson and French July 15th (Sunday) - Buzz Brass at Cultural Centre 2pm matinee July 20th (Friday) - David Jalbert July 22nd (Sunday) - Wolak and Donnelly- at Cultural Centre 2pm July 27th (Friday) - Bax and Chung July 29 (Sunday) Vesuvius- at Cultural Centre 2pm August 3rd (Friday) - Zodiac Trio August 6th (Monday) - Anton Kuerti and the Afiara String Quartet 2pm St. Paul s August 10th (Friday) - The Cecilia String Quartet