Congregations
of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United Church of Canada
Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS
Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail:
stmarksuc@gmail.com
Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
Presbytery Website: inverguyunited.ca
Ministers: The Whole People of God Minister: Nan Corrigan D.M.
Minister of Music: Al Fougere
May 14th,
2017-5th Sunday of Easter
Announcements The
Work of Church and Community
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Greeting
One: The
peace of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.
*Introit Fresh as the Morning verse
3 MV 28
Call to Worship
One: Come to this place, knowing that God is here.
All:
We come to worship in a spirit of hope.
One: Come to this place, a safe place, where God will hold
us.
All:
We come to worship in a spirit of peace.
One: Come to this place to be renewed in faith, knowing
the risks for us when we proclaim the gospel.
All:
We come to worship in a spirit of faith.
One: Come, let us worship
God.
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, our rock and our
fortress,
we thank you for the many ways
you protect us.
Even when we are uncertain and
overcome with fear,
still you find ways to break
through and hold us close.
Smile upon us, God, in the dismal
times,
and remind us that with you
we are always in safe hands. Amen.
*Hymn Let Us Build a House MV
1
Prayer for Wholeness
We cast
stones, sometimes.
We hurt
others with stones – literal and figurative – that we hurl without thinking.
When someone says something that
bothers us, we cover our ears, and shut them out.
We
block those with whom we disagree, challenging them, cutting them down,
disregarding them.
We want others to conform to our
standards, not caring if they are good and faith-centred standards or not.
We
challenge and push aside those who seem different from us.
We cast stones, loving God, and
we are sorry. Please forgive us.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
One:
Jesus said, “Do not be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.” Friends, know
that you can trust in Jesus always, for he offers mercy and forgiveness to us
over and over. Know that you are forgiven, and loved by God.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
WE LISTEN
FOR GOD’S WORD
Acts 6:1-8 Seven chosen to serve (diaconal ministers)
One: This is the witness of the early church. All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 31 My times are in your hands. Pts.
1 & 3 VU 758
*Hymn Because He Lives Printed
Opening the Word & The Lord’s Prayer
Acts
7:55–60 The stoning of Stephen. A brief drama (narrator and
Stephen) using Psalm 31 as a form of Stephen’s
prayer. This text is based on the Common English Bible.
Opening the Word 2
WE RESPOND
IN FAITH
* Hymn How Firm a Foundation VU 660
Minute for
Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God
*Offering Prayer
In a world where too many use
stones to hurt and destroy, take these gifts we offer and use them as stones to
build bridges that join people together. Help us break down walls, and build
instead tables for talking and
sharing. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
One: In
silence we pray for them.
All: Hear us.
WE GO TO
SERVE GOD
* Hymn Go Now
in Peace Printed
Go now in peace.
Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.
Know God will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there watching from above.
Go
now in peace, in faith, and in love.
*Commissioning
and Blessing
Go into
the world in peace.
We go--but we are concerned about
what is out there sometimes.
Trust
in God.
But how do we do that when people
want to throw stones?
Know
that God will be with you. Rather than tripping over the stones in the road,
pick them up and work together to build a table, a bridge, a house: places
where all can come and experience God’s goodness.
We go in peace! Thanks be to God
*Choral Amen
