More Voices for Camp Project

More Voices for Camp Project
 
Called by earth and sky,
Promise of hope held high.
This is a sacred, living trust,
Treasure of life sanctified.    More Voices, #135

The Outdoor Recreational Ministry of the Maritime Conference Christian Life & Growth Committee invite your congregation to help with our “More Voices for Camp” Project.

 We are inviting every pastoral charge to donate one copy of More Voices, either new or used, or the purchase price ($18) to our camps.
If this was done then it would allow for 30 or more copies in each camp.
At Camp STUFF (a staff training weekend) in June we will be offering a workshop on music leadership and learning the songs.  We will also dedicate the books and distribute them to the camps.
Feel free to write a greeting inside the cover and imagine the children and youth of our camps singing praise at Vespers!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carolyn Francis, 902 836 3296
Chair of Outdoor Recreational Ministry

Janice Maclean, 506 536 1334
Maritime Conference Staff

Bring your donated copy to this year’s annual meeting--or send it along with your congregation's delegate or minister!

HYMNS PALM/PASSION SUNDAY APRIL 1, 2012

Palm/Passion Sunday—All Ages Worship

   

 

  

Liturgical Colour-Red

Introit Palm Sunday Rag

Well, he rode into town on a donkey, waving

Kids waved back as he passed by

Doves circling in the sky

You should have been there when they cried “Hosanna!”

Palm trees joined and they waved their branches

Stones in the road began to sing, they said

“Jesus, you’re our favourite one, Hosanna to David’s son

We’re going to praise the Lord for the hope and joy you bring!”

Words: Bev Brazier; Tune: “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” Shelton Brooks, 1917

All Glory Laud and Honour VU122

Response: To you, O God, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul.

Words and music: Marty Haugen Music and verse texts © 1982 by GIA Publications, Inc.,

7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442-1358.

All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Sung Assurance I Have Called You by Your Name MV161

He Came Riding on a Donkey VU124

INVITATION FROM MODERATOR MARDI TINDAL

We received this letter (below) and two packages of seeds from our Moderator this week. This Sunday, Palm/Passion Sunday, we will be celebrating The Practice of Sustainability and will have the seeds and planting material available for starting our flower plants. 

April 2012
Greetings from the General Council Office,
As my term of as Moderator draws to a close, I wanted to share with you a lasting reminder of God's Abundant Healing of Soul, Community, and Creation.

Enclosed you will find a gift of wildflower seeds--two packages per congregation--which I invite you to plant as a contribution to your community's celebration of Earth Day 2012, which falls in the season of Easter, on April 22.

This gift is intended to be a reminder of God's abundant love and our identity as Easter people, wherever the wildflower seeds take root. Whether you choose to plant the seeds in a church yard, a community garden, or a cemetery, your congregation is invited to join with other United Church congregations in this Earth Day celebration of God's creation. I imagine the children of your congregation being among those to select and plant in a place where you can delight in the growth and beauty of these flowers.

Also available for your congregation to use as part of your Sunday services on Earth Day is a shared liturgy and a new hymn for all ages. You can download both from www.united-church.ca/earthday.

Following worship on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, you are invited to a "refreshment hour" to take place in real time nationally, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. We will be sharing our stories of hope and inspiration in God's healing of soul, community and creation through an hour-long live webcast. Join in by computer, either from home or from church, by visiting www.united-church.ca/earthday .

May God continue to bless our journey as we participate in our Creator's healing, mending work.

In our abundant life in Christ,

Mardi Tindal
Moderator
The United Church of Canada

GIRL GUIDES ATTEND ST. MARK'S

The Girl Guides attended the March 25th service at St. Mark's
and served the congregation coffee, tea and goodies after the service. 

This was a gesture of thanks for the continued use of the hall for their activities.

T

They even cleaned up the hall before they left.

LENT--THE SPIRAL JOURNEY

Weekly Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Lent

March 25

Jeremiah 31:31–34

Something to think about, talk about, or do

“I will write it on their hearts.”

What has God written on your heart? Make a list of what you hold most dear. Cut out a heart shape on a piece of paper – it doesn’t have to be very big. Write a favourite quote, a word of encouragement, or something you love on it and find a public place to put it. Leave it at a coffee shop, post it on the bulletin board at work, put it in a book your loved one is reading for them to discover.

ONLINE MORNING PRAYERS DURING HOLY WEEK

HOLY WEEK PRAYERS FROM MARITIME CONFERENCE PROGRAM STAFF

The President and Maritime Conference Program Staff will prepare Morning Prayers for Holy Week. You will receive an email each morning from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday. The Morning Prayer will offer a prayer, reading, and reflection.

Cost: None

Theme: ”Let you feet follow your heart until you find your place of resurrection.” – Celtic Saying. As a community we will explore this theme as we journey through the days of Holy Week toward the Mystery of Easter.

REGISTRATIONS

Please send your name and email address to Janice MacLean jmaclean@marconf.ca . There is no cost.

ANNOUNCEMENTS SUNDAY, MARCH 25TH, 2012 5TH OF LENT

Sunday School: Palm/Passion Sunday on April 1st will be an All Ages Worship with children and their families helping to provide worship leadership.

Lenten Reflection with the Labyrinth

There is a long tradition of making the Season of Lent a special time for reflection, especially personal reflections on one’s faith journey. A labyrinth has been created in the hall of St. Mark’s for the season. Use our labyrinth each week during the Season of Lent to mark the journey of God’s promises and the pathway to Jerusalem. A printed weekly reflection will be provided on a stand in the hall. Nan will continue a guided contemplative practice--now with the labyrinth--on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Please join her during that time to walk the labyrinth--or walk the labyrinth at your convenience at times that the hall is not being used for other purposes. Labyrinths are symbolic journeys, a distilled version of the path we walk through life guided by our faith. This year, Lent is a time of immersing ourselves in God’s promises of presence, love, and guidance – enjoy the journey.

MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS:
Monday 9-12 noon
Tuesday 9-12 noon
Wednesday 9-12 noon at St. David’s
Thursday 9 – 12 noon
Friday – Minister’s Day Off
The Manse telephone number is 625-0407
Nan is at St. David’s Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Drop by for a coffee.

Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of each month.
March 28th – 10:30 a.m. - Service at the Nursing Home
April 5th – 6:30 p.m.; Maundy Thursday Potluck Supper and Worship Service at St. Mark’s. April 6th – Good Friday Service at St. David’s at 11:00 a.m.

50th Anniversary of The United Church Women
Come join the celebration
Come weave your story into Our Tapestry of Love
We invite all women of the United Church of Canada to gather April 14, 2012 to celebrate our past, share the present and anticipate the future at Warden United Church, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Registration forms available at the office.

ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

We welcome members of the Guiding Movement & their leaders to the Service at St. Mark’s this morning.

COURTESY CARIf you need a ride to church during the month of April,

call Larry Evans at 625-0305
Please make your Courtesy Car request well in advance if possible.

Sunday Worship requests should be made by the evening before

or by 8 a.m. Sunday morning at latest.

Reminder Are you saving your pennies for M&S? Palm Sunday is April 1st - the day to pass along your sock full of pennies for M&S!

PALM SUNDAY PARTY- APRIL 1ST

Don’t forget your sock for M&S on April 1st , Palm Sunday.

Socks will be collected and prizes awarded for the best, ugly and pretty sock!

Everyone is invited to the party in the hall, following the morning service...there will be good things to eat!

2012 World Vision 30 Hour Famine is taking place at St. Marks on April 27th and 28th. Youth between the ages of 12 and 18 are encouraged to participate in this annual fundraising event. Please spread the word and have those who would like to participate contact Kathy Barss @ 234-2707 to make arrangements to get your participation package.

There are still two DVD and two CD Versions of the Hymn Sing available. If anyone would like one of these, please contact Ruth MacRae (625-2424). There is no cost.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle Knitters and crocheters—gather together in the parlour of St. Mark’s on the 3rd Monday of each month. Monday, April 16th will be our next time of gathering... at 1:00 for conversation, prayer…and knitting. Can't come to our circle but are knitting at home? If you have a shawl ready, we will receive them on the 3rd Monday of each month--or anytime during that week. A Blessing of the Prayer Shawls will be part of Sunday morning worship the following Sunday.

Youth Group meeting for youth 10 and up on the first Sunday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church Hall.

March 20th St. Mark’s Congregational Board Meeting; 6;30 p.m. – Executive, 7:00 p.m. – Committees, 8:00 p.m. – Combined Board.

ST. DAVID’S
ANNOUNCEMENTS

April 1st – Official Board Meeting following the Worship Service.

Church Hall Cleaners for March - Maxine Smith & Diane Mac Kinnon.

Celebrate Earth Hour 2012--Turn off your lights for an hour on March 31st at 8:30 p.m. Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history – Earth Hour. More than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011 alone, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet. Turn off your lights for an hour--but make a commitment to change your life for the sake of the planet.

++++++++++

The Food Bank would like small glass bottles with good covers holding approx. 1-1/2 cups They may be left at Church or Food Bank Monday morning.

In conjunction with the Antigonish International Film Festival, the Sunday Films Group has planned a day filled with insightful films to be held on Sunday, April 1 at the Shannon Studio. Tickets for this event are available at the Civic Centre Box office – for information, please contact 625-2591.

HYMNS MARCH 25TH, 2012 5TH OF LENT

1. WALK WITH ME - 649
Lenten Tenebrae Sung Assurance I Have Called You by Your Name vs.1-4 MV161
One verse en francais:

Tu sais…je t’ai ap-pe-lé par ton nom;

au-jour-d’hui, pour moi, ra-yon-ne de tes dons.

Je te gar-de près de moi;

mes pro-mes-ses sont pour toi.

Je t’ai choi-si et ap-pe-lé par ton nom.

2. IN THE BULB THERE IS A FLOWER - 703
Gospel Acclamation -GLORY AND PRAISE TO YOU , O LORD JESUS CHRIST !

3. WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS - 664

4. LIFT HIGH THE CROSS - 151

PSALM # 119, VU838, REFRAIN 1, PART 2

During the Season after Epiphany and Lent we are reading a section of the most recent United Church affirmation of faith, A Song of Faith, as a part of worship. Question for Reflection: How does this congregation “welcome all in the name of Christ”? Is ours an “open table”?
Responsive Reading from A Song of Faith
Sung Response: (stand)
To you, O God, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul.

Words and music: Marty Haugen Music and verse texts © 1982 by GIA Publications, Inc.,
7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442-1358.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Carrying a vision of creation healed and restored,

we welcome all in the name of Christ.

Invited to the table where none shall go hungry,

we gather as Christ’s guests and friends.

In holy communion

we are commissioned to feed as we have been fed,

forgive as we have been forgiven,

love as we have been loved.

The open table speaks of the shining promise

of barriers broken and creation healed.

In the communion meal, wine poured out and bread broken,

we remember Jesus.

We remember not only the promise

but also the price that he paid for who he was,

for what he did and said,

and for the world’s brokenness.

We taste the mystery of God’s great love for us,

and are renewed in faith and hope.

Responsive Reading excerpted from A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada

Sung Response To you, O God, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle

Knitters and crocheters—gather together in the parlour of St. Mark’s

on the 3rd Monday of each month.
Monday, April 16th will be our next time of gathering...
at 1:00 for conversation, prayer…and knitting.
Can't come to our circle but are knitting at home?
If you have a shawl ready, we will receive them on the 3rd Monday of each month--or anytime during that week.
A Blessing of the Prayer Shawls will be part of Sunday morning worship the following Sunday.

LENT--THE SPIRAL JOURNEY

Weekly Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Lent




March 18

Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22“O give thanks to God, for God is good.”

Spend an entire day being thankful for everything that happens, no matter what happens. Take a digital camera with you throughout your day, take pictures of moments of gratitude, and post them to Facebook, Flickr or your personal blog with your reflections on what it was like to be intentionally thankful throughout the day.

ANNOUNCEMENTS MARCH 18TH, 2012 4TH OF LENT

Sunday School: There will be no Sunday School classes at both St. David’s and St. Mark’s during the school March Break—no Sunday School on March 18th. Palm/Passion Sunday on April 1st will be an All Ages Worship with children and their families helping to provide worship leadership.

Lenten Reflection with the Labyrinth

There is a long tradition of making the Season of Lent a special time for reflection, especially personal reflections on one’s faith journey. A labyrinth has been created in the hall of St. Mark’s for the season. Use our labyrinth each week during the Season of Lent to mark the journey of God’s promises and the pathway to Jerusalem. A printed weekly reflection will be provided on a stand in the hall. Nan will continue a guided contemplative practice--now with the labyrinth--on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Please join her during that time to walk the labyrinth--or walk the labyrinth at your convenience at times that the hall is not being used for other purposes. Labyrinths are symbolic journeys, a distilled version of the path we walk through life guided by our faith. This year, Lent is a time of immersing ourselves in God’s promises of presence, love, and guidance – enjoy the journey.

MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS:
Monday 9-12 noon
Tuesday 9-12 noon
Wednesday 9-12 noon at St. David’s
Thursday 9 – 12 noon
Friday – Minister’s Day Off
The Manse telephone number is 625-0407
Nan is at St. David’s Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Drop by for a coffee.

Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of each month. Next Sunday March 25th is Food Bank Sunday.
March 28th – 10:30 a.m. - Service at the Nursing Home
April 5th – 6:30 p.m.; Maundy Thursday Potluck Supper and Worship Service at St. Mark’s. April 6th – Good Friday Service at St. David’s at 11:00 a.m.

50th Anniversary of The United Church Women
Come join the celebration
Come weave your story into Our Tapestry of Love
We invite all women of the United Church of Canada to gather April 14, 2012 to celebrate our past, share the present and anticipate the future at Warden United Church, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Registration forms available at the office.

ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

COURTESY CARIf you need a ride to church during the month of March,

call Dave Chapman at 787-2610
Please make your Courtesy Car request well in advance if possible.

Sunday Worship requests should be made by the evening before

or by 8 a.m. Sunday morning at latest.

There will be a meeting of the Mission & Outreach Committee following Morning Service TODAY.

Reminder Are you saving your pennies for M&S? Palm Sunday is April 1st - the day to pass along your sock full of pennies for M&S!

PALM SUNDAY PARTY- APRIL 1ST

Don’t forget your sock for M&S on April 1st , Palm Sunday.

Socks will be collected and prizes awarded for the best, ugly and pretty sock!

Everyone is invited to the party in the hall, following the morning service...there will be good things to eat!

Special meeting of Youth Group—to plan for Palm/Passion Sunday worship at St. Mark’s, this evening at 7:00 p.m.Youth Group meeting for youth 10 and up on the first Sunday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church Hall.

March 20th St. Mark’s Congregational Board Meeting; 6;30 p.m. – Executive, 7:00 p.m. – Committees, 8:00 p.m. – Combined Board.

ST. DAVID’S
ANNOUNCEMENTS

April 1st – Official Board Meeting following the Worship Service.

Church Hall Cleaners for March - Maxine Smith & Diane Mac Kinnon.

BAPTISM OF ALISTAIR JOHN LANGLEY MARCH 11, 2012 ST. DAVID'S

HYMNS MARCH 18TH, 2012 4TH OF LENT

1. THIS IS GOD'S WONDROUS WORLD - 296
Lenten Tenebrae Sung Assurance I Have Called You by Your Name vs.1-4 MV161

2. HE CAME SINGING LOVE - 359

3. AMAZING GRACE - 266

4. BECAUSE HE LIVES (printed)

Gospel Acclamation -GLORY AND PRAISE TO YOU , O LORD JESUS CHRIST !

PSALM 107, #831 Pts. 1 & 3

During the Season after Epiphany and Lent we are reading a section of the most recent United Church affirmation of faith, A Song of Faith, as a part of worship.
Responsive Reading from A Song of Faith
Sung Response: (stand)
To you, O God, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul.
Words and music: Marty Haugen Music and verse texts © 1982 by GIA Publications, Inc.,
7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442-1358.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

We are each given particular gifts of the Spirit.
For the sake of the world,
God calls all followers of Jesus to Christian ministry.
In the church, some are called to specific ministries of leadership,
both lay and ordered;
some witness to the good news;
some uphold the art of worship;
some comfort the grieving and guide the wandering;
some build up the community of wisdom;
some stand with the oppressed and work for justice.
To embody God’s love in the world,
the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship of all believers.
In grateful response to God’s abundant love,
we bear in mind our integral connection
to the earth and one another;
we participate in God’s work of healing and mending creation.

Sung Response To you, O God, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul.

INVERNESS-GUYSBOROUGH CLERGY RETREAT MAR 7-8

LENT--THE SPIRAL JOURNEY

Weekly Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent





March 11
Psalm 19 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O God.”

It is so easy to just fire off an email or Facebook update or Twitter “tweet” or text message without thinking much about it. Challenge yourself to be more mindful of your words in these contexts this week. Take a deep breath before you respond to anything and make space in your heart before you start typing or texting. Notice how this mindfulness affects your sense of connection to others.

KNITTING A PRAYER SHAWL

Prayer Shawl Instructions:
(Every time you pick up the shawl to work on it you say a prayer for whoever the recipient will be. As you knit you pray. This can be done as a group or as individuals)



With size 8 mm needles cast on stitches in multiples of three – 54, 57 or 60 stitches. The pattern is quite simple. First row K. 3, P. 3 to end of row. Start the next row with the opposite stitch of what you see. For instance, if the first stitch on the needle is a knit, then start with a purl. Knit the purls and purl the knits. It should not look like ribbing. Continue until the shawl measures the desired length, 57, 58, 59 or 60 inches. Bind off knitting. Add a fringe. (maybe crocheted or a knotted fringe)

Crochet fringe: With crochet hook size 4.50 mm *chain 25 stitches slip stitch in the second chain from the hook, then slip stitch in each of the next 23 chains. Slip stitch on the shawl at the base of the chain 25 just made. Slip stitch in the next stitch of shawl **, repeat directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the edge that the fringe is being added to

ANNOUNCEMENTS SUNDAY MARCH 11TH 2012 3RD OF LENT

Sunday School: There will be no Sunday School classes at both St. David’s and St. Mark’s during the school March Break—no Sunday School on March 11th and March 18th. Palm/Passion Sunday on April 1st will be an All Ages Worship with children and their families helping to provide worship leadership.

Lenten Reflection with the Labyrinth
There is a long tradition of making the Season of Lent a special time for reflection, especially personal reflections on one’s faith journey. A labyrinth has been created in the hall of St. Mark’s for the season. Use our labyrinth each week during the Season of Lent to mark the journey of God’s promises and the pathway to Jerusalem. A printed weekly reflection will be provided on a stand in the hall. Nan will continue a guided contemplative practice--now with the labyrinth--on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Please join her during that time to walk the labyrinth--or walk the labyrinth at your convenience at times that the hall is not being used for other purposes. Labyrinths are symbolic journeys, a distilled version of the path we walk through life guided by our faith. This year, Lent is a time of immersing ourselves in God’s promises of presence, love, and guidance – enjoy the journey.

MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS:

Monday 9-12 noon

Tuesday 9-12 noon
Wednesday 9-12 noon at St. David’s
Thursday 9 – 12 noon
Friday – Minister’s Day Off The Manse telephone number is 625-0407
Nan is at St. David’s Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Drop by for a coffee.

Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of each month.

April 5th – 6:30 p.m.: Maundy Thursday Potluck and Service at St. Mark’s.

April 6th – Good Friday Service at St. David’s

ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

COURTESY CAR
If you need a ride to church during the month of March,

call Dave Chapman at 787-2610

Please make your Courtesy Car request well in advance if possible.

Sunday Worship requests should be made by the evening before

or by 8 a.m. Sunday morning at latest

Youth Group meeting for youth 10 and up on the first Sunday of every month

at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church Hall.

Senior’s Luncheon at St. Mark’s for St. Mark’s Congregation on March 15th at 11:30 a.m. Complimentary

March 20th – St. Mark’s Congregational Board Meeting.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle

Knitters and crocheters—gather together in the parlour of St. Mark’s

on Monday, March 12th at 1:00 for conversation, prayer…and knitting.

At this first gathering we will discuss Prayer Shawl Ministry and how it might happen here.

ST. DAVID’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

April 1st – Official Board Meeting following the Worship Service.

Church Hall Cleaners for March are Maxine Smith & Diane Mac Kinnon

HYMNS MARCH 11TH, 2012 3RD OF LENT

1. WHEN LONG BEFORE TIME - 248

LENTEN TENEBRAE CANDLE LITURGY - I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME - PRINTED, V. 1, 2, 3

2. GIVE TO US LAUGHTER - 624

3. THE OLD RUGGED CROSS (printed)

4. HOW GREAT THOU ART (back of Voices United)

Psalm 19, #740, REF.2
During the Season after Epiphany and Lent we are reading a section of the most recent United Church affirmation of faith, A Song of Faith, as a part of worship. Today we declare our beliefs about the sacrament of baptism.

Responsive Reading from A Song of Faith

Sung Response: To You, O God VU752 Refrain 2 (stand)

To point to the presence of the holy in the world,

the church receives, consecrates, and shares

visible signs of the grace of God.

In company with the churches

of the Reformed and Methodist traditions,

we celebrate two sacraments as gifts of Christ:

baptism and holy communion.

In these sacraments the ordinary things of life

—water, bread, wine—

point beyond themselves to God and God’s love,

teaching us to be alert

to the sacred in the midst of life.

Before conscious thought or action on our part,

we are born into the brokenness of this world.

Before conscious thought or action on our part,

we are surrounded by God's redeeming love.

Baptism by water in the name of the Holy Trinity
is the means by which we are received, at any age,
into the covenanted community of the church.
It is the ritual that signifies our rebirth in faith
and cleansing by the power of God.
Baptism signifies the nurturing, sustaining,
and transforming power of God’s love
and our grateful response to that grace.

Responsive Reading excerpted from A Song of Faith:A Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada

Sung Response: To You, O God VU752 Refrain 2

LENT--THE SPIRAL JOURNEY

Weekly Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

March 4
Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16“I will make you exceedingly fruitful.”

Last week we looked for signs of promise in the world around us. This week, think about the ways you yourself create signs of promise. Think about the physical things you make – meals, art, repairs to objects, gardens. What promises do they convey? How do your interactions with others bring promise to the world? Choose one thing you normally do and do it intentionally as a sign of promise to the world.

WALKING THE LABYRINTH IN LENT

March 4 – March 10, 2012

Second Week of Lent: Living Legacy

Reflections for the labyrinth journey

The promise of God comes out of the rainbow-filled clouds and drops right into the lives of Sarah and Abraham. Unexpected, difficult to believe, and beyond their deepest imaginings, but also right at the heart of their longing.Promises come into our lives in all shapes and sizes, all forms and means. Some are as firm as rungs on a ladder, leading up to new perspectives. Some are whispers and shadows and gossamer wings. We strain to hear, to see, to believe, to trust. The promise to Abraham and Sarah was one of legacy, to be passed on from generation to generation. We hold that same promise, whether through children and grandchildren or through our life’s work or passionate pursuits. On this journey into the labyrinth, reflect on your own personal legacy. Allow some thoughts about what you would like to pass on to others to emerge.

■What do you need in order to bring that legacy to life? When you reach the centre of the labyrinth, pray for what you need.
■As you follow the path leading out of the labyrinth, let some ideas bubble up about what you can do to be that living legacy right now.
■What are you already doing, and what will you start doing, to pass it on right now?

Reflections for your daily routine
During a break in your day, reflect on the promises that are actively shaping your life today: a promise you’ve made to yourself about something you will do differently; a promise you feel you’ve received from God that gives your life meaning and purpose; a promise you have made to another person that you pay attention to and work on every day. If you have time, write a prayer that expresses your feelings about these promises – what you’re thankful for and what you need help with. Find a special place to keep the prayer and return to it when you you need to remember that your life is full of promise.
Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2011 p53 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION Lent • Easter 2012

ANNOUNCEMENTS SUNDAY MARCH 4TH 2012 2ND OF LENT

Sunday School: There will be no Sunday School classes at both St. David’s and St. Mark’s during the school March Break—no Sunday School on March 11th and March 18th. Palm/Passion Sunday on April 1st will be an All Ages Worship with children and their families helping to provide worship leadership.

Lenten Reflection with the Labyrinth
There is a long tradition of making the Season of Lent a special time for reflection, especially personal reflections on one’s faith journey. A labyrinth has been created in the hall of St. Mark’s for the season. Use our labyrinth each week during the Season of Lent to mark the journey of God’s promises and the pathway to Jerusalem. A printed weekly reflection will be provided on a stand in the hall. Nan will continue a guided contemplative practice--now with the labyrinth--on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Please join her during that time to walk the labyrinth--or walk the labyrinth at your convenience at times that the hall is not being used for other purposes. Labyrinths are symbolic journeys, a distilled version of the path we walk through life guided by our faith. This year, Lent is a time of immersing ourselves in God’s promises of presence, love, and guidance – enjoy the journey.

MINISTER’S OFFICE HOURS:
Monday 9-12 noon
Tuesday 9-12 noon
Wednesday 9-12 noon at St. David’s
Thursday 9 – 12 noon
Friday – Minister’s Day Off
The Manse telephone number is 625-0407
Nan is at St. David’s Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Drop by for a coffee.

Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of each month.

April 5th – 6:30 p.m.; Maundy Service at St. Mark’s.

April 6th – Good Friday Service at St. David’s

ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

COURTESY CAR

If you need a ride to church during the month of March, call Dave Chapman at 787-2610
Please make your Courtesy Car request well in advance if possible.
Sunday Worship requests should be made by the evening before or by 8 a.m. Sunday morning at latest.

Youth Group meeting for youth 10 and up on the first Sunday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church Hall. Meeting tonight, March 4th.

Senior’s Luncheon at St. Mark’s for St. Mark’s Congregation on March 15th at 11:30 a.m. Complimentary

March 20th – St. Mark’s Congregational Board Meeting.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle
Knitters and crocheters—gather together in the parlour of St. Mark’s on Monday, March 12th at 1:00 for conversation, prayer…and knitting. At this first gathering we will discuss Prayer Shawl Ministry and how it might happen here.

ST. DAVID’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

April 1st – Official Board Meeting following the Worship Service.

Church Hall Cleaners for March are Maxine Smith & Diane Mac Kinnon.