Second Sunday of the Season of Lent February 28, 2021

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY OF FAITH

Second Sunday of the Season of Lent 

February 28, 2021 

Pulpit Supply:  Pastor Keith Wiseman, DLM

Music:  Adam Cooke

WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY AND APPROACH GOD

Introit:     ‘Jesus, Stand among Us’ VU #396

Greeting:

May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.

And also with you.

Lighting of the Christ Candle:

Call To Worship:

On this second Sunday of Lent,

we come seeking God.

In this time of uncertainty in our lives,

we come seeking God.

Quieting our minds, opening our hearts,

and waiting for the divine mystery to make itself known,

we come to worship God                        

Catherine Tovell

Hymn:           ‘This Is the Day’   VU #412  

                              

Gathering Prayer, Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance:

Hymn:        ‘Jesus Christ Is Waiting’ VU #117       

WE LISTEN FOR GOD'S WORD

Prayer of Illumination:

God of light and love,

God of prophets and law-givers,

God of revelation,

open us to your word and will this day.

Open us to your ways,

so that when we leave this place,

we can be your people

wherever our journey takes us.                     

Beth Johnston

A Reading from the Psalms:                       Psalm 22: 23-31

A Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures: Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16

A Reading from The United Church of Canada’s Song of Faith:

Reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 8: 31-38      

WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD

Sermon:      “Losing our Lives in Order to Save Them”

Hymn:              ‘O Jesus, I Have Promised’                  VU #120 

             

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:

THE LIFE AND WORK OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Announcements and Minute For Mission:

Dedication of Offering:

O God, Source of life, for the love of the world Jesus 

offered everything he had, even life itself. In response to

this powerful gift of love, let us offer our gifts and our 

lives God, as we share in our offering……. 

Francis Flook

SENDING FORTH   

Closing Hymn:          ‘Jesus Bids Us Shine’ VU #585

We bless one another as we go into the world:

May our paths from here be guided by love, loving each 

other and serving God in the world. In the name of Jesus

Christ who is love, shows us how to love, and loved us 

first of all.    Amen.

A SONG OF FAITH

God is Holy Mystery,

beyond complete knowledge,

above perfect description.

Yet,

in love,

the one eternal God seeks relationship.

So God creates the universe

and with it the possibility of being and relating.

God tends the universe, 

mending the broken and reconciling the estranged.

God enlivens the universe,

guiding all things toward harmony with their Source.

Grateful for God’s loving action,

We cannot keep from singing. 

With the Church through the ages,

we speak of God as one and triune:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We also speak of God as

Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer

God, Christ, and Spirit

Mother, Friend, and Comforter

Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love,

and in other ways that speak faithfully of

the One on whom our hearts rely,

the fully shared life at the heart of the universe.

                                                  To be continued….

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Church Services for March                                                                      

The 14^th and 28^th at 3 pm

Scripture Readers                                                                               

March 14^th – Wayne Simpson                                                                                        

March 28^th – Archie Noseworthy

Minute for Mission Readers                                                                          

March 14^th - Larry Evans                                                                                        

March 28^th – Barb MacIntyre

St. Mark’s, on behalf of the Town of Port Hawkesbury, will be catering to a Free Roast Beef Dinner (delivered) on Thursday, March 11^th from 3p.m. - 6p.m. If you would like to have a dinner, you must call the town at 902-625-2591 to register. You must be a resident of the 

The next Prayer Shawl Knitting meeting will be March 15th in the hall from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Masks must be worn. Covid-19. Guidelines will be followed regarding safe distancing and sanitizing. There will be no access to the kitchen.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Collection Counting. There is a Sign-Up sheet in the Narthex. Your willingness will be greatly appreciated.

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

Deadline for information for the bulletin is on Thursday by noon.

The Bulletin and Announcements are now published in full on the blog. The address is: 

ourcontactonline.blogspot.com

Free Roast Beef Dinner

The Town of Port Hawkesbury is sponsoring a free roast beef dinner (delivered) on Thursday, March 11th.  The dinners will be delivered between 3 and 6 p.m.  Anyone wishing to have one of these dinners needs to register with the Town at 625-2591.  You must live in the Town of Port Hawkesbury and register by March 4th.

Transfiguration Sunday, February 14, 2021

 THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY OF FAITH

Port Hawkesbury, NS

 Transfiguration Sunday 

February 14, 2021 

Pulpit Supply: Pastor Keith Wiseman, DLM

Music: Adam Cooke

WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY AND APPROACH GOD

Introit:  ‘How Good, Lord, to be Here’           VU #103

 

Welcome:

Call To Worship:

Who is Jesus for us?

The continuation of the covenant.

The promise of something new.

The presence of God’s love.

Who are we for him?

The continuation of the covenant.

The promise of something new.

The presence of God’s love.

In God’s love, Jesus was changed,

transfigured, and transformed.

In God’s love, we are changed,

given hope,

made new.

As people changed and changing,

as disciples of Christ,

as followers of Jesus’ Way-

We worship God!    

                                - Richard Bott

Lighting of The Christ Candle:

    The light of Christ shines on us and in us.

    The light of Christ leads us.

    The light of Christ transforms us.

    We light this candle in the certainty that Christ’s presence is here with us today.

Hymn:   ‘Worship the Lord’                          VU #401  

 

Gathering Prayer, Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance:

Hymn:    ‘I Come to the Garden Alone’  

WE LISTEN FOR GOD'S WORD 

Prayer of Illumination:

A Reading from the Psalms:  Psalm 50: 1-6

A Reading From the Hebrew Scriptures:  2 Kings 2: 1-12

Reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 9: 2-9         

WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD 

Sermon:   “ Something New in Me and You”  

Hymn:   ‘Open My Eyes, That I May See’             VU #371               

Prayers of the People and  he Lord’s Prayer:

THE LIFE AND WORK OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Announcements and Minute For Mission:

Dedication of Offering:

    Mysterious God, we are transformed by the awe and delight of encountering you.We             offer our gifts of time, talent, and treasure. May we always be filled with amazement as we commit ourselves to sharing our gifts. We give in the name of the transfigured Christ.  Amen. 

               - Laura Turnbull

SENDING FORTH   

Closing Hymn:  ‘This Day God Gives Me’                    VU #410

We bless one another and go into the world:

Inspired and transformed on the mountaintop with Jesus, we now journey with Jesus back into the ordinary and everyday, knowing that this is where we must share God’s love.

Gathering Prayer, Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance:

O Spirit, breathe among us here,

inspire this time of worship.

Visit each of us with your amazing grace,

your mindfulness, your peace.

We want to be on the mountaintop with you:

a time of perfect awareness of your goodness,

a time of sacred communion with all life.

We want to know we are loved

and how to love.

We want the light, the cloud of joy,

the voice of reassurance.

And yet we know our wretchedness,

our imperfect attention to your way of love,

our willingness to lower our gaze

and turn away from your call.

We sin. We miss the mark of what is expected in relation to you, and each other, and all earth.

Save us. Save us from ourselves.

Save us from temptation.

Save us from the challenges we cannot seem to pass.

Thank you, God, that you continue to give us strength and courage to act with you and live within your love so that we will be a part of you always.  

We pray in the name of Jesus, the transfigured Son of God. Amen. 

                           

- Robin Wardlaw  (adapted) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Church Services for February and March 

        February the 28^th at 3 p.m.

        March 14^{th and} 28^th at 3 p.m.

Scripture Readers

February 28^th – Barb MacIntyre

       March 14^th  – Wayne Simpson

       March 28^th  – Archie Noseworthy

Minute for Mission Readers

February 28^th – Linda Howlett

March 14^th – Larry Evans

March 28^th – Barb MacIntyre

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held Today, Sunday, February 14^th following the Church service at 3 p.m. We encourage everyone to attend. 

The next Prayer Shawl Knitting meeting will be tomorrow, Monday, February 15th in the hall from 1:00 to 3:00. Masks must be worn. Covid-19 guidelines will be followed regarding safe distancing and sanitizing. There will be no access to the kitchen.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Collection Counting. There is a Sign-Up sheet in the Narthex. Your willingness will be greatly appreciated.

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

Deadline for information for the bulletin is on Thursday by noon.

The Bulletin and Announcements are now published in full on the blog. 

The address is: ourcontactonline.blogspot.com

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Fourth Sunday after Epiphany January 31, 2021

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

St. Mark’s Community of Faith

Port Hawkesbury, NS

 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

January 31, 2021 

Pulpit Supply: Pastor Keith Wiseman, DLM

Music: Adam Cooke  

                                   

     WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY AND APPROACH GOD

Introit:             ‘Come All You People’                           MV #2

Call To Worship:

As individuals, as a group,

as a community of faith-

we gather in this place.

To listen.

To communicate.

To worship.

To pray.

To be with God.

Because we know-

it is out of God’s authority,

it is out of God’s love,

that we live.  Alleluia!                      

Richard Bott

                

Lighting of The Christ Candle:

We light this Christ Candle, acknowledging our need for Jesus’ light, and lifting our face toward it.

Welcome:

Hymn:         'Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love’   VU #12 

                               

Gathering Prayer, Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance:

Hymn:           ‘My Love Colours Outside the Lines’       MV #138

WE LISTEN FOR GOD'S WORD 

Prayer of Illumination:

God of the ages, we come to the scriptures looking for you and seeking to discover your will for us. Encourage and challenge us with a message that 

we are loved and we are called to be disciples, to be witnesses, and so 

spread your love to all people. May we find the grace and wisdom we need to do these things as we hear and reflect on these  words.  Amen.

Hymn:   ‘Try a Little Kindness”                 

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 111

Reading From the Hebrew Scriptures: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

A Reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ:  Mark 1: 21-28           

WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD 

Sermon:          “You and I? Prophetic Voices?”                        

Prayers of the People and The Lord’s Prayer:

THE LIFE AND WORK OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Announcements and Minute For Mission:

Dedication of Offering:

We bring before you God these our gifts. They are a   

reflection of our commitment to service and our desire to be a living presence of your truth in the world.  Bless these gifts and bless us in our various ministries and activities as we continue on the journey to be your people in this world. 

 In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

SENDING FORTH

Closing Hymn:       ‘Go, Make a Difference’                    MV #209

Commissioning:

We are called to follow Christ and to lead change in 

this community and this world. Go from here to live out good news, with God’s tender blessing.

Benediction:

Announcements

 Church Services for February 

        February 14^th and the 28^th at 3 p.m.

Scripture Readers

January 31^st – Jean MacPherson

February 14^th – Larry Evans

February 28^th – Barb MacIntyre

Minute for Mission Readers

January 31^st – Barb MacIntyre

February 14^th – Yvonne Fox

February 28^th – Linda Howlett

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 14^th following the Church service at 3pm, weather permitting. We encourage everyone to attend. (Storm date is set for February 21^st in case the 14^th doesn’t work out.) 

The next Prayer Shawl Knitting meeting will be Monday, February 15th in the hall from 1:00 to 3:00. Masks must be worn. Covid-19 guidelines will be followed regarding safe distancing and sanitizing. There will be no access to the kitchen.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Collection Counting. There is a Sign-Up sheet in the Narthex. Your willingness will be greatly appreciated.

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

Deadline for information for the bulletin is on Thursday by noon.

The Bulletin and Announcements are now published in full on the blog. 

The address is: ourcontactonline.blogspot.com

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