Good Friday Service April 2, 2021

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY OF FAITH

PORT HAWKESBURY, NS

April 2, 2021

 

 

Pulpit Supply:  Pastor Keith Wiseman, DLM

Music:  Adam Cooke

Prelude:     “Go to Dark Gethsemane”                     VU #133

Let Us Together Kneel at The Cross

“Jesus, Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom”

(2 minute silence)

Pastoral Prayer:

Loving and gracious God, we gather in the gloom and grief on this Good Friday. As we imagine the pain that this day brought to you, handling over your beloved to the powers of cruelty, opportunity, hatred and fear – we can only marvel at the depth of your love for us. For it was to save us that you sent Jesus to face the worst within humanity. For it was to heal us that Jesus was battered. For it was to give us life that Jesus was overwhelmed by death. In your love for us, you put aside your love for Christ and gave him to the world, knowing that we would do our worst. And so, gracious God, our hearts are grateful, because in this love, we know forgiveness and we know new life.   Amen.

The Crucifixion: John  19: 14-27

Forsaken Friday and Sad Friday

Hymn:           “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”         VU #149

The Crucifixion:  John 19: 28-42

Difficult Friday and Good Friday

We Bless you, Jesus

We bless you Jesus, you are God’s beloved.

You help me remember that I am God’s beloved.

We bless you Jesus, you were driven by God’s will.

You help me to do the same.

We bless you Jesus, you made time to discern God’s will.

You encourage me to pray.

We bless you Jesus, you did not compromise your principles.

You help me to uphold my integrity.

We bless you Jesus, you shared your gifts to help people.

You show me what God’s love looks like.

We bless you Jesus, you learned to be content living with less.

You cause me to look at my greed.

We bless you Jesus, you threw tables and called the money-changers hypocrites.

You encourage me to speak up and do something about injustice.

We bless you Jesus, you sent the disciples out two by two.

        You motivate me to tell others about God’s love.

We bless you Jesus, you shared your truth.

You compel me to be honest.

We bless you Jesus, you confronted the authorities of your day.

You cause me to ask questions when I see injustice.

We bless you Jesus, you came to bring peace.

You tell me to speak out for peace.

We bless you Jesus, you claimed to be King of a Kingdom of love and peace and ended up being crucified like a common criminal, resting in God’s arms.

This is Good Friday, but Sunday is coming!

Hymn:       “Jesus Keep me Near the Cross”                 VU #142

(The Christ Candle is extinguished. You are invited to leave in silence)

Mission Statement

St. Marks’s United Church accepts

and welcomes all people as we

grow in acceptance, learn, love, 

and share our Christian faith in

God’s love. We will celebrate 

God’s presence and advance

God’s purpose within our local

community and the global village

by applying Christ’s teachings to 

our daily lives.

There will be Good Friday and Easter Sunday services at St. Mark's

 This is to confirm that there will be a service at St. Mark's at 3 p.m. on Good Friday and also a service with communion at 3 p.m. on Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday March 28, 2021

   THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY OF FAITH

PORT HAWKESBURY, NS

 Palm Sunday

March 28, 2021 

Pulpit Supply:  Pastor Keith Wiseman, DLM

Music:  Adam Cooke

WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY AND APPROACH GOD

Hymn: ‘He Came Riding on a Donkey’ VU #124

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.

Words of Lenten & Lighting of the Christ Candle:

Call To Worship:

Hosanna! Hosanna!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

Christ the Lord is near.

Hosanna! Hosanna!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Christ the Lord is here.

With well-loved songs,

and waving waving palms,

we celebrate his Way!

Hosanna! Hallelujah!

Welcome Christ the Lord, today!                            

Richard Bott

Hymn: ‘Ride On!  Ride On in Majesty!’        VU #127

Gathering Prayer, Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance:

Hymn: ‘Will Follow You and Serve You, Lord I Will’

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 31: 9-16

A Reading From Paul’s Letter to the Phillippians:  2: 5-11

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

Reading from the Gospel of Jesus Christ:        Mark 11: 1-11                           

WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD

Sermon: “An Alternative Way”

Hymn: ‘Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying’                   VU #400

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:

Receive our gifts O God as you have received our hosannas and praise. Bless both what is given and those who give it. Bless most deeply of al those whose lives will be touched by what we offer here.  Amen                             

Kate Crawford   

                                         

SENDING FORTH

Closing Hymn:    ‘All Glory, Laud and Honour’          VU #122

We Bless One Another As We Go Into The World:

May the grace of Jesus Christ, and the love of our Maker, and 

the friendship of the Holy Spirit strengthen us on our  

journey so that God’s blessings might be known by all 

who meet us.

                                 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Church Services for April                                                                    

Scripture Readers                                                                   

April 4^th – Clark Brander – EASTER SUNDAY

April 11^th – Iaian Langley

April 25^th – Vida Hood

Minute for Mission Readers                                                                                                                                                              

April 4^th – Anna Marie Langley

April 11^th –Yvonne Fox

April 25^th – Katherine Langley

Easter Sunday is at 3pm with Communion and lead by Pastor Keith Wiseman.

St. Mark’s will resume weekly church services starting when our new Minister, Barbara Blois MacNaughton begins her ministry with us. So, set your alarms as the date is May 2^nd and the time for the services will be back to 9:30 am. 

The next Prayer Shawl Knitting meeting will be April 19^th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Church hall. 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.

The W&P Committee is planning a thorough cleaning of St. Mark’s building.This will be a volunteer effort from all able, so please watch for an email blast with the dates, times and list of chores to be done. As they say, we need  “All Hands on Deck” for this event. 

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

ourcontactonline.blogspot.com

Community Event:

Good Friday Chowder Supper (Fish or Corn) – Take Out Only.

April 2^nd from 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Trinity United Church Hall in Mulgrave.

$10.00 per serving.

.

March 14th, Lent 4

                                               The United Church Of Canada, Region 15

St. Mark’s Community of Faith

Port Hawkesbury, NS

March 14^th, Lent 4 

                                                           

                                    Pulpit Supply – Margie MacIntyre                               

Music – Adam Cooke

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

* Please stand if able*

Piano Prelude

Welcome, Announcements and Happy Birthday 

Lenten Candle Liturgy: Anna Marie Langley

Introit: 

Throughout these Lenten days and nights, (Soloist)

we turn to walk the inward way,

where meeting Christ, our guide and light,

we live in hope ‘til Easter day.

Call to Worship

One: Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;

All: God’s steadfast love endures forever.

One: God gathers God’s people from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

All: Let us thank God for such all-embracing love.

One: Let us praise God for God’s wonderful works to humankind.

All: We will worship God with thanksgiving and tell of God’s deeds with songs of joy.

One: Come let us worship with praise and thanksgiving.

Opening Prayer (In Unison)

Gracious God, great and wonderful are your works. Your steadfast love is everlasting. You have come among us in Christ Jesus to save us. Where there is darkness, you bring light. Where there is sadness, you speak words of hope. Where there is despair, you bring new possibilities. You bring healing for the sick and forgiveness. You bring justice for the oppressed, speaking truth instead of lies. Stir us with your Spirit, O God, in this time of worship. Awaken our joy and reverence as we offer you our songs and our silence, our prayers and praises. Thank you for this world with beauty, for the abundant generosity of your gifts, your world and your great love for us. Amen.

Hymn ‘Spirit, Open My Heart’ (Soloist)

Prayer of Confession (In Unison)

Gracious God, even as we praise you, we are aware of our failures as your disciples. We take your love and acceptance of us for granted. We are often careless with our relationships, more focused on ourselves than on you or those around us. We spend our days distracted by the news, rather than seeking your light and truth. Forgive us. Awaken our spirit of commitment and compassion.  Give us a new vision of your purposes and our place within them, so we may serve you more faithfully, day by day. 

Words of Assurance

New life is promised to each one of us when we commit ourselves to the challenging, yet renewing way of love, justice and compassion. 

We commit ourselves to God’s way of love, justice and compassion. We commit ourselves to the journey to the cross, for new life is ours

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

Prayer of Illumination 

Numbers 21: 4-9 ‘A bronze serpent heals the people’

One: this is the witness to the Hebrew people.

All: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 107 ‘God’s steadfast love endures forever’

Ephesians 2: 1-10 ‘We are not saved by our own doing, but by grace’

John 3: 14-21 ‘For God so loved the world’

One: The Gospel of Jesus Christ  

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

3

Reflection ‘Wonderful Love’

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

Hymn ‘Jesus Loves Me’ (Soloist)

Minute for Mission and Offering Our Gifts to God

Invitation to Offering  

Doxology  ‘Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow’ (Soloist)

Offering Prayer (In Unison) 

Lord Jesus, you gave so much without counting the cost. Bless these gifts with your generous love. Send them and us into the world to bless it with the same hope and healing we have found in you. And let us not count the cost until we too have given all we can for your sake. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Concern

WE GO TO SERVE

Hymn ‘Love Divine, All Loves Excelling' (Soloist)

Benediction

Let us go from this place as a new creation, crafted by the Word, conformed to the shape of Jesus Christ, so that all who meet us may know him in us, and come to love him through us. We leave thankful and able to face the road ahead. May you know the love of God surrounds you, the grace of Christ enfolds you and the Holy Spirit gives you guidance each day.  Amen.

Piano Postlude

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Church Services for March                                                                      

The 14^th and 28^th at 3 p.m.

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

Notice of St. Mark’s Board Meeting – March 16^th, 2021

Executive Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Committee Meetings - 7:00 p.m.

Board Meeting - 8:00 p.m. 

The next Prayer Shawl Knitting meeting will be tomorrow 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.

The ‘Delivered Roast Beef Supper’ was a great success. A huge Thank You to all involved, the ladies who made desserts, the drivers and delivery folks, and the kitchen crew led by Kyle MacLeod from the Clove Hitch Bistro in Port Hood. We extend a special thanks to Clark & Patsy for being excellent expediters, to Ruth for organizing the desserts, and to Valli and Jean who co-chaired the event. When all the bills are in Treasurer Eric can do his ‘happy dance’.

Food Bank donations will be received on the last Sunday of each month. (March 28^th)

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

ourcontactonline.blogspot.com

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