St. Mark’s United Church, Port Hawkesbury
DLM-R/MDiv Student: Barb MacNaughton
Phone (902) 625-0407
Pianist: Adam Cooke
Office Administrator: Jane MacKinnon
Ministry: The Whole Congregation
The Season of Creation:
Creation requests: Lend me your voice!
Sunday October 3rd, 2021
The Community Gathers
Welcome and Announcements
Lighting of the Christ Candle: This candle represents for us the light of Christ. It reminds us of the colours of creation that paint our lives, it warms us in the cold, and it brightens our paths when all seems dark. May we take this light wherever we go and share it with others! Amen.
♫Introit: Praise God for this Holy Ground MV #42, verse 1
Praise God for this Holy Ground,
Place and People, sight and sound,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
God’s goodness is eternal.
Call to Gather:
Come into this place of worship and know you are not alone. Christians around the world gather today to celebrate worldwide communion.
We come to be immersed in the Holy Mystery that is Wholly love.*
Come from living rooms, from offices, from bedrooms, from backyard decks – come from wherever you are as we commune over the distance.
We come as we miss the conversation, the hugs, the handshakes, the small talk, and the deeper sharing – yet knowing we are part of the Spirited whole.
Come as we pay attention to God’s eternal presence as we pray:
Prayer of the Day:
Loving God, who is Holy Mystery, beyond complete knowledge and above perfect description,* in love may you embrace us with life-giving relationship. Tend us as you mend us. Enlighten us as you transform us. May we become the harmony of the beloved who sing of your good news. May our hearts be opened to the diversity of hearts committed to Jesus, making us beacons of self-giving love worldwide. Amen.
(Gord Dunbar, Kincardine P.C., Kincardine, Ont. *From a Song of Faith: A statement of faith of the United Church of Canada)
♫Hymn: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus VU#357
Sacrament of Baptism
We welcome into our church family today Vaughn Sheppard Snair, child of Bhreagh Sheppard-Snair and Jared Snair.
Congregational Commitment:
We gather at this font to celebrate the Spirit of life that connects us all and through which we come to love ourselves, one another, and the whole of creation. This font and the water in it are our symbols of community and represent our common need for living water. Each of you, whole and loved knows the need for support and care upon the spiritual journey. As this family gathers to commit to this journey with Vaughn, let us pledge our care to them. Do you who witness this commitment of faith pledge to love, support, and care for all children as they discover the way that God is present in their lives?
We do
A New Creed – back of bulletin cover
♫Hymn: I was there to hear Your Borning Cry VU#644
The Community Explores
Prayer for Illumination:
We pray, O God, for listening ears and open hearts as we hear the words of our ancient scripture this day. Amen.
Scriptures:
OT: Psalm 24
NT: Hebrews 1: 1-4, 2: 5-12
Gospel Lesson: Mark 10: 13-16 (read during baptism)
Message
♫Hymn: Jesus Laughed Out Loud MV #133
The Community Celebrates
Minute for Mission
♫Offering Hymn: VU #538
For the Gift of Creation, the gift of your love
And the gift of the Spirit by which we live
We thank you and give you the fruit of our hands
May your grace be proclaimed by the gifts that we give.
Offering Prayer: Loving God, we meet you in worship, in song, in prayer and in sacrament. May we also meet you with our gifts of time, talent and treasure? We give these freely to help bring about a time of peace and reconciliation in our world. Amen.
Sacrament of Communion
♫Hymn: Bread of Life, Feed My Soul MV#194
Come to the table of belonging and of becoming. Come to Christ’s table, where everyone is welcome. Come if you are wondering or certain, if it is your first time or a long time. Come if you are young or old, if you know what’s happening or you are confused. There are no barriers to this feast of abundance. Come!
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to God
Let us give God our thanks and praise
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
We give thanks for God who has given us life, for the wonders of creation.
We give thanks for the richness the food produced in our country for us and for the world, for the power of growth, for ourselves and for the world.
We give thanks for the miracle of seed and germination, of growth and ripening; for the abundance of water and good air; for the progress of the seasons; and for the skills and talents with which we have been endowed.
We give thanks for the abundance we enjoy – abundance that allows us, encourages us; commands us to share with one another, especially strangers.
We give thanks for the food we eat and for the friends with whom we share it, for the love and care of families, and for all the joys shared therein.
We give thanks to God who has given us life itself.
We gather at this table to remember that on the night before he died, Jesus ate with his friends, he took a loaf of bread and after blessing it he broke it and gave it to them saying: “Take, Eat, this bread is broken as my body will be. Each time you do this, remember me.” That same night he also took a cup and after giving thanks passed it to his friends, saying: “Drink, this cup, poured out for you is the promise of God. Whenever you drink it, remember me.” We remember Jesus’ death and celebrate his resurrection, and we await with hope the coming again of compassion and justice to the earth. Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
We thank you, O god, for the gifts of friends and family - for the relationships we treasure. There is nourishment for our hearts in our connections. At this time, may we remember all those with whom we would share this feast. We pray for all who are in sorrow or in pain . . .
all who are ill or alone . . .
all who live with fear, oppression, or hunger . . .
all whom the world counts as last and least . . . .
We pray for our church and its varied ministries . . .
for the nations as they strive for peace and justice . . .
for the earth, and the fragile web of life we share . . .
for our families and friends . . . .
We pray that we might, be instruments of grace. May we find within our own hearts, the hope that will light another’s way, the strength that will not fold beneath another’s weight, and the courage to face another’s fears. May all be nourished by who we are!
Let us pray together the prayer we know so well in our hearts.
Our Father…
As we gather at the table, may we be fed with food for our souls. We pray the spirit be upon us and what we do here that we and these gifts might be signs of life and love to one another. These are the gifts of God for the people of God. Come for all things are now ready
…Share Bread and Juice…
Prayer after Communion:
For the bread we have eaten, for the juice we have tasted, for the life we have received we give thanks. Grant that what we have done and have been given here, may so put its mark on us, that it may remain always in our hearts. Grant that we may grow in Christian love and understanding and that ours may be lives of faithful action. Amen.
♫Hymn: Sent Forth by God’s Blessing VU#481
The Community Goes Forth
Commissioning/Benediction
♫Hymn: Choral Amen
One License A-401486
Ministering through leadership this morning are:
Minister: Barbara MacNaughton
Pianist: Adam Cook
Lay Reader: Jean Mac Pherson
Mission Moment: Anna Marie Langley
Counters: Clark Brander, Yvonne Fox
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFICE HOURS: Thursday & Friday 8-12 noon
Deadline for information for the bulletin is Thursday at noon.
Lay Readers:
October 10th – Larry Evans
October 17th – Barb Mac Intyre
October 24th – Wayne Simpson
October 31St – Archie Noseworthy
Minute for Mission Readers:
October 10th – Yvonne Fox
October 17th – Linda Howlett
October 24th – Larry Evans
October 31st – Barb Mac Intyre
Collection Counters/Recorders Needed – Please sign up. The load gets lighter when many helping hands participate.
Hello Everyone
The plans are underway for out Take-Out Turkey Dinner on October 9, 2021 from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. On that day we will be launching our first On Line Auction - And now it is time to ask for your help!
We have had offers to help with the cost of the meal and we appreciate this so much. If anyone would like to make a cash donation towards the cost they can do so by putting it on the collection plate, with your name and the word Dinner on it, in church or dropping a check off to the church office. Jane is there on Thursday and Fridays in the morning until noon and Barb is in from Monday to Thursday in the mornings as well. You will receive a tax receipt for this donation.
Tickets are $20.00 for Adults and $10.00 for children under 12.
Tickets are available by calling:
Ruth 902-625-2424 Joyce 902-625-0515 And the Church Office 902-625-2229.
On the 9th of October we will open our On Line Auction and close it 2 weeks later. You can help us with this as well.
Ideas for Auction
New items…everything from clothes to car parts to household items, hair products to jewellery. If it has never been used we will take it. Hand Crafted Items, wood, quilting, knitting, crocheting, needle point; if you built it we will be happy to add it.
Gift item make… a nice Christmas theme basket, or a bath basket, maybe a pickle and preserve basket, the ideas are endless… and don’t forget the little ones.
Food offerings…maybe you are a pie maker they are hot in the auctions, Christmas is coming maybe assorted sweets, cookies are always a big hit, Biscuits, breads, or maybe you would want to offer up a meal for 4, Or host a dinner for 6, and the list goes on.
We ask that you note the cost of the item as this gives people who are bidding the value of the item. Keeping in mind some items may be priceless! Also if you could include a description of the item
.
These are just a few items, so use your imagination and I am sure you will come up with something.
Any items can be dropped off at the church office on the following days: Monday to Friday, in the mornings and you can call 902-625-2229 to make sure someone is there.
ADVANCE NOTICES
October 17th – Service will be led by Lorna Mac Rury
Home Energy Saving Program for Seniors
You may qualify for Efficiency Nova Scotia’s HomeWarming program (www.homewarming.ca). The HomeWarming program retrofits home to reduce heating costs by increase insulation and reducing drafts. These improvements make the home more comfortable and result in lower heating costs. This program is TOTALLY FREE FOR THE HOMEOWNER and has been designed for Low-income families and Seniors on fixed income. For further information please contact Kevin at 902 202-5700
