|
|
CELBERATING 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF
|
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION
HYMN “The Church’s One Foundation” #331
(as in inaugural Service of 1925)
The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord,
We are his new creation by water and the Word,
From heaven he came and sought us
That we might ever be
His living servant people, by his own death set free.
CALL TO WORSHIP (responsive)
written by Rev. Richard Bott
How long has it been?
Eight-five years!
Eighty-five good years?
Eighty-five years in which God has called us to be the
United Church.
Eighty-five years of serving Christ under a “United” banner.
Eighty-five years of being guided in the Spirit that,
“All may be one.”
So, today we celebrate-
What it means to be God’s people.
What it means to be Christ’s disciples.
What it means to be The United Church of Canada.
So, today we celebrate!
And we worship God!
Hymn “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” #326
(as in Inaugural Service of 1925 (Methodist Hymn)
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
OPENING PRAYER
O God Eternal, the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, whose name is great and whose goodness is
inexhaustible, who art adored by the host of heaven and
dost accept offering sanctified by the Holy Spirit: sanctify
us, we beseech Thee, in body, soul, and spirit; touch our
understandings, search our consciences, and cast out every
unbecoming thought and base desire, all falsehood and
vain glory and indifference, every motion of the flesh and
spirit not in accordance with Thy holy will. Grant us,
O Lord, with freedom, with pure heart and contrite soul,
without confusion of face, and with sanctified lips,
boldly to call on Thee, our holy God and Father in heaven.
Let us sing together (#960 VU)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil;
For thine is the kingdom
And the power and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING
* DEDICATION “All People That On Earth Do Dwell” #822
(Presbyterian Hymn)
All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice:
Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell,
Come ye before him and rejoice.
STORIES TO REMEMBER
Leader: We’re going to tell some stories now. Of course,
since some of the stories come from 85 years ago, you may
not have been there so you might not remember them. But
I’ll just remind you. Part of our being "church" is that we
take our stories—some going all the way back to the Exodus
and before—and we make them part of us and our lives here
and now. We remember them. And so, after each story, I’ll
ask you the question: “Do you remember?” And I invite you
to respond, “Yes, we remember.”
Doug Scott . . . . Do you remember?
All: Yes, we remember!
Hanna Buckrell . . . Do you remember?
All: Yes, we remember!
Richard Dalton . . . . Do you remember?
All: Yes, we remember!
YOUTH MINISTRY – Harrow Baptist Church, Dowel Rod Group
HYMN “Will You Come And Follow Me” #567
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name
be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life
attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
LISTENING FOR THE WORD
SCRIPTURE READING John 17:2-6, 17-23
(as in Inaugural Service of 1925)
YOUTH MINISTRY – Dowel Rod Group
RECOGNITION OF RICHARD DALTON
Lay Worship Leader Certificate
COMMUNION TABLE SHAWL – given by St. Andrew’s
United Church, North Vancouver, B. C.
* COMMUNION HYMN #402 “We Are One”
We are one as we come, as we come, joyful to be here,
In the praise on our lips there’s a sense that God is near.
We are one as we sing, as we seek, we are found;
And we come needful of God’s grace
As we meet, together in this place.
We are one as we feast, as we feast,
Peace becomes the sign;
In the bread and the wine there’s a sense of love divine.
We are one as we come, as we feed, we are fed;
And we feel God’s refreshing grace
As we meet at table in this place.
We are one as we hear, as we hear, heart and hand unite;
In the word we receive there’s a sense that God is light.
We are one as we leave, as we love, we are love;
And we seek justice in God’s ways
As we move together from this place.
INVITATION TO “ALL”
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Thus we say together
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
SHARING OF THE FEAST
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Gracious God, it is done—we are yours, and you are
ours, even our broken bodies and our poured-out lives.
Not only we who are gathered here and the saints who
surround us and who bequeathed this denomination to
us, not only our presbytery, our global partners, and
the courts of our church, not only our denomination
and our sister denominations, not only humanity, but
all of creation and all of us, we are yours, and you are
ours. May we truly be your blessing, in all we do and
are, because we and creation are all one in Christ’s name. Amen.
YOUTH MINISTRY – Dowel Rod Group
* HYMN “We Shall Go Out” #586
We shall go out with hope of resurrection;
We shall go out, from strength to strength go on;
We shall go out and tell our stories boldly;
Tales of a love that will not let us go.
We’ll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted;
We’ll dream our dreams of hurts that can be healed;
We’ll weave a cloth of all the world united
Within the vision of new life in Christ.
We’ll give a voice to those who have not spoken;
We’ll find the words for those whose lips are sealed;
We’ll make the tunes for those who sing no longer,
Expressive love alive in every heart.
We’ll share our joy with those who still are weeping,
Raise hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief,
We’ll leap and dance the resurrection story,
Including all in circles of our love.
COMMISSIONING
Go forth now, rejoicing in the Love of God.
We are bearers of wonderful news!
Do NOT keep it in.
The reign of God is at hand, becoming reality!
Go, shout when you see it!
Uncover it for all to see!
Go make a difference,
We can make a difference
Go make a difference in the world.
REMEMBERING
…..THREE FOLD AMEN ccli #687879
† † †
THANK YOU HARROW BAPTIST CHURCH DOWEL ROD GROUP
PLEASE STAY FOR LUNCH FOLLOWING THE SERVICE.
HAPPY 85TH ANNIVERSARY!
† † †
Minister: All the people
Clergy: Pastor Sheryle Steadman (Home: 519-738-0152)
Secretary: Brenda Miller (Office: 519-326-3138)
office@ruthvenpc.com www.ruthvenpc.com
Olinda-Ruthven Organist & Choir Director: Lynn Mailhoit
Assistant Organist: Doug Scott
Trinity Organist & Choir Director: Margaret Pare
Assistant Organist: Elaine Wright
† † †
SHARING A COMMON LOAF
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all
partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:17
To celebrate the United Church of Canada’s 85th Anniversary, each of the 13 regional Conferences was asked to provide a 5kg bag of locally milled flour. Once it was collected, this flour was blended along with most of the other ingredients needed to make bannock. This mixture was then packaged by the bread ministry volunteers of Wilmot United Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Common Loaf mix was then sent to every United Church across Canada so that each congregation could add its own ingredients to create “one bread” for today’s celebration of communion.
Bannock was chosen as the communion bread because it is part of our Canadian heritage – from Canada’s First Nations; to early settlers, hunters, and trappers; to today’s outback campers. We invite you to remember these historic roots as you partake of communion today. As you do this, imagine others in the United Church doing the same and sharing a common communion loaf in congregation from coast to coast to coast.
|
|
Making Connections For the
|
Cosburn Pastoral Charge, 1108 Greenwood Ave.
Toronto, ON M4J 4E6 office@cosburnunitedchurch.com
http://www.cosburnunitedchurch.com/, skype cosburn.united.church
St. Andrew’s United Church, 1044 St. Georges Avenue,
North Vancouver, British Columbia V7L 3H6
office@st-andrew-united.ca http://www.st-andrews-united.ca/
The United Church of Canada was born 85 years ago, on June 10, 1925. On that day, leaders of the Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and General Council of Union churches met at the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto, and put aside fear and competitiveness to sign the Basis of Union. Some said the new denomination wouldn’t last, but 85 years later, we are still uniquely united.
It has not been an easy journey. United Church members lived through the Great Depression and World War II together. Internally, we have engaged in difficult debates that have sometimes stretched the bonds of our unity. Through it all we have remained The United Church of Canada.
In our 85 years as a denomination we have done many things. The theme for this anniversary is “Remember, Renew, Rejoice! 85 Years of The United Church of Canada.” We are called to celebrate and remember our history: the initiatives that we took, the causes our church supported, the great friendship and fellowship we offered to Canadians. Then we are called to renewal, to consider our current ministry projects, which give us energy as a denomination. Finally, we are called to rejoice, as part of God’s wondrous creation, for what we have to offer Canada and the world. Hallelujah!
Throughout our history, The United Church of Canada has relied on the caring financial support of our members to help make our world a better place. As you remember, renew and rejoice, please support the Mission and Service Fund, our United Fund for a United Vision.
We are a united church! This week, include Canada’s largest Protestant denomination, The United Church of Canada, in your prayers.