FREELTON STRABANE UNITED CHURCH
To Live Our Discipleship With Integrity And Grace
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Advent 3
December 11 2022
Rev. Will Wheeler BA M. Div. E-mail: wwwheeler@sympatico.ca
Organist : Joan Simpson
Announcements
Longest Night
As we move towards the longest night the joy of Christmas can be overshadowed pain of loss of a loved one and the challenges of life. Join us on December 21st at 7pm in the Hall at the Freelton Strabane United Church 1565 Brock Road Strabane for our longest night service a time to own the grief of the season.
Christmas Eve
The Light of Christmas glows as we Gather for our Candlelight Communion service on December 24th at 8pm at the Freelton Strabane United Church 1565 Brock Road Strabane. All our welcome to be in the light of Christmas.
Christmas Day.
Rejoice and sing the Lord has come and you are invited to join us Christmas Morning for Carols and Lessons at 10:30 at the Freelton Strabane United Church 1565 Brock Road Strabane.
Surplus items
We are at a point where we are selling surplus items from both Churches. Top of the list right now are two artificial Christmas Trees at a reasonable price. If you would like to know what we have so far for sale please contact Rev Will for details.
Rev Will will be on vacation Dec 30,31st and Jan. 1st and 2nd You will be able to see the Jan 1 service on line.
Studies and Studios presents
One Author’s Perspective " Nine Paths to Wisdom " by David Huggins
Sunday January 8 2023
At 2pm in the Heritage Hall
Freelton Strabane United Church
An open discussion over coffee, tea and cookies
Take note, as we live into the our New Church please take note (and share) That the official name to use when writing cheques to the church is Freelton Strabane United Church. The old church accounts will be closing and we will not be able to accept cheques with the old names on them.
Also as both congregations are now one it does mean that there are over laps of offering envelope numbers. (the number that is associated with your name.) Please note that we will be issuing a new number in the next couple of weeks. Please rest assure that we are keeping track of all of your givings so when tax receipt season comes you will be accredited what you have given. If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact Rev Will.
Rev Will is always Available for calls. If you find you need to talk or need something please don’t hesitate to call the Manse.
Consider PAR as a means to support the Church
Join us at Freelton Strabane United Church for a Studies and Studios event on February 18th at 1p - 4pm in the Church Hall to
Learn the art of needle felting by creating this beautiful Winter scene. Fibre artist and instructor, Cathy Disbrow, will teach you how to needle felt a Winter landscape into a 4” x 6” wool painting, using a special needle to stab sheep wool onto a felt sheet. Students will learn a variety of needle felt painting techniques. Needles, wool, and wool felt sheet to create your painting are included in the cost. Foam felting pads are provided for students to use during class and can be purchased separately.
Cost: $60.00 Register at:
https://woollydoodles.square.site/product/workshop-ticket-needle-felt-a-winter-scene-painting/68
Call To Worship
Take this moment sign and space
Take my friends around
Here among us make the place
Where your love is found me
(Iona Abbey Music book pg 122)
Call To worship
One: Come with gladness!
All: We gather with joy!
One: Embrace the season of light.
All: We are hugged by glee!
One: Greet abundant life.
All: We eagerly seek to praise the Lord of living.
Advent Candle Lighting
One: Well, it's evening come again
To lead night by the hand
Nowhere birds are calling
Slow snow is falling
All: And it's evening come again
Behind the hills glowing brown
The night takes another day
The darkness takes its turn
We look for the light to light the path in the night.
One: The light that flickers to life out in the darkness, brings us such joy.
All: It brings us joy in that it gives us hope. In that hope with realize that in the darkest of night there is that light to guide us and in that hope with find peace which brings joy to our hearts.
One: Each flickering light illuminating the advent journey. We light this candle of Joy illuminating the Advent path. May we be a light of joy for all those who travel with us.
Stay with us through the night,
stay with us through the dark,
stay with us blessed promise
till light brings joy again
Prayer
All: God who is as a lantern in the light of our lives, the promise of your son, fills us with joy. As the light of your promise grows ever stronger we see the advent pathway grow ever clearer we see how we are called to live that joy in our everyday lives. To proclaim that joy of your promise of the Christ child with all those that we meet. As your light grows ever stronger may we be a light of joy to all those we meet.
All: (sung) In God we live and move and have our story.
In love God lives in us and makes us whole
O Jesus may we hear the Word that calls us near.
Your story makes a home within our soul.
Your story makes a home within our soul
One Where do we find Joy?
All In the word.
One Then let us once more with joy in our hearts hear God word taken from the Old Testament at Isaiah 35: 1-10
One In this time of expectation may we find direction in Gods teaching in Christ our Lord Our Gospel is taken from of Gospel Matthew 11: 2-11
This is the word of the Lord
All Thanks be to God
A couple weeks back I suggested the song that reflects the season. The Typewriter. I only wish I could type as fast as it feels things are moving. The list seems to grow daily of what needs to be done, created, written, posted.
Yet in the midst of sermonizing, and worship writing. I have been deliberate about making sure the tree is lit and I spend a little quality time just being in the moment. To reflect, to calm, to be.
The soul needs a moment of none thinking, planning and the like. A moment of distraction. What better way to be distracted then solid British Comedy.
One of my favs the Vicar of Dibley. The story of a Church of England Vicar who is a women, in a small town of interesting people. Interesting is polite. They Parish decides on a live nativity in a barn and so the rehearsals begin. Our loving Vicar leads the play and a rehearsal embodies a Method acting approach. Which turns out to not have a lot of method. Joseph played by the character Hugo (a wonderful man who might be a few sandwiches short of a picnic) is to confront Mary (played by the character Alice. Who is his wife and nine months pregnant. (her picnic basket was never packed.
Hugo comes in as Joseph and asks Mary (Alice.) what’s for dinner and Alice say she is cooking loaves fishes old family recipe and then mentions her visitation by Gabriel. Hugo says oh that is nice. The Vicar seeing a true lack of method or imagination takes over the role of Joseph
The Vicer Hello Mary
Alice Hello Joe cup of tea and I’m pregnant
The Vicar: hello wait a minute whose the father you little scrupper .
Alice I don’t know I was in the lew angel of the lord God came and said the baby would be the Savoir of all human kind
Vicar Oh Mary I am so sorry.
Alice: Don’t touch me you… I’m going to Bethlehem on my own
Honestly the reason it was a silent night was that Joseph didn’t make reservations.
Gabriel does not speak to Mary on the Lew. But he does share God’s word and she is given a choice.
Mary gives that unconditional yes to God and God begins to transform the world. With a message of peace, of hope of joy and love.
An angel interrupted her day and her life was changed. The Angel becomes the overture to the A great story.
Meanwhile in Dibley the Vicar shares the poster for the event. The Greatest story ever told. Debate if it is greatest story.
Vicar Calls them to consider. This small innocent child who will carry the weight of humanity on his shoulders And comes to preach a simple message of love.
As Mary Struggles with how God has changed her life
So does John struggle in wanting to know if Jesus is the one. And he asks his straight forward question
John the prophet, proclaiming the coming of God.
Then wonders if his own cousin could be the person.
Could this be the person that will transform the world
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
We to may at times struggle. Are we ready for Christmas. I don’t mean the baking the shopping the wrapping Are we ready to have God interrupt our lives, Change everything we know. Are we ready to experience the love of God
Love that at times can be very challenging.
Mary comes to know great Joy in her divine encounter
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who are in awe of him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things,
We are not told what John’s reaction was when his disciples returned to him with Jesus answer. However here was the Messiah the promised one of God. Joy must have touched his heart.
We can be like John, locked in the prison of Christmas preparedness, looking at the shopping list and then the price tags and thinking I should be out of Christmas debt in time to shop for Christmas 2025
In that modern prison once more God comes to us.
We each experience God in our own ways May we find hope in answering Gods call to be his people. Again, in the grand list of what needs to be done, in the shopping, in the travel planning may we take time to sit for a moment, to be with God in his preparing to come. May we find the peace we need to hear God speak in our lives, so that we may say yes with meaning. God’s love is coming into the world, an ancient love, a new love faith restored assuring us even in our questioning that our Joy may be complete in the simple knowing that we are not alone.
Prayers of the people
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God.
Prayers
Dear God, in our hearts we know that yours is an ancient love that laid the foundation for all of creation. Yours is a new love of faith returning to the world. We like John and like so many others ask how can this be, can this be this ancient love, the new love that brings such hope. Can it be that into the darkness of this world, it’s pain it’s suffering there is a glimmer of Joy? With our hearts open to this possibility we come once more to offer our prayers. Prayers for our broken world. Prayers for all those that suffer the many pains of this life. Prayers for those who are a part of our lives that we have committed to walk with. We name those family, friends that are dear to our hearts. Today we also name our joys, the joy of family and friendship. The small things that bring us contentment that bring a smile. May we own the joy in our lives. We offer you our own personal prayers in this time in the silence of our hearts. In our hearts we know that yours is an ancient love that laid the foundation for all of creation. That Yours is a new love of faith returning to the world. That yours is a love that hears our prayers and in your time and your way will answer. We offer together the prayer of comfort that we share saying Our Father…
Offering
We give thee but thy own. The work of the Church continues and there are three ways you can continue to support that work. Consider using PAR, use the donate button on our Web Site or drop your gift at the Manse. Let us make our offering and give thanks.
One: Praise God who from all Blessing flow
Prayer We praise you with our offerings, gracious God, and honour you with our gifts. Take control of our lives in ways that will draw us nearer to you, yet increase our sense of responsibility
toward your other children. Amen.
Sending Forth and Blessing.
One: Go out to the world with a new outlook; God is ruling in our midst.
All: We will take the promises of God to a needy world; share good news with friends and co-workers.
One: God will direct your paths during the week ahead and provide all that you need to face its choices.
VU 4
God of all places present unseen
Voice in our silence song in our mist
Send us your people knowing and sure
Called to spread the word.
amen amen amen
Yesterdaywe honour our heritage.
Todaywe know that we are not alone,that we live in God's world.
Tomorrowwith God,we will discoverthe undiscovered country.
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