Call To Worship

  One: Let the people assemble God calls each one of us by name.                                                                              

All: The promises of God are to us and our children, and to sisters and brothers near and far.                                     

One: May our eyes and ears be open to the special message this hour holds for us.                                             

All: We will listen for God’s living and abiding Word and strive to be obedient to the truth.   

Prayer of Approach



Loving God, who raised Jesus Christ form the dead to be our Saviour, we gather for this venture of worship, opening ourselves to your surprises. Meet us here and grant us courage to accept new possibilities for our lives.. Grant us again a fresh sense of the risen Christ among us, a new wonder that he has so generously given us such grace, a new dedication to be about his work in the world in his name. 

This week again, we have a story of an encounter with the risen Christ.  What the gospels I think teach us is not to be afraid to discover something.  That discovering something in understanding who we are in our lives and in our faith and who we are as a community of Faith does take work. Sometimes hard work. Sometimes a lot of sitting looking out the window pondering.  I think the wisdom of God is that God decided I could tell them something but if I let them discover it for themselves they will own be that much farther ahead.  We all travel our own journey. We each gain wisdom all in our own time.  There will time that we will not find the answers we are looking for and there will be times when we will find that we will discover something we were never looking for.  Most of us have at times I am sure heard a story of someone finding the unexpected.  The story of the couple who bought a painting of Jesus  called the Salvator Mundi thought to be a copy of Leonardo’s Original but turns out this is the orginal. The couple who bought it paid next to nothing in a London flee market.    Sure but this kind of stuff never happens to like ordinary people.   But it does.  A while back someone who I know ended up buying a rather nice pottery jug/pitcher likely a craft potter piece, but nice with great colour  to be used as a decorator piece or as a vase. It was an online auction purchase and the jug was full of jingle bells.  Well it turns out that the top layer was jingle bells. Well empting the bells a some bills started coming out. 20’s and then larger denominations and at the end of the day there was over $600.00 stashed in the jug.   What a discovery.   What a surprise. 

Our story is like the ordinary jug. We know the old old stories and yet every once in while we need to look what is hidden inside the jug. 

We are a people with deep ancestral connection to those that said yes to following Jesus.  Those that with the help of the Spirit created our pitcher of faith. We are a part of the whole Christian family. A family of faith that has a very complex family tree starting with early church, then the great schism between the Rome and Constantinople, I could go on. But I won’t Our Christian family heritage is complicated. A lot of underbrush 

What we do all share in common is that we are all a product of the potters hand. We are a people of deep faith and love of God.   A faith and love that are affirmed in the Easter event. The journey of faith is one where we are changed in such a way that we have to see life in a new way. To set a side the jingle bells and look what is underneath. In this  We gain that new understandings   and appreciate our journey. 

The Easter event, if we accept it, causes us to see life in a new way. It gives us new understanding.  It does not always give us answers and at times more questions.

 There is a story of a clergy doing a children’s time and he, in great detail, describes a squirrel and asks the children did they know what he was describing. One lad pipes up. “I know the answer must be Jesus But it sounds an awful much like a squirrel.”

 Jesus never said that he was the answer he said he is the way. The difference between being told and discovery. Sure we can look at the facts of Christian heritage, but really it is something that we experience. Faith is something we discover.

 As Jesus opened up the scriptures for the two on the Emmaus road so Jesus through the love of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit opens up our minds and thoughts to consider the direction the road which we will travel. 

In the words of Tony Robbins “the only journey that is failure is the one you never begin”  Our road to Emmaus is before us and we shall be amazed at what we discover. 

May we continue to be bold and allow the Spirit to take us be the hand and take us forward.  For on this road we discover that we are not alone Thanks be to God. 

Amen

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. 

Blessed God as we once more live in the light of the Easter Promise we see that as we journey forward that we are heirs of a tremendous family legacy of faith. We give thanks for all those faithful that have gone on before us. You have been their strength, Christ their teacher and the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit their inspiration. We call on your strength to be with all those in the world who long for a new day that sees them lifted above their present trials.  We hold them all in our prayers.   We hold up to you the names of those who we are called to walk with. 

We trust that your strength will empower their courage.

We pray that we will have the wisdom to look always to Christ for guidance.  May he be the example that we follow. We pray that we may continue to be open to the Action of the Holy Spirit as we continue to work and grow as a family and community of faith.  We offer you our own personal prayers trusting that in your time and way they will be answered.  We offer the prayer that you gave us saying…

Offering

 In gratitude and humble trust

We bring our best today

To serve your cause and share your love

With all along life’s way

O God, who gave yourself to us

In Jesus Christ, your Son,

Teach us to give ourselves each day

Until life’s work is done.

Prayer In the name of Christ whose gave himself for our redemption we bring these tokens of our intent to share. We offer what we can and bring our time and gifts to offer as well. We are glad for the opportunity to give and ask your blessing upon these gift.

After some prayerful thought we have decided to combine Art for the Soul and Tech Tuesday for seniors on the same day.   Starting at 1pm on April 18th



Prepare ye the way to Sing

We are planning a Spring Concert for Sunday, April 30, at 7 PM.

There will be a variety of musical spots including the choir presenting selections from Godspell.

Anyone interested can join us for practices at Freelton Strabane Wednesday afternoons, starting at 1:30 PM.

Studies and Studies is pleased to present on May 7 2023 at 2pm at Freelton Strabane United Church 1565 Brock Road Strabane.   (how to register at bottom)

SoulCollage®    Rise Up!

with

The Rev.Allison Playfair

Spring is here – finally! All around us there is new birth and rebirth in creation. If you are like me, you may be rediscovering where those bulbs were planted (or moved by squirrels) in your garden. After sleeping underground over winter, our friends, the perennials emerge. Birds return and begin building nests. Everywhere are signs of new life rising up. So too, in our lives, there may be parts of our inner life ready to rise up.

In our time together, we will open ourselves to the spirit within. Using meditative reflection, poetry and creation of a SoulCollage® card, we will explore and give expression to an aspect of ourselves that may be ready to Rise Up in our lives. 

What is SoulCollage®?

SoulCollage® is an expressive arts practice done individually or in community. Founded by Seena B. Frost, the method develops creativity and intuition, encourages self-discovery, and provides personal guidance.
SoulCollage® meets you wherever you are on this journey called life. You don’t have to be an artist to make SoulCollage® cards. Anyone can create and enjoy this powerful practice. In this practice, we cut out images that speak to us and create a collage that will give expression to an aspect of your inner life and bring inner wisdom and discovery to the surface.

Cost: $10. To cover the cost of materials. Allison is donating her time and expertise 

What we will provide

We will provide a blank card, a frame, glue stick and many illustrations and images to choose the pieces to create your own card as well as light refreshments. 

What you need to bring

A pair of sharp scissors and/or a fine point exacto knife, a journal (any kind will do) and a pen/pencil for writing.

Who is the facilitator?

Allison Playfair is a United Church Minister who is a certified SoulCollage®   facilitator, Labyrinth facilitator and experienced workshop leader who is open to the Spirit. She worked as a server and bartender in the first half of her working life and brings all her life experience, compassion and sense of humour to her leadership. Allison is on a journey of reclamation and creative restoration of her body, mind and Spirit. In her workshops, she holds inclusive and affirming space for safe and creative exploration. 

To Register please call the Manse at 905 659 3380 Payment can be made through E Transfer, or cash the day of.