Announcements

 Worship next week October 9th will be at Freelton 10:30.

Tech Tuesday for Seniors Tuesday 1pm at Strabane Church.

Oct 6^th Implementation Committee 7pm at Strabane Church

The fall is here, and we are asking if you would like help us to decorate the Sanctuary at Freelton Church for Thanksgiving Sunday. Plants, vegetables yes, live stock no. Let’s make a beautiful display. 

As we live into the Amalgamation we would like to let you know about the up and coming services. 

The final worship service for Freelton United Church will be on October 23 at 10:30. The Rev. Dr. Jamie Robertson will be our guest preacher and we have invited the congregations of Mountsberg and Westover to join us. We will be serving Sandwiches and goodies following the service and so we are asking people to bring donations of sandwiches and goodies.   Also Anyone wishing to bring flowers to place in memory of those that have gone on before us are more to welcome and leave the names on the pulpit. 

The final worship service for Strabane United Church  will be on October 30 at 10:30  We will be serving Sandwiches and goodies following the service and so we are asking people to bring donations of sandwiches and goodies.   Also Anyone wishing to bring flowers to place in memory of those that have gone on before us are more to welcome and leave the names on the pulpit. 

The Inaugural Service for the new Freelton Strabane United Church will be on November 6^th at 10:30 with the Rev Jane Wyllie as our guest preacher. There will be a pot luck lunch to follow. 

 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   

One. We come to a time of Honouring and of Learning. 

All: Jesus reminds us that we need to listen to those have been Marginalized

One: We have learned that ‘good intentions’ are never enough, especially when wrapped in the misguided zeal of cultural and spiritual superiority. “Thus, we have learned that we were wrong to reject, discredit and yes, even outlaw traditional indigenous spiritual practice and ceremony; in amazing circles of grace, as we have begun to listen to the wisdom of the Elders, we have found our own faith enriched and deepened. And we are grateful.” 

All: We are taught that the truth will set us free.

One: We have come to a time to hear truths of our Country’s History, which has not been filtered to sound nice. Our Historic truths are not kind. 

ll: Truth leads to understanding. 

One We need to hear the truth how the Government of this country imposed its’ will upon the Indigenous people of Canada. Treaties were not honoured, restrictions imposed. Solutions were formed to deal with the “Indian Problem” Children, who were loved by their families were taken away, their cultures cut off, their language denied, names spoken by loved ones replaced by numbers. In Residential schools administered by the Church, children were abused in the most inhuman ways. 

All: the truth is painful to hear. 

One: Residential schools, have created generations of pain. Children were victims of grave abuse, children who were loved and loved in return died frightened and alone. The buried in unmarked graves to be forgotten.

All the truth can be heart breaking. 

One : Indigenous children were placed in want ads taken from their families and adopted out to “White” families. We called it the 60’s scope and still the Residential schools continued.

All: but no longer can the truth be hidden and denied. 

One: There are truths to be told, stories to be honoured, it is a time of learning for in learning comes understanding and in understanding there is the beginning of reconciliation. Reconciliation is not about blame but it is about owning our history and hearing it. 

One: In that truth we light a candle to honour those children that were taken from their homes to residential schools and never came home.

All: we remember the lost children

One: This light burns for all those residential schools survivors that struggle today to name their pain and reclaim their culture and heritage.

All: We honour their struggle

One: this light is a light in the darkness, a light that calls for justice for all the lost and murdered indigenous women and men 

All: We honour their memories.

One: In remembering, in honouring, we own that we have a responsibility to learn the truths and to teach them. For when we walk with those whose journey is hard we walk with Christ.

All We will walk with our Indigenous sisters and brothers on this long journey of truth and reconciliation 

Gathering   Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of Lord. 

Call to Worship

 One: World wide people gather at the Lord’s table this day

All Fancy, carved tables; rough, wobbly tables, all tables worthy of you Lord  

One: Across all of creation the people of God come in worship and to share a common meal

All: fancily dressed people; barefoot , shirtless people all people worthy of you, Lord

One: We as your people everywhere come to praise your name

All in small numbers and in large number.  We come united in your love, bless us, be with us, for we are your whole people.

      God has done wondrous deeds among us. Let us respond to god with faith the size of a mustard seed. Let us respond to God by doing those things Jesus has taught us to do. Let us respond to God by gathering around the table and allowing the bread and wine to nourish our bodies and propel us to serve.  

We do not need to increase our faith. We have all the resources we need. Let us respond with faith . Faith the size of a mustard seed. 

That tiny seed   That is all the faith you need. 

This is the faith that heals the body

This is the faith that heals the soul

This faith provides comfort for the lost and lonely

This faith that calls us to serve 

This faith here. This abundant faith it is the faith that will remind you that you 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



Blessed God, at times we doubt and question our faith. The world in which we live is full of so many afflictions. The specters of war, poverty, disease walk in common on the road of this life.   We are in age when we must acknowledge the wrongs of the past and with your guiding hand strive towards new and right relations. We pray today for all those Indigenous peoples that lived through Residential Schools. Who still struggle with the generational impact of them. We remember all the children who never came home and know in our hearts that to you they were not just a number. 

We pray for all those on East Coast as they try to re build shattered lives. We remember the word’s of Paul  affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not disappoint.  Because Your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Hope grows from faith.  May we have such trust in you that we see that there is always enough faith if we just trust in it as we trust in you. We name those who are a part of our lives who are in need of your presence, we hold up to you our own prayers in the silence of our hearts and know that in your time and way they shall be answered. Lord we offer you the great prayer that binds us as one as we say…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 Accept, we pray, this expression of our stewardship. By this offering we would renew our pledge to acknowledge you in all things and serve you with all we have. May we handle faithfully the wealth you have given us. So we may also relate with integrity to people whose lives touch our own and to unseen sisters and brothers who need our help. In Christ. Amen