On  September 10 the Congregations of Freelton United Church and Strabane United Church met first separately to consider the Final Amalgamation Document and to vote on it.    It is through the movement of God in the Holy Spirit that I inform you that the each Church voted for the Amalgamation to create a new church to be known as Freelton Strabane United Church.    Following the individual meetings both Congregations met to discuss the next step and to pass motions to facilitate the amalgamation. 

We would like to thank the Amalgamation Committee for it's hard work over the past months.  We are also very thankful for the congregational input over that time as well.   

As the New Implementation Committee   begin their work we pray that God guide them in the monumental task before them.   

The final service for Freelton United Church will be on October 23rd at 10:30 at the Freelton Church with a lunch to follow

The final service for Strabane United Church will be on October 30th at 10:30 at Strabane Church with a lunch to follow.

The Augural Service of the New Freelton Strabane United Church will be on November 6 at 10:30 in Strabane Church with a pot luck lunch to follow.   

Anyone wishing to review the Minutes of the September 10 meeting and/or  the Final Amalgamation Document is encouraged to contact  Rev Will at the manse for a copy. 

May God bless and preserve our community of faith as we move forward united in a ministry which  calls us  To live our discipleship with integrity and grace.

Announcements

 Worship next week September 25th Freelton 10:30.

Come one come all to our old fashioned Rummage and Bake sale on September 24 8-1pm at Freelton United Church.    Come and search out that hidden treasure.

Welcome back to Tech Tuesday for Seniors. Join us beginning on September 20 at 1pm at the Strabane Church for an opportunity to ask those tech questions that you may have.   

Welcome back to Prayer shawl. We will be meeting at the Manse on September 22 at 7pm. 

Prayer Shawls are always available to gift to those who might just need to know that they are not alone. 

 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   

In our lives God provides us with touch stones.  They are people who have been or are a part of our lives.   They are people that we can look to for wisdom and strength.    For most of us one of those touch stones has been Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Her Majesty's steadfast devotion to service, her compassion and commitment has been an example by which we all could live by.   May we in our lives strive to be as kind and gracious as our Queen has been.   

May we hold the Royal family in our prayers in their time of grief.   May we hold the people of Great Britain and those of the Commonwealth nations also in our prayers.   

We have been privileged to have been a part of the Second Elizabethan age. 

As we move forward we ask that the wisdom and strength that we have known in Queen Elizabeth may also be reflected in our new King. His Royal Majesty King Charles III  May God bless him and watch over him.

God Save the King. 

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

Call to Worship

One: God calls us from whatever oppression we face cry out to God in your time of trouble. .

All: God loves us in all the times of our life. Searches us out when we have wondered away.

One: The compassion of God is warm and tender God heals us again and again beyond our knowing 

All: God satisfies the thirst with living water and fills the hungry with good things.             

    What the theologian Scott Hoezee  of The center for the excellence in preaching suggest is that The setting in this one is important . This story really starts back a chapter   Jesus is hanging with tax collectors and the not so respected people.  Jesus is being criticized for this by the Pharisees who really where white collar then they would ever admit.  

Not wanting to miss the moment Jesus tells them a parable.

This is actually the fourth of a four parables that Jesus shares around the table.   The first one we all love, the prodigal son. The next two are from last week. Searching for what is lost and then this one. 

The Prodigal son,  lost son is found. Rejoice and let’s have BBQ

The Lost sheep is found, Rejoice, let’s have BBQ not the sheep.

The coin is found and might I say at great expense of lighting all the lights in the house.  Rejoice Let’s have BBQ still not the sheep.

Then this.  The rather dishonest steward. Shrewd  and rather dishonest and somewhat of a scoundrel. (at least he knows himself  I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ) back rooms deals himself a new hand. 

We would see this person of questionable morals deserving his

Come- up-ance. 

Hoezee would say 

Jesus, on the other hand, sees them as potential sources for heavenly delight, and he wants us to see them through that lens, too. He sees them as valuable lost objects, the re-finding of which could bring joy. So Jesus suggests we enjoy their company now in the hopes that we might enjoy one another’s company forever and ever as well. The potential for eschatological joy among such people in the future of God’s coming kingdom is great enough for us even now to do whatever we can to welcome them into the church.

So what is it about the shrewd manager’s attitude that Jesus finds useful for also the children of light? It is this: he gave thought to the future and it shaped his actions in the present.  Now that is an important observation. 

He goes on to say This may be the point (at least in part): The church likewise has a strong vision of the future called the kingdom of God. What’s more, that future vision should include the potential joy that will rock the cosmos in celebration when more, and not fewer, people end up attending God’s big party. That vision of the future should influence us mightily in also the present moment. 

Needless to say, Jesus’ challenge is a large and difficult one. The church often lacks such a consistently clear focus on God’s kingdom. If that bright vision of our future really did inform and animate our present moment in the church, maybe lots of things would change. 

What we do now today will shape who we are to come. 

We are at a point in our lives as a congregations, of great change.  As I have pondered last Saturday I have already found myself focusing more on the mechanics  of amalgamation. My first email when I got home was to the Region saying the vote passed now what paper work do we have to do?  Not the vote passed and a whole exciting new future of worshiping God and bringing about his Kingdom. 

 Challenge for me, for us is not to lose sight of what our Vision and Mission as a new congregation in an old church will be.  The challenge for me, for us is not to lose sight of what our vision and mission is in the mechanics  of amalgamation.  Yes the process is important, but the top priority should not be working through property to be retained, and property deemed surplus.

Foremost is living into our new future.  To say, “here is our vision here is our mission how are we going to live this.’    As I said several weeks ago they cannot just be pretty words on a page, or on a plaque.  If we truly want to be relevant, to be a Spiritual center we must grapple with what those words mean.   

What does it mean to  live our discipleship with integrity and grace. 

 What does it mean to take a forward vision of the future.

What does it mean to be a “safe” place and be a spiritual home.

How are we going to be a place that will promote spiritual growth?

How are we welcoming.  When we gather around tables having coffee, do we take the visitor and invite them to sit at our table? When someone walks in the back door do say the lue is that way?

We must act with integrity and grace but we must also be shrewd in our thinking lest we cut our nose off to spite our face. 

Let’s not fool ourselves, the manager is not a good person.  But least had a lesson to teach us. 

“Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.”

(2 Corinthians 3:12)   

 Now in this present time we must act with great boldness to firmly set our course to being all that we hope to live out in our mission.  To see beyond  what is there what something is  to what it could be. There is yet a masterpiece by the hand of the creator beyond this moment that is waiting to be revealed and we are a part of that journey, a journey we do not make a long for the Masters hand is guiding us and 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.  We confess that at times we can become very short sited we only see what is on the surface, we only see what is there and not what is beyond.  As we hope to live out in our mission to be a community of faith help us to see beyond  what is there  or what something is  to what it could be. Open us to new ideas and possibilities. Open us to the creative hand of your Holy Spirit that we may see that there is yet a masterpiece to be created by your loving hand that will inspire your people to come to know you.  It is your hand that creates in our lives, but is also your hand that comforts and assures us in all of the challenges of this life.   It is your hand that touches the fevered brow and whispers words of Healing. We pray that your hand be with all those that need to know your presence.  We ask for the courage to walk with those that are a part of our lives and that we remember all those who are in need in our prayers.s  We once more give thanks for the Life of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and ask that her memory may live on in those whose life she touched.  As the world gathers for her funeral we ask that your strength and blessings be upon His majesty King Charles III and your comfort be with the whole of the Royal family in their time of morning.  We ask that in the time to come that your Bless the King with your presence and wisdom.    Lord hear our own prayers spoken in the silence of our hearts.  We offer you the prayer that binds us as one saying…our Father… Amen 

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