FREELTON STRABANE UNITED CHURCH
To Live Our Discipleship With Integrity And Grace
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Reign of Christ
November 20 2022
Rev. Will Wheeler BA M. Div. E-mail: wwwheeler@sympatico.ca
Organist : Joan Simpson
Announcements
Finance committee Tuesday November 22 7p at the Church
Implementation committee 1pm at the Church
Prayer Shawl Thursday 24 7pm at the Manse
Time to lay in those winter supplies with a McGregor meat order. Order forms are available at Church or from the Manse or by Emailing Janice.
The fundraiser will run from now and orders will be due back to me by Sunday November 27th with payment by cheque made payable to "Freelton Strabane United Church" or cash. Orders can also be dropped off at the manse mailbox with payment as well. I can also pick up orders if needed. Product comes frozen and must be picked up on Saturday December 3rd at 10:15am at Freelton Church. Any questions please call Janice McGeachy @ 905-906-7873, or email jmcgeachy@xplornet.ca.
Thank you for your help with this.
Janice McGeachy
Freelton Strabane United Church
Mark the date and hang out the holly it’s a
Celebration:
Seasonal Lunch Craft and Bake sale
at the new Freelton Strabane United Church event
November 26 8 – 1pm
Once more the Mitten Tree has grown in our sanctuary and we hope that you will help to fills its branches with warm mittens, hats, scarves and socks all of which will go to the Westley Urban Ministries to be a part of their Christmas outreach program. We will be collecting for Sunday Nov 20 27 and Dec 4 We can bring warmth into someone’s life
We are looking to help bring the joy of God coming in Christ at Christmas by partnering once more with the Flambourgh food bank and will be helping to sponsor a Christmas Family. Donations to help support this out reach can be made through the Church.
Deck the Halls with bough of Holly, and join us for the:
Community Carol Sing
a Studies and Studio Event
Freelton Strabane United Church
Sunday December 4 2:pm
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.
Council meeting Monday November 28th 7pm at Church
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
Call To Worship
One: God reigns; let the people rejoice. God rules over all creation.
All: We praise our great name and come to find direction
One: God fills our lives with hope and anticipation and changes them in the likeness of Christ.
All: We extol your name, O God of all people, for with you there is perfect freedom.
Prayer of Approach
Lord Jesus, we stand before you as our judge and our redeemer. You judge us, Lord, by your words, your deeds. In the light of your love, your sacrifice, and your mercy we stand in awe. You redeem us, Lord, by your words, your deeds. You not only remind us of how far we have fallen from your glory, but you have sympathy with us in our weakness, you forgive our failures, and you heal us of our faults. Lord, it gives us comfort , in our times of honesty and truthfulness about ourselves, to know that the one who sits on the throne judging us, is also the one who hung upon the cross for us and for our forgiveness.
You are the shepherd and we are your sheep and we have been found in your love and are forgiven. Thanks be to you loving God
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
Epistle Colossians 1:11-20
Gospel Luke 23:33-43
One The word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God.
In it we find that it is the small things that count in our lives that make the difference.
What Jesus can be saying here is Take care of my people. Even if it is in small ways.
Here at the ending and the beginning ask yourselves this, for this is the question to explore to ponder in this ending and beginning. “How have you taken care of others? How have you been taken care of? How have you taken care of yourself? Which of your gifts have you shared? Whose gifts have you empowered and nurtured. . Small actions, at times insignificant but can bring change.
As our journey of faith begins again, it begins in the lengthening darkness of the year.
Now the night is long, and will grow longer. Yet into the night even now, even in this in-between times the light of Christ is beginning to break in. Something bigger is coming something we are still trying to understand on this journey, in this ending, and beginning in this in between times.
I was told about this old comedy sketch about an interview with a 2000 year old man. He was asked did he always believe in God. He said “No. For a long time we believed in Phil. Phil was this really big mean guy who could break someone in two with his bare hands.
The interviewer asked “Did you Pray to Phil ?“
“O yes” says the old man . “Prayers like. O please Phil don’t break us in Half Amen. O please Phil don’t squish us. “
“What happened?” the old man was Asked
“Well “ says the old man “one day Phil got hit by lightning and was killed. We all stood around looking at Phil And then we realized that there was something bigger than Phil.”
Phil is anything or anyone that prevents us from seeing that in breaking of the light, that Keeps us from knowing God’s great love for us. Phil is anything that prevents us from taking care of God’s people.
The Phil’s of this time will pass away. They must.
There is something bigger coming. . God continues. God continues at the ending, at the beginning in the in between time.
God continues in Each of the small acts of kindness in our life. All are part of the bigger in breaking of God in Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit
We are living in a time of great social stress, of fear and polarized ideas. A time of sorrow, grief and worry. We are longing for the light.
Here at this beginning, here in the season of your list making may there be included on your list.
Time for prayer
Time for reflection
Time for setting right that which is wrong.
Time for the in breaking of God’s light.
And in your list making In the in breaking in of God’s light may there be time for the hungry, thirsty, homeless, lost, and broken. Those that cry for justice.
May there be time to say thank you, for all that you have done for us, for me.
And in your list making may there be time
To realize there is something bigger yet to come
That the light is coming into the world again as it has, is now, and will come again.
That on that list there is you and you and you and you all that you may have to offer. for we are not alone Thanks be to God.
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
God of all time and space, we come to you in this moment to asks that you quiet our souls so that we may be with you. In this moment help us to reflect on how we have cared for those in need, but also how we have nurtured our relationship with and with in ourselves. We know that we at times have a tendency to wonder but you are always waiting for us to find our way home to you. We take great comfort in knowing that you are always there for us.
As you have been for us we offer you prayers for those who we will never know. The marginalized the dis enfranchised people of the world. We offer prayers for those that we do know and ask that you continue to walk with them.. Give us courage and wisdom to speak the truths that will keep us in that relationship with ourselves and others.
Finally we give thanks for the many ways that you have walked with us, not just in sorrow but also in joy. Help us to answer your call to service and worked toward being an open and accepting community. Lord hear our own personal prayers. We trust that in your time and in your way they shall be answered. 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 Blessed God for all times you have been the God who has given to us. Here in this time we bring you our gifts and offer the to you for the continued work of your Church in all places and times. Amen.
Sending Forth and Blessing.
One: The holiness of God shines upon you and empowers your witness and service.
All: We will meet God in prayer and walk with god in places of human need.
One: In all times and places God blesses us. We go now to be channels of Gods blessing
Blessing
One: May God the one who brings us comfort surround you, May Christ our Joy walk with you. May the Continued presence of The Holy Spirit illuminate our path and keep us safe until we can gather again in community. Amen
Go now in Peace
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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