Sunday November 4th Bulletin
November 4, 2018 60th Anniversary, Homecoming & Communion
(Portions of the service that are in BOLD are to be said by all.
All points marked * those who are able are invited to stand.)
Approach
Gathering song VU #579 – “The Church is Wherever”
Welcome, lighting of the Christ Candle, and Announcements
(Minute person: Deanna Kernaghan)
Call to Worship
One: A community of faith conveys God’s good news of love,
All: and leads its members along pathways of faith.
One: It sows seeds of life in the soil of our hearts,
All: causing faith and hope to sprout in our souls.
One: This congregation has been a vehicle of God’s grace,
All: shining God’s marvelous light across the years;
One: a place for growing in relationship with God,
All: for living, loving, and forgiving in the spirit of Christ.
One: We celebrate the many members of this family of faith,
All: who have walked with God through their years.
One: We remember how they have blessed us so richly,
All: conveying God’s gift of love from their hearts to our hearts.
One: We celebrate the gift that we are to one another,
All: as we learn and grow along this spiritual journey.
One: We give thanks for the togetherness we feel with one another,
All: sharing in all of life’s joys and sorrows, its victories and defeats.
One: It is a day of great joy in the life of this congregation,
All: as we celebrate the many lives it has already touched.
One: We give thanks for the body of Christ that we are today,
All: and for what God will inspire us to become tomorrow.
One: In light of all that God has given us through the gift of this community of faith,
All: we joyfully come together on this 60th Anniversary of Windsor Park United Church to worship God. Amen and Amen!
* Opening Hymn VU #528 – “God of Life”
Prayer of Celebration
God of our past, we gather today to give thanks for the past. We think back to those who first had a vision of a church in this place, to those who put their names on a loan so it could come to happen, to those who gave of their labour, their treasure, their time to make it happen. And as we remember the efforts of the founders and builders we offer words of thanks and praise.
God of growth, we remember too those who helped the new church to grow in wisdom and in faith. And so we think of study group leaders, clergy, choir directors, Sunday School teachers, and many others who provided leadership. We remember all of the men and women who stepped forward to provide governance and leadership. And for all these varied forms of leadership we are grateful.
God of community, we remember events that brought us together; Spring dinners, Bazaars, BBQs, potlucks, picnics and many more. And for the gifts of friendship and fellowship we say thanks. We think also of the many groups that have met in this space: UCW, AOTS, CGIT, Guides, Tot Time, Thursday Morning Study Group, Little Moccasins, French Healthy Babies, groups that provided times of fellowship and times of growth in community.
God of our present, on this day we remember all that led this congregation to this day. For 60 years of ministry to and with this community, for 60 years of growing together in love, for all that has made us what we are now, we give you thanks, we give you praise. Amen.
Passing of the Peace
* Hymn – “Faithful God, You Have Been Our Guide”
Faithful God, you have been our guide,
Year by year walking by our side,
Blessing challenge and healing strife,
Leading us on the way of life.
Faithful God of the living covenant,
Lead us onward in this new day.
Faith God of the living covenant,
Lead us onward in this new day.
God, whatever the future holds,
Keep us faithful as life unfolds.
Write your covenant on our hearts;
Send the gifts that you love imparts.
Faithful God of the living covenant,
Lead us onward in this new day.
Faith God of the living covenant,
Lead us onward in this new day.
Words: Ruth C. Duck
The Word
& Scripture Reading: Ruth 1: 1-18
Mark 12: 28-34
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
THANKS BE TO GOD!
Meditation – “A community of love!”
(a quiet time for your personal reflection and prayer)
Anthem – “God Be Praised”
The Response
* Offering / Response (VU #541):
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low;
Give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word and Spirit, One. Amen.
A Litany of Thanksgiving
One: O God, for the vision of those who planned for this congregation,
and for the commitment and dedication of all who served together at the time of origin,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For those who have served so faithfully in leadership positions,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For those who have willingly given of their efforts to teach, provide music, and bring fellowship,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For those who have been such a part of our fellowship for so many years, and now are with within your loving embrace,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For the ways in which we have been able to care for one another, support one another on the journey of life, and give strength to one another,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For baptisms we’ve celebrated, professions of faith we have heard, and answers to prayer that we have experienced,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For a congregation that has always desired to worship you faithfully and vibrantly, hearing your Word, singing your praise, and seeking your strength,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For a commitment to remain true to your Word in a world of confusing and conflicting voices,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
All: For generosity that has enabled us to reach far beyond this community with the word and witness of the Gospel,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
All: For hundreds of children and youth who have been here as they were trained in the ways of the Your love and now serve God around the world,
All: We give you thanks, O God.
One: For the freedom to worship you in so many ways all for the sake of bringing your kingdom to life,
All: We give you thanks, O God, for all the wonderful gifts we
have been given in the past 60 years at Windsor Park United Church.
Communion
This is the joyful feast of the people of God! At this table we witness to our unity through Christ, a unity that transcends the differences and divisions among us.
All are welcome at this table.
May God be with you! And also with you.
Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to God. It is good to give thanks and praise.
O God, Creator of all, we give you thanks for the life you have made: powerful, fragile, abundant, precious: a mystery beyond us that sustains us, yet needs our care.
O Host of the Feast of Life, thank you for inviting us to take a place at your great banquet, to share life with a people who are blessed by your faithfulness, challenged by your prophets, forgiven by your mercy, and ever surprised by your power to do more, working in us, than we can ask or imagine.
Therefore we join our voice with voices of all created things, and with voices of your old and faithful friends, saints who have gone before us to praise you, singing: (VU 315)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed trinity!
We thank you for our brother Jesus— bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh— in whose life, death, and resurrection you reveal yourself fully. We thank you that Jesus, on the night before he died, took bread, blessed, and broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying,
“Take and eat: this is my body, given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
And in the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, again gave you thanks and praise, and said,
“Take this, all of you, and drink it. This is the cup of the new covenant, my life poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in memory of me.”
We proclaim the mystery of faith: (MV 204)
Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!
Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!
Come now, Holy Spirit of God transform these gifts of bread and cup into the sustaining body and blood of Christ, and transform us who share this meal into one body in Christ. We lift up to holy God those in this community who we hope feel your presence in their lives today, as we pray for…..(prayer list)
We pray now together, this prayer that Jesus taught:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name….
Sharing of the Bread and Cup
When we share the bread together we remember that Jesus was strongest and most powerful in his weakest and most vulnerable moments.
This broken loaf is the bread of life. (The bread is broken.)
When we fill this cup we remember the common cup and the abundant blessings that have been entrusted to us. This is the cup of blessing. (The wine is poured.)
Great Amen: (MV 205)
Amen, amen, O Holy One! Hosanna and Amen!
Amen, amen, O Holy One, Hosanna and Amen!
The gifts of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God.
Prayer after Communion
Christ, you have gathered us at your table to bear witness to our unity in you. Fed and nourished, may we leave from here ready to be peace-keepers, God-bearers, and kingdom builders. Amen
* Closing Hymn VU #639 “One More Step”
* Commissioning / Benediction
* Response:
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Amen, Amen, Amen. ***
