Prayer: God of overwhelming love and grace, in this Christmas season we come before you in prayer. We remember how you chose to live among us, declaring that our world was a worthy place for you, the Creator, to be present. And so, at this time, we pray for the world and for all who live in it. We especially think this day of those for whom this is a difficult time. For those who are missing loved ones who have died, or are far away. For those who are unable to be surrounded by others and who struggle with all the emphasis on family and togetherness in this season. We think of all for whom the emphasis on “stuff” simply underscores not having enough. And we think of how grateful we are that you have sent Jesus into our world and into our lives. How might we reflect his message in our daily living? How might we share with others the true joy that Christ brings into our lives? How can we—like all creation— offer you the praise you deserve? Open our hearts, loving God. Stretch our understandings of our world that we might find new ways to travel with others in the days to come. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen. (A prayer from a service from Seasons of the Spirit 2015)
Carol Joy to the World #59VU
This Sunday there will be a single service, a carol service, held in the hall in Ormstown at 11:00.
Next Sunday January 4, there will not be a service held, as Barbara will be away.
The deadline for making a donation to Howick United church is tomorrow, December 29th. Please get your donation to Wilene by tomorrow, if you wish it to be credited to this year. December 30th is the deadline for making a donation to Howick’s Memorial Fund. Please get your donation to Grace Brown by that date.
Advent-Candlelighting Litany: 1: Today is the final day of Advent.
2: Our waiting has come to an end.
1: Tonight we rejoice in the gift of a Saviour, God’s gift love for us.
2: Tonight we welcome the Prince of Peace, in whom we put our hope.
1: Tonight we light all the candles: the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love, and at the centre of them all, the Christ candle.
2: and we welcome the one who comes to be the light of all the world.
Scripture Lessons: Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96 p.816VU
Luke 2:1-20
Carol. Away in a Manger #69VU
Message
Prayer: Lord, in the beginning when all was very dark, you said: “Let there be light.” And there was light and life throughout the universe.
And when the human race was exhausted, tired and weary, in the darkness of anxiety, confusion and sin, into that darkness you came as light in Jesus Christ God became a human being among us all.
Once again it is dark. Not just dark at midnight but dark in ourselves: dark with doubt, dark with fear and uncertainty, dark with confusing and conflicting voices in our ears.
Come, light of life, lighten the darkness in our lives with your mighty word of love. Lighten our hearts with the joy of your promised coming. Lighten our world with the hope that faith in you still brings.
We go out into Christmas Day in the peace of Jesus Christ. May his peace, that lightens the soul with faith, lifts the spirit with hope and leaven’s the world with love, be yours tonight and always.
And the blessing of God, the Creator, the Son and the Spirit, go with you, and remain with you, now and always. Amen. ( a prayer by John Harvey, printed in the Iona Community’s Candles and Conifers.)
Hymn. Silent Night #67VU
There is a Christmas Eve service in St Paul’s in Ormstown tonight at 7:30pm. There will also be a Carol service at 11:00 on Sunday, December 28th at 11:00 in the hall in Ormstown.
The Moderator of the United Church, the Right Rev. Kimberly Heath has posted a Christmas message, which can be found on the United Church’s website, united-church.ca or on Facebook or on the United Church’s YouTube channel. (There is also an Epiphany edition coming up.)
May the Blessing of God, whose faithfulness and love is made in the birth, the life, the teachings, and the death and the resurrection of Jesus the Christ and through the power and possibility of the Holy Spirit.
As the celebration of Hanukkah comes to an end, we hold our Jewish sisters and brothers in our thoughts and prayers following the events on Bondi Beach last week. We also wish for them a blessed Hanukkah, this year.
Hymn Angels from the Realms of Glory #36VU
Advent Candle-Lighting Litany: 1: Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent.
2: Today our waiting is almost done.
1: Today we rejoice in the gift of Emmanuel, God-with us.
2: Today we celebrate God’s gift of love.
1: Today we light the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love. (Light 4 coloured candles)
2: Let us give thanks for all these gifts and blessings.
Prayer: God, as your children, in this season of Advent, we wait in prayer
We pray for hope— that we may be filled once again with the hope of a child;
And that we may bring hope to those who despair.
We pray for peace— that we may be filled once again with the profound peace of a child;
And that we may bring peace to those close to us, in our community and around the world; to those for whom peace is only a dream.
We pray for joy— that we may be filled once again with the boundless joy of a child;
And that we may bring joy to those who live in darkness.
We pray for love— that we may be filled once again with the unconditional love of a child;
And that we may bring the full expression of your love to our families, to our community and to your world.
For all this, we pray through Jesus Christ— your child and our Saviour, who comes “with the dawn of redeeming grace”. Amen. (Source ? found in a service prepared by Paul Sales)
Hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing #48
This Sunday’s services will be 11:00 in Ormstown and 7pm in Howick. In both churches we will be celebrating Communion and in Howick will be sharing a family service with a pageant.
Congratulations to Nash Templeton who will be receiving the Howden-Templeton bursary from Howick United Church for his studies in the coming year.
There will be a Christmas Eve service held in St Paul’s at 7:30pm and a Christmas Carol service on Sunday, December 28th at 11:00 in the hall. There will be no Sunday service on January 4th as Barbara will be away. Blogs will also be produced for all these services. (Please note that the information for Howick United Church in the Gleaner is incorrect. Our final service in Howick is this Sunday night.)
We hold in our thoughts and prayers the family of Peter Ednie, who died earlier and who is being remembered at a memorial gathering at his home in Franklin.
Many thanks to all who have donated so much this holiday season. The food has been delivered to La Bouffe Additionelle and the Howick Christmas basket project, along with cash donations from the Howick UCW, the St Paul’s organ concert, and others; the personal items have been delivered to Residence-Elle, and the hats, mitts, etc. to other organizations. All of this took a lot of work from a lot of people. Many thanks to Allyson Orr and Wendy Denison for organizing the mitten collections, to Ken Rember and Allyson Orr for delivering the food brought in, and many others who helped out, along the way. ( The problem with listing names is that you almost always leave one out!)
Please note that the financial books for the Memorial Fund of Howick United Church will close on December 30th. If you have a memorial gift you would like to make, please get it to Grace Brown by or before that date.
The financial books of Howick United Church will close Monday, December 29th. Please get any donations you would like to make in to Wilene Cullen on or before that date. Thank you.
Advent Candlelighting: 1 : Today is the third Sunday of Advent.
2: Today we rejoice in God’s promise of hope and peace.
1: Today we sing in celebration for God’s gift of joy that fills our hearts and renews our spirits,
2: and that is revealed in new life and new hope.
1: Today we light our candles of hope, peace, and joy. (Light 2 purple and one pink candles)
2: Today we give thanks for God’s gifts of hope, peace, and joy.
Scripture Lessons: Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146 p. 868VU
Matthew 11:2-11
Message
Prayer: Gracious God, you have made us with joy for the purposes of joy. Come call us, encourage us, and confound us with joy that does not wait until all is quiet or peaceful or ready. Open our hearts and minds to the joy that is even now hiding in plain sight, in friend and neighbour, stranger and enemy. Let us dance and feast, talk and laugh and play with the joy of children until your kingdom comes. Amen. ( from the companionsontheway.com website.)
Hymn Joy to the World #59
This week’s services will be 9:30 in Howick and 11:00 in Ormstown. This will also be the White Gift service in Ormstown.
Many thanks to all who supported Howick’s Book Puzzle and Bake Sale last week. It was a great success and raised about $800 for the church.
Howick UCW will be assembling cheer plates this week on Thursday, at 9am in the church basement.
Worship Schedule:
Sunday, December 21. Communion Sunday at 11:00 in Ormstown
Candlelight Christmas Communion service in Howick 7pm
Sunday, December 28. Carol service at 11:00 in hall in Ormstown
This past week has included a number of special days: December 1st, World AIDS Day, Saturday, December 6th is not only St Nicholas Day, but also National Day of Remembrance and Action against Violence against Women, recalling the events in the Ecole Polytechnique and a call to make this world safe for all people.
Hymn. Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus #2VU
Advent CandleLighting:
1: Today is the second Sunday of Advent.
2: Today we give thanks for God’s gift of hope, and we pray for peace.
1: Today we wait for the coming of God’s messenger who offers us a vision and calls us to dare to believe.
2: We watch and wait for signs of God with us.
(Light 2 purple candles)
1: Today we light the candles of hope and peace.
2: and we pray for peace in our hearts, in our homes, and in our world.
Prayer: Creator God, you have made this world for joy and justice, prepare us to live accordingly with hope and tenderness for those we share this world with. We pray with thanksgiving for all that is strong and beautiful, for all that is resilient and flourishing. And we pray for all that is polluted or drought-stricken or drowning. We pray for the strengthening of all who defend and protect your world, for those who seek to heal and to comfort. We pray for agencies of care and for the aid and encouragement they bring. Keep alive in us all the dream of justice and mercy.
( We pause to reflect on the gifts and needs of this created world.)
Jesus the gift of life and hope, we pray that all who pray in your name may be inspired and equipped to live lives of hope and encouragement. And we pray for those who do not have hope or purpose, for the lonely, the forgotten, the overlooked, and the exhausted. May the gift of your life and love bring good news to our community and world.
(We pause to reflect on the gifts and needs of all peoples, especially those known to us.)
Spirit of the Living God, who inspires and revives, help us live alert to the surprising gifts in every day life and help us see and reveal the possibilities of your dream for us hidden in the world as it is.
( We pause to reflect on those in need of inspiration and healing and entrust our beloved to the care of our God.)
Living God, Creator, Reconciling Lover of all, Spirit that sustains, we pray in the name of the Christ who came among us for us. Amen. (from companions on the way.com.)
This Sunday there will be services in Ormstown at 9:30 and 11:00 in Howick. In Howick, this will be our White Gift service, when we collect non-perishable food items for the Howick Christmas baskets. They will be filled and distributed next Saturday.
Many thanks to all who donated, worked, and supported Howick’s Book, Puzzle, and Bake Sale on Saturday, December 6th, from 11-1:30 in the church.
Howick UCW will meet on Wednesday, December 10th at 6pm for a Christmas Potluck Supper. Please let Marlene Stuckey know what you are planning on bringing for the supper. We will also be collecting gifts for women for the Christmas baskets in Howick.
On Friday, December 12th the Ormstown UCW will be holding its Christmas Turkey dinner at noon in the hall. Meals needed to be reserved by Friday, December 5th. We will also be collecting personal items for the residents of Residence-Elle. The items are not gifts and do not need to be gift-wrapped.
Sunday, December 14th will be the White Gift service in Ormstown. We will collect non-perishable food items and donations for La Bouffe Additionelle, our local food bank. The gifts of hats, mitts, scarves etc. will also be given away after this service.
The deadline for making a gift to Howick’s Memorial Fund is December 30th. Please get your donation to Grace Brown by or before that date.
Worship Schedule for theAdvent-Christmas season:
Sunday, December 21st 11:00. Communion Sunday in Ormstown
7pm Candlelight Christmas Communion service in Howick
Wednesday, December 24th Christmas Eve service in Ormstown 7:30pm
Sunday, December 28th Christmas Sunday Carol service in hall in Ormstown 11:00
