Sunday, November 28, 2021 The First Sunday of Advent

 We are getting ready….

Hymn  O Come O Come Emmanuel #1VU

A prayer for lighting the Advent Candle: A candle burns, the sign of our hope. God of hope, come to us again this Advent. May your hope live within us, burning as a light in our lives. Amen.  (from the Iona Community’s Candles and Conifers) 

Scripture Lessons      Jeremiah 33:14-16

                                   I Thessalonians 3:9-16

                                   Luke 21:25-36

Meditation 

Prayer:  Holy God, during this busy season of Advent, we pray for our world. We seek your light in the midst of darkness, your peace in the midst of violence, your love in the midst of discord, your courage in the face of fear, and your wisdom to guide us. Help us to be messengers sharing your light, sharing your peace, and living your love with courage and wisdom. Amen. (a prayer by Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson, and shared on worship words.co.uk.)

Hymn       Come Thou Long Expected Jesus #2VU

Did you know? This Tuesday November 30th, has been named as Giving Tuesday and the United Church is inviting its members to give to Gifts with Vision or another program that provides vaccines for people around the world. With Gifts with Vision $25 buys vaccines for 2 people. We may be talking about boosters and vaccines for children but in many parts of the world, vulnerable adults have no access to vaccines at all. 

St Paul’s Session will meet this Tuesday, November 30th in the church at 7:30pm. 

Howick United Church Session will meet Monday, November 29th in the church hall at 7:30pm. 

Here is the Mitten Tree up now in Howick United Church.

Sunday, November 21, 2021 Reign of Christ Sunday

 Hymn:     Come Children Join to Sing #345

Scripture Lessons:      Revelation 1:4-8

                                    Psalm 93 p.813VU

                                    John 18:33-8

Meditation 

Prayer:  You keep us waiting. You, the God of all time, want us to wait for the right time in which to discover who we are, where we must go, who will be with us, and what we must do. So thank you …. for the waiting time. 

You keep us looking. You, the God of all space, want us to look in the right and wrong places for signs of hope, for people who are hopeless, for visions of a better world which will appear among the disappointments of the world we know. So thank you…..for the looking time. 

You keep us loving. You, the God whose name is love, want us to be like you—to love the loveless and the unlovely and the unloveable, to love without jealousy or design or threat, and most of all, to love ourselves. So thank you…..for the loving time. 

And in all this, you keep us through hard questions with no easy answers, through failing where we hoped to succeed and making an impact when we felt we were useless, through the patience and the dreams of others, and through Jesus Christ and his Spirit, you keep us. So thank you…..for the keeping time, and for now, and for ever. Amen. ( from the Iona Community’s A Wee Worship Book.) 

Hymn:      Rejoice the Lord is King #213VU

We are continuing to invite donations for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Envelopes are available in the churches or donations may be made online at foodgrainsbank.ca. 

Please keep in mind Howick’s Memorial Fund, the books will be closing in December, so if you would like to make a donation, please get it in to the church or to Grace as soon as possible. 

The Rudolph Run/Walk is coming up soon! You can take part virtually by walking sometime between November 26th to December 2nd or you can take part in person on Saturday, November 27th from 9-11am. The minimum donation requested is $5. There will be no volunteers on street corners or refreshments offered this year, and you can take any direction or walk any distance. The proceeds go to the Christmas Basket program organized through La Bouffe Additionelle. 

Congratulations to Grace Brown who received an award this week for her community action. 

The Santa Claus Parade is returning to Howick! We look forward to welcoming him on Saturday, December 4th at 1pm. Donations will also be collected for Christmas baskets as well. 

Sunday, November 14, 2021 Children’s Sunday

 Hymn      O Day of God Draw Nigh 688 VU

Scripture Lessons:      Ruth 4:13-17

                                    Psalm 127 p.851VU

                                    Hebrews 10:19-25

Meditation

Prayer:  God, you heap your love upon us like a parent providing for a family’s needs, embracing a child with tenderness. 

Forgive us when, like spoiled children, we treat your generosity as our right, or hug it possessively to ourselves. 

Give us enough trust to live secure in your love and to share it freely with others in open-handed confidence that your grace will never run out. Amen. (a prayer by Jan Berry and printed in Bread of Tomorrow, edited by Janet Morley) 

Hymn.      New Every Morning is the Love #405VU

Howick UCW will be holding its annual meeting in combination with Unit C’s meeting on Wednesday, November 17th in the Church Hall. All welcome. 

This year’s Rudolph Run will be held in part as a virtual event, from November 26th to December 2nd. You can walk any distance, time or place. There will also be an in person run/walk on Saturday, November  27th starting at the Rec Centre in Ormstown, from 9-11am, where you can make your donation and head off on your run/walk in any direction or any route. No volunteers will be on the street, nor will any refreshments be offered. A minimum of $5 is requested and you are invited to wear red or green as you head off. Remember this is an event to raise funds for the Christmas basket programs in our area, so put on your running shoes and get ready to participate! 

We continue to invite donations to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Envelopes are available in our three churches and donations may also be made online at foodgrainsbank.ca. 

We are being reminded in Howick that the year is coming to an end, and if you would like to give a gift to the memorial fund in memory of a church or community member, you are invited to do so soon. November is Remembrance month, so you can make your gift in remembrance of someone in your family, church or community. 

Sunday, November 7, 2021

 Hymn       O God our Help in Ages Past #806VU

Scripture Lessons:       Hebrews 9:24-28

                                     Psalm  46 770VU

                                     Mark 12:38-44

Meditation 

Prayer:  We give thanks this day, O God, for all that makes our common life secure; for the peace and freedom that we enjoy; and for the opportunity that is ours of building a better world for the generations to come. We remember with gratitude those who fought and died to make this possible; and we pray that the memory of their sacrifice may inspire in us the resolve to seek your kingdom and to do your will for the world of our day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

God of the nations, whose kingdom rules over all, have mercy on our broken and divided world. She’d abroad your peace in the hearts of your children and banish from the the spirit that makes for war; that all races and religions and peoples may learn to live as members of one family, and in obedience to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ( a selection of prayers from Contemporary Parish Prayers by Frank Colquhoun.) 

Hymn      God of Grace and God of Glory #686VU

The Ormstown Legion’s laying of the wreaths will be held Sunday, November 7th at the cenotaph. There will be no parade or other public events held this year. 

We continue to invite donations for the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Envelopes are available in our 3 churches and donations may be made online as well at foodgrains.ca. 

Keep in mind the Howick Craft Fair, to be held outside this year, at the school, on Saturday, November 20th. There will also be opportunities to buy online through December. 

Following the annual meeting in October in Howick, the decision has been made to dispose of the old red hymn books and the green service books that are no longer being used. Those who would like to have copies are welcome to take them, before the end of the year. 

Happy birthday to Thelma Lang, who is celebrating her 90th birthday this week.