Sunday, February 20, 2022

 

Hymn.      Praise My Soul the God of Heaven #240VU

Scripture Lessons:     Psalm 37:1-11, 39,40 p.763VU

                                   Luke 6:27-36

Hymn.     There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy #271VU

Meditation

Another excerpt from the United Church’s latest statement of faith, the Song of Faith: 

…God is creative and self-giving,

   generously moving

   in all the near and distant corners of the universe. 

Nothing exists that does not find its source in God. 

Our first response to God’s providence is gratitude. 

We sing thanksgiving. 

Finding ourselves in a world of beauty and mystery, 

   of living things, diverse and interdependent, 

   of complex patterns of growth and evolution, 

   Of subatomic particles and cosmic swirls, 

we sing of God the Creator, 

the Maker and Source of all that is. 

Each part of creation reveals unique aspects of God the Creator, 

   who is both in creation and beyond it. 

All parts of creation, animate and inanimate, are related. 

All creation is good. 

We sing of the Creator, 

   who made humans to live and move

   and have their being in God. 

In and with God, 

   we can direct our lives toward right relationship

   with each other and with God. 

We can discover our place as one strand in the web of life. 

We can grow in wisdom and compassion. 

We can recognize all people as kin. 

We can accept our mortality and finite de, not as a curse, 

   but as a challenge to make our lives and choices matter. …

Prayer:  Loving God, you know our weakness and the extent of our failure to love you and to be another. You see the sincerity of our efforts as well. Look upon us who have been offended and lift up our hearts. Look upon us who have given offence and help us heal the hurt we have caused. As we willingly, with your help, forgive one another. We ask you to forgive us and fill us with your healing power and grace. Amen. ( a prayer from More than Words by Janet Schaffran and Pat Kozak.) 

Hymn     Amazing Grace #266 VU

The annual reports for our churches have now been printed. The Howick reports will be delivered where possible to your mailbox this weekend, so keep an eye out! This is so you have time to review them before the annual meeting which is planned for Sunday, March 6th (combined with the morning service.) You could also pick up a copy from the church or from Alan and Wilene directly, at their home. 

The Membership Roll for Howick United Church has been misplaced. If anyone knows where it might be, that information would be very welcome. Otherwise we are going to have to try to reconstruct it. Please let Barbara or Alan or Wilene know if you have any ideas. 

The annual reports for Ormstown and Franklin have now been printed and are available in the churches or from Barbara at the manse. 

I have heard from Linda Macmillan Upton that the lunch program from the Legion on Monday and Wednesday is looking for more volunteers to fill in for some who will not be available in the coming weeks and months. If you could help out consistently, or even occasionally, she would be glad to hear from you. 

FYI: the United Church is inviting its members to support families for Family Day (marked by many provinces, though not Quebec) by giving to a ministry that supports families, such as those supported by the Mission and Service Fund, through your church givings, through Gifts with Vision, or perhaps a local organization such as La Bouffe Additionelle. If you have something to share, you could give this some consideration. 

Did you catch the beginning of the General Council meeting taking place online over the next several months? You can see it on the United Church’s YouTube channel and you can follow the discussions and decisions on the website: generalcouncil44.ca.