Prayer for Lighting the Advent Candles (from the Iona Community’s Candles and Conifers, written by David Hamflett)
A candle burns, the first marker of our Advent journey.
As we set out, May we travel hopefully.
As we set out, God of journeys, travel with us.
Hymn. Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus #2VU
Scripture Lessons: Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122 p. 845VU
Matthew 24: 36-44
Meditation
Prayer: God, we come to you in our waiting.
We wait with our fears, our anxieties and frustrations, our pains and our regrets, our shame and our confusion. God, help us to wait in peace.
We wait with impatience: we rush around, preparing for the festivities, not leaving the space to prepare our hearts.God, help us to wait in faith.
We wait in excitement: we are ready to celebrate! We know the story with its humbleness, simplicity, and wonder. God, help us to nurture our joy.
We wait in thanksgiving: we are free and able to celebrate. We have others around us to share in the journey. We are able to wonder in the marvel of your gift.
God, help us to receive your gift with love. Amen. (a prayer by Katrina Crosby, also printed in Candles and Conifers)
Hymn. O Come O Come Emmanuel #1VU
There will be a Family Activity Day beginning at 11:00 on this Sunday, November 27th, including some worship and some intergenerational activities as well. We will end with a shared soup luncheon. Wilene Cullen is taking volunteers to bring soup, cheeses and crackers. Please let her know if you can help out.
St Paul’s Stewards will meet on Wednesday, November 30th at 7:30 at the home of Wendy Denison.
Worship Schedule: December 4. 9:30 Ormstown. 11:00. Howick
December 11. 9:30. Franklin. 11:00. Ormstown. 11:00. Howick with Debbie Beattie
White Gift services in all 3 churches, children’s activities in the church in Ormstown.
December 18. 9:30. Howick. 11:00. Ormstown —Communion Sunday in both churches
7:30pm Candlelight Christmas Communion service in Franklin
December 24. Christmas Eve services: 6pm. Howick. 8pm. Ormstown
December 25. No Sunday service
January 1. Regional Zoom service 10am, please contact Barbara for the link
There will be a Christmas potluck celebration held for the Howick UCW on Thursday, December 8th beginning at 6pm, in the church hall. Please call Marlene Stuckey to let her know what you will be bringing.
Preparation of the goodie plates will be on Thursday, December 15th, beginning at about 9:45 in the church basement.
Looks like we are going to be busy! Have a good week. B
This is the last Sunday of this liturgical year. Next Sunday we begin a new year with the first Sunday of Advent. Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉
Hymn Come Children Join to Sing #345
Scripture Lessons: Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 1:69-79 p.900VU
Luke 23:33-43
Meditation
Prayer: O God, in Jesus you keep turning the world’s expectations upside down.
You promise a king but we find an ordinary man who shares our lives and our sorrows.
We look for a Messiah but we find one born as a homeless child laid to sleep in a manger and who becomes a refugee living as a stranger in a strange land.
We seek a Saviour but he comes without armies or weapons, with only a small party of followers and he is put to death on a cross by his enemies.
We have visions of glory but he speaks about service and servanthood.
Open our eyes and ears and hearts, O God, to all that Jesus can teach and reveal to us in his life and death and resurrection and may his love and grace and peace fill and reign in our hearts now and always. Amen.
Hymn Rejoice the Lord is King #213
Today in Howick the Howden-Templeton bursaries will be presented to our 2 recipients: William Orr and Kevin Macfarlane. Congratulations and best wishes to both of you!
Next Sunday Howick will beholding a family activity service that will include some worship and also activities such as puzzles and preparing treats and cards for Christmas. We will start at 11:00 and end with a soup luncheon. There will be activities for all ages. Please join us.
We have been inviting donations to the Canadian FoodGrains Bank through the fall. As we move into Advent, the envelopes will remain available for those who wish to make a donation in the future.
Mitten trees will be appearing in our three churches. Donations of hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves would be gratefully received.
White Gift Sunday will be held on Sunday, December 11th in all three churches. Both gifts and non-perishable food items would be gratefully received.
FYI: following the survey that Wilene Cullen circulated a couple of weeks ago, it has been decided to hold a Christmas Eve service in Howick at 6pm. There will also be a later service in Ormstown at 8pm.
Prayer: Walk with us, God, through sharp, frosty days and bright crunchy leaves into winter.
Rest with us by warm fireside’s and tell us stories into the night.
Take us out at night and show us the stars and fill us with wonder.
Bless us and our families, our friends, and our neighbours with love and with courage.
And never let us forget the stranger who needs to share our wealth, our shelter, and our hope. Amen.
(a prayer by Ruth Burgess, printed in the Iona Community’s Acorns and Archangels)
Hymn Be Thou My Vision #642
We hold in our thoughts and prayers the family and friends of Keith Bryson, who died last week and whose life will be remembered at a service in St Paul’s United Church on Saturday, November 19th at 11:30am, preceded by a visitation beginning at 10am. This is following a visitation held at the McGerrigle Funeral Home Friday night, November 18th, from 7-9pm.
We continue to hold in our thoughts and prayers the families and friends of Ruth Sundborg, Jean Cogswell, Jean Pycock, and Joan Burton as well.
We are inviting donations for the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Envelopes are available in our churches or donations may be made online at foodgrainsbank.ca.
St Paul’s Session will be meeting this week, on Wednesday, November 16th at 1pm in the hall.
Howick UCW Unit B will be meeting Tuesday, November 15th at noon at the home of Thyra Ness.
The annual meeting of the Howick UCW will be held Wednesday, November 16th at 7pm in the church hall. There will be a time for memorial and a short business meeting as well as time for fellowship.
The Howden-Templeton bursaries will be given out next Sunday at our 9:30 service in Howick.
The preparations are underway for the Rudolph Run, which will take place in-person on Saturday, November 26th from 9-11am, starting at the Rev Centre in Ormstown. A minimum $5 donation is requested for all adults taking part, with the proceeds going to the Christmas Baskets offered through La Bouffe Additionelle. Virtual participation is also possible. For more information, check the poster in the church, the Facebook page or contact Grace Brown or Darlene Legros.
Grace also wants to remind us that November can be Memorial Month, making a donation in memory of a friend or loved one to our church memorial fund.
Prayer: We pause to remember today: to remember with thanks those who have given their lives in the service of others; and to remember with sadness the suffering, destruction and pain caused by human conflict. We come also to commit ourselves to be peacemakers and peacekeepers wherever we can. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Scripture Lessons: Haggai 2:1-9
Psalm 46 p.770VU
II Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Reflection
Prayer: Lord Jesus, today we commit ourselves to: choosing love over hate;
Choosing service over selfishness;
choosing sharing over greed;
and choosing peace-making over trouble-making, for the honour and glory of your name. Amen.
(Both prayers were found in the Presbyterian Church of Canada’s Remembrance Sunday resource, 2019)
Hymn God of Grace and God of Glory
We have been saddened to hear of the death of Jean Cogswell and Joan Burton this past week. There will be a visitation held for Jean Cogswell this Saturday in Cowansville and a committal service will be held for her in the Riverfield Cemetery this Sunday, November 6th at 3pm. Those who would like to come and share in this time of remembrance are welcome to join us on Sunday. The arrangements for Joan Burton will be held on the following weekend.
We continue to hold in our thoughts and prayers the family and friends of Ruth Sundborg and Jean Pycock. The memorial service for Ruth was held on Friday and the service for Jean will be held Saturday, November 12th at the Unitarian Church in Montreal on de Maisoneuve and will be followed by a reception.
It was announced that the Howden-Templeton bursaries would be awarded this week, but the presentation has been delayed until Sunday, November 20th at the 9:30 service.
Howick United Church UCW, Unit B will be holding a lunch meeting on Tuesday, November 15th at the home of Thyra Ness. We will share a meal and make some decisions about what to do next.
There will be a joint meeting of the UCWs in Howick to be held Wednesday, November 16th in the church basement, beginning at 7pm. The will be a memorial for past members and a brief business meeting as well.
