Sunday, October 29, 2023 Reformation and All Saints Sunday

 

Hymn       A Mighty Fortress is Our God #262VU

Prayer:  For all the saints: who went before us; who have spoken to our hearts; and touched us with your fire, we praise you, O God. 

   For all the saints: who live beside us; whose weaknesses and strengths are woven with our own, we praise you, O God. 

   For all the saints: who live beyond us; who challenge us to change the world with them, we praise you, O God. Amen. ( a prayer written by Janet Morley of England and printed in Bread of Tomorrow, edited by Janet Morley.) 

Scripture Lessons:      Deuteronomy 34:1-12

                                    Psalm 90:1-6p. 805VU

                                    I Thessalonians 2:1-8

Meditation 

Prayer:  God, for all the saints I give you thanks— for grandparents and godparents, for doctors and teachers, for coaches and pastors. 

   God, for all the saints I give you thanks— for authors of books that have moved me, for friends whose advice has guided me, for strangers who proved an example, for my children and the children of others who have given me courage. 

   God, for all the saints I give you thanks— for those nearest and farthest away, for those who have died, and those who are living, for those who knew they made a difference and those who never will. 

   God, for all the saints I give you thanks. Amen. ( a prayer written by Maren Tirabassi and printed in Before the Amen, edited by Maren C. Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirabassi.)

Hymn       For All the Saints #705VU

This week there will be a combined service held in Franklin United Church at 11:00, preceded by a fellowship time, beginning about 10:30. All welcome. 

We hold the family and friends of Bill Lawrence, formerly of Ormstown, who died last week. We also continue to hold the family and friends of Melissa Evans, Marie-Paule Hodgson who have also died this month. 

Next Sunday will be Remembrance Sunday in Ormstown and Howick. In Ormstown we will welcome members of the Legion to our 9:30 service. (There will also be a Cenotaph service held in Ormstown on Saturday, November 11th beginning at around 10:30.) 

     In Howick, there will be a community service held at Georgetown Presbyterian Church, beginning at 10:30am. 

The Howden-Templeton Bursaries will once again be awarded to CEGEP or university or vocational level students who are associated with Howick United Church. Applicants can receive the bursary a maximum of three times. The deadline for applications is November 12th with the bursaries being presented at the 11am service at Howick United Church on November 26th. Applications can be found at the Howick United Church website or in the back of the church and can be given to Debbi Templeton, Scott Templeton, Brent Tolhurst, or Marlene Stuckey or mailed to the church at 2 Rue Bridge, Howick, QC, J0S 1G0. 

FYI: after the congregational meeting in Howick last weekend, it has been decided to repair the elevator, despite the cost, to ensure that the church is accessible, particularly as we will be holding more services in the hall in the basement. This will be funded in part through the Memorial Fund, the Trustees, and any donations that may be received for this project. It was also decided to apply for Faithful Footprints to make the church building more sustainable. A plan with estimates is now being prepared by a committee. Assistance and advice would be appreciated. 

Franklin United Church will be holding a Joint Board meeting Wednesday, November 1st in the church office, at 1:30pm.