Sunday, March 9, 2025 The First Sunday of Lent

 Ramadan Mubarak! A blessed Ramadan to our Muslim sisters and brothers. We may be giving something up for Lent, but our brothers and sisters fast (food and water) from sunrise to sunset for the month of Ramadan.🙏🏽

Happy International Women’s Day to all the women of our congregations and our communities! 💐

Hymn       Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah #651VU

Scripture Lessons:       Deuteronomy 26:1-11

                                     Psalm 91:1,2,9-16 p.807VU

                                     Luke 4:1-13

Message

Prayer:  Jesus the Christ, you refused to turn stones into bread. 

Save us from using our power, however little, to satisfy the demands of selfishness in the face of the greater needs of others. 

Jesus the Christ, you refused to leap from the temple top. 

Save us from displaying our skills, however modest, to win popularity in the face of nobler calls on our abilities. 

Jesus the Christ, you refused to bend a knee to a false god. 

Save us from offering our devotion, however weak, to cheap or easy religion in the face of a harder path on which you bid us to follow you. 

Jesus the Christ, 

Give us wisdom to discern evil; and in the face of all that is deceptively attractive, help us to choose the will of God. Amen. 

Hymn       O Jesus I Have Promised #120VU

This Sunday’s services will be 9:30 in Howick and 11:00 in Ormstown. This will be Ormstown’s annual meeting service where the worship service will be combined with the annual meeting. It will take place in the hall. (Please note: it is spring forward Sunday, so it will feel like 10:00!) 

Many thanks for all who supported and volunteered at the Shrove Tuesday Waffle Dinner. It was greatly appreciated! 

St Paul’s Session will meet Wednesday, March 12th at 1:00 in the hall. 

Howick UCW will meet Wednesday, March 12th at 7pm in the church. We will be discussing the situation of migrant workers in our area. (I said in the email that it was technology questions, but that is next month, sorry! )

There will be a Cross-Canada check-in with the General Secretary and members of the General Council of the United Church held online on April 2nd at 6pm online. This is an opportunity to ask questions and express opinions that may shape conversations and decisions going forward to the General Council meeting this summer and into our second century. If you wish to register to take part in this event, it can be done through Churchx. More information is available on the General Council website, generalcouncil.ca.