Sunday, February 18, 2024 The First Sunday of Lent

This month is not only the month the season of Lent begins, it is also Black History month. Are you doing something to observe this month: reading a book, taking part in a webinar or another event? There are some items on the United Church website, united-church.ca, if you would like to take a look. 

Hymn   Take Time to be Holy #672VU

Scripture Lessons:      Genesis 9:8-17

                                    Psalm 25 p.752VU

                                    Mark 1:9-15

Meditation 

Prayer:  Through the season of Lent, teach us, O God.  Teach us to walk in your ways, the way shown to us by Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ, even though it may lead us to the cross. Teach us to be faithful, as he was faithful, as you are faithful, so we call upon you: 

    When we are tempted, help us to find strength. 

    When we are discouraged, fill us with hope. 

    When we are led astray, help us to find the right paths. 

    When we are ashamed, assure us of your grace and love.  

 Unite us through your Holy Spirit that we may serve you with our sisters and brothers in Christ. 

We give you thanks, O God, that you hear and answer our prayers and that you are faithful to your promises. Let this season of Lent teach us how to be your faithful people, now and always. Amen. 

   

Hymn.       O Jesus I Have Promised #120

This Sunday’s services will be at 9:30 in Howick and at 11:00 in Ormstown. 

Unit B (retired) will be meeting on Tuesday, February 20th gathering at about 11:30-noon for a soup luncheon at the home of Thyra Ness. There will be a small charge to cover the cost of the lunch. 

The Ormstown-Franklin Pastoral Charge Official Board meeting will take place Wednesday, February 21st at 1:30 in the hall in Ormstown. Please note that we will be discussing and voting on Remit #1, on the Indigenous Church. If you wish to find more information, it might be found at the United Church website, united-church.ca or the United Church channel on YouTube, or the General Council website, GC44.ca. 

Barbara will be preparing a printed newsletter for Sunday, March 3rd. If you have items to be included, please let her know by February 29th. 

St Paul’s United Church will be holding a Craft and Activity Day Sunday March 3rd at the 9:30 service. All welcome. 

Howick United Church will be holding its annual meeting on Sunday, March 3rd at 11:00 in combination with the worship service.  We will be discussing and voting on Remit#1, on the indigenous church. If you wish to learn more about this remit, information is available on the United Church website, united-church.ca, on the United Church channel on YouTube or on the General Council website, GC44.ca. 

The annual meetings for Franklin United Church and St Paul’s United Church will be held on Sunday, March 10th, in combination with the worship service. Franklin’s meeting and service will begin at 9am and in Ormstown at 11am. 

Nakonhaka Regional Council’s First Third Ministries (formerly Youth and Young Adults) will be holding a Youth Forum for young people between the ages of 12-18 at Mount Bruno United Church will be held March 22-24th. Please let Barbara know if you would like registration information. 

We have been saddened to hear of a number of deaths in the wider community of the Regional Council, the Rev. Barend Biesheuval, a former minister of Lacolle and Clarenceville, the Rev. Marsha Mundy, wife of the Rev. John Matheson, and Heather Chesney, the widow of the Rev. David Chesney. We hold them in all in our thoughts and prayers. 

And just because I can, (because I haven’t given up laughter for Lent!)

Sunday, February 11, 2024 Transfiguration Sunday

 This Sunday is either the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany or the Sunday before Lent begins (eat up all your chocolate before you give it up for Lent!). Either way, it is a Sunday to celebrate the glory of God and Jesus, the Light of the World. 

Hymn       God Reveal Your Presence #391 VU

Scripture Lessons:       II Corinthians 4:3-6

                                     Psalm 50:1-6 p. 775VU

                                     Mark 9:2-9

Message

Prayer:  Holy and loving God, whose nature and ways are far beyond our understanding, we thank you the gift of your Son, Jesus, who lets us see your face in his, who shows us your love in his actions, your grace in his way of being. In him too, O God, we see ourselves as you would have us be and as your power is able to make us. Make us more like him, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer….

      Lord, we often find ourselves weary, tired out by a load of care, a heap of responsibility and concern. We hunger and thirst, and often fail to eat and drink at the table you have prepared for us. Lord, we are here now and we ask you grant us a glimpse of your glory, fill us with your spirit, refresh us and make us new. Lord, hear our prayer…..

      Loving God, we pray that your glory may fill your church and give to your people everywhere the energy to shine wherever there is darkness, dignity, persecution, or despair. Lord, hear our prayer….

      Give us all, O God, a greater love of your holiness, a greater delight in your mystery, and a greater joy in seeking your presence. We ask it through Christ Jesus, who revealed your will to us and who taught us to pray to you as one family. Amen. ( a prayer written by John Maynard, shared on Richard Fairchild’s Kir-shalom website and on the re:Worship website as well.) 

Hymn       Fairest Lord Jesus #341VU

This Sunday there will be an 11:00 service in Howick with Debbie Beattie. There will also be a 9:30 service in Franklin and an 11:00 service in Ormstown. 

Please note that the annual meeting date in Howick has been changed to March 3rd, combined with the worship, beginning at 11:00. 

For Franklin and Ormstown there will be an Official Board meeting Wednesday, February 21st at 1:30pm in the hall and the annual meetings will be held on Sunday, March 10th, beginning at 9am in Franklin and 11am in Ormstown. 

St Paul’s Session will meet on Wednesday, February 14th at 1:00 in the hall. 

The Board of Stewards for St Paul’s United Church will meet on Wednesday, February 21st at 7:30pm in the hall. 

Unit B (retired) of the Howick UCW will meet Tuesday, February 20 at 11:30 at the home of Thyra Ness for a soup lunch and fellowship. A small charge will be requested to cover the cost of the lunch. 

Sunday, February 4, 2024 The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

 February 2nd is not just Groundhog Day but it also known as Candlemas or the Presentation of Jesus, when we remember the story from the gospel of Luke when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple and met Simeon and Anna there. Candlemas is often observed by lighting candles as a sign of our welcome to Jesus, the Light of the World. So, whether the ground hog sees his shadow or not, we know there is light in the world! Let’s rejoice! 🕯️

Hymn.   When Morning Gilds the Skies #339VU

Prayer:  Maker of all that is, heaven and earth, known and unknown, birth and death and the sense of eternity: Giver of life, liver in life:  Words for you lift my spirit. Yet I am so small, my needs consume me. 

Hold my hand, encourage me to dance your dance to laugh with joy, surpassing all trouble and failure. 

Remind me of your beauty:  speechless  wonder    goodness:  light and darkness making light. 

Open to me your giving this day. Let me receive and trust myself into your hands. Amen. ( a prayer for the beginning of the day by the Rev. Neil Whitehouse and printed in Gathering ACE 2011-2.)

Scripture Lessons:       Isaiah 40:21-31

                                     Psalm 147:1-11 p.869VU pt 1

                                     Mark 1:29-39

Message

Prayer: God, in the midst, come close to us, and help us come close to you, as, for a fraction of time, we step back from the activities of the day. 

May we treasure such moments with you. Moments when we can bring to you the things we are doing, and find new meaning for them, and new strength for doing them. 

And moments for recalling how we are meeting you already, in the stuff of daily living and engagement, when faith is tested and compassion is translated into action. 

So, if as the day goes on, we forget you, do not forget us, O God. Amen. (a prayer from the Iona Community’s Iona Abbey Worship Book.)

Hymn.       What a Friend We Have in Jesus #664VU

This Sunday’s services will be held at 9:39 in Ormstown and at 11:00 in Howick. 

We want to say “thank you” to the Nakonhaka Regional Council who has provided the Ormstown and Howick congregations with copies of the newly translated Mohawk Bible. 

Unit C of the Howick United Church will meet on Wednesday, February 7th at 7pm in the church hall. 

The annual meeting of the Howick United Church will be held Sunday, March 3rd, during the 11:00 service time. ( Please note that this is a change from what may have been announced before, as our plans have changed.)

The Official Board of the Ormstown Pastoral Charge will be held on Wednesday, February 21st at 1:30pm. 

The annual meetings for Franklin and St Paul’s United Church will be held on Sunday, March 10th. In Franklin we will begin at 9am and in Ormstown at 11:00 in the hall. 

Sunday, January 28, 2024 The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany

 

Hymn.      Praise to the Lord the Almighty #220

Scripture Lessons:       I Corinthians 8:1-13

                                     Psalm 111 p.833VU

                                     Mark 1:21-28

Message

Prayer:  O Jesus Christ, when I read the gospel stories I am touched by your healing power. You healed sick bodies to be sure, but you did so much more. You healed the spirit and the deep inner mind. Most of all I am touched by your actions off acceptance that spoke healing into those who lived on the margins of life— shoved aside by the strong and the powerful. 

       Speak your healing into me, O Lord— body and mind and soul. Most of all, heal my sense of worthlessness. My head tells me that I am of infinite value to you but my heart cannot believe it. Heal my heart, Jesus, heal my heart. Amen. ( a prayer written by by Richard Foster and printed in Prayers from the Heart)

Hymn       How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds #344

This Sunday’s services will be 9:30 in Franklin and 11:00 in Howick. 

We hold in our thoughts and prayers the families of Penny Anderson and Miller Carimichael, who died this past week.

This Sunday is the deadline for submitting reports for the annual report. Please let Barbara or Wilene know if your report will be late and when it might be available. Thank you. 

The Official Board meeting for the Ormstown-Franklin Pastoral Charge will be held on Wednesday, February 21st in the hall in Ormstown at 1:30pm. 

The dates for the annual meetings for our congregations have been set: February 25 for Howick (storm date March 3rd) and March 10 for Franklin and Ormstown. Please mark your calendars! 

Many thanks to the Nakonhaka Regional Council who has provided copies of the Mohawk Bible to the Howick and Ormstown congregations. It allows us to honour the accomplishment of Harvey Gabriel, Satewas, in completing this translation over many years (decades) and also to acknowledge that we share this land with the Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) people. 

Sunday, January 21, 2023 The Third Sunday of Epiphany

 This Sunday is the Sunday in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, ( January 18-25) when we pray for greater understanding and cooperation between Christians of all churches and people of all faiths. 

Hymn.      Jesus, United by Thy Grace #591VU

Scripture Lessons:     Jonah 3:1-5, 10

                                   Psalm 62:5-12 p. 779VU

                                   Mark 1:14-20

Hymn.      Jesus Calls Us #562VU

Message

Prayer:  Lord, have mercy on us and heal our souls, for we have sinned against you and against our sisters and brothers. 

Renew the communion among Christians, healing their divisions, so that the world may believe in your love, Lord we pray.

For justice and peace in our society, for the overcoming barriers of fear, resentment, and distrust, Lord we pray. 

For those who suffer want and anxiety through lack of work, Lord we pray. 

For those who are separated from their families, and those who have no home or family, Lord we pray. 

For the victims of drought and famine throughout the world, for the generous sharing of the world’s resources, Lord we pray. 

For all who suffer trials and affliction and who need kindness and help, Lord we pray. 

Keep all who have found you rooted in your love; may they grow in goodness and truth, Lord we pray. 

We remember those who have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known only to you. Grant us to enter with them into the life that never ends, Lord we pray. 

Grant us, Lord, the joy of praise, in communion with all your saints. Amen. (a prayer from the Taize Community, printed in Praying Together, adapted) 

Hymn.       All the Way My Saviour Leads Me #635VU

We have recently heard of the death of Mary Loree in London, ON. A memorial service was held for her this past week. 

We continue to hold the family and friends of Susan Evans, whose funeral service was held this past week, and Karen Jones Buchanan, whose memorial service is being held on this Sunday in Georgetown Presbyterian Church. 

Howick United Church will be holding a Session meeting this coming week, on Tuesday night in the church at 7pm. 

Franklin United Church is planning a Joint Board meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd at 1:30 at the church. 

Please get your annual reports completed and handed in so we can produce our annual report for last year. For Howick they can be given or sent to Wilene Cullen and in Franklin and Ormstown they may be given or sent to Barbara. Please try to have them in by January 28th, or let us know when they will be ready. Thank you. 

There will be a Youth Forum through the Nakonhaka Regional Council held March 22-4 at the Mount Bruno United Church for young people aged 12-18. If you would like to receive information about this, please let Barbara know. 

Sunday, January 14, 2024 The Second Sunday of Epiphany

 

Hymn       Lord Speak to Me #589VU

Scripture Lessons:        I Samuel 3:1-20

                                      Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 p. 861 VU

                                      John 1:43-51

Message

Prayer:  O God, teach us to listen for your voice and your word. 

Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest to me, my family, my friends, my coworkers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me.”

Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me— the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished. 

Teach me to listen, O God my Mother, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside— in the deepest part of me. 

Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice— in busyness and boredom, in certainty and in doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, O God, to listen. Amen. (Written by John Veltri and printed in Taste and See edited by Jacquelin Syrup Bergan and S. Marie Schwan)

Hymn        O Master Let Me Walk with Thee #560VU

This Sunday’s services will be 11:00 in Howick, with Debbie Beattie, and 9:30 in Franklin and 11:00 in Ormstown, in the hall. 

We hold in our thoughts and prayers the families of Donald McCormick, whose memorial service was held on Saturday, January 13th in St Paul’s United Church, Karen Jones Buchanan, whose memorial service will be held next Sunday, January 21st in Georgetown Presbyterian Church, and the family and friends of Susan Evans, who died this past week. 

The time has come to prepare our annual reports for last year. If possible, they may be emailed to Wilene for Howick or to Barbara for Ormstown and Franklin. 

St Paul’s Session will meet Wednesday, January 17th at 1:00 in the hall and its Stewards will meet that evening at 7:30pm, also in the hall in Ormstown. 

Sunday, January 7, 2023 Epiphany Sunday

 

Hymn      Angels From the Realms of Glory #36VU

Scripture Lessons:         Isaiah 60:1-6

                                       Psalm 72:1-7

                                       Matthew 2:1-12

Hymn       All Poor Ones and Humble VU 68

Message

Prayer:  God of gold, we seek your glory:  the richness that transforms our drabness into colour, and brightens our dullness with vibrant light; your wonder and joy at the heart of all life. 

God of incense, we offer you our prayer:  our spoken and unspeakable longings, our questioning of truth, our searching for your mystery deep within. 

God of myrrh, we cry out to you in our suffering:  the pain of all our rejections and bereavements, our baffled despair at undeserved suffering, our rage at continuing injustice; and we embrace you, God-with-us, in our wealth, in our yearning, in our anger and loss. Amen. (by Jan Berry, printed in Bread of Tomorrow, edited by Janet Morley)

  A Home-Blessing for Epiphany

L: Blessed be this house. 

P:  And all who dwell here. 

L:  Three wise ones came to Bethlehem seeking the Christ child, and gave to the child precious gifts:  

Gold for the true king, incense for worship, and myrrh for the body which someday would die like our own. 

P: In your light, we see light. Thanks be to God. 

L:  O God, you led the Wise Ones by the light of a star to show your people’s the way to Jesus Christ. May we who seek Christ trust in you to light the way so we recognize the Christ-light in the epiphanies of the lives with which you bless us. 

P:  in your light, we see light. Thanks be to God. 

L:  Bless, O God, this household, and grant that all who live here may share the light of love within these walls. May this house be a haven of hope and hospitality, for neighbour and stranger in times of need. And May the light of love cast its beam beyond these doors to bless the world and all of creation. 

P: In your light, we see light. Thanks be to God.  Amen. (from Living the Christ Life, by Louise Manganese and Nancy Wyse with Lori Farr)

Hymn       The First Nowell #91VU

I hope that everyone had a blessed and happy Christmas and new year. As we move into the new year, we get back to our meetings and routines. We will be looking forward to annual reports and meetings before we know it! Howick United Church will be holding a congregational meeting this Sunday following the service to discuss and decide on the Faithful Footprints application for Howick.

There will be a memorial service held for Donald McCormick at St Paul’s United Church in Ormstown on Saturday, January 13th at 2pm, with visitation preceding the service from 12:00.