South Stormont Pastoral Charge

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. It is also Mother’s Day, and in the United Church of Canada, we celebrate this day as Christian Family Sunday. In this service, we give thanks for the love of mothers, the gift of family in all its forms, and the promise that the risen Christ walks with us and never leaves us alone. Across times and places, the word “mother” has carried deep meaning. In many cultures, it is connected with life, care, love, and protection. One of the important Confucian texts, The Great Learning , teaches that if a political leader serves the people as a mother cares for her children, even if things are not perfect, they will not go far wrong. No one becomes a mother with all the answers. Children grow through love, watching, waiting, feeding, protecting, and attentive care for life. The image of “mother” reminds us that the most important quality of leadership is not perfect knowledge or power, but a heart that notices, nurtures, and values life. The Bible also uses...

  # Gathering Hymn God Who Gives to Life Its Goodness (#260 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come to this time of worship as a child, trusting in God’s goodness.    All: We come, wanting to bring the enthusiasm, trust, and innocence of a child. One: Come to remember who you are, and more importantly, whose you are. All: We are children of God, coming once again to remember and celebrate who God is and what God has done for us. One: Let us worship God together. *Catherin Tovell. Gathering L/E 2026. P 51. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Come In, come In and Sit Down (#395 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Merciful God, we confess that at times we have struggled to be fully present to our siblings and other family members, both within our biological families and in this Christian family. Sometimes our patience has worn thin, and we have failed to listen with compassion and understanding and missed opportuniti...

  Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Easter is a season of life. It reminds us that death does not have the last word. It invites us to bring our whole selves before God. Easter faith helps us find the life of Christ in the midst of our everyday lives. Today, we also celebrate Mental Health Sunday in The United Church of Canada. Mental health is not only a personal issue. It is something our society and our community need to face together. On Sunday, November 16 last year, during worship, we did a survey about the justice issues that matter to us today. Among fourteen topics, the one our congregation chose most was "Addiction and Mental Health Support." This shows us that this issue is not far from us. Research and statistics also show how important mental health is in Canada today. According to a study by RiskAnalytica in 2011, one in five Canadians experiences some form of mental health problem each year, and by the age of forty, about half of the population will have exp...