South Stormont Pastoral Charge

     One of the beautiful things about the United Church of Canada is that it shows how people who are different can come together as one. On June 10, 1925, three different Christian traditions came together. These were the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists. They made the bold decision to unite and form the United Church. This was not easy because they had different backgrounds and theological views. But they still chose unity.      Trying to build unity by putting “me” at the centre does not work. True Christian unity happens only when we put “God” at the centre and try to come close to God. The closer we are to God, the closer we are to each other. No one in the world is the same. We are all different in some way. But as Christians, we believe that there is something we all share. That is the image of God. The starting point of unity is the moment when each person sees God's image within themselves and begins to live it out.    ...

  *Gathering Hymn We Praise You, O God (#218 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come, let us gather in love and hope.   All: Jesus prays for all of us that we may be joined together as one. One: Come, let us step into this time of worship.   All: Christ shares the fullness of God’s love and invites us to live that love with each other. One: Come, let us open our hearts. All: The Spirit draws us together with compassion, with peace, with grace. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Spirit of the Living God (#376 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Loving God, we come to you in prayer, bringing all that we carry inside us. Sometimes we look for your grace in faraway places, while missing the love and kindness already around us. In those times when we feel hurt or broken, remind us that your grace often comes through the people beside us. When someone reaches out with care, help us to notice and respond. And as...

  Thus says the LORD of hosts: Let your hands be strong—you that have recently been hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets who were present when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the LORD of hosts. For before those days there were no wages for people or for animals, nor was there any safety from the foe for those who went out or came in, and I set them all against one other. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.   Today, we gathered to celebrate Rural Life Sunday which is a time to give thanks for the roots of our lives. We rejoice with those who live and work in farming, fishing, and mining communities, and we acknowledge the ongoing struggles many rura...

*Gathering Hymn Touch the Earth Lightly (#307 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: After a long winter, the earth begins to wake up.   All: Green plants push through the warm soil. Birds sing in the morning. One: The fields are open, ready for seeds, sunshine, and rain.   All: We are also waiting for God to make us new. One: Come, everyone - whether you're from the farm, the forest, the garden, or the town. All: God made us and is still making new life all around us. One: Let us worship God. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn God, Whose Farm Is All Creation (#300 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Holy One, we have not always cared for the land or those who work to feed us. We have taken more than we need and forgotten to listen with thanks. Forgive us. Help us live with care, sharing the earth’s gifts and honouring every hand that helps bring food to our tables. ( a time of silent confession) Amen. Words of As...

Today, we gather to celebrate Christian Family Sunday and Mother's Day. It is a time to give thanks for mothers and all who care for others with a mother’s love. It is also a time to reflect on the truth that we belong to one big family, rooted in the love of Christ. We remember the gentle hands that helped us, the warm words that encouraged us, and the compassionate actions that taught us how to love. More than a hundred years ago, the writer Lew Wallace said in his book Ben-Hur, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore, he made mothers.” Later, a newspaper in the States added with a smile, “God could not be everywhere so he created grandmothers.” Of course, we know that God is everywhere, but these words still hold deep wisdom: God shows love through people, especially those who care for others with patience, tenderness, and courage. Many of you may have seen a large spider sculpture in front of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. It is called Maman, which means "Mo...

*Gathering Hymn Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love (#574 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Come, mothers and those who mother! Come, all who have mothers,   All: through birth, adoption, fostering, or simply by being taken under the wing of someone with a kindly mothering soul. One: Come, those for whom today is hard, those for whom today brings grief for many reasons, those who need to be enfolded in the care of this community.   All: Today we worship in music and prayer the God who loves us with a maternal love, a. love beyond anything we could ask or imagine, or hope for! One: Come, let us worship God. *Chelsea Masterman, Gathering L/E 2023 . Page 53. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn God, We Praise You for the Morning (#415 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) God of all families, we confess that we do not always love as we should. We often overlook the care we receive from those who offer us time, pat...