South Stormont Pastoral Charge

  *Gathering Hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore You (VU #232 / vs. 1-3) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: God seeks us with steadfast love. All: We come, ready to be found and renewed. One: The Holy One meets us in this place.   All: Our hearts open to mercy and peace. One: Come, let us worship the God who restores life. All: With joy and thanksgiving, we praise the Lord. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (VU #271) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Merciful God, we confess that we have turned from your ways and lost sight of your presence. We have been distracted by many things and slow to notice your grace among us. Forgive us when we close our hearts to your call and to one another. Fill us again with compassion and guide our steps in your truth. Hear now the quiet confessions we offer in your presence. ( a time of silent confession) Amen. Words of Assurance One: The Holy One does not tur...

Today we remember the 508th anniversary of the Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther spoke out against the church’s corruption and misuse of power. He posted his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. That brave act began the Reformation. It was not safe or simple. To speak against the powerful church could mean exile or even death. But Luther did not give up. He believed that when the church forgets the root of Christian faith, it is no longer a sign of God’s love but becomes a tool of oppression. Ecclesia semper reformanda est. This Latin phrase means “The Church must always be reformed.” A faith community stays healthy when it keeps reflecting on itself and seeking God’s will. No house remains clean forever. After a few days, dust begins to gather, and we need to sweep, wipe, and repair it from time to time. In the same way, the church also needs renewal. If we want to keep the root of faith alive, we need to keep cleansing our hearts and our community...

*Gathering Hymn The Church’s One Foundation (#331 VU | vs. 1-3) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: We come together to worship God, who is always guiding and renewing us. All: We come to learn, to grow, and to be changed by God's love. One: Long ago, people trusted God's Spirit to lead them into new ways.   All: That same Spirit is with us today, helping us follow Jesus with courage and hope. One: Let us worship God with thankful hearts. All: We praise God, who makes all things new. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (#262 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) God of mercy, we confess that we often hold on to old ways that keep us from growing. We are afraid of change and slow to listen to your Spirit. We choose what feels safe instead of what is right. We forget that you are always creating something new in us and in your church. Forgive us, loving God. Renew our hearts and our minds. Teach us ...

About two hundred years ago, a French writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” He understood that food tells stories about who we are and where we come from. Food connects us to the land where the ingredients grow and to the markets where we shop. Food carries the memories of the kitchens we grew up in and the people who cooked for us with care and love. So, when we talk about food, it is not just about what we put on our plates. It is about our culture, our community, and the way we live. Over time, people began to say it more simply: “You are what you eat.” But this phrase focuses more on health and well-being. It shows that what we eat has a direct effect on our body. Food does not stop at our stomachs. It becomes part of us. What we eat can either make us stronger or weaker. So, the saying “You are what you eat” encourages us to eat fresh food, avoid junk food, read labels carefully, and keep a healthy balance on our plates...

*Gathering Hymn For the Fruit of all Creation (#227 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: We come as ordinary people, with ordinary lives. All: Ordinary we are, but your call to us is powerful. One: We come to be fed at your table of grace.   All: We come to be fed, knowing that we are also called to feed others. One: We come remembering your commissioning to us, to live out our faith as presence in this world. All: As your called people, we proclaim justice and encourage generosity. *Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 2 2025 . Page 45. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet (#245 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Generous God, you have given us a world filled with beauty and plenty, yet we have not always shared your gifts with care. We take more than we need while others go hungry, and we forget that all food is your blessing. We waste what the earth provides and ignore the hands t...

The colours of autumn are all around us. Trees have shed their green, now dressed in yellow, red, and brown. The sunlight is soft, and the cool wind stirs the fallen leaves. Geese fly south, leaving their cries behind. At Long Sault Parkway, people enjoy their last camping trips or ride bicycles along the bright and sparkling water. The air feels just right, not too hot and not too cold. In the fields and orchards, farmers are busy gathering the fruit of a year’s hard work. This season reminds us that life unfolds through transitions filled with beauty. It reveals the harvest of the earth and the blessings that fill our lives. It invites us to pause and reflect on the true abundance that sustains us. For this reason, people around the world celebrate this season with gratitude in many different ways. For example, in Korea, Thanksgiving, called Chuseok, was celebrated just last week. People gather around one table to share food, stories, and laughter. They give thanks for the fruit of t...