South Stormont Pastoral Charge

       When we look back at history, we can see that God works with God’s two hands. One hand is visible and familiar. It is the people of God who work for the Kingdom of God. The other hand is hidden and hard to understand. It is a holy mystery beyond our knowledge. Today’s readings from Isaiah and Matthew show us how God’s two hands work together in harmony. The first reading from Isaiah shows us the one hand of God. The prophet describes the last day when all nations will come to the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem. This day will not simply fall from heaven. People open the door to God’s kingdom through their actions and choices. On that day, people listen to the voice that teaches what truly matters and let it change their lives. Swords become tools for farming. War ends. The dream of peace comes true. We are called to be God’s one hand. Through our compassionate actions and choices, God works with us to create a sanctuary where everyone is safe and free. This ...

*Gathering Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (#1 VU | vs. 1,2) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Advent Candle-Lighting One: Today we light the first candle, the candle of Hope. In the quiet places of our longing, God plants a small flame, a promise that the night will not last forever. This light is fragile, yet it will not fail. It leans into the coming dawn with courage. As we wait for Christ, may this candle kindle in us a hope that steadies our hearts and prepares a path for the Holy One who is drawing near. All Sing - Then Let Us Sing #55 “We light this candle” We light this candle for hope. Await the new life within. May our hearts now live each day, so hope can find a way, so hope can find a way. Call to Worship One: Today we begin a new journey in a new Christian year—a journey of waiting, hoping, and anticipating. All: With God, we embark on a journey of hope. One: Today we seek new insights and new understandings.   All: We give thanks for the ways in which God has bro...

According to the church calendar, today is the last Sunday of the year because Advent marks the beginning of the new liturgical year. On this final Sunday, we reflect on the Reign of Christ, turning our attention toward our ultimate hope, the Kingdom of God. Through Jesus Christ, God’s reign has already begun. Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of God is here among us. But we also know that this Kingdom is not yet complete. We still pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” and we try to shape our lives around that prayer. For this reason, God’s Kingdom is often described as “already, but not yet.”  This tension between the present and the promise is beautifully reflected in the Celtic Christian practice of peregrinatio (pilgrimage). In this tradition, the pilgrim does not travel to a fixed shrine or holy place but follows wherever the Spirit leads. The pilgrimage becomes a journey of trust, reminding us that God is present along the way and that God’...

*Gathering Hymn Morning Has Broken (VU #409) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Another year passes. All: Things end and things begin. One: Birth. Life. Death. Life beyond death.   All: Nothing is constant! One: Everything changes. Everything except this: All: God’s love is with me. God’s love is with you. God’s love is with all creation. One: And all creation is held safe in that love. All: And all creation is transformed in that love. One: Let us worship the God who loves us, yesterday, today, and forever. *Richard Bott. Gathering Pentecost 2 2025 . Page 49. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn O Day of God, Draw Nigh (#688 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) Holy God, you meet us in this place with grace that steadies our steps and gathers us into a community shaped by the reign of Christ. Yet we confess the hurts we carry, the mistakes we have made, and the ways we have fallen short of your call to love and justice. Rene...

The first Scripture reading today comes from the book of Isaiah. This book is usually divided into three parts. Chapters 1 to 39 include the words of the prophet Isaiah, who lived around 700 BCE. Chapters 40 to 55 were written by people who continued Isaiah’s message in a later time. Chapters 56 to 66 come from what we call Third Isaiah, who spoke to the people after they returned from the Babylonian exile. This last section offers hope to people who had seen their nation fall, their temple destroyed, and their sense of identity shaken. Today’s reading is found in this final part of Third Isaiah. Those who lived through the Babylonian captivity carried deep wounds. They had lost family, friends, and homes during the war, and afterward, they were forced into exile. In Babylon, they were pushed aside, treated unfairly, and looked down on every day. Even when they returned home, they still faced challenges and ongoing conflict with their neighbours. The Babylonian Empire had taken more th...

  *Gathering Hymn Morning Has Broken (VU #409) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: Surely God is our salvation. All: We will trust and will not be afraid. One: God is our strength and our might.   All: God has become our salvation. One: Sing praises to God.    All: God has done gloriously. Let this be known in all the Earth! * Seasons of the Spirit. Pentecost 2, 2019. p. 162. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn God, Reveal Your Presence (#391 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) God of peace, we confess that we hold on to what is comfortable and resist the changes you desire. You call us to hope, but we cling to fear. You speak through unexpected people, yet we often fail to listen. Forgive us. Renew us. Open us to your Spirit’s work in us and in the world. In this quiet moment, receive the prayers we offer in silence… ( a time of silent confession) Amen. Words of Assurance One: God made us; All: we are creatu...