Category: Worship Services

Dear friends,

Our Old Testament lesson is Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24, “the Lord will seek them out”.  In this passage, God directly intervenes for Israel’s failed shepherds (kings or rulers), and takes on the role of the shepherd himself.  The promises of God as Israel’s shepherd in the Old Testament, seeking, rescuing, bringing them out of harm’s way, and defending them, ultimately find fulfillment in Jesus Christ.  Jesus testifies to this himself, declaring, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10: 11a).  Thanks be to God our merciful and tender Good Shepherd who we can always rely on, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.  That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.” (2 Corinthians 1: 20).  

Order of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 477: “Your hand, O God, has guided”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 115: “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 95: 1-7a
Gloria Patri
Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24 (en français BFC – English on the screen)
Ephesians 1: 15-23
Matthew 25: 31-46
Sermon: “In the heart of God the father”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 474: “The love of God comes close”
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 274: “Crown him with many crowns” (vs 3&4 en français)
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Dear friends,

This Sunday the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk will be leading us in worship.

Our New Testament lesson is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11.  In this passage the Apostle Paul writes about the sudden and unexpected nature of the day of the Lord.  The expression ‘the day of the Lord’ is a recurring theme throughout the Old and New Testament and refers to the future time when God, in Christ, will finally consummate His Kingdom, bring judgement, justice and establish everlasting peace.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been patiently waiting and anticipating the return of our Lord.  The 16^th century Reformer, John Calvin, sheds light on this period of waiting: “Believers do not desire to know more than they are permitted to learn in God’s School.  Now Christ designed that the day of His coming should be hid from us that, being in suspense, we might be upon a watch.”

“Therefore” exhorts the Apostle Paul, “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5: 11).

Everyone is invited to join us downstairs after the service on Sunday to enjoy coffee, cookies and conversation. Thank you sincerely to all the volunteers who contribute, organize, and clean after Coffee Hour!

Order Of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 299: “Holy, holy, holy” (vs 2&4 en français)
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 290: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 90: 1-8, 12
Gloria Patri
Zephaniah 1: 7, 12-18 (en français BFC – English on the screen)
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
Matthew 25: 14-30
Sermon: “Weighty Living”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 479: “The church’s one foundation” (vs 2&4 en français)
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 461: “Be thou my vision” (vs 2 en français)
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Dear friends, 

This Sunday the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk will be leading us in worship.

Our Gospel lesson this week is taken from Matthew 25: 1-13, “The Parable of the Ten Virgins”.  This parable highlights the importance of preparedness for the unknown, often associated with the Second Coming of Christ.  Ten virgins await the bridegroom, five wise with extra oil and five foolish without.  When the bridegroom arrives (a symbolical representation of Christ), the wise virgins enter the wedding feast, while the foolish ones, lacking oil, are left outside.  This parable prompts believers to always stay vigilant and alert.  At the end of the parable, the five wise virgins are welcomed by the bridegroom and enter into the great marriage feast.  

J.C. Ryle in his exposition on Matthew writes, “The door shall be shut at last — shut on all pain and sorrow, shut on an ill-natured and wicked world, shut on a tempting devil, shut on all doubts and fears, shut, to be opened again no more.  Surely, we may again say, this is a blessed prospect.”

Order of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 411: “Stand up and bless the Lord”
Prayer of Adoration
Prayer of Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 655: “Give me oil in my lamp”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 70
Gloria Patri
Amos 5: 18-26 (en français BFC – English on the screen)
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
Matthew 25: 1-13
Sermon: “Wait…how hard is it to wait?”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn: “Be still for the presence of the Lord” (vs 3 en français)
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 420: “Je louerai l’eternal” (vs 1 en français)
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Dear friends, 

This Sunday the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk will be leading us in worship.

Our first New Testament reading is taken from 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10.  Many scholars believe this to be one of Paul’s first letters written about 50 – 51 AD.  His letter was directed to the church in Thessalonica (present day Thessaloniki, Greece), the capital of Roman Macedonia.  Paul wrote this letter to encourage new believers in their faith, to exhort them to godly living and to give them assurance about the eternal state of believers who had died.  These early Thessalonian believers provide for us an example of what genuine living faith looks like.  Paul goes on to say that their faith was exemplary, and despite their many afflictions, their faith was known throughout all Macedonia, Achaia, and had “gone forth everywhere” (v. 7-9).  Nearly two thousand years later we continue to uphold the faith once delivered to the saints, eagerly awaiting our Lord’s second coming to inaugurate His perfect kingdom, and where many will be invited to His great banquet. 

Order of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 313: “O worship the King” (vs 3 en français)
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 707: “More love to thee”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 99 The Lord our God is holy
Gloria Patri
Exodus 33: 12-23 (en français BFC – English on the screen)
1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10
Matthew 22: 15-22 Paying Taxes to Caesar
Sermon: “Living with intensity”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 626: “Lord of all power”
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 685: “How firm a foundation” (vs 5 en français)
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Dear friends, 

This Sunday Edythe Arnott will be leading us in worship.

There are many things in our daily lives that can cause us anxiety and make us feel afraid.  Maybe sometimes we feel like the couple in the serigraph image below.  They’re walking through what looks like a lonely, deserted place.  It’s night.  They have lanterns but they still look a little nervous.  In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul offers some advice that is still relevant for us in today’s world.  We’ll reflect on that in Sunday’s sermon.

Ecumenical Community Services (ECS) food bank located here at St Andrews is in need of non-perishable food items such as vegetables, soups, cereal, coffee and spaghetti sauce etc.

Should you wish to contribute please leave your donation in the box located outside the entrance to the sanctuary.  Thank you for helping the less fortunate families in our community.

If you have any questions concerning the food bank or ECS speak to Betty Grant downstairs during coffee hour.

Order Of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 407: “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven”
Prayer of Adoration
Sung Confession (Hymn 201: We come to ask your forgiveness)
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 746: “What a friend we have in Jesus” (vs 2 en français)
Responsive Reading: Psalm 23
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 25: 1-9 NRSVUE (en français BFC – English on the screen)
Philippians 4: 2-9
Sermon: “The peace of God”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 11: “The Lord’s my shepherd” (vs 2 & 5 en français)
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 266: “King of Kings” (vs 2 en français)
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Dear friends,

Our Gospel lesson for this Sunday is taken from Matthew 20: 1-16, “The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard”.  

The key message of this parable is that God’s grace and salvation are available to all, regardless of when they come to faith.  John Gill, in his exposition on this passage says:  “They are all loved with the same everlasting love by God; they are chosen alike by Him in His Son, at the same time, in the same way and manner, and to the same grace and glory.  They are interested in the same covenant, in all the promises and blessings of it; they are bought with the same price of a Redeemer’s blood, are justified by the same righteousness, and are called in one hope of their calling.”  This is the good news of the Gospel, that God’s grace is freely given to all those that put their trust in Him!  

Order of Service

Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn: “Holy God we praise your name” (sung to tune 776, vs 3 en français)
Prayer of Adoration
Prayer of Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn: “In Christ alone” (vs 2 & 3 en français)
Responsive Reading: Psalm 105: 1-6, 37-45
Gloria Patri
Exodus16: 2-15 (en français – English on the screen)
Philippians 1: 21-30
Matthew 20: 1-16
Sermon: “How can we possibly understand God’s grace?”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 750: “How deep the silence of the soul” (sung to 671 Kingsford)
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 474: “The love of God comes close”
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude