Category: Worship Services

January 15th 2023 – “Identity Transformed”

2023-01-15 "Identity Transformed" 11 AM
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Dear Friends,

Last week we commemorated the Baptism of the Lord, and also recalled our own. The outward sign of baptism (symbolized by washing or anointing with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) confirms the inward spiritual reality that we belong to Jesus Christ, and have been called, adopted and redeemed as sons and daughters of God. As believers, we belong to the one family of God, the holy catholic (universal) church that is composed of every tribe, language, people and nation (Revelation 5:9–10).

Our gospel lesson this week is taken from John 1: 29-42, and will continue to explore our calling and what it means to be transformed by belonging and identifying in Christ. We look forward to Rob’s sermon, “Identity Transformed” – How embracing Jesus’ identity transforms ours.

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Hymn 635: “Brother, sister, let me serve you”
Prayer of Adoration
Prayer of Confession
Declaration of Grace
The Lord’s Prayer
Children’s Time
Hymn 644: “May the mind of Christ my Saviour”
Responsive reading: Psalm 40: 1-11
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 49: 1-7
1 Corinthians 1: 1-9 (en français)
Gospel Lesson: John 1: 29-42
Sermon: “Identity Transformed”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 177: “Christ, whose glory fills the skies”
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 290: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise”
Benediction
Go now in Peace
Postlude

January 8th 2023 – “The Power of the Spoken Word”

2023-01-8 The Baptism of our Lord 11 AM
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Dear Friends,

We welcome back the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk to lead us in worship this Sunday.

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s celebration.  We are looking forward to worshiping together again!

This Sunday, January 8th we commemorate the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan river by John the Baptist. The heavens open, and the Spirit of God descends like a dove and rests upon Jesus, and a voice from heaven openly declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”, a fulfillment of Psalm 2: 7. On this day, we not only recognize and celebrate the Lord’s baptism, but also our own.  We celebrate God’s special and saving grace in our being baptized and sealed into Christ.

As believers, we have been called, forgiven and adopted into the family of God, His body, His church, His covenant community.  In this, we all share one faith, one baptism, and one God, the Father of all (Ephesians 4: 4-6). 

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Hymn 115: “Hail to the Lord’s anointed”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Psalm 29
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 42: 1-9
Acts 10: 34-43
Hymn 400: “Spirit of the living God”
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 3: 13-17
Children’s Time
Sermon: “The Power of the Spoken Word”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn: “Hymn for the baptism of our Lord”
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 350: “To God be the glory”
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

Christmas Eve 2022

2022-12-24 Christmas Eve Service 7:30 PM
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Dear Friends,

On Christmas Eve we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Light and Redeemer of the world. We have been preparing for his advent for the last four weeks in anticipation of the kind of hope, peace, joy and love that only Jesus can provide for us. Please join us as we light the Christ candle and celebrate in reverent worship and adoration of our Emmanuel, “God with us”.

Our Christmas Eve readings are taken from the Old Testament book, Isaiah, and the New Testament books, Luke and Matthew. We look back to the prophet, Isaiah, and remember God’s covenantal promises given to Israel (and ultimately to the world) concerning the birth of the Messiah, “the Root of Jesse”. Then, continuing from Matthew and Luke, we see in the fullness of time (according to God’s perfect and appointed time in history), God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (Galatians 4: 4-5a). 

What hope, what joy, what love, and what assurance we have in Jesus! Let us join our hearts together this Christmas Eve, and sing the true meaning of Christmas, “Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices! Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born!” (O Holy Night, written by Placide Cappeau and composed by Adolphe Adam). 

Order Of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Lighting of the candle of Hope
1st Reading: Isaiah 11: 1-9
Choir Anthem: “In the bleak mid-winter”
Hymn 122: “Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel” (vs 2 & 3 en Français)
Prayer of adoration
Lighting of the candle of Peace
2nd Reading: Luke 2: 8-14
Hymn 139: “Hark! the herald angels sing” (vs 2 en Français)
Children’s Time
Lighting of the candle of Joy
3rd Reading: Matthew 2: 1-12
A Christmas Declaration
Hymn 136: “The first nowell”
Lighting of the candle of Love
4th Reading: Luke 2: 1-7 (lecture en Français – English on the screen)
Choir Anthem: “The Sussex carol”
Litany: “Away in a manger”
Offering & Offertory
Hymn 154: Silent night
Lighting of the Christ candle
Hymn 153: “Joy to the world”
Benediction
Postlude

December 18th 2022 -“Love in the face of adversity”

2022-12-18 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - Fourth Sunday in Advent
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Dear Friends,

This Sunday marks the fourth week of Advent. Please join with us as we light the candle of love and think about the kind of love Jesus brings us for today and for the future. 

On Sunday we will be having a Communion service lead by Major the Rev. Andrew Cameron, a Presbyterian minister serving as a chaplain (padre) with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Our Gospel lesson for this Sunday is taken from Matthew 1: 18-25, the miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

God’s love for us is on full display as we commemorate his birth. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” – 1 John 4: 9-10

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Lighting of the 4th Advent Candle
Prayers of Adoration & Confession
Declaration of Grace
Choir Anthem: “In the Bleak Midwinter”
Children’s time
Hymn 110: “Come thou long-expected Jesus”
Responsive reading: Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19
Isaiah 7: 10-16
Matthew 1: 18-25
Hymn 121: “Long ago prophets knew”
Sermon: “Love in the face of adversity”
Offertory
Prayers of the people
Invitation to Communion
Hymn 542: “Let all Mortal Flesh keep silence”
Communion
Hymn 134: “Lord you were rich”
Benediction
Go now in Peace
Postlude

December 11th 2022 – “Joy in Believing”

2022-12-11 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - Third Sunday in Advent
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Dear Friends,

Tomorrow is the third Sunday in Advent. Please join with us as we light the candle of Joy and think about the kind of joy Jesus brings us for today and for the future.

In the painting above, by tot Sint Jans Geertgen, John the Baptist isn’t in prison but in a rather idealized wilderness.  It’s interesting, though, that the artist has painted a lamb sitting beside John the Baptist.  Even as John struggles with his doubts and questions,Jesus, the lamb of God, is there with him.  Jesus is not fazed by our doubts and questions.  As we hear the story of John’s questions while he’s in a very hard place (prison), we hear Jesus’ response to John and are reminded again of where to look to find our joy.

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship & lighting of the Advent candle
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Children’s time
Hymn 122: “Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel” (vs. 1,3,5,6,7)
Responsive reading: Psalm 146: 5-10
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 35: 1-10
Matthew 11: 2-11
Hymn 507: “Break now the bread of life”
Sermon: “Joy in believing”
Hymn 665: “Lord Jesus, you shall be my song” (vs. 1-2 Fr; 3-4 Eng.)
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 118: “Hark the glad sound”
Benediction
“Go now in peace”
Postlude

December 4th 2022 – “Popularity is not at the top of the list”

2022-12-4 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - Second Sunday in Advent
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Dear friends,

This Sunday, we welcome the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk to lead us again in worship.

Our gospel lesson this week is taken from Matthew 3:1-12, where John the Baptist prepares the way for our Lord. Before John the Baptist came onto the scene, paved the way, and pointed people to the promised Messiah, there was a 400 year gap of silence in Israel, where they were left without a prophet, and under a cloud of darkness (this is known as the intertestamental period; between the last book of Malachi (5th century BC), to the preaching of John the Baptist in the first century). Out of the darkness came light.

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” – Matthew 3:1-3

The time of waiting was over, and the promised One, Jesus Christ, the light of the world was finally here!

Join us as we light the candle of peace, and think about what kind of peace Jesus brings us for today and for the future.

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship & lighting of the Advent candle
Hymn 128: “There’s a voice in the wilderness calling”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 11: 1-10
Romans 15: 4-13
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 3: 1-12
Children’s story
Hymn 115: “Hail to the Lord’s anointed”
Sermon: Popularity is not at the top of the list
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 151: “Lo how a rose e’er blooming”
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 126: “On Jordan’s bank”
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude

November 27th 2022 – “Ready For Advent”

2022-11-27 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - First Sunday in Advent
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Dear friends, 
 
This Sunday, we welcome Edythe Arnott to lead us in worship.

This Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. The word advent comes from the Latin term adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming”, with a particular emphasis on something great and important. But the term is marked with a deeper, fuller and richer meaning. The term adventus was also a ceremony in ancient Rome, in which an emperor was formally welcomed into a city either during a progress (a royal journey marked by pomp and pageant) or after a successful military campaign. 

This word advent is fitting, for Jesus Christ our risen Lord has conquered death, and in Him we are made victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57), and in this season of Advent, we not only hope and anticipate for His second coming, but we also prepare for the celebration of His birth (his first coming). The celebration of Advent can trace its roots all the way back to the fifth century AD. 

Join us as we light the candle of hope, and think about what kind of hope Jesus brings us for today and for the future.

Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Lighting of the Advent candle
Hymn 124: “People in darkness”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Psalm 122
Gloria Patri
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 2: 1-5
New Testament Reading: Matthew 24: 36-44
Hymn 416: “Blessed Jesus, at your word”
Sermon: “Ready for Advent”
Hymn 661: “We give thee but thine own”
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 110: “Come, thou long-expected Jesus”
Benediction
Postlude

November 20th 2022 – “Getting it right”

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, the Reverend Linda Faith Chalk will again be leading us in worship.

2022-11-20 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - Reign of Christ Sunday
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Order Of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Hymn 363: “All hail the power of Jesus’ name”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Luke 1: 68-79 The Message
Gloria Patri
Jeremiah 23: 1-4
Colossians 1: 11-20
Hymn 691: “My shepherd is the King of love”
Gospel Lesson: Luke 23: 33-43
Sermon: “Getting it right”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 376: “Lord, the light of your love is shining”
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 267: “Rejoice the Lord is King”
Benediction
Postlude

November 13th 2022 – “Painting With A Large Or Small Brush”

Dear friends,

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

We are continuing through the Gospel of Luke. 

In last week’s sermon, we remember how the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, but instead of rekindling their passion and love for God their Redeemer, and increasing their adoration, desire and worship for God, the temple worship and ministry became corrupt, forsaken and forgotten. Although many had an outward appearance of holiness and devotion, their inner hearts were far from God. 

“Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 7:11

All of this is leading us to our current lesson in Luke 21: 5-19, where Jesus prophesies that this glorious temple, one of the most beautiful buildings in the ancient world, would come crumbling down – utterly destroyed. This prophecy was ultimately fulfilled during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Romans. A Jewish historian by the name of Flavius Josephus records this in detail. 

God promises us that even amongst all of the tribulations we face today; he is in control and we can rest securely in Jesus, the Ark of our Salvation. 

2022-11-13 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - “Painting with a large or small brush!”
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Order of Service

Prelude
Call to Worship
Hymn 407: “Praise my soul the King of Heaven”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Isaiah 12: 2-6
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 65: 17-25
2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13
Hymn 411 “Stand up and bless the Lord”
Gospel Lesson: Luke 21: 5-19
Sermon: “Painting with a large or small brush!”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 769: “Lord of light”
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 786: “O Day of God, draw nigh”
Benediction
Postlude

November 6th 2022 – “Wrong questions, right actions”

2022-11-6 Sunday Service 11:00 AM - “Wrong questions, right actions”
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Dear friends,

This Sunday, the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk will be leading us again in worship. Most of you will be feeling like you know her by now, for those wondering about her background, Rev. Chalk is the recently retired Priest from St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Greenfield Park, Rev. Chalk served that congregation for 19 1/2 years.

This week’s gospel lesson is taken from Luke 20: 27-38.

In this portion of Scripture, the Sadducees approach Jesus and ask about the resurrection after death. This sect within first century Judaism denied that there was an afterlife, neither of the spirit or of the body (unlike the Pharisees and Essenes, who did believe in the immortality of the soul). Jesus reproves their erroneous views of the resurrection and the afterlife, and points them back to Moses, “He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” (Mark 12:27).

Our hope of resurrection, eternal life and security is ultimately found in Jesus Christ.

We affirm our faith and the resurrection of the body whenever we recite the third article of the Apostles Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”

We look forward to gathering for worship tomorrow. Don’t forget about the time change, we get to sleep an extra hour!

Everyone is warmly invited to join us downstairs after the service to enjoy coffee, cookies and conversation. We thank Jonathan for hosting coffee hour this week.

Order of Service

Prelude
Reading of the Honour Roll
“The Last Post”
Minute of Silence
“The Rouse”
“O Canada”
Anthem: “In Flanders Fields”
Call to Worship
Hymn 330: “O God our help in ages past”
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Psalm 145: 1-5, 18-22
Haggai 1: 15 – 2: 9
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5, 13-17
Hymn 425 “We praise you O God”
Gospel Lesson: Luke 20: 27-38
Sermon: “Wrong questions, right actions”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn 642: “O Master let me walk with thee”
Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 801: “From ocean unto ocean”
Benediction
“Go now in peace”
Postlude