Archived Services

Archive includes previous four services only.

All recorded services, prior to that, can still be viewed on Eldad’s Facebook.

Eldad – Hampton Pastoral Charge of
the United Church of Canada.

with Pastor Doug Ferris

Choir: Shawn Pearce-Chambers and John Payne
Music Director: Jennifer Pearce-Chambers
Livestreaming: Shawn Pearce-Chambers

January 23^rd, 2022 Third Sunday after Epiphany

PRELUDE: WE PREPARE FOR WORSHIP

Breathe Deeply: Eyes closed, breathe 3 or 4 slow deep breaths, as you silently invite God’s spirit to enlighten you.

Read Silently: Psalm 19: 1 – 4a: (God’s Voice, Proclaimed in Nature):
“The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.
Yet, their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world”.

Reflect Thoughtfully: What does this truth mean in my life? How do I show this truth in my thoughts, words, and actions?

Pray Thankfully: Loving God, thank you for sharing your truth. Help me live your truth today in thoughts, words and actions.

SELECTED ANNOUNCEMENTS & CELEBRATIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Since time immemorial, First Peoples’ lives and spirituality have been deeply connected to this land. We acknowledge that the land we are worshipping on as the traditional lands of the Anishinabewaki, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat First Nations. This territory is governed by the Williams Treaties and Treaty Number Twenty. We give thanks for the stewardship of the first people of this land. May we challenge ourselves to live into the agreements of Truth and Reconciliation in our community of faith and in our daily lives.

LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

WORDS OF WELCOME

WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Beloved, let us love one another
ALL: Because love is from God. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: Jesus Christ came into the world since God loved us so much we are called to love one another Come Let us worship together!

HYMN OF PRAISE: VU #262 “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 1: Prayers of Approach, Assent, and Affirmation

One: Please join together in our prayer of approach, confession, and affirmation. Let us pray:
ALL: Eternal God, radiant with grace, thaw our fears and snow-bound spirits; Make us shine through your Word, our Hope; Shine with your Spirit, our life; Shine with your peace, our Joy shine through the Christ, Jesus whose Word is our Light. Shine in our hearts, and deliver us from evil. We ask that the light of your presence will scatter the shadows of our misperception and our misdirection. That we might seek your face and be brought in to the full light of your holy presence. Through the Word, the Christ. Amen.
One: And this is the proclamation of the Gospel: The Kingdom of God has come near through Christ who has come to proclaim the Good News of God’s calling! Be assured that whenever we confess the misdirection in our lives, God is there to bless, to heal, and to make whole through the grace and peace of Christ. Amen.

WORDS FOR THE YOUNG—AND EVERYONE: Five Actions of the Church in the World

Hymn of Families: VU #87 “I am the Light of the World”

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

PRAYER OF ENLIGHTENMENT

One: Spirit of Wisdom, who enlightens our minds to hear your word, our hearts to love your word, and our lives to be obedient to your word, we ask that you renew our vision. Give us your eyes to see with, your heart to feel with, and your spirit to share in light and in love.
ALL: Thanks be to God who for the Spirit and the Living Word, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS (NRSV)

Nehemiah 8: 1–3
Acts 8: 26-31, 35
Luke 4: 14–21

One: This is the witness of Christ the Wisdom and the Word, revealed first through the Book of Nature, then through The Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets, and most perfectly revealed through Christ Jesus, the Living Word.
ALL: Thanks be to God for the Word, revealed through the Book of Nature, the Book of the Law, the Writings of the Prophets, and through Christ Jesus, the Living Word.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION:

SUNDAY MESSAGE:“The Word of God, Revealed Through Nature, through the Law of Moses, Through the Writings of the Prophets, and through the Works, the Words and the Person of Jesus, the Christ and lived out through the five ministries of the Church: Kerygma (Proclamation) Koinonia (Fellowship), Liturgia (Worship), Diakonia (Service), and Didache (Direct Training).”

PRAYER OF DEDICATION & RESPONSE

One: Loving God of Creation, we give thanks that you have proclaimed your Loving Spirit through the Creation and the Natural World, which speaks through Nature’s beauty of You and your love. God of Mercy, we give thanks that you have proclaimed your Loving kindness through the Law of Moses, that has been shared throughout the world and throughout time. God of Freedom, of right relationships and of right living, we give thanks that you have proclaimed Liberty to those trapped by fear, oppression, and the cravings of selfish desires and unwanted habits. God in Christ, we give thanks that you proclaimed yourself through Jesus, the Living Word who has come to heal and make whole. Renew us today, through the power of your word. Cleanse us today, through the baptism of forgiveness. Make us whole today, through the work of Jesus, and commission us to proclaim your coming kingdom as John the Baptist proclaimed the arrival of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Amen.
ALL: We are not alone. We have faith in God, who has come in Jesus, the Word made Flesh, to reconcile and make new. Thanks be to God, Amen.

HYMN OF DEDICATION: VU #315 Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty

THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

We Bring our Gifts of Service and Support Before God
and for the Work of the Church

Minute for Missions, Moments for Memories, Messages from Ministries

We Offer our Gifts to the Work of the Spirit
All: (Sung Response): “What Shall I Bring?” MV 191

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH II: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Response, & Supplication

One: Loving God, Thank you for your Proclamation of the Kingdom that has come near in Christ.
All: we give you thanks.
One: Creative God, Thank you for your Proclamation through Nature, through the Hebrew Scriptures, the works of the Early Church, and through the Liberating Spirit of Christ, both in the Early Church, and in our own community and in our own age.
All: We give you thanks.
One: Faithful God, thank you for the work of your ministry that has been faithfully carried out through the body of Christ at Eldad United Church, and at Hampton United Church. We give you thanks for the Spirit in these communities that have proclaimed your Word, worshiped your Spirit, United together in one accord, Served these communities in love and generosity, and faithfully trained others up in the gospel of the Kingdom of God that has come near in Christ Jesus.
All: We give you thanks.
One: So now, Loving God, we bring our petitions to you, so that your Spirit will enable the church to proclaim your gospel in this community, worship together in thankfulness, serve each other in humility, join together, in unity, and learn together in sincerity so that your gospel will be proclaimed in this community at this time, through these people.
All: Loving God, hear our prayer, and answer.
One: Almighty God, we lament the rising tension between the nations of the earth and we pray that your peace will extend in the tension between Russia and Ukraine. We call out the militarism of China’s oligarchy as it sees this moment in time to consolidate power and hegemony through force and fear. We pray for peace for the freedom of Christ to reign in this situation.
All: Loving God, hear our prayer, and answer.
One: We lift up our friends and fellow believers at Trinity United in Bowmanville as they make difficult decisions about how to end their church community. We pray that your people will gather around and support, uplift, and care for this family in Christ as they grieve the loss of their faith community. We pray that you will touch the hearts of individuals to demonstrate your Koinonia, your community, care and concern and express this through tangible acts of love and kindness.
All: Loving God, hear our prayer, and answer.
One: Great physician, we mourn the illness disability and despair that the Covid epidemic has had in its impact on families. And we especially think of those in our church family here who have experienced illness, separation, loneliness and isolation due to this terrible disease. We pray that, through your church, you will open opportunities for true diakonia, works of loving service and care to arise so that victims of the pandemic can see your loving spirit at work through your saints.
All: Loving God, hear our prayer, and answer.
One: At this time, Loving God, we pray that you bring to mind loved ones and friends who seek your loving kindness for healing, for fellowship, and for consolation, and we bring these individuals before you, either in the silence of our own thoughts, or spoken in the midst of the assembly both here in the sanctuary and in our homes as we worship together through the internet.

(Pause for spoken or silent intercessory prayer from members of the Congregation}
One: Loving God, we give thanks that you have hear our voices, that you know our hearts, and that you respond through the liberating work of the Holy Spirit in Christ who taught us to pray, saying:
ALL: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Weekly Selections from “A Song of Faith, 2006”.

One: Let us stand and declare together a portion of our shared faith from our creed: “A Song of Faith.”
One: Today, our thoughts spoke of the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God that comes through the Natural world of Creation, as described in our contemplative passage Psalm 19, and through the proclamation of the Law of Moses as read to the people of Israel in the Book of Nehemiah, and through the Proclamation of the Church and its Apostles, just as Philip shared the word with the Ethiopian Steward, and through the life and words of Jesus of Nazareth, the living Word, who shared the Proclamation of the coming Kingdom with his own religious community where he grew up. Our poetic Creed, “A Song of Faith” helps shape the way that the United Church of Canada views the proclamation of scripture in our own day and age, in your life, and in mine. As our own affirmation of the role of scripture in our own lives, let us stand together, as we are able, and recite aloud the United Church’s understanding of the work of scripture in the twenty-first century: Please join with me, saying:
ALL:
Scripture is our song for the journey, the living word
passed on from generation to generation
to guide and inspire,
that we might wrestle a holy revelation for our time and place
from the human experiences
and cultural assumptions of another era.
God calls us to be doers of the word and not hearers only.
The Spirit breathes revelatory power into scripture,
bestowing upon it a unique and normative place
in the life of the community.
The Spirit judges us critically when we abuse scripture
by interpreting it narrow-mindedly,
using it as a tool of oppression, exclusion, or hatred.
The wholeness of scripture testifies
to the oneness and faithfulness of God.
The multiplicity of scripture testifies to its depth:
two testaments, four gospels,
contrasting points of view held in tension—
all a faithful witness to the One and Triune God,
the Holy Mystery that is Wholly Love.
Grateful for God’s loving action,
We cannot keep from singing.

SENDING FORTH: WE GO OUT RENEWED IN LOVE

HYMN: VU #43 “Go Tell It on the Mountain”

BENEDICTION & BLESSING

CHORALE

Go now in peace. Never be afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in love, and show you believe. Reach out to others so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.

POSTLUDE AND POST-SERVICE

THE END OF WORSHIP & THE BEGINNING OF SERVICE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Sources:
*Go Now in Peace. Words by Don Besig and Nancy Price. Music by Don Besig. © Copyright MCMLXXXVIII, Harold Flammer, Inc. All Rights reserved. ONE LICENSE, License #A-727078.

Eldad – Hampton Pastoral Charge of
the United Church of Canada.

with Pastor Doug Ferris

Choir: Shawn Pearce-Chambers and John Payne
Music Director: Jennifer Pearce-Chambers
Livestreaming: Shawn Pearce-Chambers

January 16^th, 2022 Second after Epiphany

PRELUDE: WE PREPARE FOR WORSHIP

Breathe Deeply: Eyes closed, breathe 3 or 4 slow deep breaths, as you silently invite God’s spirit to enlighten you.

Read Silently: “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life: in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:7-9).

Reflect Thoughtfully: What does this truth mean in my life? How do I show this truth in my thoughts, words, and actions?

Pray Thankfully: Loving God, thank you for sharing your truth. Help me live your truth today in thoughts, words and actions.

SELECTED ANNOUNCEMENTS & CELEBRATIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This territory is governed by the Williams Treaties and Treaty Number Twenty. We give thanks for the stewardship of the first people of this land. May we challenge ourselves to live into the agreements of Truth and Reconciliation in our community of faith and in our daily lives.

WORDS OF WELCOME

One: To the Church gathered in the name of the triune God; the Creator, the Christ, and the Spirit: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit that fills our earthly bodies, these clay jars, these earthen vessels with the Light of Christ and with the Water of the Word.
All: And also with you.

LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: All who thirst, come to the water and drink deeply of these living streams. Come, all who are weary; come all who yearn for forgiveness, as Jesus miraculously transforms the water in the clay jars into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Our gracious God beckons us, blesses us, and transforms us, from earthen vessels filled with the love of God and the light Christ through the Spirit of praise. Let us give praise for new life in Christ.
All: In Christ, we testify to Emmanuel, God with us in the waters of baptism and in the wine of the Holy Spirit that fills us.

HYMN OF PRAISE: VU #332 “The Church’s One Foundation”

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 1: Prayers of Approach, Assent, and Affirmation

One: Please join together in our prayer of approach, confession, and affirmation. Let us pray:
All: Come to us, Holy God, as we gather before you. Encircle us with your love. Bless us with your sustaining presence. Surround us with your grace. Draw around your living Word and bind us to one another as disciples of Christ, whose spirit is in our midst. God of unconditional love, we measure our loves against yours: Your love is vulnerable, helpless as a newborn baby, our love can be cautious, well defended. Your love is offered humbly while we often seek to impress with our devotion. Your love is free, yet ours can come with strings attached. Loving God, forgive us. Heal our imperfect loves, purify our hearts, and teach us to love you as you have loved us. Amen.

WORDS FOR THE YOUNG—AND EVERYONE: The Weight of Water

Hymn of Families: VU #101 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

PRAYER OF ENLIGHTENMENT

One: Spirit of Wisdom, who enlightens our minds to hear your word, our hearts to love your word, and our lives to be obedient to your word, we ask that you renew our vision. Give us your eyes to see with, your heart to feel with, and your spirit to share in light and in love.
All: Thanks be to God who for the Spirit and the Living Word, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS (NRSV)

Isaiah 62: 1-3
2 Corinthians 4: 1; 6-7
John 2:1-11

One: May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.
All: Amen.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION:

One: May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.
All: Amen.

SUNDAY MESSAGE: “Which Weighs more: a Litre of Clean Water, or a Litre of Spirited Wine?”

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

One: Loving God, just as the servants at Cana stored fresh water in clay pots, we give you thanks that you have filled our earthly bodies, our jars of clay, with the water of your word. Just as the commands of Jesus transformed fresh water into new wine in the clay casks at the wedding feast in Cana, we know that your Spirit is continuously at work in our lives, turning the fresh water of the word of Christ into the new wine of the Holy Spirit to prepare for the marriage union of Christ and the church.
All: We are not alone. We believe in God, who has come in Jesus, the Word made Flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in us and others by the Spirit. Thanks be to God, Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

We Bring our Gifts of Service and Support Before God
and for the Work of the Church

HYMN OF COMMITMENT: VU #500 “Blessed Jesus, At Your Word”

Minute for Missions, Moments for Memories, Messages from Ministries

We Offer our Gifts to the Work of the Spirit
All: (Sung Response): “What Shall I Bring?” MV 191

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH II: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Response, & Supplication

As we join together in Responsive prayer, we invite you to respond. After you hear the words: “Gracious God, hear our prayer,” you may respond, “And in your love, answer.”

One: Loving God, we give you thanks as we celebrate the epiphany of your light coming into the world through the Holy Spirit. We pray, that as we drink the water of your word from John’s gospel, and as we hold your words in these earthen vessels, the clay jars that are our bodies, we ask that your Spirit will transform the water of your living word into the wine of your Holy Spirit in our lives poured out in our lives.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

One: Loving God, we give you thanks for the cleansing waters of your word that pour over us, and the new wine that rises up from the inspiration of your Holy Spirit.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

Loving God, we acknowledge that we are a privileged and blessed nation, a people who have the knowledge to develop vaccines against diseases old and new. We give you thanks that we live in Canada, though no merit of our own. We give you thanks for the opportunity to distance ourselves, and we give you thanks for free access to vaccines that keep us healthy. We know that we are blessed, and we give you thanks.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

And yet, we understand that there is a cost to our remedy, that goes beyond material wealth. We grieve that the pandemic has separated us from family, distanced us from friends, and cut us off from community worship and fellowship at church. Loving God, we know that there is a cost to these things, too. We acknowledge that many are lonely, many are sad, many are depressed, and that all of these come at a physical, emotional and spiritual cost. We seek your comfort, Oh God.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

And despite our own privilege and safety, we lament that oppressors see this moment in history as a time to gain power, to consolidate strongholds, and to oppress citizens that have no defense against tyrannical governments such as Russia’s incursions into Ukraine, and China’s incursions into Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Tibet. We pray for your spirit of peace and liberation in our world.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

God of Love, in this time of waiting, this time of separation, we pray for those who have trouble holding your vision, for those who find this season difficult because family and friends are far off. We remember those who have fallen ill from Covid, we remember those who have fallen ill with other afflictions, and we remember those who have fallen ill from accidental circumstances. In this time of waiting, we feel separated, cut off, and alone. Draw us close, loving God. Fill us with your spirit of accompaniment.

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

Loving God, even as we feel separated, we think of others, our families, our friends, and their loved ones, who are continuing to deal with misfortune in their own lives and in the lives of their loved ones. At this time, in this place, and either remembered in the silence of our hearts or spoken aloud in the midst of your assembly, we pray for family and friends who suffer emotional and psychological pain at this time, for family and friends who have received difficult medical diagnoses, for themselves, their children, or their families, for those injured by accidents, and for those facing damaging psychological and social relationships in their friendships or their families. God we ask that the wine of your spirit will be poured out in healing

Gracious God, hear our prayer

And in your love, answer.

In this moment of silence and communion with your spirit, we raise our personal concerns before you, either in the silence of our own minds and hearts, or by giving extemporaneous voice to our personal concerns in the midst of this community of believers, in faith, Lord, we bring their concerns before you:

(Pause for spoken or silent intercessory prayer from members of the Congregation}
One: Loving God, we give thanks that you have hear our voices, that you know our hearts, and that you respond through the liberating work of the Holy Spirit in Christ who taught us to pray, saying:
All: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Weekly Selections from “A Song of Faith, 2006”.

One: Let us stand and declare together a portion of our shared faith from our creed: “A Song of Faith.”
All: We offer worship as an outpouring of gratitude and awe and a practice of opening ourselves to God’s still, small voice of comfort, to God’s rushing whirlwind of challenge. Through word, music, art, and sacrament, in community and in solitude, God changes our lives, our relationships, and our world. We sing with trust. Scripture is our song for the journey, the living word passed on from generation to generation to guide and inspire, that we might wrestle a holy revelation for our time and place from the human experiences and cultural assumptions of another era. God calls us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Grateful for God’s loving action, we cannot keep from singing. Amen.

SENDING FORTH: WE GO OUT RENEWED IN LOVE

HYMN: VU #716 “My Life Flows On”

BENEDICTION & BLESSING

CHORALE

POSTLUDE AND POST-SERVICE

THE END OF WORSHIP & THE BEGINNING OF SERVICE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Sources:
*Go Now in Peace. Words by Don Besig and Nancy Price. Music by Don Besig. © Copyright MCMLXXXVIII, Harold Flammer, Inc. All Rights reserved. ONE LICENSE, License #A-727078.

Eldad – Hampton Pastoral Charge of
the United Church of Canada.

with Pastor Doug Ferris

January 2^nd, 2022 Christmas 2

PRELUDE: WE PREPARE FOR WORSHIP

Breathe Deeply: We close our eyes and focus as our chest rises and falls with each deep breath.

Read Silently: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit”. John 3:8

Reflect Thoughtfully: How does life in Christ enable us to live freely in the Spirit?

Pray Thankfully: Loving God, thank you for the hope that arrives like a fresh breeze with your Spirit. Please fill my heart and enlighten my mind with your Spirit of faith, hope and love. Amen.

SELECTED ANNOUNCEMENTS & CELEBRATIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: At that first Christmas season, the Angel told Joseph that Mary would bear a son, and that the child shall be called Emmanuel for he will save his people from their sins.
All: In Christ, we testify to Emmanuel, for God is with us
One: On that first “New Year,” the Risen Christ challenged the disciples to share that Good News Christ is with us always, to the end of the age”
All: In Christ, we testify to Emmanuel, for God is with us

HYMN OF PRAISE: VU #82 A Light is Gleaming

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 1: Prayers of Approach, Assent, and Affirmation

One: Please join with me in our prayer of approach, assent, and affirmation. Let us pray:
All: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn of Families: VU #352 I Danced in the Morning

WORDS FOR THE YOUNG—AND EVERYONE: Happy New Year Janus, the two-faced God of Rome

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

PRAYER OF ENLIGHTENMENT

One: Spirit of Wisdom, who enlightens our minds to hear your word, our hearts to love your word, and our lives to be obedient to your word, we ask that you renew our vision. Give us your eyes to see with, your heart to feel with, and your spirit to share in light and in love.
All: Thanks be to the Spirit of Wisdom, the Sophia of God that comes through Christ, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS (NRSV)

Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures:

Genesis 1: 1-2
Proverbs 8: 1, 22, 29, 30
Ecclesiasticus (Book of Sirach) 24: 2-6

Reading from the Gospels:

John 1: 1–18
Matthew 1: 22-23; 28:19,20

One: This is the witness of Christ the Wisdom and the Word, revealed throughout the scriptures.
All: Thanks be to God for the Living Word.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION:

One: May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.
All: Amen.

SUNDAY MESSAGE: “God with Us” in Spirit, Breath, and Wind; “God with Us” in Word, Flesh, and Christ

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

One: We know that, even in our darkest times, we are not alone. We live in God’s world, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, and who works in us and others by the Spirit to reconcile and make new.
All: We are not alone. We have faith in God, who has come in Jesus, the Word made Flesh, to reconcile and make new. Thanks be to God, Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

We Bring our Gifts of Service and Support Before God
and for the Work of the Church

HYMN OF COMMITMENT: VU #509 I, the Lord of Sea and Sky

Minute for Missions, Moments for Memories, Messages from Ministries

We Offer our Gifts to the Work of the Spirit
All: (Sung Response): “What Shall I Bring?” MV 191

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH II: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Response, & Supplication

One: Loving God, for new years and new beginnings.
All: we give you thanks
One: For the Spirit of Wisdom that moved over the waters of creation, the spirit of new life that enlivens our life in Christ, and the Living Word that comes in spirit, in Christ, and in scripture.
All: we give you thanks
One: As we look back in time at this changing season of the year, Loving God we give you thanks for new opportunities to work, to play, to speak, and serve in communities of peace and prosperity. We agree that our nation has been blessed beyond measure, and that our lifestyles are privileged and protected by strong communities, justice expressed in law, and peace in civil discourse. We have lived lives of blessing, and we agree that to us, much has been given, with good food, good health, and good government. We have been blessed beyond measure with prosperity.
All: we give you thanks
One: And yet, Merciful God, we admit that recent times have been challenging times. We confess to you than we are tempted to be less thankful, tempted to be more self-absorbed, and less sensitive to the needs of others. Sometimes we admit that it is challenging to extend mercy to others when we feel vulnerable at home.
All: God hear our prayer, and in your mercy, forgive.
One: Almighty God, we confess that our hearts are heavy. We are weary of the pandemic restrictions. We are saddened by the loss of relationship with our families and our friends, and we are afraid of a future that promises little respite as we peer into a new year. We’re Afraid.
All: God hear our prayer, in your mercy, forgive.
One: So now, Loving God, we bring our weary hearts to you. In silence, we wordlessly express our worries, our concerns, and our disappointments to you and ask for your mercy to shine in our lives again. At this time, we also take the opportunity to voice our concerns and speak our intercessions out for those we uphold in prayer, that you may intervene in their lives with your spirit. For others, Lord, we bring their concerns before you:
(Pause for intercessory Prayer}
One: Yet, God, you have declared that you are with us: God with Us. You have assured that you have heard us: God with us. You have pitched your tent with us, to tabernacle with us, taken on human form and communed with us in Jesus the word made flesh, and you have communed with us, as your love has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Spirit of Grace. We praise you as God with us. Knowing that God, you are with us, and we give thanks that you have heard the prayers of our hearts and that you work through the Spirit of Christ who taught us to pray, saying

All: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Weekly Selections from “A Song of Faith, 2006”.

One: Let us stand and declare together a portion of our shared faith from our creed: “A Song of Faith.”
All: We Believe that: We sing of God the Spirit, faithful and untameable, who is creatively and redemptively active in the world. The Spirit challenges us to celebrate the holy not only in what is familiar, but also in that which seems foreign. We sing of the Spirit, who speaks our prayers of deepest longing and enfolds our concerns and confessions, transforming us and the world. Grateful for God’s loving action, We cannot keep from singing.

SENDING FORTH: WE GO OUT RENEWED IN LOVE

HYMN: VU #586 We Shall Go Out with Hope of Resurrection

BENEDICTION & BLESSING

And now, beloved in Christ, He destined us as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will. He has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on Earth. In Him, you also were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, the Word of Christ, the Spirit of wisdom who has destined us toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his Glory. So, in the light of Christ,
May God bless you and keep you
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
May God look upon you with kindness and give you peace.
Amen

CHORALE

POSTLUDE AND POST-SERVICE

THE END OF WORSHIP & THE BEGINNING OF SERVICE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Eldad – Hampton Pastoral Charge of
the United Church of Canada.

with Pastor Doug Ferris

Choir: Shawn Pearce-Chambers
Music Director: Jennifer Pearce-Chambers
Livestreaming: Shawn Pearce-Chambers

December 26^th, 2021 Christmas 1

PRE-SERVICE & PRELUDE: WE PREPARE FOR WORSHIP

Personal Centering: Breathe Deeply, Read Silently, Reflect Thoughtfully, Pray Thankfully:

Breathe Deeply: “Try this ancient practice: Close your eyes, bow your head, and focus your attention on that space in the middle of your ribs: your ‘sternum’, or ‘breastbone’. Inhale slowly, and purposefully, mentally counting to three. Feel your lungs expand, your chest rise, your shoulders pull back. Then, on a count of three, exhale slowly and purposefully, feeling your lungs relax. Do this a few times.

Read Silently: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body, and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:12 – 15).

Reflect Thoughtfully: Low has life in the Spirit of Christ enabled us to live together in loving kindness?

Pray Thankfully: Loving God, thank you for the peace that comes through love and forgiveness. Fill my heart and enlighten my mind with your spirit of forgiveness, peace, and love. Amen

SELECTED ANNOUNCEMENTS & CELEBRATIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Light of Christ, God of New Birth, Spirit of Enlightenment, we welcome your growing light in our midst.
All: May our hearts shine with your light. May our voices share your truth. May our hearts fill with your love.
One: Let us seek the Light of Christ during this bustling season.
All: Come, O Light of Life, so that we may see your familiar face in the faces of others.

HYMN OF PRAISE: VU #217 All Creatures of our God and King

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 1: Prayers of Approach, Assent, and Affirmation

One: Let us lift our hearts up to God in prayer.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
One: Fill us today, Loving God, with the abundance of compassion, kindness and patience that flows from your holy spirit through the living words of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God shines the light of compassion in our darkened world through the Word of Christ. Amen.

WORDS FOR THE YOUNG—AND EVERYONE: “Hmm, Everyone’s Lost But Me”

Hymn of Families: VU #331 The Church’s One Foundation

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

PRAYER OF ENLIGHTENMENT

One: Spirit of Wisdom, who enlightens our minds to hear your word, our hearts to love your word, and our lives to be obedient to your word, we ask that you renew our vision. Give us your eyes to see with, your heart to feel with, and your spirit to share in light and in love.
All: Thanks be to the Spirit of Wisdom, the Sophia of God that comes through Christ, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS (NRSV)

Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

One: This is the Witness of Israel
All: Thanks Be to God

Reading from the Gospels and/or Epistles: Luke 2:41-52

One: The witness of Christ to the Church.
All: Thanks be to God

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION:

One: May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.
All: Amen.

SUNDAY MESSAGE: “Lost in the Crowd”

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

One: We know that, even in our darkest times, we are not alone. We live in God’s world, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, and who works in us and others by the Spirit to reconcile and make new.
All: We are not alone. We have faith in God, who has come to reconcile and make new. Thanks be to God, Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

We Bring our Gifts of Service and Support Before God
and for the Work of the Church

HYMN OF COMMITMENT: VU #595 The Pilgrim Song (note the lyric version link, we sing verse 2 first, then 1, then 3 on.)

Minute for Missions, Moments for Memories, Messages from Ministries

We Offer our Gifts to the Work of the Spirit
All: (Sung Response): “What Shall I Bring?” MV 191

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH II: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Response, & Supplication

One: All-Knowing God, For your Words of life and for your wisdom in healing
All: we give you thanks
One: For the spirit of generosity shown by the wisest sages in distant lands, by scientists in distant labs and for physicians in local communities
All: we give you thanks
One: For this season of peace, kinship, and the consolation of your words of life, that come through attending to your written and spoken word
All: we give you thanks
One: We give you thanks, Loving God, for the light of the world, the Christ, that has come in Jesus who chose the study of your word to understand the gifts of the Spirit shed abroad in our hearts. May we learn as you learned, Lord Jesus.
All: Loving Parent, we give you thanks
One: And yet, Sophia of Wisdom, we lament that much needs to be learned in our world. Despite the good news of a new life in Christ, people move from celebrating your nativity on Christmas day to return to a life of consumerism and accumulation on the very next day. Wisdom of God, we pray that we may learn that life is not sustainable. Hear our call for wisdom, Oh God,
All: And in your love, answer
One: God of nature’s economy of renewal, we lament that our modern lifestyles which are so temptingly comfortable, continue to produce waste products that are unsustainable in a green ecology. We pray, Spirit of Wisdom, that you turn hearts away from consumption and back to conservation, away from accumulation, and back to accommodation. Hear our call for wisdom Oh God,
All: And in your love, answer
One: God of Christmas Peace and Goodwill to all people, we thank you for the example of Jesus, who placed a knowledge and study of your Word above all else. And yet, we lament that our broader culture has turned from you to an economy based on privilege, accumulation, militarism and domination. God of Peace, we lament increasing violence in America, increasing aggression in China, and increasing militarism by Russia. We pray that your spirit of peace will reign in international diplomacy once more. Hear our prayers for peace and goodwill between all people, Oh God,
All: And in your love, answer
One: Almighty God, we recognize that power and privilege are also local concerns in our own communities and in the lives of people we know. God of Christmas peace, we pray that your word, your spirit, and your body in the Earth, may bring hope, healing and health to situations that call to mind right now, as we recall our concerns before you now Oh God:
All: Pause for Prayers of Silent Supplication or Extemporaneous Prayer
One: We give thanks to God for hearing the prayers of our hearts and who works through the Spirit of Christ, who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

CREEDAL AFFIRMATION: Weekly Selections from “A Song of Faith, 2006”.

One: We believe that:
All:
Each part of creation reveals unique aspects of God the Creator, who is both in creation and beyond it.
All parts of creation, animate and inanimate, are related. All creation is good.
We sing of the Creator who made humans to live and move and have their being in God.
In and with God, we can direct our lives toward right relationship with each other and with God.
We can discover our place as one strand in the web of life.
We can grow in wisdom and compassion.
We can recognize all people as kin.
We can accept our mortality and finitude, not as a curse,
but as a challenge to make our lives and choices matter.
Grateful for God’s loving action, we cannot keep from singing. Amen.