HARROWSMITH-VERONA PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Worship
Time: 10:00 am
at Trinity, Verona
Office
Phone:
613-372-2525 or 613-374-2777
Retired
Voluntary Minister: The Rev Ian MacKay
Office Administrator:
Rebecca Peters
Director
of Music: Stan Stinchcombe
Website: www.h-vpastoralcharge.org
e-mail: office@h-vpastoralcharge.org
Trinity United Church acknowledges the traditional territory
upon which we gather. For thousands of years, the First Peoples sought to walk
gently on this land. They offered assistance to the first European travelers
and shared their knowledge for survival. We seek a new relationship with the
First Peoples of this land, one based in honour and deep respect.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Worship Leader: Ian Mackay
Lay Reader: Linda Brown
EASTER IV
Shepherd’s Sunday - Christian Family Sunday
WE GATHER
ORGAN PRELUDE
GREETINGS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE
HYMN:
“As Comes the Breath of Spring” (VU #373)
1. As comes the breath of
spring with light and mirth and song, so does your Spirit bring new days brave,
free, and strong. You come with thrill
of life to chase hence winter’s breath, to hush to peace the strife of sin that
ends in death.
2. You come like dawning
day with flaming truth and love, to chase all glooms away, to brace our wills
to prove how wise, how good to choose the truth and its brave fight, to prize
it, win or lose, and live on your delight.
3. You come like songs at
morn that fill the earth with joy, till we, in Christ
newborn, new strength in praise employ.
You come to rouse the heart from drifting to despair, through high hopes
to impart life with an ampler air.
4. You breathe and there is health; you move and
there is power; you whisper, there is wealth of love, your richest dower. Your presence is to us like summer in the
soul; your joy shines forth and then life blossoms to its goal.
SCRIPTURE SENTENCES
CHORAL INTROIT: “Born in Human Likeness” (MV #47)
LITANY OF APPROACH
One: Arise,
people of God, to greet the One who calls us; Come alive to the Spirit’s energy
among us.
All: God awakens us and restores
our souls. Surely God’s goodness and
mercy are with us here.
One: The
Shepherd is calling us to new ventures.
We are invited to a higher quality of life.
All: We will not fear to walk
through shadowed valleys. God’s love in
Christ is with us everywhere.
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (unison)
Draw us
together, eternal God, from paths of aimless wandering. Lead us toward the community you intend. Draw the segments of our lives together into
more meaningful wholeness. Help us deal
with present concerns in constructive ways.
Help us to feel the hunger and thirst that others feel, and lead us, O
God, to make a caring response. May your
love fill us and flow through us, we pray.
Amen.
ANTHEM: “The Spring Has Come” (VU #187)
YOUTH TIME
LORD’S PRAYER
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
and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
HYMN: “Are You a Shepherd? (MV
#126)
(Children and
teachers may leave for church school.)
WE GIVE BACK
OUR OFFERINGS (Offering plates are available at the back
of the church.)
DEDICATION OF THE OFFERING: (standing) tune St. Denio (VU #223)
Thanksgiving and glory and honour and power,
Be sung to our Savior in worship this hour.
For God leads and guides us in paths richly blessed,
And welcomes
each one to His presence as guest.
The voice of the Shepherd we answer today,
Intending to follow each step of the way.
Where God will commission disciples to go,
Empowering us, we pray, that your love we may show.
OFFERTORY PRAYER (unison)
Make these moments a time of dedication to your purposes among us,
loving God. May we serve you night and
day, wherever we are, in all we do. Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving,
honour, power and might be to our God for ever and
ever. Amen.
WE LISTEN
RESPONSIVE READING: Psalm 23 God Is My Shepherd (VU #749)
(refrain 2)
God is my shepherd,
There
is nothing I shall lack.
You, God, make me lie down in green pastures,
You
lead me beside peaceful waters;
You revive my spirit,
You
guide me in right pathways for your name’s sake. The God of love my shepherd is; what can I
want or need.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are
with me,
Your
rod and your staff are my comfort.
You spread a table for me in the sight of my enemies;
You
anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life.
And
I will dwell in God’s house my whole life long.
The God of love my shepherd is; what can I want or need.
GOSPEL:
John 10: 22 - 30
HYMN:
“God Is My Shepherd” (VU #748)
1. God is my shepherd, I’ll not want, I feed in
pastures green. God grants me rest and
bids me drink from waters calm and clean.
Through daily tasks, I’m blessed and led by one I have not seen.
2. Restored to life each morning new, I rise up
from the dust to follow God whose presence gives me confidence and trust. I praise the name of God today; in God I put
my trust.
3. When I must pass through shadowed vale, where
loss and death await, I will not fear for God is there, my shepherd strong and
great, whose rod and staff will comfort me and all my fears abate.
4. No enemy can overcome,
no power on earth defeat the ones anointed by God’s grace and fed with manna
sweet. My cup is filled and overflows as
I my Saviour greet.
5. Goodness and mercy all my days will surely
follow me; and where God reigns in heaven and earth, my dwelling place will
be. My shepherd blesses, cares and leads
through all eternity.
SERMON:
“Recognizing
the Voice”
PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: “In You There Is a Refuge” (MV #84) (sung
seated)
In you there is a refuge,
In you we find our peace.
When all we know is chaos
May our trust in you increase.
In you there is a silence,
In you our minds are clear.
When all we hear is discord
May your quiet draw us near.
PASTORAL PRAYER
WE GO FORTH
HYMN: “We Shall Go Out”
(VU #586)
1. We shall go out with hope of resurrection; we
shall go out, from strength go on; we shall go out and tell our stories boldly;
tales of a love that will not let us go.
We’ll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted; we’ll dream our
dreams of hurts that can be healed; we’ll weave a cloth of all
the world united within the vision of new life in Christ.
2. We’ll give a voice to those who have not
spoken; we’ll find the words for those whose lips are sealed; we’ll make the
tunes for those who sing no longer, expressive love alive in every heart. We’ll share our joy with those who still are
weeping, raise hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief, we’ll leap and
dance the resurrection story, including all in circles of our love.
BENEDICTION
SENDING
FORTH: “Go Now in Peace”
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 God 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 us in love,
Go now in peace, in faith and in love.
Amen. Amen. Amen!
ORGAN POSTLUDE: Polonaise (J.C. Bach)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & MEETINGS
Worship
Leader for Sunday May 18th:
Rev. Micheline Montreuil
Lay
Reader for Sunday May 18th:
Beatrice Moffitt
Greeter
for Sunday May 18th:
To
Be Decided
SHEILA’S
PANTRY: It was decided that our
food cupboard affectionately take on this new name. The cupboard will be open again on Wednesday May 28th
as well as on Wednesday June 11th.
The cupboard is in need of: jam, peanut butter and cans of
fruit cocktail. Please no more pasta or canned meat. Thank
you for your continued support!!
SUNDAY SCHOOL GRADUATION: There will be a
Sunday School Graduation and Teachers Appreciation Day on Sunday May 25th. This will also be the last day for
Sunday School until the fall.
FELLOWSHIP: There will be a traditional potluck fellowship
following the service on Sunday May 25th. Feel free to bring whatever dish you would
like to share (hot/ cold dishes, salads, etc).
If you have any questions, please reach out to Rachael 613-372-1029.
CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING: An important
congregational meeting is scheduled for Sunday May 25th
following the church service to discuss the proposal of sharing a minister with
Perth Road United Church. Please
plan to attend this meeting.
UCW
MEETING: The UCW ladies will be
meeting on Wednesday May 28th at 12:20 pm in the board
room. All women are welcome to join.
TRINITY
ANNIVERSARY: Trinity will be celebrating
139 years on Sunday June 8th. Please plan to attend this special service with guest
minister Peter Bartlett. There
will also be a finger food fellowship to follow.
SERVICE
CANCELLATION Our
church will be closed on Sunday June 15th to allow folks from
our congregation to attend the large regional UCC Centennial Anniversary
service in Ottawa. If you wish to attend
this service in Ottawa, it has been suggested that we car pool. There will be no luncheon provided following
this service, so please bring a picnic lunch.
THANK
YOU: A huge thank you is
extended to Jean Clair and Ann McDougall for organizing a very
successful quilt show last weekend, and to all others who participated in the
luncheon, the set up and clean up. This
fundraiser raised $1,400.00 to be divided between the church and the
quilting group.
EMPTIES FOR A CAUSE: The grade 8 graduates of Prince Charles
Public School will be hosting a bottle drive at the school on
Saturday May 31st from 9:00 to 1:00 pm, to generate funds for their
graduation trip and celebration.
If you have any empty bottles and would like to contribute, you are
welcome to drop them off on the 31st. If you don’t wish to wait until then, you can
take your empties to the Verona LCBO on any day except Wednesday, or to the
Godfrey General Store between Saturday and Monday. Just let the attendants know they are for the
PCPS grad fund.
BLESSING
BOX: The blessing box is always
available at the back of the church if you wish to contribute. All donations are to help send children to
Camp Quin-Mo Lac.
CHRISTMAS IN JUNE: Plans are in underway for the Christmas
Hampers in June. Hampers will be packed on June 25th,
with delivery on June 26th.
If interested in participating, please contact Gayle Robertson
613-329-8896. More information to come closer to the
date.