Order of Service for June 10th 2012

 EUGENIA UNITED / ST. JOHN’S UNITED

2^nd Sunday of Pentecost

87^th Anniversary of Church Union Holy Trinity

June 10^th 2012

Welcome to worship. Please sign the guest book if you are visiting.

May God bless you during this time & renew your spirit.

OUR WORSHIP APPROACH TOWARD GOD

*Asterisks invite all who are able to stand

Gathering Music:

Welcome and Announcements:

Lighting of the Christ Candle:

*Introit:          The Church’s One Foundation                       VU 332

Call to Worship (from the Inaugural Service of June 10^th 1925):

            One: O Lord, open Thou our lips,

All: and our mouths shall show forth thy praise.

One: O God Eternal, the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus

Christ, whose Name is great and whose goodness is

inexhaustible, who are adored by the hosts of heaven

and dost accept offerings sanctified by Thy Holy Spirit:

sanctify us, we beseech Thee, in body, in soul and in spirit;

touch our understandings, search our consciences,

and cast out every unbecoming thought and base desire,

all falsehood and vainglory and indifference, every motion

of the flesh and spirit not in accordance with Thy holy will,

And grant us, O Lord, with freedom, with a pure heart,

contrite spirit, without confusion of face, and with

sanctified lips, boldly to call on Thee,

our holy God and Father in heaven.

All: Praise to our God now and forever! AMEN.

Our Personal Confession and Silent Prayer …

            Silent Prayer ……………………… (F) Voices United pg. 959

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

Prayer of Approach:

One: O God, who to an expectant and united church didst grant at

Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit, and hast wonderfully

brought into one fold those who now worship thee here:

grant us the hope of the same Spirit in all our life and

worship that we may expect great things from thee,

and attempt great things for thee, and being one in thee

may show to the world that thou didst send Jesus Christ

our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit,

be all honour and glory, world without end.  AMEN.

(F)*Hymn:     A Voice in the Wilderness Calling                 VU 18

(E)*Hymn:     Make a Joyful Noise                                VU 820

(E) Story Time:

WE LISTEN FOR A WORD FROM GOD

I Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20

Psalm 138                                                   (VU pg. 860)

2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1

            Mark 3:20-35

(E)*Hymn:     A Voice in the Wilderness Calling                 VU 18

(F)Choir:

Reflection: Daring to live the dream … the UCC at 87 !!

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*Hymn:          Eternal, Unchanging We Sing                        VU 223

Minute for Mission:

Offering:

Offering Hymn: “Praise God From Whom …”                   HFG 382

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below,

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost AMEN.

Offering Prayer:

Service of Communion:

One: May God be with us.

ALL: God is with us.

One: Let us open our hearts to God.

ALL: We open them to God and to one another.

One: Let us give thanks to God.

ALL: It is right to give thanks and praise.

One: O Holy Wisdom of God, eternally offensive to our wisdom, and

            compassionate toward our weakness, we praise you and give you

            thanks, because you emptied yourself of power and entered our

            struggle, taking upon you our unprotected flesh.

            You opened wide your arms for us upon the cross, becoming

            scandal for our sake, that you might sanctify even the grave to be

            a bed of hope to your people.

            Therefore, with those who are made refugees in their own land,

abandoned or betrayed by friends, whose bodies are violated

or in pain; with those who have died alone without dignity,

comfort or hope; and with all the company of saints who have

carried you in their wounds, we join to praise you, saying:

ALL: Holy, holy, holy, vulnerable God.

            Heaven and earth are full of your glory!

            Hosanna in the highest.

            Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God.

            Hosanna in the highest.

One: Blessed is our brother, Jesus, who, before his suffering, earnestly

            desired to eat with his companions the Passover of liberation;

            who, on the night that he was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks,

            broke it, and said:“This is my body, which is for you. Do this to

            remember me.” In the same way, after supper, he passed the cup,

            saying: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this

            whenever you drink it, to remember me.”

ALL: Remembering the death and celebrating the resurrection, we

            await with hope the coming again of compassion and justice

            to the earth.

One: Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are

            proclaiming Christ’s death until he comes. In this communion,

            we restore to memory and hope the broken and unremembered

            victims of tyranny and sin; and we long for the bread of

            tomorrow, and the wine of the age  to come. Come then, life-

            giving Spirit of our God, brood over these bodily things, and

            make us one body with Christ, that we may labour with creation

            to be delivered from its bondage to decay, into the glorious

            liberty of all the children of God, as we join together sharing the

            words of our faith:

ALL: We are not alone,

            we live in God’s world.

            We believe in God:

                        who has created and is creating,

                        who has come in Jesus,

                        the Word made flesh,

                        to reconcile and make new,

                        who works in us and others

                        by the Spirit.

            We trust in God.

            We are called to be the Church:

                        to celebrate God’s presence,

                        to live with respect in Creation,

                        to love and serve others,

                        to seek justice and resist evil,

                        to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,

                        our judge and our hope.

            In life, in death, in life beyond death,

                        God is with us.

            We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

            One: The Gifts of God, for the people of God.

                        The table is ready, let us share in joy!

Sharing of the Table:

Hymn:            One Bread, One Body                                    VU 467

Prayer after Communion:                VU 719 – In Unison

Prayers of the People:

(F) *Hymn:    Make A Joyful Noise                                      VU 820

(F) Story Time:

* Hymn:         O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing                VU 326

*Benediction:

*Choral Response: When We Walk from Here        x2        (VU 298)

 ---------------------------------------

 

To mark our 87^th Anniversary as The United Church of Canada,

today’s service is utilizing a variety of United Church resources

from the breadth of history and heritage.

Our hymns are chosen from the June 10^th 1925 Inaugural Service

held in the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto, as well as from

United Church composers and authors.

Our prayers are selected from the Inaugural Service

and have been offered verbatim.

Our Communion Liturgy was composed in 1998 and used by

the Executive of General Council as part of a service of Repentance.

The service took place soon after the United Church of Canada

apologized to the First Nations People of Canada for the Church’s

role in the abuses that happened within the Residential School Systems.

The United Church of Canada has twice been the first Church

to offer apologies to the First People for mistakes of the past,

and we continue to work with our First Nation brothers and sisters

to create an inclusive environment where bridges are built,

and diversity is celebrated.

Our Order of Service today is a timely and celebratory reminder

of the 87 years of history and heritage that are part of

The United Church of Canada here

in our local community and across our nation!!