Announcements

October 17, 2021

October 17, 2021 – Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude Garret van de Wiel
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
Why do we come to worship?
To open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit.
What is our hope as we gather?
To know the forgiveness and new life which Jesus offers.
What does God asks from us in life?
To seek justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly in faith.

Prayer of Approach (together):
Loving and eternal God, we come this day as your people.
We come humbly understanding how we have failed
and seeking the grace you offer to us.
We come hopefully hearing your invitation
and promise of new life.
We come joyfully knowing that you invite us to walk with you
and with each other in the way of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hymn: 409 VU Morning Has Broken
Children’s Story and Lord’s prayer.

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 91 (p. 807 VU )
First Reading: Job 38:1-7, (34-41)
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10
Gospel Lesson: Mark 10:35-45
Anthem Garret van de Wiel
Sermon: “That is Great”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music O Master Let Me Walk with Thee
Prayers of the People
Hymn: 574 VU Come, Let Us Sing of A Wonderful Love
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

Thanks to Garret van de Wiel who is sharing his gift of music with us this morning

The Rev. Peter Smith is away from Monday. October 18 until Monday October 25. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Meredith Marple at 902-863-0452. Next Sunday we are pleased to welcome the Rev. Doug Stewart to lead our service of worship.

Choir practices are resuming on Thursday evenings. If you are interested please speak with Chris Morrison after service.

Please remember that as committees and groups begin resuming activities that it is important to book your room through the church office. The church office is open Monday to Friday 9 am until 1 pm. Patsy can also be reached by email office@stjamesuc.com and telephone 902-863-2001.

October is Mi’kmaq history month in Nova Scotia. May we learn from the past and seek to build better relationships with our first nations neighbours as treaty people living in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Proof of Vaccine requirement at St. James. We have received clarification from NS Public Health that all activities other than our regular Sunday morning service will require proof of vaccine. This includes weddings, funerals, and meetings of our groups and committees.

Visiting at St. Martha’s. Just a reminder that because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in place at the hospital that Rev. Peter cannot visit unless he receives a request from someone in the hospital or their family. If you are in the hospital and would like a visit please call 902-863-2859 to leave a message for Rev. Peter or tell one of the staff at St. Martha’s.

Your Social Justice Committee invites you to note that today is the International Day for Poverty Eradication. COVID-19 has reversed decades of progress in the fight against poverty. According to the World Bank, between 88 and 115 million people are being pushed into poverty as a result, with the majority of the new extreme poor found in South Asian and Sub-Saharan countries where poverty rates are already high. In 2021, the numbers are expected to rise! Many are talking of “building back better,” but the message is clear from the impoverished that they do not want to build back to what was before. Instead, people living in poverty propose to build forward. Building forward together means ending persistent poverty, respecting all people and our planet. What can we do locally to eradicate poverty? Follow the Antigonish Poverty Reduction Coalition and their work.

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

October 10, 2021

October 10, 2021 – Thanksgiving Sunday

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude The Great Divide Christine and Gordon Morrison
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive adapted from Psalm 100)
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come with joyful songs.
Shout with thanksgiving and praise.
For the Lord is good and the love of the Lord endures forever;
And God’s faithfulness continues down through the generations.

Prayer of Approach (together):
God, you richly bless us.
The land and sea provide for our needs
and creation shows us the bounty of your grace.
The cycles of creation remind us of your promise
to be faithful to us through all the stages of our lives.
The gift you make to us in Jesus allows us to face
an uncertain future surrounded by the hope of your love.
For these reasons and so many more
we gather to thank and praise you this day, Amen.

Hymn: 218 VU We Praise You, O God
Children’s Story and Lord’s prayer.

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 126 (p. 850)
First Reading: Joel 2:21-27
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6:25-33
Anthem The Rivers of Change Christine and Gordon Morrison
Sermon: “Giving Thanks”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music For the Beauty of the Earth
Prayer of Thanksgiving (responsive)
Gracious and Loving God, for friends who listen,
for opponents who challenge, for companions who love,
We thank you, O God.
For the gift of laughter,
for the warmth of embrace, for the release of tears,
We thank you, O God.
For dawning and dusk,
for the cycle of the seasons, for lobsters and blueberries,
We thank you, O God.
For seedtime and harvest,
for nourishing food and pure water, for the luxury of taste and smell,
We thank you, O God.
For the inspiration of music,
for the beauty of the arts, for the fulfillment of human creation,
We thank you, O God.
For the miracle of conception and birth,
for the ongoing miracles of daily life, for the promise of the life to come,
We thank you, O God, Amen.

Hymn: 236 VU Now Thank We All Our God
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

Thanks to Christine and Gordon Morrison for sharing their gift of music today.

Proof of Vaccine requirement at St. James. We have received some clarification from NS Public Health regarding the proof of vaccine requirement for our activities this fall. All activities other than our regular Sunday morning service will require proof of vaccine. This includes weddings, funerals, and meetings of our groups and committees.

Visiting at St. Martha’s. Just a reminder that because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in place at the hospital that Rev. Peter cannot visit unless he receives a request from someone in the hospital or their family. If you are in the hospital and would like a visit please let one of the staff there know or call 902-863-2859 to leave a message for Rev. Peter/

October is Mi’kmaq history month in Nova Scotia. May we learn from the past and seek to build better relationships with our first nations neighbours as treaty people living in Mi’kma’ki , the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

The latest issue of Connections is now available. Thanks to Brenda Rose, Ruth Young, and all who submitted articles. The online version is found at www.stjamesuc.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Your Social Justice Committee reminds you that today is World Mental Health Day. The theme for this year is “Mental Health in an Unequal World”. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. Groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected. Services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders have been significantly disrupted. Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality – let’s work on stigma reduction and recognition of symptoms! 16 October is World Food Day. “Our Actions are our Future!” The food we choose and the way we consume it affect our health and that of our planet. It has an impact on the way agri-food systems work. So we all need to be part of the change. Remember that 3 billion people, (almost 40% of the world’s population), cannot afford a healthy diet!

RELS397.20 Christian-Muslim Encounters: A 1400-Year Conversation Winter 2022 The Syriac, Coptic, and Arabic-speaking Christians of the Middle East were the first Christians to encounter Islam in its nascent form. This Christian engagement with Islam shaped the lines of theological disputation from the 7th century onwards. What were these conversations like? What can today’s Christians and Muslims learn from these early encounters? The course begins with a brief introduction to Christian and Islamic theology, which already hints at these conversations. This leads to an examination of a section of the Qur’an that highlights some of the key issues of theological disagreement (and agreement) and that sets the stage for the next 1400 years. We then look at some of the earliest theological writings in the history of Christian-Muslim encounters before moving on to reflections on modern and contemporary methods and debates from a variety of perspectives, from attempts to find unity to conversion-oriented outreach. The course uses a variety of types of sources, from original primary source dialogues and debates in translation from Arabic, Syriac, and Coptic, to secondary source commentaries on them, to contemporary novels and films.
The course is taught by Dr. Linda Darwish, Department of Religious Studies, StFX University. It will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:45, Jan.-April 2022. You are warmly invited register for credit or audit. Seniors 65+ can register for free!

Invitation to another interesting/informative webinar featuring experts from around the world to help you better understand the Israel/Palestine conflict. Arrest, detention and interrogation of Palestinian teenagers living in the West Bank A special webinar organized by “Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights”, a broad based cross-Canada planning committee, in collaboration with the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP).

Imagine heavily armed soldiers breaking into your home at 2 am, dragging your teenager out of bed and taking him off to be interrogated!
Hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested in this way every year by the Israeli military. Many on “suspicion” of stone throwing which can bring a sentence of up to 10 years in jail. Their parents can also be arrested. In custody the children may be subjected to physical and/or psychological torture to reveal the names of their friends. The conviction rate of the children is 99%.

Canadians Kathy Bergen and Dorcas Gordon will interview two on the spot observers – one Palestinian and one Israeli – from Jerusalem about this horrifying situation:
• Salwa Dubais from Military Court Watch will tell us about the impact on Palestinian families and the difficulties teens face after their imprisonment.
• Dani Shenhar from HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual (an Israeli human rights organization assisting Palestinians of the occupied territories whose rights are violated due to Israel’s policies) will explain the difference in laws governing Palestinian and Israeli youth.

What can Canadians do? In 2020 the Canadian government admitted it is aware of what is happening. Yet no obvious action has been taken. Might the appointment of a Canadian special envoy help to change this? To learn more and join the conversation, you are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Oct 13, 2021 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Arrest and detention of Palestinian children By registration only. To register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1rswWd7cTBCu1IuLUuC96A
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Joel 2:21-27 • 1 Timothy 2:1-7 • Matthew 6:25-33

October 3, 2021

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
You are welcome to join Bridging the Gap, a discussion on October 6 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM via Zoom. We will talk about community health priorities with other individuals across the Eastern Zone.

Community Health Boards (CHBs) advise Nova Scotia Health on local perspectives, trends, issues, and priorities. They share information and feedback between the community and Nova Scotia Health. Local community health priorities guide their work, and you have an opportunity to contribute your perspective to this discussion.

The event will be facilitated by Gerard Murphy of Barefoot Facilitation and will involve small group discussion in breakout rooms. We will talk about CHB work and the topics of affordable housing, food security, and transportation, as well as barriers to access. This is also a great opportunity to learn about how to join a Community Health Board and share your perspective and knowledge from living in your community.

All individuals, community groups, and perspectives are welcome!
If you are affected by the identified community health issues and/or work with people who are, please register and share with your contacts.

You can register for the event by emailing Marylynn Vickers at the following email: easternCHBs@nshealth.ca

RELS397.20 Christian-Muslim Encounters: A 1400-Year Conversation Winter 2022 The Syriac, Coptic, and Arabic-speaking Christians of the Middle East were the first Christians to encounter Islam in its nascent form. This Christian engagement with Islam shaped the lines of theological disputation from the 7th century onwards. What were these conversations like? What can today’s Christians and Muslims learn from these early encounters? The course begins with a brief introduction to Christian and Islamic theology, which already hints at these conversations. This leads to an examination of a section of the Qur’an that highlights some of the key issues of theological disagreement (and agreement) and that sets the stage for the next 1400 years. We then look at some of the earliest theological writings in the history of Christian-Muslim encounters before moving on to reflections on modern and contemporary methods and debates from a variety of perspectives, from attempts to find unity to conversion-oriented outreach. The course uses a variety of types of sources, from original primary source dialogues and debates in translation from Arabic, Syriac, and Coptic, to secondary source commentaries on them, to contemporary novels and films.
The course is taught by Dr. Linda Darwish, Department of Religious Studies, StFX University. It will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:45, Jan.-April 2022. You are warmly invited register for credit or audit. Seniors 65+ can register for free!

Invitation to another interesting/informative webinar featuring experts from around the world to help you better understand the Israel/Palestine conflict. Arrest, detention and interrogation of Palestinian teenagers living in the West Bank A special webinar organized by “Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights”, a broad based cross-Canada planning committee, in collaboration with the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP).

Imagine heavily armed soldiers breaking into your home at 2 am, dragging your teenager out of bed and taking him off to be interrogated!
Hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested in this way every year by the Israeli military. Many on “suspicion” of stone throwing which can bring a sentence of up to 10 years in jail. Their parents can also be arrested. In custody the children may be subjected to physical and/or psychological torture to reveal the names of their friends. The conviction rate of the children is 99%.

Canadians Kathy Bergen and Dorcas Gordon will interview two on the spot observers – one Palestinian and one Israeli – from Jerusalem about this horrifying situation:
• Salwa Dubais from Military Court Watch will tell us about the impact on Palestinian families and the difficulties teens face after their imprisonment.
• Dani Shenhar from HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual (an Israeli human rights organization assisting Palestinians of the occupied territories whose rights are violated due to Israel’s policies) will explain the difference in laws governing Palestinian and Israeli youth.

What can Canadians do? In 2020 the Canadian government admitted it is aware of what is happening. Yet no obvious action has been taken. Might the appointment of a Canadian special envoy help to change this? To learn more and join the conversation, you are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Oct 13, 2021 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Arrest and detention of Palestinian children By registration only. To register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1rswWd7cTBCu1IuLUuC96A
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

September 26, 2021

September 26, 2021 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude There is a Balm in Gilead Ron Johnson
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive from Psalm 19:7-8).
The word of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes
Come, let us listen, let us learn, and let us rejoice as God’s people.

Prayer of Approach (together)
God of love and grace,
within our hearts there are prayers
we are praying with all our soul;
within our minds there are prayers
we are struggling to pray;
and within our lives there are prayers
we are still learning to pray.
This day we come asking for you to hear all of our prayers
as you show us the way of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Children’s Story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music The Church is Wherever

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 124 (p. 848 VU)
If God had not been at our side,
now let Israel say:
If God had not been at our side
when mortals rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us alive,
when their fury was roused against us.
Then the flood would have swept us away,
and the torrent would have covered us.
Then the raging waters
would have gone right over our heads. R

But praised be God:
who has not given us as a prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the hunter’s snare;
the snare is broken and we are free. R

First Reading: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Second Reading: James 5:13-20
Gospel Lesson: Mark 9:38-50
Anthem How Great Thou Art Ron Johnson
Sermon: “The Body of Christ”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music Draw the Circle Wide
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

The church office is will be closed on Thursday, September 30, 2021 in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day. May we learn from the past and seek to build better relationships with our first nations neighbours as treaty people living in Mi’kma’ki , the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Your Social Justice Committee hopes you will join us in marking Sept. 30th, Orange Shirt Day. More than ever this year, we need to acknowledge that every child matters! On Thursday this week, please wear orange and encourage others to do the same. Let us honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of those institutions.

Next Sunday, October 4th we will celebrate Holy Communion at St. James. If you would like elements to celebrate via the online service please contact Patsy in the church office.

Thanksgiving is coming up and the worship committee are looking for help in decorating the windows as we have in other years. If you are interested please contact the church office or sign up after church.

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

         Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Job 1:1, 2:1-10 • Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 • Mark 10:2-16

September 26, 2021

The church office is will be closed on Thursday, September 30, 2021 in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day. May we learn from the past and seek to build better relationships with our first nations neighbours as treaty people living in Mi’kma’ki , the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Your Social Justice Committee hopes you will join us in marking Sept. 30th, Orange Shirt Day. More than ever this year, we need to acknowledge that every child matters! On Thursday this week, please wear orange and encourage others to do the same. Let us honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of those institutions.

Next Sunday, October 4th we will celebrate Holy Communion at St. James. If you would like elements to celebrate via the online service please contact Patsy in the church office.

Thanksgiving is coming up and the worship committee are looking for help in decorating the windows as we have in other years. If you are interested please contact the church office or sign up after church.

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

         Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Job 1:1, 2:1-10 • Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 • Mark 10:2-16

September 19, 2021

September 19, 2021 – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude All of God’s Children Are Singing Tonight (Eric Wild)
Gordon and Christine Morrison and Michèle Ashby Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive adapted from Psalm 1)
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that evildoers tread.
Let us place our delight in the word of the LORD,
and let that word be our focus day and night.
For then we become like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit and whose leaves do not wither.
For when we act and live in faith the LORD watches over us
and builds the kingdom of heaven through us.

Prayer of Approach (together):
Eternal God, as we gather for worship
calm our fears that we might know your peace.
As we listen to your Word
let your Holy Spirit open our minds to greater understanding.
As we pray for ourselves and for others
let our hands and our feet bring your answer to the world.
For we are your people in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Children’s Story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music Jesus Loves Me

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 54 (p. 778 VU)
Save me, O God, by the power of your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God,
and listen to the words of my mouth.
For insolent people have risen against me,
ruthless ones are seeking my life;
they give no thought to God. R

But see, God is my helper;
it is God who upholds my life;
You will repay my enemies for their evil,
in your faithfulness, put an end to them.
The offering of a willing heart I will give you,
and praise your name, O God, in your faithfulness.
For you have delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. R

First Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20
Second Reading: James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a
Gospel Lesson: Mark 9:30-37
Anthem As the Deer (Martin Nystrom)
Gordon and Christine Morrison and Michèle Ashby Sermon: “Children, Being Great, and Following Jesus”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music Will You Come and Follow Me
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

Thanks to Gordon Morrison, Chris Morrison, and Michèle Ashby for sharing their gifts of music this morning.

The church office is open Monday to Friday 9 am until 1 pm. Patsy can also be reached by email office@stjamesuc.com and telephone 902-863-2001. There is also a mail slot in the office door which can be used after hours.

Your Social Justice Committee asks you to observe Sep 21st, the International Day of Prayer for Peace. The UN’s General Assembly has declared this a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable and healthier.

The next issue of Connections, our congregational newsletter, now accepting submissions. Is there something from this summer you would like to share? Something you read or saw which inspired or intrigued you? Or did a conversation this summer remind you of something interesting or funny which happened at St. James? Please send your submissions to the church office or directly to Brenda Rose at brendaannerose@gmail.com

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

         Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22• James 5:13-20 • Mark 9:38-50

August 29, 2021

August 29, 2021 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
With what shall we come before God this day?
With love and justice, with compassion and kindness.
With what shall we worship the Lord this day?
With humility and mercy, with faithfulness and love.
We come into God’s presence, not as perfect beings, but people of hope and blessing.
We come confessing that Jesus Christ is our Messiah and Lord.
Come, let us worship the Lord our God.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God!

Prayer of Approach (together):
Holy and eternal God, help us as we walk in faith, and guard us against the powers that would draw us away from your love. May our words and deeds bring life and faith to others, as we hold fast to the gift of faith. Be near us each and every day, and bless us with your light, that our days may be filled with grace. Lord, hear our prayer for we ask it in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 45 (p. 769 VU)
My heart overflows with a noble theme,
I utter the song I have made for the king,
my tongue like the pen of a ready scribe.
You are the fairest, the most handsome;
God endows your speech with grace,
God has blessed you forever. R
Gird your sword on your thigh, O hero,
in splendour and majesty.
In your majesty ride on to conquer
in the cause of truth and justice.
Let your right hand teach by awesome deeds,
arrows sharp in the heart of royal enemies.
The nations shall fall at your feet,
Your divine throne endures forever.
Your royal sceptre is righteousness;
you love right and hate what is wrong.
Your God has anointed you
with more oil of gladness than all your peers.
All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia.
Out of the ivory palaces stringed music makes you glad. R

Gospel Lesson: St. Matthew 16: 13 – 20
Sermon: “You Are The Christ, The Messiah”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Let us go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

This morning we are pleased to welcome the Rev. Doug Stewart to lead our service of worship. The Rev. Peter Smith is on holidays from August 7th until September 2nd. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500.

Thanks to Amy Hendricks and Michèle Ashby for sharing their gifts of music with us this day.

The Church office is closed until September 7th. The voice mail, email and mail slot will be checked regularly while the office is closed.

Today is the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. Established by United Nations Resolution 64/35 it calls for increasing awareness “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world”. The impetus for the test ban was rising public anxiety over the magnitude of nuclear tests and the resulting fallout. A test ban was also seen as a means of slowing nuclear proliferation and the nuclear arms race.

Truth & Reconciliation – Call #76 Missing Children and Burial Information – We call upon the parties engaged in the work of documenting, maintaining, commemorating, and protecting residential school cemeteries to adopt strategies in accordance with the following principles: i) the Aboriginal community most affected shall lead the development of such strategies, ii) information shall be sought from residential school Survivors and other Knowledge Keepers in the development of such strategies, and iii) Aboriginal protocols shall be respected before any potentially invasive technical inspection and investigation of a cemetery site. To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Isaiah 35:4-7a • James 2:14-17 • Mark 7:24-37

August 21, 2021

August 22, 2021 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God calls us to service,
rather than honour.
God calls us to love the unknown,
rather than the familiar.
We come to this time of worship,
trusting in the grace of Jesus Christ.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Come, let us worship the Lord our God.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God!

Prayer of Approach (together):
Holy and eternal God, you alone are worthy of honour and praise. Open our eyes to see the world as you see it. Give us the wisdom to witness your presence in all people. Transform us in love, grow us in our faith, call us to love with a full heart and share your promise with all people. Open us to the work of the Holy Spirit, that we may hear and faithfully respond to your holy will. Lord, hear our prayer for we ask it in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 84 (p. 800 VU)
How lovely is your dwelling place, God of hosts!
My soul longs, even faints for the courts of God;
my heart and my flesh cry for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a house,
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young,
at your altars, God of hosts, my sovereign, my God. R
Happy are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise.
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their heart on pilgrimage.
Going through the valley of Baca
they find a spring from which also to drink;
the early rain also covers it with pools of water.
They go from strength to strength,
to appear before God in Zion. R
O God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob.
Behold, O God, our shield, look on the face of your anointed.
Truly a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For you, God, are a sun and shield, you will give grace and honour.
No good thing will you withhold from those who live the upright life.
O God of hosts, happy are those who put their trust in you. R

Holy Gospel: St. Luke 15: 1 – 10
Sermon: “Not one will be lost”.

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Let us go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

This morning we welcome the Rev. Doug Stewart to lead our service of worship. The Rev. Peter Smith is on holidays from August 7th until September 2nd. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500.

The Church office is closed until September 7th. The voice mail, email and mail slot will be checked regularly while the office is closed.

Thanks to Joan Marple and Gordon and Christine Morrison for sharing their gifts of music with us this day.

The 19th this week was World Humanitarian Day. Accidents and violence are risks for humanitarian aid workers and cause more deaths than disease or natural causes. The bulk of deaths due to intentional violence (57%) occurred among workers for UN programs. In 2019 there were a total of 276 “incidents” involving 481 aid workers, of whom 125 died. Many humanitarian workers are killed while engaged in medical responses, bringing critical health services, such as vaccinations, to vulnerable children

Truth & Reconciliation – Call #75 Missing Children and Burial Information – We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Psalm 45 ? St. Matthew 16: 13 – 20

August 15, 2021

August 15, 2021 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Love the Lord your God, with all your strength and with
all your mind.
Love your neighbour as yourself.
Do this and you will live in the heart of God.
Do this and we will be called the children of God.
Come, let us worship the Lord our God.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God!

Prayer of Approach: (All)
God of compassion, work your will in our world. Free us, to tend to those who are weak and needy. You always care especially for the abandoned or rejected. Give us eyes to recognize them in our midst. Give us the courage to humble ourselves, so that we may be your instruments of grace and peace in our world. Heal our aching world and use us to work out your will. Lord, hear our prayer for we ask it in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 111 (p. 833 VU)
I will thank you, God, with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in their assembly.
Great are your works, O God,
studied by all who delight in them.
Honour and majesty are your work;
your righteousness endures forever.
You have won renown for your wonders;
you are gracious and full of compassion. R
You give food to those who fear you;
you keep your covenant always in mind.
You have shown your power in action,
giving your people the heritage of nations.
The works of your hands are faithful and just,
all your precepts trustworthy.
They stand fast forever and ever;
grounded in justice and truth.
You sent redemption to your people;
you decreed your covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is your name. R
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom;
those who practice it have good understanding.
May your praise endure forever. R

Holy Gospel: St. Luke 18: 9 – 17
Sermon: “All children’s lives matter”.

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Let us go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

This morning we welcome the Rev. Doug Stewart to lead our service of worship. The Rev. Peter Smith is on holidays from August 7th until September 2nd. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500.

Thanks to Amy Hendricks and Ronald Charles for sharing their gifts of music with us this day.

The Church office is closed until September 7th. The voice mail, email and mail slot will be checked regularly while the office is closed.

August 19th is World Humanitarian Day and is commemorated every year to pay tribute to humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and to honour all aid and health workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. Just a few examples of humanitarian work are: ensuring basic sewer and sanitation for all; promoting resilience in a more disaster prone world; promoting emission reduction targets; bridging the financial gap between “haves” and “have nots”; promoting sustainable development and biodiversity.

Truth & Reconciliation- Call #74 Truth & Reconciliation – We call upon the federal government to work with the churches and Aboriginal community leaders to inform the families of children who died at residential schools of the child’s burial location, and to respond to families’ wishes for appropriate commemoration ceremonies and markers, and reburial in home communities where requested.To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Psalm 84 ? St. Luke 15: 1 – 10

August 8, 2021

August 8, 2021 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
Creator, we come together today as diverse, united peoples to give thanks to you, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
We come to listen, to learn, to sing and pray, to consider our place in the order of things you have created and are creating.
It is right and good to give thanks for the land on which we stand, for this is wisdom we learn from Indigenous peoples of this land – that we are one with the earth, its waters, air, animals, and plants.
Such wisdom, our interdependence with all life, is something too easy to forget in our busy lives! It is a gift and a challenge to us to remember.
And so we take time to acknowledge the lands on which we now live.
Many of us have come from other places, arriving from distant shores, our families arriving years ago or some of us more recently. When settlers came, they were met by others who were already here, already knew these lands, already lived rich and full lives based on ancient and proud cultures.
Let us take time to acknowledge that we are worshipping here on the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. O God, as we acknowledge the peoples who have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial, and their continued claims to the land, help us to become neighbours that we might live together in better ways.
For we are all kin in Christ, “All My Relations,” with each other and this earth, its waters, air, animals, and plants.

Prayer of Approach (together):
We gather to share in the Creator’s rich design of life for all people. We gather to give and receive gifts of deep emotion, deep wisdom, and deep love. With deep gratitude we gather as community to praise the Creator, to seek evolution in ourselves, and reconciliation with our neighbours, and to celebrate the power of the Creator who is always with us. Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 130 (p. 853 VU)
Out of the depths have I called to you. O God, hear my cry!
Let your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
If you should keep account of what is done amiss,
O God, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
therefore we will honour you. R
I wait for you, God; my soul waits, and in your word is my hope.
My soul waits for God more than the watchers long for morning, more than the watchers long for morning.
O Israel, wait in hope, for with God there is love unfailing.
With God is great power to redeem,
to redeem you, Israel, from all your sins. R

First Lesson: Ecclesiastes 4:1-12
Second Lesson: Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Gospel Lesson: Luke 10:30-37
Anthem
Sermon: “Finding Neighbours Everywhere”.
(© The United Church of Canada, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence)

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

This morning we welcome Michèle Ashby who is leading our service of worship. The Rev. Peter Smith is on holidays from August 7th until September 2nd. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500.

Thanks to Amy Hendricks and Martha Palmer for sharing their gifts of music with us this day.

The prayers in this mornings service are by Read Sherman, a minister of Trinity United Church in Montreal and a participant in right relations work in Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council. © The United Church of Canada, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence

9 August is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This year’s theme is “Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.” After the tragic revelations of the past few months, no Canadian can doubt that we need to enter into a new and right relationship with Indigenous Peoples. What can we do individually to improve our relationships? 12 August is International Youth Day and serves to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society. Celebrate the youth in your circle!

Truth & Reconciliation – Call #73 Missing Children and Burial Information – We call upon the federal government to work with churches, Aboriginal communities, and former residential school students to establish and maintain an online registry of residential school cemeteries, including, where possible, plot maps showing the location of deceased residential school children. To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Psalm 111 ? St. Luke 18: 9 – 17

August 1, 2021

August 1, 2021 – Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude As the Deer Pants for the Water Garett van de Wiel
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive)
The good news of Jesus Christ is that God is merciful,
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
The good news of Jesus Christ is that God is forgiving
God’s steadfast love washes away our transgressions.
The good news of Jesus Christ is that God offers us new life
God steadfast love gives us a new day in which to live.

Prayer of Approach (together):
God of every new day, help us to look at our lives with honest eyes. For we need to see not merely what we have done wrong but your grace and love which await us. For in your mercy and by your love you forgive and make us new. By your grace draw us together to be your people and to experience your love, Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 50 (p. 775 VU)
God, the Almighty, has spoken;
and summoned the world
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
God shines out from Zion, a city perfect in beauty.
Our God appears, and will not keep silence. R
Before you, God runs a consuming fire,
and a mighty tempest rages about you.
You call on the heavens above, and on the earth below,
to witness the judgement of your people:
“Gather my people before me,
the people who made covenant with me by sacrifice.”
The heavens proclaim your justice, for you yourself are judge. R

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a
Second Lesson: Ephesians 4:1-16
Gospel Lesson: John 6:24-35
Anthem Be Thou My Vision Garett van de Wiel
Sermon: “Justice and Grace”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

Thanks to Sheila Davison and Garett van de Wiel who are sharing their gifts of music this morning.

The Rev. Peter Smith is on holidays from Saturday August 7th – Thursday September 2nd. If there is a pastoral emergency during that time please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500 press “0″ for the operator.

Next Sunday we are pleased to welcome Michéle Ashby to lead our service of worship.

The Church office is closed until September 7th. The voice mail, email and mail slot are checked regularly over the summer.

Truth & Reconciliation – Call # 94 Newcomers to Canada – We call upon the government of Canada to replace the oath of citizenship with the following: “I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, her heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.” To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

Today is the start of World Breastfeeding Week! This represents a global celebration of breastfeeding efforts including promotion, support, education, research, progressive trends and normalization of breastfeeding as the gold standard of infant nutrition.

How can you help support the life and work at St. James? You can mail a donation to St. James United Church, P. O. Box 1178, 197 Main Street, Antigonish NS B2G 2L6, drop it off in the mail slot, click on the “Donate” button on the website, or you can give monthly via PAR. For more information send an email to office@stjamesuc.com

Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 ? Ephesians 4:25-5:2 ? Luke 10:30-37

July 26, 2021

July 25, 2021 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER

Prelude Go Light Your World (Chris Rice) Gord and Chris Morrison
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship (responsive adapted from Isaiah 30:18)
Let us know and believe that the Lord waits to be gracious to us,
for God will forgive us and show us the way of mercy.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
and blessed are those who turn to God in hope.

Prayer of Approach (together):
God of grace, at the worst of times we struggle and turn to you for help and you lead us to better days. In the best of times, we often turn from you and follow our desires and wants into trouble and strife. Forgive us, we pray, for our selfishness and show us once more the way to live and serve through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Children’s story and Lord’s prayer.
Meditative Music Break Now the Bread of Life

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTURE

Responsive Reading: Psalm 32 (p. 759 VU)
Blessed are those whose offences are forgiven,
whose sin has been put away,
Blessed are those whom God imputes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. R
When I kept silence, my body wasted away,
while I groaned all the day long.
For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;
my strength dried up as in a summer drought.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: “I will confess my sins to God”,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you in time of trouble;
when great floodwater rises,
it shall not come near them.
You are a hiding place for me,
you will preserve me from trouble;
you will surround me with shouts of deliverance. R
I will teach you,
and guide you in the way you should go.
I will keep you under my eye and instruct you.
Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding,
whose course must be checked with bit and bridle.
Many pains are in store for the wicked,
but whoever trusts in God,
is surrounded by steadfast love. R

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 11:1-15
Second Lesson: Ephesians 3:14-21
Gospel Lesson: John 6:1-14
Anthem The Canticle of the Turning Gordon and Christine Morrison
Sermon: “Falling to Grace”

GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Meditative Music Amazing Grace
Prayer of the People
Commissioning and Benediction
Postlude Sheila Davison

A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this be a time for you to draw closer to God. The services online are posted each week on our website ( www.stjamesuc.com) and through social media (www.facebook.com/stjamesAntigonish )

Thanks to Sheila Davison, and Gordon and Christine Morrison for sharing their gifts of music with us this day.

The Church office is closed until September 7th. The voice mail, email and mail slot are checked regularly over the summer.

28 July is World Hepatitis Day. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis can’t wait!”. Viral hepatitis is one of the world’s leading causes of death, killing as many as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. 30 July is the International Day of Friendship. What words would you use to describe your BFF? How have you managed to adapt your friendships during the pandemic? Why are friends so important in our lives?

Truth & Reconciliation – Call #93 Newcomers to Canada – We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with the national Aboriginal organizations, to revise the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including information about the Treaties and the history of residential schools. To read all the calls and the complete Truth and Reconciliation Report please go to http://www.trc.ca/

Virtual guided tours of places of worship. These virtual tours will run from July to October and are organized by county. Each county has been assigned a week when the photographs and information about their participating churches will be posted online on the Trust’s Facebook page (@HeritageTrustNovaScotia). This Facebook page can be accessed from Heritage Trust of NS’s website at https://www.htns.ca/.

July 25: St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Bayfield
July 26: St Anne’s Catholic Church, Welnek/Summerside (577 Summerside Rd)
July 27: St Andrew’s Catholic Church, St Andrews (3858 Hwy 316)
July 28: L’Église Ste. Croix/Holy Cross Catholic Church, Pomquet (1148 Pomquet Monks Head Rd, Antigonish)
July 29: St James United Church, Antigonish (197 Main St)
July 30: St Ninian’s Cathedral, Antigonish (121 St Ninian St)
July 31: St Paul’s Anglican Church, Antigonish (96 Church St)

         Scripture Readings for Next Sunday

2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a • Ephesians 4:1-16 • John 6:24-35