November 12, 2023
November 12, 2023- Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Introit: (42 MV Praise God for this Holy Ground)
Praise God for this Holy Ground,
place and people, sight and sound.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God’s goodness is eternal!
Call to Worship (responsive)
God is coming among us today and always.
We want to be ready to meet our God.
God has given us Jesus to prepare us.
We will follow Jesus and prepare for God’s reign.
God wants all creation to be prepared.
We will share God’s grace and bounty with all.
Prayer of Approach (together)
God of holiness, speak to us in parables,
so we might pay careful attention to your words;
Tell us stories about our grandparents in the faith,
so we might become mentors to our grandchildren, and theirs.
Filling us with the holy oil of generosity and grace,
to make us ready to welcome Jesus into our lives,
and to open our hearts to those who are in need. Amen.
Hymn: 508 VU Just As I Am
Children’s Story and Lord’s Prayer
Hymn: Give Me Oil in My Lamp (see back cover)
GOD SPEAKS THROUGH SCRIPTUREResponsive Reading: Psalm 107:1-9 (p. 831 VU)
First Reading: Amos 5:18-24 Claire MacDonell
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Andrew Murray
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
Anthem:
Sermon: “More Than a To-Do List” Michèle Ashby
(adapted with permission from a sermon by Mary Austin)
GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND
Hymn: 413 VU O Splendour of God’s Glory Bright
Minute for Mission Sheryl Chapman Offertory Sentence and Prayer
Offering Response (538 VU For the Gift of Creation)
For the gift of creation, the gift of your love,
and the gift of your Spirit by which we live,
we thank you and give you the fruit of our hands.
May your grace be proclaimed by the gifts that we give
Prayers of the People
Hymn: 242 VU Let All Things Now Living
Commissioning and Benediction
Choral Benediction (Praise God for this Holy Ground)
Though praise ends, praise is begun,
where God’s will is gladly done.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God’s goodness is eternal!
Postlude
A warm welcome to everyone who is joining us for worship. May this time help you draw to closer to God and your neighbour. We recognize that we gather in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, and we seek to be good neighbours to the First Nations.
Greeting at the door this Sunday are Laura Reddick and Mary MacLean
Scriptures for Next Sunday
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 • Matthew 25:14-30
Tuesday, November 14
10:00 am Hot Meal Program
3:00 pm Meditation Group in Meeting Room. For more information, call Fran @ 902- 863-3546
4:00 pm Finance and Stewardship in the Meeting Room
Thursday, November 16
10:00 am Hot Meal Program
7:00 pm Senior Choir. New Members welcome!
Saturday, November 18
Noon-2:00 Holly Tea and Sale at St. James. Come be a part of the fun, fund-raising and fellowship!
The Rev. Peter Smith is away this Sunday, November 12th and we are pleased to have Michèle Ashby leading our service of worship. If there are any pastoral emergencies while Rev. Peter is away please contact the Rev. Doug Stewart at (902) 735-2102 or through the St. Martha’s Hospital Switchboard during the day (902) 867-4500
Holly Tea and Sale: If you’re a candy or fudge maker, the ladies working on this table would love to have a plateful. We hope all the jam and pickle makers have a few bottles set aside for the preserve corner. The bake table will gratefully receive any homemade baking – bread, rolls, muffins, squares, cookies, loaves, cakes or pies. VERY IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to note the name of the recipe and any special ingredients that will help in pricing (eggs, cream cheese, nuts, chocolate, etc. and, more importantly, to alert buyers to possible allergies. If you’re unable to contribute to the bake table, a monetary donation would be appreciated as this is our major fundraiser of the year and we do have a lot of expenses associated with it. Just put your contribution in an envelope and drop it in the church office any weekday morning or put it in the collection box in the narthex clearly marked “Holly Tea and Sale”. (continued on back)
We are no longer accepting donations for the New to You, Christmas or Jewelry tables. Items for the Silent Auction can still be dropped off this week between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. until Wednesday. Bake table goodies can be left at the church (please use the back door) on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and between 5 and 7 p.m. as well as on Saturday NO LATER THAN 10 A.M. Uncut squares are needed for the tea tables.
UPCOMING AT ST. JAMESSunday, November 19
11:30 am Church Council will meet in the Meeting Room.
Tuesday, November 21
10:00 am Bible Study in the parlour. Everyone welcome!
Roof Over Your Head The UCW is supporting a fundraising effort for this local non profit housing assistance program by taking orders for Mitchell’s Soup Company dehydrated soup mixes. For more info, contact Joyce Hilling 902 870-9814 or Barb in the office.
Your Social Justice Committee invites you to note the 16th – the International Day of Tolerance. Tolerance is much more than passively accepting the other. It brings obligations to act, and must be taught, nurtured and defended. “Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.” – Robert Green Ingersoll.
Stewardship Thought for this Week (November 12, 2023)
“Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.”
– Dwight L. Moody
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTSNovember 12: Day of Action across Canada Support an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine and an end to the unprecedented humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. This Sunday, November 12, you can join a pan-Canadian day of action in Antigonish. Rally at 1pm in front of Town Hall. Bring a sign, bring your voice, bring a friend.
St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Auxiliary Garage and Bake Sale Saturday November 25th 10 am-2pm John Paul Centre 308 Main Street. Donations accepted Friday Nov 24th from 930-4 at the John Paul Centre