This Sunday July 5, we will be worshiping by Zoom video conference at 10:30am. Our service will include the celebration of communion, and music lead by Bob Marshall.

If you aren’t on St. Andrew’s email list and would like to join our service please send an email to revjohnread@gmail.com by 9:00am Sunday. If you aren’t able to join us live, the service up to the celebration of communion will be recorded and posted to YouTube by the early afternoon.

This week is the 4^th Sunday after Pentecost. Our Home Worship service will go live on YouTube at 10:30am. It will also be available by telephone for those without internet. If you aren’t able to join us live a recording of the worship service will be available on Sunday afternoon.

There will also be Zoom Coffee Hour at the conclusion of the Livestreamed Service (starting just after 11:00am). If you would like to join please email me at revjohnread@gmail.com by 10:00am and I will send you the link.

We Are Called to Worship

 

Gathering Music

For the Beauty of the Earth #434

I Choose to Worship – Rend Collective

• • This is another new song from Rend Collective’s latest worship album. It speaks of worshipping God in all circumstances and a song that’s helped me through both the challenges of COVID and everything that’s been going on with my Dad. Worship is a choice we make daily. May we choose to worship our God today.

 

Scriptures

Old Testament Reading – Deuteronomy 6:1-9

New Testament Reading – Philemon 1-7

Gospel Reading – Matthew 9:9-13

 

Family Worship Video – “Forming Faith at Home”

Worship Livestream

Starts at 10:30am

Call to Worship – Psalm 119:1-8

Hymn – “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” #321

Opening Prayer

Message – “Taking Worship Home”

Song – “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”

Closing Prayer & Blessing

 

News:

• • Sunday July 5 will be a Zoom Communion Service, so put bread and grape juice on your grocery list. Full details including the Zoom link will be emailed in advance.

If you would like a phone call in the coming week or need some assistance, please write me an email or give me a call at the number below. If you would like your name, or the name of someone you care about included in our prayers (or simply prayed for by myself or the elders) please let me know that as well.

 

Grace and Peace,

John

This Sunday is Father’s Day and the 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost. It is also our first Livestreamed Home Worship Service. It will go live on YouTube at 10:30am (though you can join early at 10:25). It will also be available by telephone for those without internet.

There will also be Zoom Coffee Hour at the conclusion of the Livestreamed Service (starting just after 11:00am). If you would like to join the Zoom meeting please email revjohnread@gmail.com by 10:00am Sunday morning.

We Are Called to Worship

 

I invite you to start your time of worship this morning by reading Psalm 103 out loud.

 

Gathering Music

Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven #407

Cornerstone

 

Scriptures

Old Testament Reading – Exodus 34:1-9

Gospel Reading – John 14:1-14

 

Family Worship Video – “The Lord’s Prayer”

 

Worship Livestream

Starts at 10:30am. Click here for lyrics to Hymns and Songs

 

Welcome

Hymn – “This is My Father’s World” #328

Opening Prayer

Message – “Sin, Systems and Saving Love”

Song – “Good, Good Father”

Closing Prayer & Blessing

News:

• The Session of St. Andrew’s has made September the target for a return to in person worship services at our church building. An email with full details and survey for further input has been sent out to all church members and letter will be mailed to all those without email. If you are aware of anyone who has not received this important message please write to standrewsancaster@gmail.com.
• Sunday June 28 will be another livestreamed service at 10:30 am followed by a Zoom Coffee Hour.
• Sunday July 5 will be a Zoom Communion Service., so put bread and grape juice on your grocery list. Full details including the Zoom link will be emailed in advance.

 

If you would like a phone call in the coming week or need some assistance with getting groceries or other necessities, please write me an email or give me a call at the number below. If you would like your name, or the name of someone you care about included in our prayers (or simply prayed for by myself or the elders) please let me know that as well.

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.

 

Best,

John

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Today would normally be Heritage Sunday. Though we’ll have to wait until the fall to gather in the church cemetery to give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith and remember those whom we have lost, we can still do those things today from home.

 

I invite you to start your time of worship this morning by reading Psalm 37:18-40 out loud.

 

Hymns and Songs

(Psalm 100) All People That on Earth Do Dwell #65 – A Capella | Modern Arrangement

• • I usually include this Psalm on Heritage Sunday because it has been beloved by Presbyterians since the Reformation in the 16^th The first link is to a beautiful a Capella version led by Keith Getty. This is the way Presbyterians sang to God until the mid-1800s – singing only the Psalms (and other songs from the Bible) without musical accompaniment. The second link is a modern arrangement.

This is Amazing Grace – Phil Wickham w. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Hear Our Praises

God of Grace and God of Glory #490

 

Scriptures

New Testament Reading – Romans 13:8-10

Gospel Reading – Matthew 22:34-40

 

Family Worship Time – “Love is…”

For more insight on what the Bible teaches about love, check out this fun video from the Bible Project.

 

Message – “The Law of the Land” – Available at 10:30am

• • For further reflection on the opportunities and challenges of listening to our neighbours who have a different experience of life in Canada than we do please see my June 4 Midweek Message.
  • For Ancaster Heritage Days initial plans had been made for St. Andrew’s to partner with Fieldcote Museum and Griffin House for an Ancaster Black History Bus Tour, that would have included a stop at the grave of Enerals and Priscilla Griffin in the St. Andrew’s cemetery. You can still learn about Black History in Ancaster and Hamilton in The Journey from Tollgate to Parkway: African Canadians in Hamilton. You can find it at Amazon and Indigo Books.

 

Music for Reflection

Amazing Grace – Presented by the Harlem Gospel Choir

 

Closing Prayers

In our prayers we give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith, and pray for those who have family buried in the St. Andrew’s Cemetery. May the Lord comfort them as they remember and grieve. We pray also:

• • For the turmoil happening on the streets of the United States today – for those who suffer racism and violence because of the colour of their skin; for there to be peace, but also justice; for innocent people caught up in the chaos.
  • For neighbours and friends who belong to Black, Indigenous and visible minority communities here in Canada, many of whom have their own struggles with racism.
  • For everyone to act with care and for the safety of others as Ontario takes the next steps in its reopening plan.
  • Doctors, nurses and other health care workers as they serve in hospitals, public health and long-term care settings.
  • For all who are unemployed or facing financial stress because of COVID.
  • For the safety of those returning to work, and those who have been working throughout the pandemic.
  • For all who are feeling most isolated – for older seniors and those living in long-term care and retirement residences.
  • For children, families and teachers doing their best to teach and learn at home.
  • For all the members of our St. Andrew’s Church family.

 

In our prayers we continue to remember the following people: Tom, Paul & the Drinkeld family, Eric & Eleanor Pridmore, Bill & Donna Dobson, Deirdre Moore, Steve Potter, Chelsey Zylla, Paul  & Veronica Watson, Paul’s stepfather Jim Borland, Janet Remias & Family.

 

News:

• • The first Live-streamed service will be next Sunday, June 21 at 10:30am. The order of service, with hymns, songs, scriptures, a Family Time Video, and the link to the Livestream will be emailed to you by 10:00, and the Livestream will start at 10:30 and run for 25-30 minutes. Those without internet access will be able to listen by telephone by calling the church conference calling number. If you are unable to join the live service, a recording will be posted to YouTube.
  • There will be ‘Zoom Coffee Hour’ from the end of the live service until 11:30. The Zoom Link will be included in the worship email.

 

If you would like a phone call in the coming week or need some assistance, please write me an email or give me a call at the number below. If you would like your name, or the name of someone you care about included in our prayers (or simply prayed for by myself or the elders) please let me know that as well.

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.

 

Best,

Many, if not most of you, may have heard that the province of Ontario will be allowing houses of worship to reopen across the province at 30% capacity as of  Friday June 12. This applies across the province including regions like the City of Hamilton that have not yet progressed to Stage 2 of the Ontario Government’s reopening plan. This news comes much earlier than expected as other provinces have only allowed churches to reopen for worship in later stages of their reopening plans.

While this is encouraging news, the Session of St. Andrew’s will be taking a cautious approach to restarting our in-person worship service, and the building will not be open for worship this week. There are a few reasons for this:

• • The Presbytery of Hamilton has asked that congregations refrain from reopening for worship until the Presbytery determines that it is safe to do so. The Session will not reopen the church building for in-person worship until we have Presbytery approval to do so
  • Hamilton has not yet transitioned to Stage 2 of the reopening. Session believes that restarting worship before Hamilton is at least in Stage 2 would be unwise and unsafe.
  • The initial announcement from the Government of Ontario mentioned that additional guidelines for houses of worship will be forthcoming and we cannot plan for reopening until we see these guidelines.
  • Reopening will take thorough planning and preparation, such as the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment, establishing cleaning and safety procedures and a broad consultation with the congregation. This will take time and cannot be rushed.

The top priority for Session is the safety of all members of the St. Andrew’s family as well as the safety of any guests who might join us for worship. We will be meeting again this coming Tuesday June 16 to discuss our next steps, and after that we will need to consult with the congregation before we make a final decision about when to reopen for in-person worship services. Therefore, it will likely be a few weeks before we come to a final decision.

In all things we trust that the Lord is guiding us into his will and desires the good of his church and everyone who is a part of it. You remain in our payers as we continue to make our way through this pandemic together. In times like these we are reminded of the fact that the church is first and foremost a community of people held together by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know.

Yours in Christ’s Service,

The Session

Our worship service for Sunday June 7 was a Communion service by Zoom video conference.  You can watch a recording of the first half of the service belwo, which features our guest speaker, Melanie Barlow, Executive Director of Ancaster Community Services – http://ancastercommunityservices.ca/

You can download a full order of worship by clicking one of the links below:

Order of Service – Jun 7, 2020 (Desktop)

Order of Service – Jun 7, 2020 (Smartphone)

 

Gathering Hymns & Songs

Holy, Holy, Holy #299

Take my life, and let it be #637

Promises – Joe L Barnes, Naomi Raine & TRIBL

Counting Every Blessing – Rend Collective

Family Time – “The Fruit of the Spirit”

Zoom Worship Recording

Today’s message is a bit of a change of pace. I won’t be preaching this Sunday (as we have a guest speaker), but I did want to speak to the ongoing protests in the United States in response to the killing of George Floyd (and many longstanding issues around racism), as well as how this is affecting many of our neighbours here in Canada.

In the message I suggest that one of the most important things we can do right now is listen to the voices of Black Canadians and other people of colour. As people have tried to make sense of the protests and the violent rioting that has sometimes accompanied them, many have turned to words from a speech by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It is called “The Other America” was given by Dr. King at Stanford University on April 14, 1967. The most relevant sections of the speech are from the 22 minute mark (the speech is 45 minutes in length), and you can find them here.

You can also view a recording of the speech (cued up to the 22 minute mark)

News:

• • This will be the last Midweek Message for a while.  Depending on what happens with the pandemic, I may resume them in the fall as a way of doing Bible Study and small group ministry.
  • This coming Sunday June 7 will be a Home Communion service by Zoom at 10:30am. So, be sure to add grape juice and bread to your grocery list. Melanie Barlow from Ancaster Community Services will be our mission speaker. I will be emailing you the Zoom meeting link and telephone information tomorrow afternoon.  To be added to the St. Andrew’s email list send a message to standrewsancaster@gmail.com. If you’re not able to join us live, a recording of the service will be posted to YouTube on Sunday afternoon.

 

Grace and Peace,

John

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Today is Pentecost, when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given to all Christians following Jesus’ Resurrection.

 

I invite you to start your time of worship this morning by reading Psalm 104:24-35 out loud.

 

Hymns and Songs

All Creatures of Our God and King #433 Band | Choir and Organ

Father I Adore You #292

Shine Jesus Shine #376

Breathe on Me Breath of God #389

 

 

Scriptures

Old Testament Reading – Jeremiah 29:4-7

New Testament Reading – Acts 2:1-21

Gospel Reading – John 20:19-23

 

Family Time – “The Power of the Spirit”

Message – “Peace and Power for Exiles”

 

 

Music for Reflection

“Your Name is Power” – by Rend Collective

 

Closing Prayers

In our prayers we ask God to empower us by his Spirit – to serve and care for our neighbours, to have courage and wisdom as we share the Good News of Jesus, and to see us through this challenging time of exile. As we do, we pray also for:

• • For the turmoil happening on the streets of the United States today – for those who suffer racism and violence because of the colour of their skin; for there to be peace, but also justice; for innocent people caught up in the chaos.
  • For neighbours and friends of colour here in Canada, many of whom have their own struggles with racism.
  • All those who are ill with COVID-19 and their families.
  • Doctors, nurses and other health care workers as they serve in hospitals, public health and long-term care settings.
  • Wisdom for all levels of government as they continue to lead through this challenging situation.
  • For workers in essential services who must interact with the public.
  • For all who are unemployed or facing financial stress because of COVID.
  • For all who are feeling most isolated – for older seniors and those living in long-term care and retirement residences.
  • For children, families and teachers doing their best to teach and learn at home.
  • For all the members of our St. Andrew’s Church family.

News:

• • Next Sunday June 7 will be a Home Communion service by Zoom at 10:30am. So, be sure to add grape juice and bread to your grocery list. We will also be having a Melanie Barlow from Ancaster Community Services as our mission speaker. We’ll learn more about how ACS is responding the needs created by COVID-19 and how we can help them in their service to our local community.
  • If you would like to join us, please send an email to standrewsancaster@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list. An email with the Zoom meeting link will be sent on Saturday evening. If you’re not able to join us live, a recording of the service will be posted to YouTube later in the day.

 

If you would like a phone call in the coming week or need some assistance please send a message to the church email (see above) or call 905-648+6024. Messages are checked regularly. If you would like your name, or the name of someone you care about included in our prayers (or simply prayed for by myself or the elders) please let me know that as well.

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.

 

Best,

John

Today’s Message is a short study and reflection on Jeremiah 29:1-14. Verse 11 is fairly well known in many Christian circles, and is often used for encouragement.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

However, when we look at the full context of Jeremiah 29, I think we find a message that speaks quite powerfully to the challenging situation we’re all living through right now

Here are some questions for reflection:

1. 1. Do you find the language of ‘Exile” a helpful way to think of our current situation – both as a church as well as individuals and families?
   2. What might prosperity (‘plans to prosper’) look like for us in this time? Other Bible translations phrase this expression bit differently – ‘plans for your welfare’ (NRSV) or ‘plans for your good’ (NLT). What good would you like to see as we move forward? What would support your welfare or well being?
   3. What do you think of the idea of applying verses 4-7 to our current situation? Can you see yourself trying to settle into this period of exile and making the most of it? How might you seek the peace and prosperity of your town, city or neighbourhood? How might we do this as a church?

If you would like to learn more about the Book of Jeremiah the Bible Project is a great place to start. The idea of Exile is a major theme throughout the Bible, and the Bible Project has two excellent short videos (they’re about 5 minutes each) that take a look on how we can understand this today.

The Book of Jeremiah: https://bibleproject.com/explore/jeremiah/

 

The Exile: https://bibleproject.com/explore/exile/

 

The Way of Exile: https://bibleproject.com/explore/way-of-the-exile/

Worship materials will be circulated by email at 10:30am this Sunday May 31, with the sermon available at 11:00am.

Grace and Peace,

John