Sunday April 30, 2023 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Worship led by the Anne Campbell, the Congregation, Grace Choir,
Rev. Cathy Kinsman, Meridian Ukuleles and Garnet Weaver
GOD CALLS US TOGETHER
GATHERING MUSIC
“Oh Lord It’s Hard to be Humble”
Meridian Ukuleles
WELCOME
**HYMN “Sing a Happy Hallelujah” (vs. 1,2) VU #224
Words: Shirley Erena Murray 1989 and Music: Colin Gibson1989
WE OFFER OURSELVES TO GOD
CANDLE LIGHTING
“In the Quiet Stillness of Creation” Gladys Jack
“In the quiet stillness of creation, in the quiet stillness of home.
In the quiet stillness of our being, God reminds us that we’re not alone.”
CENTERING PRAYER
**HYMN “Sing a Happy Hallelujah” (vs. 4) VU #345
Words: Christian H. Bateman, 1843; Rev. R. G. Hobbs, 1987 Music: Anon. Philadelphia 1824
CHILDREN’S TIME
SONG “Jesus Loves Meol” VU #345
Words: v. 1 Anna Bartlett Warner (1859), v.2 & 3 David Rutherford McGuire (1970)
Music: William Batchelder Bradbury (1862)
PRAYER OF HEALING
O God, we praise you for all life, but we wonder:
Why do babies spit up?
Why do feet smell and noses run?
What were you thinking when you made mosquitoes?
We wonder about ourselves too:
Why is it so hard to say “sorry”?
Why do we leave stuff all over your world as if it were our bedroom?
Why is it so easy to laugh at others sometimes?
We wonder in prayer to you now,
lifting questions we have about healing ourselves and the ways of the world,
to bring you joy and honour.
(silent reflective prayer time offered)
WORDS OF GRACE AND COMFORT
The God who laughed at the birth of the world is still smiling,
God looks on us with joy and waits for us to smile again.
We don’t know how it happens, but God is at the heart of it.
Thanks to God’s grace and comfort offered, we are loved and lovable. Amen.
THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK TO US
DRAMA - Luke 24:36b-48 - Disciples returning from Emmaus
In this is God’s hope for the world. Thanks be to God!
HYMN “Are You a Shepherd” MV #126
Words: Ruth Duck, 2002 Music: William P. Rowan (2002)
DRAMA - John 10:11-18 - The Good Shepherd
GOD INVITES US TO RESPOND
*OFFERING INVITATION
*OFFERING RESPONSE
“Grateful” MV #182
Words and Music: Tom Tomaszek; arr. Sarah Hart and T. Tomaszek, 2003
OFFERING PRAYER
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE-
Sung Lord’s Prayer VU #959
WE GO OUT IN FAITH
*HYMN “May the God of Hope Go with Us” VU #424
Words: v. 1 Alvin Scutmaat 1984, v.2 Fred Kaan1993 Music: Argentine folk melody
ANNOUNCEMENTS – LIFE AND MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH
BLESSING
*CHORAL BENEDICTION “Go Now in Peace”
Words and Music – Don Besig and Nancy Price
Hymns from More Voices and Voices United are used with permission. One License #A-7252
WHAT’S HAPPENING
May 1
Music Festival - Afternoon & Evening
May 2
Music Festival - Morning & Evening
10:00 am - Pastoral Care Meeting
2:45 pm - Staff Meeting
4:00 - 5:30 pm - Homework Program
6:45 - 8:45 pm - Forgiveness Small Group
May 3
Music Festival - All Day
10:30 am - 12:30 pm - Seniors Luncheon
4:00 - 5:00 pm - Kidz Praize
May 4
Salad Smorg Set-up - All Day
9:00 am - 3:30 pm - Music Festival
1:00 - 2:00 pm - Outreach Cupboard
6:00 - 8:30 pm - Youth Group
7:15 - 9:00 pm - Choir
May 5
7:30 am - Men’s Breakfast
Red Dress Awareness Day - All Day
11:00 am - 1:00 pm - Salad Smorg
May 6
1:00 - 4:00 pm - Taylor Robb Shower
May 7
10:00 am - Worship - Camp Sunday - Hotdog Lunch to follow service
Outreach Shopping List
o Canned fruit
o Fresh fruit
o Canned vegetables
o Fresh vegetables
o Granola Bars
o Cereal
o Instant oatmeal pkgs
o Rice
o Pasta
o Pasta sauce
o Peanut butter
o Jelly
o Jam
o Kraft Dinner
o Crackers
o Juice boxes
o Larger canned protein
(ham, chicken, tuna)
o Toilet paper/Kleenex
o Shampoo
o Body wash
o Deodorant
o Feminine hygiene
o Instant coffee
YOUTH NITES │ MAY 4 │6:00 – 8:30 PM|GUC
It's pitch in week in Lloydminster. Join us from 6-8:30 to help the community and have a BBQ! Dress for picking up garbage. Bring gloves. Please find below the link for next week youth nite. May 4th link - https://www.jotform.com/form/221856794757272
If there are any questions about youth nites, contact our youth nite worker Kathleen Gunn. Kathleen can be reached at kathleengunn13@gmail.com or 306-821-1833.
SALAD SMORG |MAY 5|11:00 AM – 1:00 PM |GUC
We are hosting a Salad Smorg on Friday, May 5th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Tickets are 20.00 each and are available at the office and on Sundays before and after the church service. All salads need to be at the church by 9:30 am on the day of the Salad Smorg. We will have the doors open at 7:45 am to accommodate anyone going to work and wishing to drop off their salads.
BRIDAL SHOWER|MAY 6|GUC HALL
You are invited to a Bridal Shower for Taylor Robb, fiancé of Jon Rees, who is the son of Garnet and Alison Weaver.
The shower will be May 6 at 2:00 pm in the church hall. All are welcome, please call Alison if you have any questions.
CAMP SUNDAY|MAY 7|GUC
April 23rd is Camping Sunday! Grace will celebrate Camp Sunday on May 7th. It's an opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future of United Church camping. United Church camps are places for families and young people to create community and strengthen relationships with one another, with Creation, and with God. However, like many ministries, they are impacted by budget cuts, aging facilities, and economic uncertainty. Many camps turn to the Foundation for support to modernize and upgrade their facilities, create engaging new programming, and welcome campers of all backgrounds. Seeds of Hope grants help make United Church camp possible! Please make a gift to the Camping Trust today to help lift up these communities for generations to come. Celebrate the blessing of camping ministry and the future of United Church camping! Click the button below to give now. Let's make camp possible!
GRAD SUNDAY |JUNE 18|GUC
Do you know of anyone who will be graduating from Highschool this year? We like to offer a little celebration for the youth who are taking this most important step in their life journey. We need your help, so no one is missed. Please comment on the Friendship Forms in the church pews or speak to Cathy or Bev if you know of a graduate this June.
HOMEWORK│TUESDAY│4:00 – 5:30 PM │GUC
Homework program is for students grade 7-12. Students from all schools are welcome and they are provided with a warm meal. We are looking for teachers or people interested in tutoring to help with the students. If you have any questions please contact Allison Weaver 780-872-9861 or Brenda Ellison 780-871-4791.
STEWARDSHIP SECONDS
Stewards live God’s dream of a community of people who truly look after one another.
UPCOMING WORSHIP SERVICES
May 7 - Camp Sunday
May 14 – Baptism Sunday
HELPERS NEEDED AT DR. COOKE AND LLOYDMINSTER CONTINUING CARE
Would you consider helping out at the worship services which Rev. Cathy will be leading at Dr. Cooke and/or L.C.C.?
Do you play piano, or another instrument that would help us to sing and worship with the residents?
Could you bake a soft treat for coffee time with the folks at Dr. Cooke which follows their worship time?
Could you help turn pages in the hymn books, visit and sing with the residence with the residents as we worship?
There are many different ways to serve in this minister and your help would be greatly appreciated to brighten the day of some of our home bound residents.
The dates are: Dr. Cooke – Wednesday, May 17th, 10:30 – 11:30 am & L.C.C. & Tuesday, May 23rd, 10:30 – 11:30 am.
Please speak to Cathy if you would be willing to help with any of these opportunities.
MISSING MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN GIRLS AND TWO-SPIRIT PEOPLE |MAY 5 | MMIWG2S
Red dresses are used to call the spirits of missing and murdered women, girls, and two-spirit people back to their loved ones. The goal was to speak to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against indigenous women and to evoke a presence by marking absence. LNFC Contact Information - 306-825-6558
Pipe Ceremony - 10:00 AM - Native Friendship Centre
Memorial Walk - 12:00 PM - City Hall to Clock Tower to 49th Avenue to Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre.
Luncheon - 1:00 PM - Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre
Evening Vigil - 7:00 PM - Gazebo City Hall - HOT 6 Committee
Inclusive Language
God Language Guide
United Church of Canada
Last Sunday in the congregational meeting, Pat Ribey spoke to the use of inclusive language with regard to the proposed mural project with the youth and Michelle Lake.
Further to that discussion, I thought I would add a few clarifying points for everyone to consider how inclusive language can be used in helpful ways for all who read, hear or study scripture.
Language that is exclusive can limit how we see God, ourselves, and others.
Folks within the United Church have many different images of God – not always a male. United Church policy is to use inclusive language in all resources. This means editing text to avoid male language used to refer to God and humankind. For quotes from the Bible, replace male references to God such as "Father," "he," or "his" with inclusive language inside square brackets.
[God] leads me in right paths for [God's] name's sake (Psalm 23:3).
Instead of, “He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.”
In addition to replacing male words with "God," strategies include substituting different terms for God, such as Creator or Holy One, or using a balance of male and female language throughout to refer to God. There may be occasional specific contexts that warrant the use of a male term such as "Father."
Note: The word "Lord" as a term for God is to be reduced where possible because of its hierarchical and patriarchal connotations, but not totally excluded. Leave "Lord" in scripture quotes. Here are some examples for replacing exclusive language with inclusive language for people:
Instead of… Use…
man people all people
mankind everyone, humanity, humankind
sons of God people of God, children of God
brotherhood family of faith, community
sister /brother sibling, siblings
Mental and Physical Disabilities
The words used to refer to people with disabilities are evolving. When there is a need to refer to the disability, the following guidelines are helpful. Avoid defining people by their disorders or depersonalizing people by turning descriptors into nouns e.g., "the disabled," "the poor" or "a schizophrenic." Put the person first, not the disability.
For example: a person with Down syndrome, a person with schizophrenia, people who are homeless, people with disabilities, a person who is blind, a person who has epilepsy.
I hope this is helpful in clarifying concerns from last Sunday’s congregational meeting.
Please feel free to ask questions, if further clarification would be helpful. Peace, Cathy
Take Action! Moose Hide Campaign
Canada is in the midst of an ongoing national crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people. Canada has a long legacy of devaluing Indigenous peoples—in particular Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people. As a result, many people believe that they do not matter, and that it is acceptable to commit acts of violence upon them.
The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concludes that this is a genocide. Yet the media, government, and others continue to view MMIWG2S simply as a “social justice issue” rather than a violation of human rights. The report also states that “we all have a role to play to combat violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people.”
Will we work together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to value the lives of Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people? In response to the recent search for four Indigenous women known to have been murdered in Winnipeg, the United Church shared its belief that “everyone, created in the image of God, has a right to be treated with respect and protected from harm.” We now ask members, friends, and communities of faith to share that belief, to combat violence, and to call for justice by participating in the Moose Hide Campaign.
How can we participate? As individuals and communities of faith, we can:
Wear and share the Moose Hide Pin. The pins are offered free of charge by the Moose Hide campaign and are available in the traditional moose hide or in a non-leather version. Please order your pins as soon as possible, as order volumes and shipping times always increase as we get closer to Moose Hide Campaign Day.
The Moose Hide Campaign was launched by Raven Lacerte (Lake Babine First Nation) and her father Paul Lacerte (Carrier First Nations), whose annual hunting trips took place along BC’s Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert. This highway is known as the “Highway of Tears” for the large number of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered there.
The Lacertes decided to bring attention to this issue. In 2011 they tanned and cut up a moose hide to make pins for Indigenous men and boys to wear as a sign of their commitment to ending violence against women and girls. The campaign has since broadened, and now all people are asked to wear these pins as a sign of their commitment. May 11 is Moose Hide Campaign Day, a day when all Canadians are invited to take a stand against violence toward Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people.
Learn how the United Church has responded to the national crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2S-LGBTQIA+ people. To stay up-to-date with reconciliation and Indigenous Justice news and opportunities, you are encouraged to sign up for the Living into Right Relations e-newsletter.
As beloved children of God, all are included in the life and ministry of the Grace Family where diversity is celebrated. Grace remembers, as we celebrate God’s presence in worship, that Grace United Church gathers on Treaty 6 land, the traditional territory of the Plains, Wood Cree, Assiniboine and Métis peoples. As Treaty people, we seek to live with respect on this land and live in peace and friendship with all our relations.
Administrative Support - Ashley Barber 780-875-8959 gucoffice22@gmail.com
Executive Director - Bev Thurlow 780-875-8959 gucbevthurlow@gmail.com
Treasurer - Lynda Campbell 306-821-2575 blbcampbell@gmail.com
Playschool Coordinator - Lori Haygarth 780-808-0959 dannyandlori@telus.net
Choir Director - Karen Fawcett 780-875-4642 karenfawcett@hotmail.com
Affirming Support Worker - Jenson Brown 780-875-8959 gucjensonbrown@gmail.com
Minister - Rev Cathy Kinsman 1-204-294-2142 gucminister@telus.net
Board Chair - Darrel Howell 780-870-1671 dhhowell@telus.net