Advent is here!
Advent is that moment when approach becomes arrival!
Advent is that moment when the object seen in the distance comes into view!
Advent is the surprise when what you could only imagine is suddenly right before you!
Advent is the season that gives birth to the Christian liturgical year.
Advent is a time when Christians receive the news that God is up to something, that in some unexpected and unpredictable way, the Sacred is approaching; that despite evidence to the contrary, God has arrived in the midst of this world; that the world of peace and love we have only imagined, is suddenly here, nestled before us in a manger.
Each Sunday of Advent we will light an Advent candle. This Sunday we light the Candle of Hope, reminding us that this is God’s world, reminding us that God’s love continues to create and renew and resurrect.
If you are considering attending in-person worship this Sunday, be aware that the street in front of the church is ice-covered and is not scheduled for snow/ice clearing until Sunday evening. We want everyone to be safe.
In addition to the weekly Advent online worship resources and Sunday morning in-person worship services, we will also be offering a Blue Christmas service and a Christmas Eve service.
The Blue Christmas service will be on Sunday Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. There will be one service on Christmas Eve, at 7 p.m on December 24th. Both of these services will be in-person and will also be live-Zoomed.
On December 26th there will NOT be an in-person service. There will be an online ZOOM communion service at 10 a.m.
In-person worship and Sunday School continue during Lent at 10 a.m. Sundays. Everyone attending TMUC’s in-person worship (unless under 12 years of age) must show proof of full vaccination or proof from the Government of Manitoba that there is a medical reason for the person not to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.
Masks are mandatory and everyone needs to enter the church building via the glass doors of the ‘Community Extension’ entrance. Thanks!
Returning to in-person worship means that greeters are needed for Sunday morning. If you would like more info or to volunteer as a Sunday morning greeter, please contact Shelley Schau, Chair of TMUC’s Worship and Welcome Team. Shelley’s phone is 431-275-9169. Thank you.
In addition to all the additional gifts of food, toys, and money that is so generously given to the Transcona Food Bank, this Christmas season, TMUC is supporting the Holiday Hamper program of the Plessis Resource Centre. The Centre will provide Christmas hampers to every family in the Plessis, Robson, Kernighan Manitoba Housing community.
The staff of the Centre, Melissa, Debra, Erin and Rick are looking for gifts of:
Canned vegetables (corn, peas, mixed vegetables)
Canned soups (vegetable, chicken noodle, tomato)
Stove Top stuffing
Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni)
Pasta Sauce
Cereal
Peanut Butter
Jam
Granola bars
Cookies
Grocery Gift Cards or cash for purchasing perishable items like chickens, potatoes, carrots, onions just before delivery!
And…
They are also hoping for new unwrapped gifts for children aged 4-12 years. Please donate toys, books, or games that are not gender specific. NOTE: The Centre asks that toys be delivered to the Centre or to the church prior to December 10!
Any donations may be dropped off at the Plessis Resource Centre (1190 Plessis Road – you can call 204.777.1215 to confirm a drop-off time)
or
at TMUC on Sunday mornings before church (9:30 – 10:00 a.m.) on Nov. 28, Dec. 5 or Dec. 12; or at the church office between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Thursdays – Dec 9 or 14.
Thank you for helping us share in this community act of gift-giving.
While we have returned to in-person worship, we are continuing with our weekly email of worship resources.
The Prayer List is distributed separately and allows us to remember specific people with our prayers. If you want to receive the Prayer List, or add a name (with their permission), please be in touch.
Thanks again to everyone for engaging with us on this COVID-19 journey. We are grateful to share ministry with you and really appreciate your efforts to stay in touch and to continue to care about TMUC with your prayers and your financial support. Donations on PAR (note: the PAR program now accepts monthly credit card donations as well as automatic monthly bank withdrawals), CanadaHelps through www.canadahelps.org, e-transfers to the church’s email address: tmuc@shaw.ca,and cheques mailed to the church are making a difference. Thank you.
Even though we cannot be together in one place, let’s continue to be a community at prayer together. If you are not in the Sanctuary with us on Sunday at 10, please think about the gifts we have in our lives, and needs of our world, and then pray the Lord’s prayer (you can pray silently, or out loud).
And, sometime, when you want to have a longer worship time, we are including some words and videos for your use.
As we share this week’s TMUC worship service, we are called again to listen to our faith community’s words of reconciliation:
We are gathered for worship and work in Treaty One territory, which is the traditional land of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dené peoples and the homeland of the Metis Nation. For thousands of years Indigenous Peoples walked this land and knew it to be the centre of their lives and their spirituality. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
Worship for Sunday, November 28, 2021: Advent 1 – The Candle of Hope
Introit: “Hope is a Star”:
Come, Holy Spirit!
Come to awaken our faith,
to inspire our hope
to embolden our love
and to let Christ live in us!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Today’s opening hymn is “O Come All Ye Faithful”:
Candle lighting – the candle of hope:
In a world of uncertainty.
Hope is a star that shines.
In our lives of uncertainty,
Hope is a star that shines.
Hope is Advent’s first gift.
We are called to share God’s gift of hope.
Esther and Emmett talk about “The Candles of Advent”:
Printable Version:
Esther and Emmett – Candles of Advent
Scripture readings:
Isaiah 2:2-5
In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Luke 1:5-23 (slightly abridged)
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
Once when he was serving as priest before God there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
Jeff offers a reflection:
Printable Version:
Jeff Reflection_Nov 28
Let us pray:
God of our Advent faith,
prepare us to be people of hope, peace, joy and love.
Prepare us to welcome the Christ in our world, our communities, our lives.
Prepare us to birth hope into the world.
God of creation,
we pray from our places of hurt and concern.
We pray for communities on the west and east coasts of Canada, battered by storms and flooding and landslides. We pray for people to be safe and for supplies to reach people in need.
We pray for this world experiencing the effects of climate change. We pray that individuals, communities, nations and world leaders have the courage and wisdom to change practices and policies in order to reduce global warming.
We pray for all who live in places where lives are threatened by war, by poverty, by threatening ecological conditions. We pray that nations cooperate in creating safe places of refuge and sanctuary. We pray for people throughout the world to live in peace and safety.
We continue to offer our prayers of concern as COVID-19 continues to threaten and claim lives. We pray for vaccinations to be available throughout the world, and we pray for all medical researchers who seek ways of protecting us from COVID variants.
We pray for food for those who are hungry.
We pray for clean water for those who are thirsty.
We pray for shelter for those without a dwelling place.
We pray for support for those who are anxious.
We pray for friendship for those who feel abandoned.
We pray for respect and appreciation for those who are marginalized.
We pray for healing of relationships that are fractured.
We pray for hope in times of despair.
We pray for the birth of Christ to again inspire us to lives of courageous love, profound faith, generous blessing and forgiving spirits.
We offer all our prayers in the name and spirit of Jesus, bearer of Your light in this world. AMEN.
Our closing hymn is “Good Christian Friends Rejoice and Sing”:
May God bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you.
May God grant you peace and joy.
Be in the peace of Christ, this day and always. Amen
We keep you in our prayers,
Jeff and Carol