Grace and peace to you in the name of our loving God.
Transcona Memorial United Church gathers for in person worship this Sunday March 27 at 10:00 a.m. TMUC’s policy on being vaccinated and wearing a mask remain in place, and there is Sunday School too!
For two years we have sent out a weekly Church at Home that has included short videos for your personal worship time. This week, we are sending a ZOOM link for Sunday’s service – which we hope that you will join if you prefer worship at home to being present on Sunday. After the service, it is our plan to post the service on our YouTube Channel and the tmuc.ca website. (Please be patient – this is our first week trying this!)
Here’s the ZOOM link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7538449219
or by phone:
Meeting ID: 753 844 9219
204-272-7920
We are also including words for worship as you follow along on Sunday at the end of this message.
And, we still want to find ways to support worship at home. Our Lenten word is REturn. Again and again we are called to REturn to God. Again and again we are reminded that God’s love will never let us go. We are blessed and called to be a blessing.
In addition to what you will hear on Sunday, the Music Team of Cheryl Jackson, Lynne Mavins, and Crystal Schau have prepared music for Church at Home.
Hymn: Voices United #112 O God, How We Have Wandered
Anthem: God of Still Waiting
Hymn: Voices United #288 Great is Thy Faithfulness
And Esther and Emmett have a reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son:
We are thankful for the grace and blessing of everyone 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. In addition to Sunday offerings, donations on PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance), Canada Helps https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/14890 e-transfers (tmuc@shaw.ca), and cheques are making a difference. Thank you!
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.
We keep you in our prayers and look forward to gathering in person!
Let there be peace on earth!
Carol and Jeff
Words for Worship for Sunday, March 27, 2022
REturn
Welcome and Announcements
(Highlighting the daily prayer for Ukraine at 6:00 p.m.,
the Glenlea Greenhouse fundraiser,
Mordens’ Chocolate Easter Bunnies,
and the ongoing need for greeters and members of the choir!)
Land Acknowledgement
Introit: More Voices #15: Holy Sacred Spirit
Holy sacred Spirit, breathe your breath on us.
Reproduced #605666, OneLicense
Call to Worship:
One: Come, Holy Spirit!
All: Come to awaken our faith,
to inspire our hope
One: Come, Holy Spirit!
All: Come to embolden our love
and to let Christ live in us!
One: Come, Holy Spirit!
Hymn: Voices United #112 O God, How We Have Wandered
Gospel Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable:
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
Anthem: God of Still Waiting
Meditation
Offertory prayer
Holy God, our faith is deeply rooted.
Even in the midst of changes and chances
You speak to us as if offering
A love letter that we can cherish.
So it is that we present these,
Our love offerings.
They represent our willingness
To share abundantly and confidently.
Through us,
May our world be blessed.
Amen
(From the back of the printed bulletin, written by Laura Turnbull)
Call to Prayer: Voices United #400 Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!
Reproduced #605666, OneLicense
Pastoral Prayer
The prayer that Jesus taught…
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
Forever and ever.
AMEN
Hymn: Voices United #288 Great is Thy Faithfulness
Blessings and Sending Forth
Choral Blessing:
221 More Voices I Am Walking a Path of Peace
I am walking a path of peace,
I am walking a path of peace,
I am walking a path of peace,
Lead me home, lead me home. (X2)
Ending – lead me home, I am home.