THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER

1 May 2022

Welcome!  We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary.  The Session decided this week to reinstate our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall, so everyone is invited to remain for a cup of coffee following the service.

This Week in First Church:

– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom

Coming up:

– Sunday, 15 May, 5:00 p.m. – Spring Dinner

– Sunday, 22 May – Deadline for submissions for the May Newsletter

The Christian Year – We are now in the Season of Easter, the fifth of the six seasons of the Christian Year.  It began on Easter Sunday, and is fifty days in length, including eight Sundays.  The final Sunday of the season is Pentecost, which, this year, happens to fall on the 5th of June.

     Instead of readings from the Old Testament, the Revised Common Lectionary specifies readings from the Acts of the Apostles for this season each year.  The readings from the Letters for this season are mainly from the Book of Revelation this year.  The Gospel readings for the first three Sundays are various accounts of the risen Jesus’ appearances to his disciples.  On the 4th Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading is always from John Chapter 10, in which Jesus speaks about being the “good shepherd”; and on the 5th, 6th, and 7th Sundays of Easter, the Gospel readings are from the “Supper Discourse” in John Chapters 14-17.  On Pentecost, of course, the readings all have to do with the giving of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers.

     The symbolic color for the Easter Season, as for Easter Sunday itself, is white, signifying joy and celebration.  The color for Pentecost is red.

Full announcements here

THE 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER

24 April 2022

Welcome!  We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary.  Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.

We thank Keith Kelly, who is leading our service today in John Zondag’s absence.

The Greeters this month are Rob and Cheryl McPherson.

This Week in First Church:

– Thursday, 7:00 p.m. – Session meeting

Vacation – John Zondag has been on two weeks’ vacation, and expects to be back in the church office tomorrow, the 25th.

Ukraine – PWS&D is accepting donations toward the effort to provide assistance to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  The most urgent needs are for food, water, and shelter.  PWS&D provides assistance through its partners, the ACT Alliance (ACT stands for “Action by Churches Together”) and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.  Donations can be made through our congregation; just mark your cheque or envelope “PWS&D – Ukraine”.  If you would like your donation to reach PWS&D faster, you can donate online, using your credit card.  Go to http://www.WeRespond.ca, click on “Update: Ukraine Crisis Response”, click on the “Donate Now” button, and follow the prompts.  You can check the website also for periodic updates.

Full announcements here

EASTER SUNDAY

17 April 2022

Welcome!  We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary.  Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.

We thank Raymond Reichelt for leading our Good Friday service in John Zondag’s absence, and we thank Charlie Clifford, who is leading our Easter service today.  As well, we thank Keith Kelly, who will lead our service next Sunday (the 24th).

The Greeters this month are Rob and Cheryl McPherson.

The Reader today is Lalaine Buan.

This Week in First Church:

– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom

– Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. – Meal-in-a-Bowl Supper

The Christian Year – Today is Easter Sunday, the joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.  Easter is the third of the four major festivals of the Christian Year (the others being Christmas, Epiphany, and Pentecost).  Easter Sunday is also the first day of the Easter Season, which is 50 days (7 weeks) in length, concluding at Pentecost.  The 50 joyful days of Easter stand in sharp contrast to the 40 subdued days of Lent.

     At Easter, we celebrate God’s triumph over the powers of evil and death in raising Jesus up from death.  Luke 24 (as well as the parallel passages in the other three Gospels) tells of how Jesus’ disciples first learned of his resurrection two days after he had been put to death on the cross; and also describes some of the appearances of the risen Jesus to his disciples between his resurrection and his ascension (his return to heaven).  At Easter, we also affirm and celebrate the biblical promise that all who believe in Jesus will be raised to new, eternal life in the kingdom of God after they die, just as Jesus himself was raised from death.  We affirm as well God’s power to make good come out of bad in smaller ways, too, in everyday life.

     The seasonal color for Easter is white, symbolizing joy and celebration.

Full announcements here

PALM/PASSION SUNDAY

THE 6TH SUNDAY IN LENT

10 April 2022

Welcome!  We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary.  Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.

This Week in First Church:

– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom

– Friday, 10:30 a.m. – Good Friday service

Coming Up:

– Sunday, 17 April – Easter Sunday

The Christian Year – This week, the final week of the Season of Lent, is called Holy Week.  During this week, we commemorate the events of Jesus’ Passion (suffering) in Jerusalem.  The significant days in Holy Week are:

•   Palm/Passion Sunday (today), which commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem (see Luke 19.28-44 and the parallel passages in the other three Gospels)

•   Maundy Thursday (also called Holy Thursday), which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, his institution of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, and his interrogation by the Sanhedrin (the council of chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders) (Luke 22.1-65 and parallels)

•   Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus’ interrogation by Pilate, his death on the cross, and his burial (Luke 22.66 – 23.56 and parallels)

The symbolic color for Holy Week is red, signifying blood, which reminds us of Jesus’ suffering and death — the sacrifice that allows our sin to be forgiven, making it possible for us to be reconciled to God and be adopted into his family.

Vacation – John Zondag will be taking two weeks’ vacation time from the 11th to the 24th of April, in order to travel to southern Ontario, to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday on the 17th.  Pulpit supply for the services that he will miss will be provided by our lay preachers, as follows:

     – Raymond Reichelt – Good Friday (15 April)

     – Charlie Clifford – Easter Sunday (17 April)

     – Keith Kelly – The 2nd Sunday of Easter (24 April)

We thank Raymond, Charlie, and Keith for offering to lead those three services.  

     If a pastoral need should arise while John is away, please contact your elder, or Raymond (239-5359), to find out which ministers are available to assist you.   John plans to be back in the church office on Monday, 25 April.

Full announcements here

THE 5TH SUNDAY IN LENT

COMMUNION SUNDAY

3 April 2022

Welcome!  We extend a warm welcome to our guests, and invite you to sign the guest book at the back of the sanctuary.  Unfortunately, however, we are not yet able to resume our after-service fellowship time in the Church Hall.

Communion – Today’s service is a Communion service.  Due to pandemic-related precautions, we are continuing to do things a bit differently than usual, as follows:

– The texts that we normally read from the hymnbook (the Apostles’ Creed, etc.) will be shown on the screen.

– The Communion table will remain in the chancel, for the sake of physical distancing.

– Rather than passing the bread and juice through the sanctuary, you will be invited to come forward to receive the bread and juice, which are set out on another table at the front.

– Please come forward by the center aisle, and return to your seat by the side aisles.  Please come forward separately (or along with those in your own household), in order to maintain physical distancing.  Please take the bread and juice set out at either end of the table (left or right), working your way toward the center.

– The bread and juice may be either consumed at the front, or taken back to your seat.  We will not wait for everyone to consume the bread and juice simultaneously, as we would normally do.  As usual, the bread is gluten-free.

– Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable receiving Communion today should feel free not to partake.

This Week in First Church:

– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom

Coming Up:

– Sunday, 10 April – Palm Sunday

– Friday, 15 April, 10:30 a.m. – Good Friday service

– Sunday, 17 April – Easter Sunday

Full announcements here