THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
ASCENSION SUNDAY
22 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. Everyone is invited to remain for a cup of coffee in the Church Hall following the service.
This Week in First Church:
– Today – Deadline for submissions for the May Newsletter
– Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Bible study, by Zoom
– Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. – Meal-in-a-Bowl Supper
– Thursday, 7:00 p.m. – Session meeting, by Zoom
Coming up:
– Sunday, 5 June – Pentecost, and Communion Sunday
– Sunday, 12 June – Outdoor Service and Barbecue
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 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 www.WeRespond.ca, click on “Ukraine Crisis Appeal” or “Ukraine Crisis: Irina’s Story”; then click on the “Donate Now” button, and follow the prompts. You can check the website also for periodic updates.
Newsletter – If you have any submissions for the May issue of the Newsletter, please get them to Lisa Sneesby (bsneesby@mymts.net) today.
The Christian Year – This Thursday is Ascension Day, the festival that commemorates Jesus’ “ascension”, or return to heaven, which is described in Acts 1.1-11. Acts 1.3 says that Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days following his resurrection, and so Ascension Day is the 40th day of the Easter Season, always falling on the Thursday following the 6th Sunday of Easter. The Sunday either before or after Ascension Day is designated “Ascension Sunday”.
Jesus’ ascension marked the end of his ministry on earth, and his return to his glorious existence in heaven. From then on, his ministry on earth would be continued by his followers, the Christian church, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The ascension reminds us that Jesus is not just a person of the past, but also a person of the present — and of the future. In Acts 1.1-11, we find not only the account of Jesus’ ascension, but also the promise that he will someday return from heaven.
The symbolic color for Ascension Day is white, symbolizing joy and celebration.