Bulletin – Sunday, June 1, 2025 – Seventh Sunday of Easter / Pride Sunday
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Seventh Sunday of Easter / Pride Sunday
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Welcome to everyone for this time of worship at Windsor Park United Church. I welcome those that are new, those that have been coming for a long time, and those online. All are welcome. And we are so glad you are here.
Today is a special day! We are celebrating the presence of the LGBTQ2S+ community in throughout the world. As we begin this service, I recognize the privilege we hold being able to openly celebrate when many places in the world, and even some places here in North America cannot! For this open gathering and this welcoming community, I say thank you and Alleluia!
Today we celebrate Pride in many United Churches across the country. We are now an open-minded, open-hearted, LGBTQ2S+ affirming community, seeking to follow in the way of Jesus, who taught us how to engage in the work of compassion, love and justice. Wherever you are in your faith journey, with whatever questions you carry, you are welcome here.
Whomever you love, whatever your gender identity, your sexual orientation, your ethnicity, race or ability, you are welcome here.
Announcements
Minute Person
Lighting the Candles
Let me tell you a bit about why there are six colours of the candles this morning on either side of the Christ Candle.
The Candles you see here today represent the colours of the six coloured rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBTQ2S+ pride. Each colour has significance. The flag began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBTQ2S+ rights events worldwide.
The Rainbow flag is used widely but it is not the only flag that people in the community connect with. The Gilbert Pride Flag was the one that started it all. It was created in 1977 by Gilbert Baker, an artist, activist, and openly gay military veteran. Tasked by Harvey Milk, a historic figure in the fight for LBGTQ2S+ rights, to create a flag for the queer community, Baker created a rainbow flag with originally eight different colours. Inspired by the classic song “Over the Rainbow” from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Baker created a rainbow flag to represent LGBTQ2S+ folks. Each colour in the flag also had a specific meaning.
The Six-Colour-Pride Flag is one of the most well-known and used LGBTQ2S+ flags throughout history. Today we honour, the striped flag, typically six colours (from top to bottom): red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
Let us begin to light the candles as I pray the significance.
Lighting the Red Candle
We light the red candle, symbolizing life in all its richness, that we may recognize the beauty there is in differences and diversity.
Lighting the Orange Candle
We light the orange candle, symbolizing healing, that we may all be healed of prejudice and division and live in right relationships with one another.
Lighting the Yellow Candle
We light the yellow candle, symbolizing sunlight and new life, that we welcome the vibrancy and life that members of the LGBTQ2S+ community bring to the world
Lighting the Green Candle
We light the green candle, symbolizing mother earth, that we may welcome all colours, shapes, and shades of all plants, wildlife, herbs, planets, stars, peoples that constitute the whole cosmos.
Lighting the Blue Candle
We light the blue candle, symbolizing serenity, that we embody in the vastness of the skies, and the seas and waters that nurture us all.
Lighting the Violet Candle
We light the violet candle, symbolizing the spirit of the LGBTQ2S+ community that all may celebrate the gift of gender diversity, sexual orientation, trans folks and two spirited peoples as a wonderful part of God’s creation.
Lighting the Christ Candle
We now light the Christ Candle, symbolizing love burning here today and always, that we may truly know the merciful love of Jesus the one who walked this earth, and the eternal spirit that moves and dances among all God’s people here and always. Amen.
Call to Worship
We gather, on this National Affirming Sunday, together to celebrate the all-inclusive love of God—to worship the Maker, Creator who delights in diversity and created all to be celebrated, to remember the Lover, Jesus who reached out and accepted and embraced everyone, regardless of social class, ethnic and spiritual barriers. To embrace the Keeper, Spirit who continues to break down the walls that divide us. Thanks be to God!
Hymn – “Love Astounding”
Love astounding, Love confounding
Limits fearful minds impose.
Love renewing, Love pursuing
Every heart until it knows
Love’s transforming, healing good,
Love’s abiding gentle grace,
Love’s endurance, Love’s assurance,
Love’s consoling strong embrace.
Love receiving Love believing,
We rejoice with thanks and song,
Faith regaining, hope proclaiming;
Love has taught us, we belong
Safe within Love’s tender keeping,
Safe from fear’s persistent call.
Love defending, Love unending,
Love of God enfolding all.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
Oh loving God we ask your presence among us today. We acknowledge that as a society, a church body and as individuals we have not always been as merciful, kind, and accepting of anyone we consider different than ourselves. For this we humbly ask your forgiveness.
Words of Assurance
Oh merciful one, we thank you for the presence of your spirit with us always. We ask that you continue to guide us that we might humbly learn and grow in wisdom like Christ who continually rises within and among each one of us and within your Church—the body of Christ here on earth. Amen.
Sung Response – “Spirit of Life” (VU #381)
Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free;
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.
A Story for All – “A Church for All”
Hymn – “I am Loved”
I am loved. I am light. I am whole.
I am blessed. I am worthy of all.
There is love. There is Light.
There is hope to be found,
With Holy Love, Love Divine, Love within.
You are loved. You are light. You are whole.
You are blessed. You are worthy of all.
There is love. There is light.
There is hope to be found
With Holy Love, Love Divine, Love within.
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Acts 8:26-40
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Hymn – “May We Rise”
May we rise with all Creation as the Spirit gives us strength.
May we heed the inner wisdom that God’s loving knows no length.
May we be a faith filled people, living out compassion’s way.
May we find the heart-felt courage to embrace the dawning day.
May we rise. Let the songs of Love be sung.
May we rise. Sisters, brothers we are one, we are one.
May we walk to meet the shadows of our woundedness and grief.
May we trust the Holy Spirit to bring healing and relief.
May we live with Love and justice, bring Your messages of Peace.
May we know the guiding power of Your gift of Grace released.
May we rise. Let the songs of Love be sung.
May we rise. Sisters, brothers we are one, we are one.
May we reach beyond the bound’ries of the walls that do divide.
May we feel the gift of Presence in Life’s circle with no sides.
May we listen for Your calling, hearts be open to Your Way.
May we live as one in Christ. As one people, God we pray.
May we rise. Let the songs of Love be sung.
May we rise. Sisters, brothers we are one, we are one.
Sermon: “Living in Concentric Circles”
Anthem – “For All the Children”
God, we gather as your people to raise our song above,
And we dare to claim the promise of Your love,
Thought the day may not yet be here, we trust it soon will be,
When your children will be free.
O, may our hearts and minds be opened,
Fling the church doors open wide.
May there be room enough for everyone inside.
For in God there is a welcome, in God we all belong.
May that welcome be our song.
Oh, we sing for all the children, that one day they be free;
And we sing for generations yet to be,
That they never have a reason to doubt that they are blest.
May they, in Your love, find rest.
O, may our hearts and minds be opened,
Fling the church doors open wide.
May there be room enough for everyone inside.
For in God there is a welcome, in God we all belong.
May that welcome be our song.
Oh, we pray for all the young lives cut short by fear and shame
So afraid of who they are and whom they love
May the message now be banished that Your love is for the few,
May their faith in You renew.
O, may our hearts and minds be opened,
Fling the church doors open wide.
May there be room enough for everyone inside.
For in God there is a welcome, in God we all belong.
May that welcome be our song.
God, we’re working for the future when children far and wide
Can live their lives with dignify and pride.
As they grow in strength and stature,
May they join us hand in hand,
As against all hate we stand.
O, may our hearts and minds be opened,
Fling the church doors open wide.
May there be room enough for everyone inside.
For in God there is a welcome, in God we all belong.
May that welcome be our song.
We Respond to God’s Word
Invitation to Share
Offering Sung Response – “Your Work, O God, Needs Many Hands” (VU #537)
Your work, O God, needs many hands to help you everywhere,
And some there are who cannot serve unless our gifts we share.
Because we love you and your work, our offering now we make:
Be please to use it as your own, we ask for Jesus’ sake.
Offering Prayer
Prayers of the People
One: Let us pray our commitment to the Creator.
All: We will honour the vision of God for all God’s people.
Passing of the Peace
The Prayer Jesus Taught Us:
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Sour of all that is and that shall be. Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: the hallowing of your name echoes through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.
We Go Into God’s World
Hymn – “We are a Rainbow”
We’re the light of all the world, we are a city on a hill,
We’re a candle on a stand proclaiming light,
We not hide our lamp beneath a bushel anymore,
We will shine a ray of hope that’s burning bright.
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will finally cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
We’re a coat of many colours, sewn from many different threads,
Covering all in warmth, in welcome and in grace,
God said, “Let there be light,” created every varied shade,
In the rainbow each of us can find a place.
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will finally cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
We are hope to still believe in tomorrow’s better day,
We are peace in a world that’s torn apart,
We are joy that will last in all the struggles that we face
We are love that blooms and grows in every heart.
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will finally cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
When we face the storms of live, we will never be alone,
For our God will be with us on the way,
Hand in hand, side by side, we won’t be frightened anymore,
As the mourning night of tears breaks into day.
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will finally cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
Commissioning
This morning, we have lit seven candles: red for life in all its forms, Orange for healing, Yellow for sunlight and all kinds of light, Green for creation in all her diversity, Blue for serenity, Purple for the Spirit, which guides us all and the Christ Candle that we may remember whose we are in Christ, and with the Creator who is the divine caregiver.
We are called to a way of life as shown to us today in the rainbow of colours in our lives—to go out and love fully and generously with the mystery of life in its diverse expressions.
Benediction
Let us go out into the world today to celebrate our diversity joined together by the love of God, walking with the wisdom of Christ the Risen One and through the power of the Holy Spirit being lovers of all Creation.
Sung Response – “When You Walk from Here” (VU #298)
When you walk from here, when you walk from here,
Walk with justice, walk with mercy, and with God’s humble care.
