Bulletin – Sunday, June 15, 2025 – Trinity Sunday / Father’s Day
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Trinity Sunday/Father’s Day
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Announcements
Lighting the Christ Candle
Today, we light this Christ candle as a symbol of the presence of Jesus Christ with us on our journey of life and discipleship: Jesus Christ, the light of life for us.
Call to Worship
One: Let us gather in the presence of God, our Creator.
All: Let us gather in the love of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
One: Let us gather in the embrace of the Holy Spirit.
All: Let us gather as God’s people, created in promise, forgiven in love, and made new by the Spirit’s breath.
One: Let us gather and worship God.
(Frances Flook, Emo/Devlin P.C., Emo, Ont. Gathering Pentecost 1 2025 p 27)
Hymn – “Holy, Holy, Holy” (VU #315)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty;
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Prayer of Approach and Confession (based on Psalm 8)
One: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all of the earth!
All: In the beginning, you spoke, and your breath filled us with life!
One: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth!
All: When we drifted away, you were still with us.
One: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth!
All: You sent your Son, so that we would know your love as he has known your love.
One: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth!
All: After your Son returned to you, you sent the Spirit to us so your love continues to live among and in us.
One: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth!
All: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Holy Trinity! Your love is three in one!
One: Now, in silence, we open our hearts to God in the confession and in hope!
(time of silent prayer)
O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth!
All: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Holy Trinity! Your love is three in one!
(Fraser Williamson, Loring P.C. Port Loring/Golden Valley, ON Gathering Pentecost 1 2025 p. 29)
Words of Assurance
People of faith, know that God always hears our prayers, both spoken and unspoken. Through Jesus, we have faith that we are a forgiven people. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, we know that God is with us always. Thanks be to God.
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.
Dedication of Crest Banner
The crest is the official signature of The United Church of Canada, placed on legal documents, ordination and commissioning certificates, and licences to perform the sacraments. Designed by the Rev. Dr. Victor T. Mooney (a treasurer of the United Church), it was officially adopted in 1944 by the 11th General Council.
For our church members, this insignia is a spiritual and historic reminder. Its oval shape is derived from the outline of a fish, a symbol of identity by early Christians. The initials of the words “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour” spell the Greek word for fish. The crest is designed in the form of a St. Andrew’s Cross with an insignia in each of the four corners. The “X” at the centre, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, is a traditional symbol for Christ. In the four corners of the crest are symbols, three of which are particularly associated with the three communions—Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian—that united to form The United Church of Canada in 1925.
The open Bible represents the Congregational Churches with their emphasis upon God’s truth that makes people free. From this communion we have a heritage of liberty in prophesying, love of spiritual freedom, awareness of the creative power of the Holy Spirit, and clear witness for civic justice. The dove is emblematic of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10) whose transforming power has been a distinctive mark of Methodism. Here our heritage is one of evangelical zeal, concern for human redemption, warmth of Christian fellowship, the testimony of spiritual experience, and the ministry of sacred song.
The burning bush is the symbol of Presbyterianism. It refers to the bush that burned and was not consumed (Exodus 3:2), and symbolizes the indestructibility of the church. From Presbyterianism we have received a heritage of high regard for the dignity in worship, the education of all people, the authority of scripture, and the church as the Body of Christ. The symbols alpha and omega in the lower quarter are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They symbolize the eternal living God, in the fullness of creation (Revelation 1:8).
The Latin words ut omnes unum sint that surround the symbols on the crest mean “That all may be one” and are taken from John 17:21. They are a reminder that we are both a “united” and “uniting” church. In 1980, a French translation of The United Church of Canada—L’Église Unie du Canada—was authorized by General Council to be added to the crest. In August of 2012, at the 41st General Council, The United Church of Canada acknowledged the presence and spirituality of Aboriginal peoples in the United Church by revising the church’s crest. The crest changes include incorporating the colours often associated with the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel, which reflects respect for diversity and interdependence, is often represented in the four traditional colours of yellow, red, black, and white, which incorporate important teachings from the four directions, the four stages of life, and the four seasons. The placement of these colours will vary according to the traditions of the nation. The Medicine Wheel teaches us to seek balance in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the circle of life. The crest changes also include the addition of the Mohawk phrase “Akwe Nia’Tetewá:neren” [aw gway– nyah day day waw– nay renh], which means “All my relations.”
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank you for this new banner, a symbol of our commitment and faith as Windsor Park United Church. We dedicate it to your glory and to the service of your people. Bless this banner, that it may be a source of strength and inspiration for all who see it. May it remind us of our common beliefs and history as members of the United Church of Canada. We give thanks for the hands that crafted this banner and ask for your guidance and blessing upon this banner and all who are associated with it, that we may be a light to others. Amen.
Hymn – “Descending Dove”
Descending dove, you point the way; Your downward flight means God will stay
Among us and will ever be as Spirit here eternally.
O burning bush, bright flames alight; God’s presence there, yet out of sight.
O witness true, so you will be our holy sign eternally.
The open book, the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ made manifest.
Our sacred text, such verse will be our faithful guide eternally.
The Alpha and Omega one, God’s precious heaven-gifted Son.
The church formed long ago will be his body here eternally.
Across this land our voices rise, heard o’er the earth and sea and skies.
As one we sing, so may it be: we praise our God eternally.
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Scripture Reading: John 16:12-15 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Hymn – “Praise to the Lord” (VU #835)
Praise to the Lord, all of you, God’s servants,
Blessed be the name of our God now and ever.
From the rising up of the sun may the Lord be praised,
Praise to the name of the Lord.
There is none like our God in the heavens or on earth,
Who lifts the poor from the dust, seating them with the mighty,
Who stoops to raise the weak and low:
May the Lord be praised, praise to the name of the Lord.
Introduction to Sermon
On Sunday, June 8, a national worship service was held in St. John’s at Gower United Church. Today we will be watching the sermon portion of the service. Speaking is Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, who served as general secretary of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, which the United Church of Canada has been a part of since its inception. We will be watching a portion of his sermon today.
Video Sermon: https://youtu.be/bh4sW1kdpWo?t=3302
Hymn: “We Join in Proclaiming”
We join in proclaiming the faith we believe in –
That God is Creator and we are God’s own.
We trust in Christ Jesus and gladly receive him
For we have been blessed by the love he has shown.
Christ died and is risen and, one with the Father,
He reigns now in heaven, still loving the earth.
The Spirit of God that moved over the waters
Now moves here among us, empowering God’s church.
O God, we have pondered through years of our history
How you are Creator and Spirit and Son.
We’ve prayed and we’ve studied and called it a mystery
That you are three persons and yet you are one.
Creating and saving, your church here renewing,
You still are one God working many good ways.
May we humbly thank you for all you are doing!
O God in three persons, we offer you praise.
We Respond to God’s Word
Invitation to Share
God gives us a world of great diversity, full of wonder and potential. Let us honour God’s gifts to us through Christ and the Holy Spirit as we present our offering.
Offering Sung Response – “For the Life That You Have Given”
For the life that you have given, for the love in Christ made known,
With these fruits of time and labour, with these gifts that are your own:
Here we offer, Lord, our praises, heart and mind and strength we bring;
Give us grace to love and serve you, living what we pray and sing.
Offering Prayer
On this Trinity Sunday, we come before you, Holy God, to offer our praise and adoration, along with our gifts. You are God, the creator, giving us richly all things to enjoy. You are Christ, the Saviour of the world, made flesh to set us free. You are the Spirit of truth and love, willing to dwell in us. You are holy and blessed. One God, Eternal Trinity. We, the people formed in your image, offer these gifts to the work and world your love brings to life. Amen.
(Carol O’Neil, Westminster U.C. Whitby, On Gathering Pentecost 1 2025 p 29)
Prayers of the People
One: We thank you, O God, that you have given us an enduring hope—one which cannot disappoint us or mislead us. “We thank you, that through our faith in you and in your Son Jesus Christ, you enter into every believing heart and make new lives that have been torn asunder by the darkness of this. By your grace.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
One: We pray today, O God, that those believers who are asleep may awake and know that salvation is nearer now than when they first believed. Help them, and us, to lay aside the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light that you bestow upon those who actively seek you day by day. Grant that their faith and ours may be fully alive. By your grace.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
One: We ask today, O God, for those who have lost hope and for those who have never had it. Grant to us and to those we lift before you in our hearts a new and abiding vision of what have you have done, and what you are doing, and what you will do, to save and redeem your people and indeed the creation itself. Grant, O God, that all might see and believe and discover their purpose of all that is and all that is yet to be. By your grace.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
One: We lift before you, O God, those persons and those places named in our hearts today: Marlene, Rob, Barb, Joe, Sylvia, Rhonda, Rick, Bill, Lyall, Lee, Alice, Frank, Linda, Susan, Debra. By your grace.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
One: We ask all of this to you. O God, knowing you are our hope and our salvation, a very present help in times of trouble, and the One whose purpose is to grant new and abundant life to us and our world. Praise be to your name. Now, let us prayer together the prayer Jesus taught us.
The Prayer Jesus Taught Us:
Our Mother and 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.
We Go Into God’s World
Hymn – “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” (VU #651)
Guide me, O though great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty, hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more,
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield,
Be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side;
Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to thee
I will ever give to thee.
Commissioning
As we leave this place, we are accompanied by the same Spirit that journeyed with our ancestors in the faith. May we be guided by these saints from our rich past – having learned from both their wisdom and their mistakes. May we be as courageous and visionary as the current batch of disciples, inspired to new ways of being the church in this time and place, while being nourished and sustained by roots that have grown for millennia. May we continue to proclaim and share the Good News of God’s love, which, from age to age, never changes! We are the Body of Christ, my friends. May this be always celebrated in ways that bring the transformation and new life God dreams of.
(Elise Faltrin, Chemainus E.V., Chemainus, B.C. adapted)
Benediction
May God, the Creator, Christ, the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, Sustainer, be with us as we go. Thanks be to God. Amen.
(Elise Faltrin, Chemainus E.V., Chemainus, B.C. adapted)
Sung Response – “With a Vision of Hope”
With a vision of hope we move along.
Empowered by faith we carry on.
Reaching out far and wide, moving forward reaching high.
Filled with hope, filled with dreams, we journey on.
