Bulletin – Sunday, October 18, 2026 – 6th Sunday of the Season on Creation
Windsor Park United Church
6th Sunday Season of Creation
October 18, 2026
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Lighting the Christ Candle
We are here. Christ is with us. Let us light these candles with gracious and open welcoming hearts
Please join in the singing of the Hymn: “We Are One” (Voices United #402)
We are one as we come,
As we come, joyful to be here,
In the praise on our lips
There’s a sense that God is near.
We are one as we sing,
As we seek, we are found,
And we come needful of God’s grace
As we meet together in this place.
We are one as we share,
As we share brokenness and fear,
In the touch of a hand
There’s a sense that God is here.
We are one as we care,
As we heal, we are healed,
And we share warmth in God’s embrace
As we pray together in this place.
We are one in the feast.
As we feast, peace becomes the sign,
In the bread and the wine
There’s a sense of love divine.
We are one as we come,
As we feed, we are fed,
And we feel God’s refreshing grace
As we meet at table in this place.
We are one as we hear,
As we hear heart and hand unite,
In the word we receive
There’s a sense that God is light.
We are one as we leave,
As we love, we are loved;
And we seek justice in God’s ways
As we move together from this place.
Call to Worship
God calls us by name. What a gift to gather to hear the voice of God and feel the warmth of God’s presence.
Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance
One: As we gather on this day and during this season of change. Let us awaken into You, O’ Creator. Let us lift up our arms in praise. We thank you for this day and this time. We arise together in the resurrection that you have given us.
All: Let us throw off the covers of sleep and inertia. We trust in You. Wrap us round with goodness. Let us place our feet down on You who are ground. Grace. Stability of Earth.
One: Bear us. Bear with us. Bear us forth into this day, and into this time of our lives. You have given us, bless us O’ Creator, our Maker and Sustainer.
All: Let the water of Your love. Run over us, within us, shower us with blessings as we begin this time of worship in Your name.
One: Water within water. Stream of hope, ocean of Faith. Cup us in Your hands. Accept the waters of our lives as they flow through this day and time of change. Baptize us once again into the rivers of hope and trust that we may rest in You. Amen.
(Adapted from a Prayer in “Radical Gratitude,” by Mary Jo Leddy)
Sung Response – “Grant To Us Your Peace” (Voices United #955)
Grant to us your peace on earth,
Grant to us your peace, O God.
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Readings
The first scripture reading is from the Book of Exodus 33:17-33
17 The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.’ 18 Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ 19 And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, “The Lord”; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ 21 And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’
The second reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ 21 They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Reflection
We Respond to God’s Word
Please join in the singing of the hymn – “O God Beyond All Praising” (Voices United #256
O God beyond all praising,
We worship you today
And sing the love amazing
That songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder
At every gift you send,
At blessings without number
And mercies without end:
We lift our hearts before you
And wait upon your word,
We honour and adore you,
Our great and mighty Lord.
The flower of earthly splendor
In time must surely die,
Its fragile bloom surrender
To you our God most high;
But hidden from all nature
The eternal seed is sown
Though small in mortal stature,
To heaven’s garden grown:
For Christ your gift from heaven
From death has set us free,
And we through him are given
The final victory.
Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
This song of praise we sing,
May we, who know your favour
Our humble service bring;
And whether our tomorrows
Be filled with good or ill,
We’ll triumph through our sorrows
And rise to bless you still:
To marvel at your beauty
And glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty
Our sacrifice of praise.
Invitation to Share
Offering Sung Response “All That We Have” (Onelicense.net by G. Ault)
All that we have and all that we offer
Comes from a heart both frightened and free.
Take what we bring now and give what we need.
All done in God’s name.
Offering Prayer
Bless these gifts we offer with generous hearts. Bless us O’ God that we may use them to build Your Kingdom of heaven on earth with you as the guide Of our footsteps and wisdom for our actions. Amen
Prayers of the People
One: God of …, hear our prayer
All: Hear our prayer, O God
Invitation to the Passing of the Peace
Please offer one another the peace of Christ in a way that you feel comfortable and respects others’ space.
The Prayer that Jesus Taught
One: Please join me in praying the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: Our Creator who is like Our Mother and…
All: 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 that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
We Go Into God’s World
Minute Person
Announcements
Please join in the singing of the hymn – “When We Are Living” (Voices United #581)
When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
And when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying
We belong to God, we belong to God.
Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving or when receiving,
We belong to God, we belong to God.
Mid times of sorrow and in times of pain
When sensing beauty or in love’s embrace,
Whether we suffer or sing rejoicing,
We belong to God, we belong to God.
Across this wide world, we shall always find
Those who are crying with no peace of mind,
But when we help them, or when we feed them,
We belong to God, we belong to God.
Commissioning
The time has come to take all we have gathered In our time of community worship Out into the world with joy and conviction walking side by side with all who are in need and into all that needs healing.
Extinguish Candle
Benediction
Let us go now and walk humbly into the world. With the deep assurance that the Love of God surrounds us, the wisdom of Jesus the Risen Christ eternal, leads us, the courage given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit will strengthen us. Amen.
Sung Response – “Amen” (Voices United #969)
Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen
