MINISTER’S MESSAGE
Rev. Steve Gillam
Greetings, everyone, in this joyful Eastertide!
Okay, let me say it… Awesome! I’m referring, of course, to the solar eclipse on Monday. Wow. Just, wow. I have to admit, I wasn’t super excited going into it. We planned to watch and be part of it – Glenn ordered the proper eyewear – and we settled into the back yard – I wasn’t going to miss it – but… I was unexpectedly blown away. Awed.
I’ve often joked that if I had to choose an epitaph for my headstone it would be “He was awed.” Hoping they get the spelling right, but… Life fascinates me. God’s awesomeness moves me. The strength, goodness, and resilience of the human spirit inspires me. The beauty of the changing seasons, people who take risks to help others, rainbows and thunderstorms, and how nectarines are smooth but peaches are fuzzy… wow. So, on Monday I was awed.
I hope you got to experience it. As Glenn so poetically put it, “That’s freakin’ freaky, eh?!”
I kept thinking about our ancient ancestors who had experienced this same event in their time. With our special glasses, we got to see everything, beginning with the early stages. And we’d been told, in great detail, that it was coming. I was imagining folk of yore only experiencing the final full eclipse moment: the sun disappears, an eerie darkness falls, the air chills. What must they have thought? No doubt for some it was a throw-a-virgin-in-a-volcano moment.
We got to experience the awesome without the terror and mystery. And then, my mind went to Easter. That’s really what it’s about, right? We experience the awesome without terror and mystery. Okay, still some mystery. And still some pain. But no fear. As Paul wrote, because of resurrection, now there is nothing – not even the fear of death – that can separate us from God’s love.
To quote Rev. Linda Buchanan, “God is awesome!” So let us live fully and love abundantly. Don’t give-in to being jaded or suspicious or apathetic. Be awed! Be wowed! Be grateful! For we are an Easter people.
Awesome.
Peace.
Rev. Steve
Sunday, April 14, 2024
11:00 A.M.
Worship Song: MV#180 “Sing, Sing Out!”
Hymn: VU#161 “Welcome, Happy Morning” – verses 1,2,3
Connections: Happy Hat Sunday!
Hymn: VU#186 “Now the Green Blade Rises”
Scripture: John 20:1-18
Reflection: You know the way…
Hymn: MV#157 “I Am a Child of God”
Prayers and The Lord’s Prayer (sung VU#959)
Offering and Sung Dedication: VU#958 Hallelujah
Hymn: VU#177 “This Joyful Eastertide”
You may join us via Zoom at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7197797321?pwd=RmF4Q0c1UVJlN1BIaUhEM1gvTk1MZz09
Meeting ID: 719 779 7321, Passcode: 442730
Or by phone at: 438-809-7799
The service from April 7th may be viewed at: https://youtu.be/r1mtJx3ShwI
IT’S HAPPY HAT SUNDAY THIS WEEK: We’re a bit off schedule, but we’ll share stories about the work of our church’s Mission & Service and then pass the hat to celebrate special things in our lives this week.
NEW MEMBERS
We were very happy to welcome Brandon Borodach and Paul Van Esbroeck to our faith family last Sunday, April 7th. Brandon has been a tremendous help to us in recent months, sharing his technical skills, and upgrading our computer and livestream capacities. Paul has become a familiar face singing in the bass section of the choir and is the new Chair of our Ministry and Personnel Committee.
Welcome Paul and Brandon, we are blessed by your presence with us!
POSTLUDE DUET
Our thanks to Frank Giffen and Danny Garcia, accompanied by Dr. Gohar Manvelyan, who provided such a fine finish to our service last Sunday, with their delightful rendition of “Easter Parade” by Irving Berlin.
COMING UP
The Balcony Boutique will be open on Saturday, April 13th, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon.
Zoom coffee. Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Just click: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7197797321?pwd=RmF4Q0c1UVJlN1BIaUhEM1gvTk1MZz09 Meeting ID: 719 779 7321, Passcode: 442730
Sunday, April 21, 2024, 2:30 p.m.: Choral Concert by Cantabile For information and tickets, contact Sheila Lindsay (sheilamarj@gmail.com, phone: 514-291-9780) or the Cantabile website at https://www.cantabilechorale.com/
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A CALLOUT FROM REV. STEVE:
YOUTH GROUP – I was asked about the possibility of starting a youth group here at Lakeshore Trinity. And I think that’s a great idea! A chance for our teens to get together every once in a while and play and work and share faith/life stories and questions. Your lives are already pretty busy; we’re thinking maybe once every two months to start? So…
TO ALL OF OUR TEENS – Share your thoughts with me. What would you like to do? Shall we just plan a first event and then you can decide where you want this to go? What’s a good time of the week to meet? And bring your friends. You can assure them that they’re not being recruited! It’ll just be a gathering in a safe space where everyone is welcome just as they are.
TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY BID ADIEU TO THEIR TEEN YEARS – Is this something that might be of interest to you? I’d love to see a group that is run by the youth, but it would be good to have some older young adults as mentors and guides. I’ll be a resource, your biggest fan, and available to help whenever and however, but having a couple of people whose own teen years are not so much of a distant memory as mine are would be, well, awesome. Let me know. macduffsdad@hotmail.com
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA REMIT 1 HAS PASSED
The membership of the United Church of Canada has voted YES to establishing an Autonomous National Indigenous Organization within the United Church. All 16 regional councils, the National Indigenous Council, and 80% of pastoral charges in The United Church of Canada participated in the vote. Of 1950 pastoral charges, 1482 voted in favour of the remit, including Lakeshore Trinity.
There is one final phase in the process. The 44th General Council Annual Meeting will be asked to enact the remit when it meets on October 19, 2024.
In anticipation of the General Council, the National Indigenous Council, the National Indigenous Elders Council, and the Executive of the General Council will continue to work together to identify and lay out a framework for this new autonomous Indigenous organization.
WE GIVE THANKS
The email address for e-transfer is: ltuc98givings@gmail.com. Please include your envelope number and indicate how you wish to have your offering divided. If not indicated, it will be designated as local offering.
Cheques should be made payable to Lakeshore Trinity United Church. They may be dropped in the mail slot at the church or sent by regular mail if you are not attending church in person.
Rev. Steve Gillam can be reached by phone or text at 514-235-9383 or by email at macduffsdad@hotmail.com.
Lakeshore Trinity United Church
98 Aurora Ave. Pointe-Claire, QC, H9R 3G7
514-697-6459
The church office is open Tuesday to Friday mornings from 9 AM to noon.
email: lakeshoretrinityunited@gmail.com
On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Lakeshore-Trinity-United-Church-101331995747334
