Hi Friend,

I’m glad we can be with you today in mediated fashion through a curated experience of music, liturgy, song, word, and prayer around the themes of lament and thanksgiving. “For many it will be right to give voice together to the loss and sadness we have shared, allowing us to cry out together to God, to lament what cannot be regained, to hear again God’s promise, and to give thanks for God’s steadfast love. Though we grieve with sadness for things which cannot be restored, we look to the future with hope in Christ in whom all things are made new.”
 
We are pleased to offer this video for you to use this day or at your convenience as you feed your Spirit.

Sending good vibes your way.

Take care and stay safe. 

This service and preface is crafted and adapted, with thanks, from The Methodist Church, United Kingdom, and the Church of England (Prayers of Lament, Thanksgiving and Restoration). Reflection (adapted) with thanks: Jake Owensby.

Peace, Friends,

As we return to live broadcasts and in-person worship, it is our privilege to share with you the broadcast from Sunday, September 12, 2021, featuring inspirational music with guest musician Amanda Wilhelm, and our own Peter Nikiforuk, a word from Lutheran and Anglican Leaders on the election, prayers including for educators and students, for our upcoming election, and requests from across the country that have come in during the summer, readings, a message, and the celebration of Holy Communion.

Amanda Wilhelm needs no introduction to our CTV audience. For 10 years, she was one of the choral scholars in the St. Peter’s choir and she returns regularly to help out when she can. Amanda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Opera Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University. In addition to her large private voice studio, she also coaches for KW Glee. She is regularly featured as a soloist with various choirs in Southern Ontario. 

We offer these worship elements for you to use this day or at your convenience; the timeline is listed below so you can jump to the pieces that are helpful for you. Hymn numbers are for Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

Blessing to you as you feed your spirit.

00:00  BROADCAST INTRO

00:35  OPENING     

06:36  MUSIC 1        733 Great is Thy Faithfulness

09:50  A WORD & PRAYER FROM LUTHERAN AND ANGLICAN LEADERS ON THE ELECTION

13:40  MUSIC 2        On Eagle’s Wings (Michael Joncas, arr. Mark Hayes)

18:05  READING      Isaiah 50:4-9a

19:24  MUSIC 3        798 Will You Come and Follow Me

22:45  GOSPEL       Mark 8:27-38

24:45  MUSIC 4        How I Love Your Word (Mark Hayes)

28:55  TEACHING

References: Leonard Sweet (Preach the Story); Jake Owensby (Looking for God in Messy Places); David Lose; Nadia Bolz Weber (patheos.org); Liturgical Conference (James Wilde and Hilary Hayden, eds.)

37:39  MUSIC 5        583 Take My Life, That I May Be

40:40  PRAYERS

back to school prayer crafted by Christie Morrow-Wolfe

44:35  MUSIC 6        810 O Jesus, I Have Promised

48:02  EUCHARIST

This communion liturgy has been inspired, crafted, and adapted from a variety of sources and authors, and spans several denominations and continents, in particular, that of Richard Giles (Creating Uncommon Worship). See also: Bread and Wine Online (pmphillips); Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church: Eucharistic Prayer for the Global Pandemic (Rev Lane Cotton, Rev Juan Huertas); Scattered and Gathered (Simon Woodman); Evangelical Lutheran Worship; St. Bride’s Holy Communion (Miranda Threllfall-Holmes); Online Communion for Palm Sunday (Rev Maren C. Tirabassi). Post-Communion prayer crafted by Andrew Nunn (adapted).

53:18  MUSIC 7        The Blessing (Brendan Graham and David Downes, arr. Mark Hayes)

57:35  EXTRO

Lutheran, Anglican Leaders Write To Members In Advance Of Upcoming Federal Election

September 7, 2021

The leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada have written to their members in advance of the upcoming federal election.

The text of the letter follows. Download a pdf version here.

—

September 7, 2021

On September 20, Canadians will vote in a federal election, electing Members of Parliament who will help shape the life of our country for the next four years. We give thanks for each candidate and their willingness to offer their vision, gifts and service for consideration for leadership in public life.

Over the last two years, many events have pushed for deeper reflection on the kind of Canada we desire.

Finding the remains of more than 1,300 Indigenous children who were buried in unmarked graves at the sites of several former residential schools is traumatic, heart-wrenching and profound. Many more sites have yet to be investigated. The call for healing, reconciliation and renewed relationships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples is a fundamental element of work for social and ecological justice in the Canadian context today.

The murder of George Floyd in particular, along with many other incidents in Canada and beyond, have called attention to anti-Black racism and other expressions of systemic racism. In March 2020, the Anglican Church of Canada’s Council of General Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s National Church Council participated together in a session of anti-racism training. This was one step on a multi-faceted journey of working to dismantle racism and to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of life.

The recent report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the need to address the climate crisis. This election takes place during the Season of Creation, when we are invited to reflect on our relationships with Creation and our impact on our shared home. Indigenous wisdom and relationships with the land need to inform individual, community and societal choices for healthy relationship with the Earth.

Human trafficking affects millions of people around the world. Children, women, and men are being trafficked across Canada. Certain groups are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Through a joint National Youth Project, Anglican and Lutheran youth have committed to being be agents of change in their own lives and community.

Over the last two years, our churches have also spoken together for global access to vaccines, affordable housing, Guaranteed Basic Income, justice in Palestine and Israel, human rights in the Philippines, and the dignity of human beings of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Several of our partners are publishing election resources and we commend them to you for prayer and reflection: The Canadian Council of Churches, KAIROS Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, Vote Housing, and Basic Income Now.

What kind of a Canada do you desire? How is that desire rooted in your spiritual convictions as a follower of the way of Jesus Christ? Let’s talk about that in our churches, discuss it with candidates in our ridings, pray about it in the deep longing of our hearts, bear witness to it in our public discourse, and seal it with a vote that thoughtfully considers what will make our country a good place for all, and therefore a good place for each of us.

Let us pray together:

Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within your creation. In Jesus, you place the Gospel in the centre of this Sacred Circle through which all of creation is related. You show us the way to live a generous and compassionate life. Give us your strength to live together with respect and commitment as we grow in your Spirit, for you are God, now and forever. Amen.
(The Gathering Prayer, Gospel Based Discipleship)

Yours in Christ,

The Most Rev. Mark MacDonald,
National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada

The Most Reverend Linda Nicholls,
Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Susan Johnson,
 National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

NEED TECH SUPPORT?

There’s a new program called enTECH@home that provides phone- and email-based tech support to anyone who may need a bit of technology help. This service is entirely free, and run by University of Waterloo student volunteers. 

“We are happy to provide support to anyone who contacts us – this service is available to you no matter where you live or how old you are. We are happy to provide support to community members living in retirement homes and long-term care homes.”

Services are currently only offered in English. We are looking into providing support in other languages.

Common issues include:

• Problems with video calling
• Setting up an email account
• How to use YouTube
• Joining online religious services
• Other technology issues

A volunteer will make two attempts to contact you, after which we would ask you to reconnect with us and provide your updated availability. (http://www.entech.club, accessed Feb18,21)

Details are in enTECH’s graphic below.