Sunday, May 4, 2025
Order of Service
We welcome all gathering for worship this morning or later in the week. Whether you attend in-person, worship on ZOOM or YouTube, or are a viewer on Rogers TV20 - please know that we consider everyone to be a part of our worship experience and an integral member of our St. Andrew's Guelph community.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this morning's service, both in-person and virtually.
Join us on our St. Andrew's Guelph YouTube Channel, select the live service, and remember to invite your friends and families. You can also join us via ZOOM by following the link in your Sunday morning email. If you'd like to begin receiving our weekly emails, you can sign up here.
Good Morning and welcome to Mission Awareness Sunday! Rooted in compassion and driven by hope, we seek to be present and caring in Guelph and around the world. Through local partnerships, refugee sponsorships, community dinners, and global ministry, we respond to God’s call to love our neighbours — near and far. We hope this time of worship is meaningful and enjoyable as together, old friends and new we give God the glory, learn of Christ’s love and be equipped for holy living. A warm welcome to join after worship to be with Chris and Lindsey and share our life with them as partners in mission.
Our Mission & Outreach Coordinating Committee (MOCC) guides our work, stewarding relationships and resources with prayerful intention. Members of MOCC: Cindy Bray, Dallas Green, Lonny Howard, John Lappin, Rick McRonald, Sue Mustard, Martin Shelley, Mary Shelley, Knolly Toolsie-Swanton, and Rhonda Wright.
Our guest speaker: Chris Sciascetti, is the Clinical Manager of Supportive Housing at Stonehenge Therapeutic Community. Chris has been supporting individuals with substance use and mental health issues since her journey began working at Stonehenge 19 years ago. She currently supports the housing team at Stonehenge who provide support to over 80 individuals in Guelph Wellinton. Chris is joined today by Lindsey Sodtke, HART Hub & Integrated Program Manager, Guelph Community Health Centre.
Prelude: The God of Abraham praise
arr. J. Innes
Invocation
D. Bédard
Call to Worship
324 Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not; thy compassions they fail not,
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness;
morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in eloquent witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness;
morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness;
morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Forgiveness
645 – Follow me, the Master said
“Follow me” the master said: we will follow Jesus.
By his word and spirit led, we will follow Jesus.
Still for us he lives to plead, at the throne will intercede,
offers help in time of need, we will follow Jesus.
Should the world and sin oppose, we will follow Jesus.
He is greater than our foes; we will follow Jesus.
On his promise we depend; he will hear us and defend,
help and keep us to the end; we will follow Jesus.
Though the way may dark appear, we will follow Jesus.
He will make our pathway clear; we will follow Jesus.
In our daily round of care, as we plead with God in prayer,
with the cross which we must bear, we will follow Jesus.
† Ever keep that end in view; we will follow Jesus.
All his promises are true, we will follow Jesus.
When this earthly course is run, and the Master says, “Well done!”
life eternal we have won, we will follow Jesus.
Practical Compassion (video)
Presbyterian World Service
Guest Speaker: Chris Sciascetti, Clinical Manager Supportive Housing at Stonehenge
Prayer for Illumination
Rhonda Wright
Jesus, Word who became flesh, be present with us today as we encounter the written word. Open our ears to hear the message you have prepared for us.
Psalm 112 NRSV
1Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
8His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
10The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Matthew 5:5-14 NRSV
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Reader: This is the word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Sermon: Making the Connection
“Let your light shine before others” Matthew 5:16
635 – Brother, sister, let me serve you
Brother, sister, let me serve you; let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey, and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow, till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.
† Brother, sister, let me serve you; let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant to.
Call for the Offering
Rick McRonald, Partners in Mission and Outreach
Donate Online via debit or credit
Cheques:
St. Andrew’s Guelph, 161 Norfolk Street, Guelph, ON N1H 4J8
Presbyterians Sharing is how we support our denomination as a whole. Your gifts the variety of missions and ministries that The Presbyterian Church in Canada supports throughout Canada. It also ensures that we are well resources by our National Office staff.
If you are able, the MOCC would encourage you to consider donating to Presbyterians Sharing. You can do so by clicking here. (Make sure that you indicate that you are from St. Andrew’s Guelph on the online form in order for it to count towards our commitment)
Or you can make a donation directly to Presbyterians Sharing through St. Andrew’s Guelph. Please mark your donation: Presbyterians Sharing.
We are making a difference TOGETHER.
If you’d like to make a donation to Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D) you can do so by clicking here.
Offertory: Amazing Grace
arr. D. Hustad
Doxology
Tune: Old 100th
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer of Dedication
Anthem: Christ’s is the world
Scottish Traditional
197th Appeal update and encouragement
John Groenewegen
Reading of Banns – J. Lappin and C. Bray
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
757 Come sing, O church, in joy
Come sing, O church, in joy! Come join, O church, in song!
For Christ the Lord has led us through the ages long!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now and praise the Lord!
Long years have come and gone, and still God reigns supreme,
empowering us to catch the vision, dream the dream!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now and praise the Lord!
Let courage be our friend, let wisdom be our guide,
as we in mission magnify the Crucified!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now and praise the Lord!
Come sing, O church, in joy! Come join, O church, in song!
For Christ the lord has triumphed o’er the ages long!
† In bold accord, come celebrate the journey now and praise the Lord!
Commissioning Cindy Bray
Jesus said, “I am willing.” May we join our voices to his, in responding to a world that is hurting, with the words, “We are willing.” Go into the world, seeking to find the spark of divinity in each encounter, ready to see and bow to the holy in each person.
Benediction
Postlude: Toccata on “Darwall’s 148th”
arr. J. Enns
We gather on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg and the Haudenosaunee Peoples. We are also on lands that are part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. We live and work, worship, learn and meet on lands that are the traditional territory of many different Indigenous Peoples who were here before the establishment of European colonies.
