Sometimes I wonder . . . Do people get tired of hearing me say that Sunday was “another great day”? Do they think that I’m just saying that because it’s what I want them to believe? Except . . . I’m not the only one that attends our services, so when I say “another great day” or “another great service” I would expect people to say “huh? you really think so?” if it weren’t – but no one has! So when I say that Sunday was “another great day” . . . it was indeed “another great day”!
Sunday was our annual spring Celebration of Worship through Music. I begin with an apology: I didn’t think to ask someone to take pictures of the service until after it was over, and by then it was definitely too late! We could have staged something. But we didn’t. So if you want to know about the music and those who shared, you’ll have to check out the service on our Facebook or YouTube feeds.
I’d like to thank everyone who participated . . . the voices raised in praise and worship lifted us to Father. I didn’t get – or take – the opportunity to say it in our service, but Trinity’s future is in good hands with the (and forgive me for mentioning age) younger people who lead, with the support and help of those more experienced in their faith . . . working together for the Kingdom of God.
It was also Pentecost Sunday . . . the day that we celebrate the birth of the church. We remember the day that the Holy Spirit touched a group of people who were uncertain about their future and gave them power and help to share the Good News of Jesus. The world was changed that day. In his book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, Tom Holland suggests that without Christianity, the Western world would not exist – that Christianity utterly transformed the world. That was through the power of the Spirit.
As always, you can find a manuscript of the message in the SERMONS section of our web site – click here to download a copy.
I concluded our time together with these words: Peter stood up and began to preach, the Spirit of God leading and prompting and using Him to share the Good News of Jesus. That same Holy Spirit of God – the power of God that is available through the Holy Spirit – moves us to action. Will we receive? Will we act? Perhaps I should have made that more personal, so I do now, and ask have you received the power that is available to help you live a holy life and to share the Good News with others? I encourage you to do so, and to live with everything that God has for you.
You can also “revisit” yesterday’s service on our Facebook page (click here) and on our YouTube channel (click here). And do print and read our message (as I said, it can be found in the SERMONS section of our web site – download a copy (click here).
Our annual denominational District Assembly will take place this Friday (June 10). Delegates can participate through a ZOOM feed, and non-delegates can watch on the District YouTube channel (click here). The Assembly begins with a time of prayer at 9:30; the Assembly proper begins at 10:00. We are still looking for people who would be willing to be voting delegates from Trinity Church.
The Ordination service will be streamed on the District YouTube channel at 7:00 pm.
All reports will be found on the district app, and in the District Assembly booklet (it will be on-line on the district web site, centralnazarene.ca, sometime tomorrow).
A District “Family Reunion” service will be streamed on the District YouTube channel beginning at 3:00 pm Sunday June 12. We will gather to celebrate through worship at 11:00 am in the sanctuary as we usually do. Join us “in person” or through our Facebook feed (click here) or our YouTube feed (click here) – or link directly from our web site (click here). Please “check in” – let us know if you worship with us “live or delayed”.
We meet every Wednesday evening at 7:00 through ZOOM to pray together. We share with one another, we discover the needs of others who are part of our church near and far, and we pray . . . some silently, some vocally. Join us this week! E-mail the church office for log-in information
Thank you for your faithful support of the work we are trying to accomplish for Christ through what we do as a church . . . for giving generously of your tithes and offerings to the meet the needs of our local church. We continue to receive our tithes and offerings through e-transfer (ottawatrinity@rogers.com) and through the Canada Helps web site (click here).
Barb, Emmanuelle, Matt, and Pierre are your pastoral transition team. They will begin working with our District Superintendent, meeting with him next Tuesday evening. A “transition handbook” is available on the district web site. During the transition Johania, Matt, and Pastor Lloyd Rodriguez (and perhaps others) will share preaching duties; we are working on a preaching schedule.
Also note . . . A family that we are in contact with is moving into the neighbourhood and is in need of some furniture . . . talk to me if you have anything you can share . . . the church property committee will share a “spring cleaning needs” list soon; we ask that if you can you sign up for a cleaning need, to be completed at your convenience; this is instead of holding a work day . . . Pastor André of our Ottawa Haitian Church will have his credentials recognized by our denomination (he comes to us from the Mission Evangélique d'Haiti) . . .
Saturday the was a celebration day for the community garden: members of the garden met on the 10th anniversary of the first gardening season. 2022 is also the year of the community garden. Fellowship (and cake) were the orders of the day.
The garden also said “goodbye” to me with a gift – a beautiful stained gift piece of art, handcrafted by one of our Riverview Park neighbours. Although I have been Trinity’s “face” in the garden over the years, this is your garden. I have been glad to have been part of this ministry and pray that it will continue to be a source of “Jesus light” in the days ahead . . . and a great reminder of our responsibility in Creation Care as God’s people.
Gardeners were interviewed about their involvement . . . click here to see/hear their views.