• Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas):  Candlemas is celebrated as a winter festival of birth and light. It is also a story of living, aging and learning. The wisdom of ages, the years of struggling and hurting and loving, the presenting of themselves regularly in the communal round of worship, the prayers of a lifetime - these are experiences that enabled Simeon and Anna to recognize God in Jesus and to have confidence in the safety and vulnerability of God’s love.

  Living and dying, striving for holiness and justice, accepting forgiveness and affirmation, living with the questions and the mystery, trusting in hope of home and the glory and the light of the resurrection – these are the elements of life and loving that dance and burn in the candles of Candlemas. And these are the candles that are offered to us so that, lit by God’s bright fire, we may be light and warmth for God’s world. (from Hay and Stardust, Ruth Burgess@ Iona Community) This year, on January 30, during our Candlemas celebrations, we invite families to light a pillar candle from home as you enjoy our virtual service at 11 a.m.

• Church of the Good Shepherd:  In collaboration with Coffee Matters, Parish of the Good Shepherd is pleased to host a Take-Out Cold Plate sale on Thursday, January 27, 2022. Cost: $ 13.00 per plate. To order:
  • Please comment on the original post located on our Facebook page
  • Call the office at 747-1022 and leave a message
  • Send us a message through Facebook.
  Please indicate your method of payment when placing your order. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or emt to [email protected]. (If paying by emt, please add what the payment is for in the comment section.) Pick up time will be between 4 pm and 6 pm on Thursday, January 27, 2022. This is a pick-up/take out only option meal. We thank you for your continued support.
• Anglican Fellowship of Prayer:   On February 28, we are inviting you to join us for an hour of biblical readings, reflection, music, intercession, silence and other types and kinds of prayer. You are welcome to actively participate or simply listen and pray quietly. This will be help via Zoom and the meeting information is as follows:
  • Zoom meeting ID: 820 0140 8803
  • Passcode: 359803

You can also join us by telephone at one of these numbers: (with the same meeting ID and passcode):

• • (778)907-2071; (204)272- 7920; (438)809-7799;
  • (587)328-1099; (647)374-4685; (647)558-0588.

We look forward to your prayer and presence with us.

• Community Supper Take-out for Those in Need:  This is a hot, free take-out meal for those in need.  Meal will be served from the entrance of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Richard Nolan Drive on Wednesday, January 26.  If you know someone who could use a hot meal, please come pick one up for them.  Covid-19 protocols will be observed. Meals will be available from 5-6:30 pm.
• On-line Services:  Due to the evolving situation with the Omicron virus and as per direction from the Diocese, we have cancelled in-person worship. Instead, we will resume on-line worship each Sunday at 11 a.m. Please join us on-line on our Facebook page at Parish of the Ascension. The service will be recorded and you will be able to view it at a later time on our Facebook page, as well as our YouTube channel.
• Church Envelope Numbers:  Many of you have noticed that our church envelope numbers have changed. Over the past couple of years, we have reduced the number of envelopes as many numbers were not being used. This enabled us to save funds sorely needed elsewhere. If you had a number between 401 and 700, your number is now changed. Please ensure you use your new 2022 church envelopes and write your name on the envelopes so your givings can be correctly applied to your tax receipt. Thank you.
• Office Closure:  The general office will remain closed to the public until further notice. In the event of a pastoral emergency, please contact Rev. Lynn Courage at 682-8500. If your call is not of an urgent nature, you may leave a message on the office phone, 368-5693, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

• Church Givings:

   If you have offerings for the church, you may:

  • drop them off at the drop box on the front steps (to the right). This mailbox will be monitored regularly;
  • e-transfer to [email protected] (password: church). Be sure to indicate where you would like your donation allocated;
  • contact the office to sign up for preauthorized givings. Church office number is 368-5693 or email [email protected].
  Just a reminder to include your name, envelope number and amount of the giving on the envelope when you submit your donation.  This will ensure you receive credit on your yearly tax receipts. We sincerely thank you!
• Home Again Furniture Bank:  Due to the evolving pandemic, Home Again Furniture Bank has moved to contact less pick-up and delivery. They will no longer enter homes. Instead, they will drop off and pick-up furniture at the front step, main door or in garages. If this does not work for you, please hold your items until the guidelines and restrictions ease and it is safe to enter homes once again. Thank you.
• Services During the Week:
  • January 23, 2022 Epiphany III, 11:00am: TBD

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Brothers and sisters, we are united today with fellow believers in the four corners of the world as we gather to pray for the visible  unity of the Church. We do this with worship resources prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches. Our texts are inspired by the visit of the Magi to the new-born King, as described in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him.” Let us fix our eyes on the star that was seen in the East and allow it to lead us too.

Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and joy, bringing all the sick, the suffering, the marginalized, the refugees, and the uprooted before him, knowing that God can dispel our darkness with his light. As we pray today for the unity of the Church, may we and our communities also be lights that guide others to Jesus the Saviour.

Glory be to you, Father Almighty, for you have revealed yourself through your creation and invited all people to stand in your presence. We have seen the star of Jesus in our lives and have come to worship him just as the Magi did. We offer him ourselves today and we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.

Unite us with one another as we come from the North
and from the South, from the East and from the West,
old and young, men and women to bow down before
you and offer you homage, our heavenly King. Amen.

HYMN: O Worship the King 380 vs. 1, 2, 5, 6

We glorify you, O Lord, creator of heaven and earth, for you have set the lights in the vault of the sky. You separated light from darkness and arranged signs to mark sacred times, and days and years. You studded the firmament with stars. How majestic are your works, the heavens declare your glory and the skies proclaim the work of your hands!

We glorify you, O Lord.

We praise you for you did not abandon us despite our rebellion but sent your Son to brighten our darkness and be our light and our salvation. In him was life, and that  life was the light of all humanity. And the light shines in the darkness.

We praise you, O Lord.

We worship you, O Lord, for you accompany us in the chaos of our life through the  power of your Holy Spirit. You light up our paths and give us wisdom and faith in a world of untruth and doubt.

We worship you, O Lord.

We thank you, O Lord, for you send us into the world to reflect this light around us, in our various churches and diverse cultures and to witness to Jesus, the one true King, offering ourselves to him.

We thank you, O Lord.

May all the peoples bow before you and worship you. We have often preferred darkness, but you have given us light. Therefore, we come to you confessing our sins and saying:

We confess before you that we have turned away from your ways and disobeyed your ordinances. We have disfigured your good creation and squandered its resources through our consumerist practices. We have polluted your rivers and seas and poisoned your air and soil and contributed to the extinction of many species.

Silence 

We have acted selfishly towards our brothers and sisters. We have allowed our own needs and desires to prevail over our commitment to justice. We have built walls between us and planted the seeds of distrust towards the other. 

Silence

We have separated people based on ethnicity, religion and gender and we have claimed Jesus on our side in any war we waged. Forgive all these thoughts and deeds, O Lord, as welcome before you in repentance.

Silence

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you have sent in the fullness of time to redeem all the people, we ask you to have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and transform us into his glorious image so we can shine as a beacon of hope in our troubled world.

Silence

Almighty God hears our prayers, has mercy on us and forgives our sins.

Thanks be to God, whom we praise with all our voices.

TRISAGION

Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy Immortal one,
have mercy on us.

O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honour.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet,

all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:2-7

Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Ephesians 5:8-14

Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God

HYMN: As with Gladness Men of Old 160 vs. 1, 3, 4

Reader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.  Matthew 2:1-12

Reader: The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

HYMN FOR THE OFFERING: Rise Up and Shine 157 vs. 1, 2, 3

(A piece of dark blue cloth is hung to evoke the night sky, on which a large star is placed.)

A star led the Magi to Christ. Today this star points to the presence of Christ, who has been revealed to us and whose light shines on us. As the Magi followed the star to Bethlehem, we gather under this star today, adding our own stars to the sky, uniting our own gifts and prayers for the visible unity of Church. As we journey towards that goal, may our lives together give a luminous witness

that leads others to know Christ.

With faith and confidence, we come in prayer, before God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

The Magi came from the East to pay homage and offer special gifts from their cultures and countries. We pray today for all Christian Communities around the world in all of their diversity of worship and tradition: Lord, we ask you to preserve these treasures, particularly in areas of the world where the presence and survival of Christians is threatened by violence and oppression.
O Lord, hear our prayer

The early years of the Lord’s life were marked by violence and massacres at the orders of the despot Herod. We pray for children living in places in the world where violence continues and where its results are tangible: Strengthen, O Lord, the bonds of unity and mutual love among our churches and help us to cooperate and witness to your holy Name. Inspire us to work without ceasing in order to defend the oppressed and include the marginalized. Encourage us to stand together in the face of tyranny and oppressive regimes as we seek your Kingdom among us.
O, Lord, hear our prayer

After the visit of the Magi, the Holy Family experienced migration through the wilderness and became refugees in the land of Egypt. We pray for all the refugees and uprooted people in this world: Equip us, Lord, to show hospitality to those driven from their homes, and grant us the spirit of welcome to those looking for a safe haven.
O, Lord, hear our prayer

The birth of Jesus was good news for all, gathering people from different nations and religions in worship of the holy child. We pray for our efforts to seek harmony and dialogue with other religions: Lord, give us humility and patience to walk with others with respect on their journey.
O, Lord, hear our prayer

The Magi returned to their home by a different way. We pray for our churches in this changing world: Lord, help us to find new and creative ways to follow you and to witness to you so that the world may believe.
O, Lord, hear our prayer

When the Magi saw the holy child, they rejoiced with great joy. Heavenly Father, fix our eyes on him so we do not lose our way. Unite us in the Lord Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, and who has taught us to pray, saying:

Eternal God,
who by a star led wise men to the worship of your Son. 
Guide by your light the nations of the earth, that the whole
world may know your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. AMEN

Go now and live as children of light.
For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.
Let us wake from sleep and Christ will shine upon us.

Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and theLord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen. Thanks be to God.

CLOSING HYMN:   Where Charity and Love Prevail,487 vs. 1, 2, 5, 6

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