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September 29, 2022 - All Nations Communion Honouring Truth and Reconciliation

9/29/2022

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Picture
Greetings
 
Sunday, October 2, 2022 – Truth, Reconciliation and World Wide Communion 
 Tomorrow is a day of mourning and remembrance.  As a society, we are learning to face the hard truths about residential schools, and learning to sit in grief with those who grieve.   We listen to those who were harmed.  We believe them.  As a part of one of the churches that built and staffed the residential schools, we try to do our part for reconciliation.  To learn more about the United Church of Canada’s response, see this document.  https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/ucc-response-trc-calls.pdf  
 
To review all the calls to action, see https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf
 
On Sunday, we gather with Christians around the world to share in the feast that joins us together across many nations.  Can we learn to see the nations of our own belonging as one amongst many, and repent from the teaching that we are somehow better?
 
Our Hebrew scripture this week comes from the book of Lamentations and the words hit awfully close to home for me with regards to the grief expressed by parents as their children were forcibly removed.    Though the prophet Jeremiah wrote two and a half millennia ago, the cruel acts of an empire echo through the ages.  “The roads to Zion Mourn for no one comes to the festivals . .. her young girls grieve and her lot is bitter . . . her children have gone away, captives before the foe”  Lamentations 1, 4-5 select phrases.  We will read Lamentations 1: 1-6, 3:19-26.
 
From the Christian Scriptures, we will be reminded that the divisions of nationhood, class, religion and gender fall away in Christian community.  Galatians 3:26-28.  With the children we will learn the story of the Orange Shirt.
 
Here in Edmonton, we live on land that has been a place of peace and healing for thousands of years.   May we learn to celebrate the gift that this great diversity brings, as we share our Christian feast with Christians from many lands, and the many nations of this land who share our faith. 

 (Rev) Eli Carter-Morgan (they/them)
Spirit West United Church
Proud to share the land through Treaty 6

 
LADIES GROUP WELCOME BACK SOCIAL
– Oct. 4 at 7pm, in the sanctuary!
– We are going to have a dessert party and “get to know you” social. 
– We will also have our first meeting after Covid!
– All women of the church and friends are welcome!

 
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School classes have started.  Children, 4 years and older, are welcome to attend. If you haven’t registered your child(ren), just fill out a registration form at church and give it to one of the teachers.  We continue to use the Seasons of the Spirit program. 
We would also invite anyone interested in teaching to contact Sheila H at 780-504-7075 or 780-960-3878.
 
DRIVERS NEEDED
 We have several people in our congregation who would love to come back to in-person worship but can no longer drive so are unable to get here easily.  If you need a ride or if you can offer a ride to someone, please email the church or, if you prefer, call the office (noon to 5pm, Monday to Thursday).
  
YouTube Videos Worship Services – October 2 – in person worship service
 To watch online, you will need to go to YouTube and google “Spirit West United Church”. This action will bring you to the Spirit West United Church YouTube page.   
 
SPIRIT WEST PRAYER CHAIN
Prayer is important. We know that  people face challenges and difficulties and we cannot forget them.  Our Prayer Chain continues to be active.  If you have a prayer request, please send it to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com.  These requests will be shared regularly with the prayer chain and may form part of the Prayers of the People in our Sunday Worship. 
Please remember to have people removed from the prayer chain if the prayers are no longer needed. 

 
YOUR BOTTLES FOR THE CHURCH
You may have bottles piling up for recycling.  You can bring them to the church (or you can call for pick up).  If you want to bring your bottles (and any other recyclable beverage containers) in during our office hours and put them directly in the Bottle Shed (by the garage), give us a call, and we can have the shed open for you.  All money raised from the return of bottles goes towards paying down the principal and interest on our mortgage. 
 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
 We can accept donations by eTransfer.  The contact name for the eTransfer is Spirit West United Church, and the email address is spiritw@telus.net .  If you include a security question with your eTransfer, please notify Norma at the church office by phone or email of the answer.
-  And remember that if you are not on PAR(Pre-Authorized Remittance), you can also mail in cheques to the church office (Spirit West United Church, 7003 – 199 St. NW Edmonton, AB  T5T 3A8, include your envelope number if you have one.)
-  The church office is open and you can drop off your offering/donation in the offering plate just inside the front doors or place it in the mailbox.
-  You can also donate online by checking out the online donation option on our website spiritwest.org and click on the Donate tab in the navigation bar. 

  
SPIRIT WEST ONLINE!
Website:  www.spiritwest.org 
Facebook: Spirit West United Church and Friends of Spirit West Outreach
Instagram: spiritwestyeg
YouTube:  Spirt West United Church, Edmonton
  

CHURCH OFFICE
-  Norma => Noon to 5:00pm, Monday to Wednesday, 7:30am to 12:30 pm Thursday
 
Thank you,
 Norma Balcombe
Office Administrator
Spirit West United Church
7003 - 199st.NW Edmonton, AB T5T 3A8
phone:     (780) 481-1406
email:     spiritw@telus.net
website: www.spiritwest.org


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