DANFORTH MENNONITE CHURCH
416-422-2406
Pastor Stephen Reist
 
We welcome all guests who have joined us. 

Danforth Mennonite Church
November 26, 2023
Order of Service

Welcome

Call to Worship

Hymn: VT #57  Holy Spirit, Come with Power

Announcements

Giving thanks for our gifts 

Hymn:   VT #409  For We Are Strangers No More

Prayers of the people

Hymn: VT #705  For the Healing of the Nations

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon:  The Roots of Living Justly

Hymn of Response:  VT #829  Go Now in Peace, Worship Continues

Benediction

Leading Us in Worship
Message                              Kevin D.
Worship Leader              Bonnie W.
Song Leader                      Ed F.
Musicians                           Jessica M. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters                             Leslie and Fazal S.
Zoom Host                        Mike D.
A/V Technician               Murray L.

November hymn of the month:  VT #829  Go Now in Peace, Worship Continues

Adult Discussion Group – 10:00 a.m.

November
26 – Justice discussion – led by Stephen

An introduction to our speaker…
 
I am a Deacon in the Catholic Church so my title is either Deacon Kevin or Rev. Mr. Kevin D. if you want to be more formal.
 
I am a funeral director and manage the Cardinal Funeral Home on Annette St. I was ordained a deacon in June of 2022. As part of my duties as a Deacon we take a vow of Charity so must work in a ministry outside of our duties at church. I was asked to help out with Dismas, I was more than happy to step into this ministry and have been with them since August of 2022. In February I took over as coordinator of the social aspect or dinners we do the third Friday of the month at your church. I also sit on the board of directors and assist with our Get Ready 4 Life program at the Keele Centre. I am an avid football fan especially the CFL (Go Argos), a biker (motorcycle) and love to cook.

About Harry N. (who couldn’t be with us today)
Harry brings 40 plus years experience in ministry with prisoners and ex-prisoners. He served for 14 years as the Director of M2/W2 in Ontario. In 1994, he helped create the first Circle of Support and Accountability (CoSA) in Hamilton for a man who had a long history of sexual offending. From 2003 to 2014 he served as Toronto Community Chaplain for Correctional Services Canada, and in that time helped form Dismas Fellowship for ex-prisoners and friends. Currently a network of 11 Dismas Fellowships have been planted throughout Southern Ontario. 

So what is a Dismas Fellowship?  Their website says:
We are people from a variety of experiences who gather regularly: ex-prisoners and friends who celebrate the grace we have received in Jesus Christ.

The Dismas Fellowship takes the name from the Good Thief on the cross. Our dream for the Dismas Fellowship is to create a safe and welcoming space where ex-prisoners and their friends can find community and follow our friend Jesus.

Meeting once or twice per month (they meet here the 3rd Friday of the month) in a growing number of communities across Ontario, volunteers and ex-prisoners gather for a meal, listen to a guest short talk or sharing and then gather in a circle, where we listen to and pray for each other.

Call to worship

Leader:  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Leader: Holy God, you not only comfort us but you also challenge us. Your Word awakens us to love justice.
 
People:  Lord, make us whole and keep us honest.

Leader:  Holy God, you bring justice to those who are marginalized. In our community help us to be advocates of what is right.

People:  Lord, make us whole and keep us honest.

Leader: May our worship this morning flow into our actions, our pocketbooks, our attitudes and our relationships.

People:  Lord, make us whole and keep us honest.

Leader: People of God, with what shall we come before the Holy One, and bow ourselves before the Lord on high? (Micah 6:3)

People: God has shown us what is good.
What does the Holy One require of us,
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with our God?

Leader: With the prophet Amos let us proclaim our hope for the world:

People:  Justice shall roll on like a river, and
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amen.

Scripture reading

Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSVUE)

The Judgment of the Nations
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

Prayer for peace in Israel and Gaza

Lord, You said “Peace, be still,” and the storm was stilled.  We confess that at times, we feel overwhelmed by the storm. But today, we lift our eyes to you — the Maker of heaven and earth. And we ask for a miracle… let your peace fill Israel and Gaza.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

God, let violence cease in the region. Let there be no more bloodshed. We know your heart breaks for those killed and those left behind — for the orphaned child, the injured elderly, those abducted and families desperate for safety. Lord, speak into this crisis.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

We pray for those who have lost loved ones. Let your peace and love wash over them. Please protect and provide for those who have been abducted and bring them home safely. Let them be reunited with their loved ones — let them feel the comfort of their embrace.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

God, we pray that you open doors that allow food, essentials and medical supplies to reach those in need. May first responders be able to rescue the injured, comfort the grieving and help rebuild many lives.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

God, we pray for your peace and reconciliation to overcome conflict. We ask that you give wisdom and discernment to our global leaders and those in positions of power who have the ability to impact the course of this war. Help us to be bold advocates and agents of peace in our own communities.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

We pray for people scattered around the globe whose friends and family members have been caught in the crisis. We know you are with them. Help us to express your love to those affected in our communities, churches and workplaces.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.

Lord, we raise Israel and Gaza to you, and pray for those suffering. We ask that you provide peace in this crisis, and protection and comfort for all those who have been impacted.

We lift our prayer to you,

Lord, hear us.          Amen

DANFORTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

December 2, 2023
Punch at 6:00 p.m.  & dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Please let us know how many are attending from your group/family.  What are you bringing? 

The sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board.  If you won’t be at church, contact Bonnie to let her know what you are bringing.

Who We Support: In December Church Council will be reviewing the financial support in our budget for other charities beyond our congregation. Currently our core support is for St. Clair O’Connor Community ($2,500 for Chaplaincy Support) and the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada ($3,000). We also support MCC Ontario, New Life Centre, Sanctuary Toronto, Willowgrove and Theatre of the Beat ($300 each). In our 2023 budget we added the purchase of 1 acre of crop for the World Grains Food Bank through a project with other local churches known as Danforth Grow Hope ($600).

Council is inviting input from the congregation in this process. Is there a charitable organization that reflects our values and identity that you feel Danforth should add for financial support? Would you like to see a different mixture in our support?

Please contact a council member by the end of November with your suggestions. They are Mike D., Donna A., Don B., Roger H., Anne R. and Pastor Stephen R.

Ladies Walking Group

On Tuesday, November 28 at 10:30 am (weather permitting), we will meet at the Scarborough Bluffs Park at 1 Brimley Road South (the bottom of Brimley Road.
 
Take Kingston Road and turn south onto Brimley Road South.  Take Brimley to the bottom of the hill.
Follow the road around to the right to the large parking lot.  Let’s park across from the public washrooms.

An email will go out on Monday November 27 to confirm the place and time.

If you need to be picked up or dropped off, please check in with fellow walkers or email Bonnie.

Looking ahead to Advent

 
Christmas Music at SCOC  The newly formed Worship Committee at SCOC is asking folks at DMC (who are available) to circle the following date and to join our voices with residents for a service of Christmas Music.

Date:  Sunday Afternoon  Dec. 10  Please come to the Meeting Room at 6:15.  We will proceed from there to the 3rd floor and sing carols for the residents in Long Term Care, then return to the Meeting Room for a 7 pm service. Along with our voices, we are being asked to provide accompaniment for the singing (piano, along with other instruments that will add richness to the service.)

Due to Masarykpark’s busy schedule,
they weren’t able to fit us in this year.
Dalton – on behalf of Outreach & Service

Christmas Giving Tree –  2023

In the weeks leading up to Christmas we will be collecting items of clothing suitable for the season (hats, scarves, mitts, socks) and non-perishable food items. These will be dropped off for distribution to struggling families in the Taylor/Massey community and shared as well with the Food Bank program at our nearby Salvation Army.  $$ donations will be forwarded to Nourish East End Food Bank in support of their program.

Let us think about food and clothing scarcity and how we can help to make a difference.

The Christmas mitten tree will be set up in the sanctuary.  Please drop off your donations in the bins in front of the tree.

Worship Schedule reminder

December 3
Speaker                    Stephen R.
Worship leader   Cindy R.
Song Leader          Dalton J.
Musicians              Kathy W. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters                 Leslie & Fazal S.
ZOOM host           Bonnie W.
A/V Tech                 Don B.

December 10
Speaker                   John E.
Worship leader   Erma M.
Song Leader          Kathy W.
Musicians               Emily L. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters                 Cindy R, Bethany W.
ZOOM host           Mike D.
A/V Tech                 Roger H.

WIDER CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Canadian Mennonite presents, “Answering the Call: Three Young Pastors Reflect on Ministry,” an online discussion on Wednesday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET. Guests Curtis Wiens, Kennedy Froese and Elshaday Baraki will discuss their call to ministry and what they enjoy about being leaders in the church. Register today at: www.canadianmennonite.org/events

Carol O. welcomes you to
the CoSA/FCRI Open House
on Saturday, December 9
at Danforth Mennonite Church.

 

 

 Theatre of the Beat has developed three short plays that reflect lived experiences of elder abuse, healthy masculinity, and intimate partner violence in youth relationships, with a focus on how to recognize the subtle early signs of abuse. The topics chosen were identified by their community partners (experts at Assaulted Women’s Helpline and Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region) as topics that need to be immediately addressed.

At the end of each play, the audience will have the opportunity to make suggestions to the actors to change the outcome of the scenes or jump into the scenes themselves. Using the Forum Theatre model, this interactive element allows audiences to ‘rehearsal for reality,’ learning skills and resources for how they can make a difference.

The show will take place at University of Toronto’s Hart House Theatre (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3) on Wednesday, November 29th at 7:30 pm. Book your tickets on the Hart House Theatre website at: https://harthouse.ca/theatre/show/i-love-you-and-it-hurts.

Sunday, December 10, 2023, 3pm. Menno Singers and Mennonite Mass Choir present Handel’s Messiah  with artistic director Brandon Leis, a 230 voice choir, soloists Bethany Hörst (soprano), Jennifer Enns Modolo (mezzo soprano), Owen McCausland (tenor) and Nathan Keoughan (baritone) along with orchestra members of the former KW Symphony. Tickets are on sale now at the Centre in the Square Box Office.     www.centreinthesquare.com

Pax Christi Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Elaine Choi, announces two events to brighten your holiday season.

On Saturday, December 2 at 1:30 pm and 4 pm, at Church of the Redeemer, Pax Christi Chorale will present Children’s Messiah, a 60-minute interactive music education experience suitable for children of all ages. Join us to learn about music through Handel’s well loved masterpiece Messiah, featuring stunning solos, brilliant organ accompaniment, glorious orchestral overtures and powerful choruses – over 100 singers and players! Admission is FREE – donations accepted for Church of the Redeemer’s The Common Table program.

And on Saturday, December 9, at 4 pm, at ESG United Church, we will present Christmas Through the Ages; music and stories to evoke the wonder and joy of Christmas, from our family to yours. In collaboration with Hogtown Brass, we will perform favourites by Halley, Victoria, Lauridsen and others; culminating in John Rutter’s spectacular Gloria for choir, brass and organ. There will also be carols for all to sing.

More information at www.paxchristichorale.org.

In summary, upcoming events

At Danforth

November
28  Ladies walking group

December
2  DMC Christmas banquet
5  Ladies walking group
9  Men’s breakfast
10  Singing at SCOC
12  Ladies walking group

Wider Church

November
29  ToTB at Hart House

December
2  Pax Christi Chorale  Children’s Messiah
9  CoSA Open House
9  Pax Christi Chorale  Christmas through the Ages
10  Menno Singers Messiah