DANFORTH MENNONITE CHURCH
416-422-2406
We welcome all guests who have joined us.
Danforth Mennonite Church
October 6, 2024 11:00 a.m.
Order of Service
Welcome
Announcements
Part 1: World Communion Sunday
Introduction and Sue’s communion story
Call to Worship: VT #856
Opening Hymn: VT #118 In the Lord I’ll be Ever Thankful
Scripture readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 4:1-6
Nicene Creed
Hymn: VT #10 Here in this Place
Prayer Time
Prayers of Intercession
Part 2: If the War Goes On
Introduction to Part 2
Hymn: VT #794 verse 2
Prayer and reflection 1
Story: Christians in Gaza
Hymn: VT #794 verse 1 & 3
Prayer and reflection 2
Hymn: VT #794 verse 5
Concluding words
Closing hymn: VT #797 We Are People of God’s Peace
Benediction
Leading Us in Worship
Worship Leader Sue S.
Song Leader Sue S.
Musicians Jessica M. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Cindy R., Bethany W.
Zoom Host Bonnie W.
A/V Technician Murray L.
Hymn of the Month: VT #118 In the Lord I’ll be Every Thankful
It’s Hymn Sing Sunday.
All are welcome to join us in the sanctuary
at 10:00 a.m.
The adult discussion class returns on October 13. If you would like to receive emails regarding what’s happening in our class, please contact Bonnie.
Scripture reading
1 Corinthians 1:12-13
One Body with Many Members
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
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 all, and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
On the third day he rose from the dead in accordance with the scriptures.
He ascended to 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 worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the age to come. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Reader 1: For all things were made out of nothing, and their being would again sink into nothing, if the Author of all things did not hold it by the hand of governance. (Gregory the Great [c. 540-604])
Reader 2: Lord of life, we receive all creation from your hand and by your providence. Teach us to live in your world with care and justice for all that you have created.
All: We believe, help our unbelief.
Reader 1: I call this faith: the intelligible light which by grace dawns in the soul, that supports the heart, and grants the gift of hope. (Isaac of Nineveh [7th century])
Reader2: Loving God, grant us the gift of hope in abundance in a world troubled by strife and discord. Strengthen your people afflicted by apathy and division.
All: We believe, help our unbelief.
Reader 1: What wonder then, if, coming to God, we first of all profess that we believe, seeing that, without this, not even common life can be lived. (Rufinus of Aquileia [c. 344-411])
Reader 2: Merciful God, forgive us for the times we have failed to live a common life as Christians. Draw us more deeply to one faith in you so that we may witness to the world.
All: We believe, help our unbelief.
Reader 1: Let faith prevail: faith that leads the mind to trust, faith that does not come from human logic, but is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Basil of Caesarea [c. 330-378])
Reader 2: O heavenly Comforter, we pray that we may trust more in the gift of your wisdom rather than the cleverness of our thinking.
All: We believe, help our unbelief.
Reader 1: His light appeared and made the darkness of the prison disappear and hallowed our birth and destroyed death, loosing those same fetters in which we were enchained. (Irenaeus of Lyon [c. 135-198])
Reader 2: Compassionate Lord, lead us to work together so that wherever there is darkness and oppression, suffering and injustice, we may bring your light and freedom.
All: We believe, help our unbelief.
If the War Goes On
A Service of Lament for the Events of October 7, 2023 and the Ongoing Destruction of Gaza
Acknowledgements: “If the War Goes On” grew out of a liturgy of lament developed by Jewish peace activists from “Halachic Left” and “All That’s Left.” [https://www.halachicleft.org/; https://allthatsleftcollective.com). It was discovered by Mennonite Church Alberta Palestine Israel chair Suzanne Gross, pastor at Holyrood Mennonite Church, Edmonton. Inspired, Suzanne drafted a liturgy for church settings based on that liturgy and offered it to her colleagues on the national MC Canada Palestine-Israel Network (Esther Epp-Tiessen, Jo Hiebert Bergen, Jeanette Hanson, and Byron Rempel-Burkholder) for further refining and promotion.
In the introduction to their guided readings for Tisha b’av, a Jewish holy day commemorating the destruction of the two temples, they ask:
“How do we internalize that our grief for Israeli victims of October 7th is not counter to, but inextricable from, mourning the loss of tens of thousands of Gazans? What does mourning look like when we are not in the aftermath of the devastation but still in its midst? Can we confront trauma in a way that portends redemption instead of using our pain as a justification for further destruction?”
None of these questions have simple answers, but, for now, we exist in a place of brokenness and rupture… [a place of] of inarticulable horror. “
Introduction to the service of lament
Hymn VT #794 If the War Goes On verse 2
Prayer and reflection 1
God of love and justice, today we confess our human limitations in holding the histories and traumas of the people of Palestine-Israel with the mercy and wisdom required for your peace to prevail for all your children. We pray for patience and wisdom as we seek out the voices that will help us free the truth for the sake of your Kingdom. We join the Psalmist and the writer of Lamentations:
From the Psalms:
All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. (Psalm 38:9-11)
From the book of Lamentations (taken from various translations):
How does the city sit solitary? She weeps sore in the night. She has none to comfort her. Her infants are gone into captivity before the enemy. (1:1-2)
Fear and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction. (3:47)
He has destroyed his place of assembly. (2:6)
You heard my plea, “Do not close your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!” (3:56 )
[Silent reflection and prayer]
All: Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
A Story from Gaza: The Christians of Gaza
Of the 2.3 million Palestinians living (and dying) in Gaza, less than 1,000 are Christians; the rest are Muslim. Christians worship at St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, Holy Family Catholic Church and sporadically at Gaza Baptist church. St. Porphyrius is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world.
All three churches have been attacked during Israel’s current war on Gaza. An Israeli airstrike hit St. Porphyrius on October 19, 2023, killing 18 people, wounding others, and severely damaging the church building. The church was struck again in July 2024. Holy Family Church was seriously damaged, and a church-run school was destroyed by airstrikes in late 2023. Israeli snipers killed a mother and her daughter as they walked through the church compound on December 16. The Baptist church was severely damaged by an Israeli tank shell just after Christmas. It has been estimated that more than three percent of Gaza’s Christians have been killed.
With the spectre of death hanging over them, the churches continue to witness to the way of Jesus. They continue to gather for worship, to offer the sacraments, and to baptize, confirm and marry their congregants. Amidst great danger and dire shortages, they shelter and feed hundreds, Christians and Muslims alike. Despite the ruin and the tremendous suffering around them, they hold to their faith, demonstrating love, offering compassion, and practicing Palestinian sumud (steadfastness). In doing so, they embody the defiant hope that God’s reign breaks into Gaza’s devastation.
Drawn from Alain Epp Weaver, “The Church’s Worship in Gaza,” Macrina Magazine, 15 March 2024. https://www.macrinamagazine.com/posts/the-churchs-worship-in-gaza
Hymn VT #794 If the War Goes On verse 1 & 3
Prayer and reflection 2
God of Shalom, today we cry out for the woe and waste of warfare in our world. We pray especially for the children of Gaza who are dying of hunger, and their caretakers – men and women and siblings – in anguish at their helplessness. We join the Psalmist and the writer of Lamentations:
From the Psalms:
God, listen! Listen to my prayer, listen to the pain in my cries. Don’t turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately. Pay attention! This is a cry for help. And hurry—this can’t wait! (Psalm 102:1-2 The Message)
From the book of Lamentations:
The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the young children ask for bread and no one gives it to them (4:4)
They say to their mothers, where is corn and wine? (2:12)
Those slain with the sword are better than those slain with hunger (4:9)
My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed (1:16)
We are become orphans and fatherless (5:3)
Young and old lie on the ground in the streets (2:21)
You heard my plea, “Do not close your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!” (3:56)
[Silent reflection and prayer]
All: Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Hymn VT #794 If the War Goes On verse 5
Prayer for this Warring World
God of angel armies, hear our prayer
for your beloved world.
Cast out the demon of bomb dropping.
Cast out the demon of rocket hurling.
Cast out the demon of bullet shooting.
Cast out the demon of hostage holding.
Cast out the demon of civilian persecuting.
Cast out the demon of ceasefire breaking.
Cast out the demon of perpetual despairing,
that would tell us there is no way to peace.
God, you are an impossibility specialist.
Send down angels to melt frozen hearts.
Send down angels to protect civilians.
Send down angels to destroy weapons.
Send down angels to negotiate treaties that last.
Send down angels to gather a scattered people.
Send down angels to heal a broken nation.
Send down angels with good news of great joy
which shall be for all people,
all people who live in this warring world.
Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com
DANFORTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ladies Walking group
The gardens were so full of colour last week that we thought we would come back for one more look this week.
On Tuesday, October 8, we return at 10:30 a.m. to Rosetta McClain Gardens at 5 Glen Everest Road (Kingston Road and Birchmount) for a one-hour stroll through the gardens.
An email will go out on Monday October 7 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.
We are collecting Food Bank donations through Thanksgiving.
There are in Canada, one million persons now augmenting their food requirements via Food Banks.
Through to Thanksgiving, Outreach and Services Committee would like to encourage Danforth members to collect needed non-perishable food items for local food banks. We have connections with two – Nourish East End Food Bank at 1470 Gerrard St. at Glen Rhodes United Church, just west of Coxwell Avenue and Teasdale Community Food Bank at 40 Teasdale Ave., near Crescent Town apartments near Danforth and Victoria Park Avenue. Fazal and Murray volunteer alternately at Nourish East End Foodbank on Wednesday mornings.
Container Baskets are provided in the church foyer near the door to the Sanctuary or Meeting Room.
The most needed non-perishable food items are:
- Canned soups/canned pastas (spaghetti)
- Dried pastas
- Canned fish – tuna, salmon, sardines
- Canned meat – Spam, canned hams, other canned meats
- Boxed Mac’n cheese – eg. Kraft Dinner
- Soap in bars
Cash/cheque/E-transfers are also requested, which can be donated through Church Treasurer, Roger H., earmarked for Nourish East End Foodbank and/or Teasdale Community Food Bank.
The reasoning is that Food Banks need cash to purchase items they do not receive from Daily Bread Foodbank and Second Harvest. They are often short of meat protein and/or milk so the Director purchases these from cash donations. The Director at Nourish East End Foodbank goes shopping for food items that are in short supply like meat and milk or any items that are on sale, so cash donations are very valuable for the food banks.
Thank you for your generosity,
Outreach and Services Committee –
Barb, Murray, Leslie, Ray
Worship Schedule reminder
October 13 – Thanksgiving weekend
Message Robert J.
Worship leader Mike D.
Song Leader
Musicians (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Leslie S., Tessa R.
ZOOM host Bonnie W.
A/V Tech Roger H.
October 20
Message Carol O.
Worship leader Bonnie W.
Song Leader Bonnie W.
Musicians Roger H. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Leslie S., Tessa R.
ZOOM host Mike D.
A/V Tech Fazal S.
WIDER CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hurricane Helene Update
from Mennonite Disaster Service
Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday evening September 26, as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida. The storm pushed inland into Georgia, South and North Carolina and southern Virginia. Western North Carolina appears to be especially hard hit.
For the next few days MDS volunteers will be clearing roads, removing trees and other debris in the Asheville area that has been hit by Hurricane Helene. We are investigating and monitoring the area to see if MDS can expand our response.
VOICES FOR PEACE CONFERENCE
Hybrid Event
Saturday, November 16, 2024, 1 – 5 p.m.
Dear Friends in Peace,
It is very exciting for me to announce the upcoming Annual Conference, Voices for Peace, which has returned after a hiatus of two years. Now, more than ever, such a Conference is needed. This year, we are honoured to have, as our guest speaker, an Indigenous Elder well-known for his wisdom and story-telling, Adrian Jacobs (an Indigenous Six Nations man, who spoke at Danforth maybe more than a decade ago.) This event is organized by several faith-based organizations and faith communities; however, its content and spirit is open and very relevant to, all people who long for a path to Peace.
The afternoon will be very interactive with music, story-telling, group-sharing, and a special art installation on the theme of Peace. We will leave feeling inspired, wiser, and supported by a community walking the path together. So that as many as possible can experience this gift, the event will be hybrid. It will be in-person at the Church of the Redeemer and online. The event is FREE, and donations are invited.
TO REGISTER: go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2024-voices-for-peace-conference-tickets-998579035777
Please pass this invitation on to all your friends, family, contacts and networks. It will be our pleasure to welcome all!
White Poppy Peace campaign
Tessa R. has again this year, made us a selection of white poppies
Continue to wear a white poppy.
You can find more here – https://www.ppu.org.uk/remembrance-white-poppies
The service on October 6 is cancelled.
Willowgrove’s Helping Hand Hootenanny Fundraiser
Join us on Saturday, October 26th from 5-7pm and help send kids to camp with folk music, food, and friends! All proceeds go towards supporting our Helping Hand Subsidy Program – providing subsidies for kids in need so that everyone can attend Willowgrove’s programs. Tickets can be purchased at willowgrove.ca/events/hootenanny
COMMUNITY CORNER
In Summary, upcoming events:
At Danforth
October
8 Ladies walking group – Rosetta McClain
12 Men’s breakfast
15 Ladies walking group
22 Ladies walking group
29 Ladies walking group
Wider Church
October
18-19 Towards a Justice that transforms
26 Helping Hand Hootenanny Fundraiser
Community corner
October
1 – 27 Apple picking at Willowgrove
12 Mark B.