Guides for Morning & Evening Prayer

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Grow awareness of God's Presence

Visual reminders of God's Presence

This year all of our Christmas Eve worship services will be online. So people will be joining us from their many places. This Call to Worship reflects that. It names streets in our community, as well as retirement and long-term care homes, and our hospital. You can replace these with locations in your own community. It can also work well at other times in the service, and throughout the Christmas season. In Mary’s hometown of Nazareth, where she trusted the angel’s news. . . . In Elizabeth’s house in Ein Karem, where her baby leaped for joy. . . . Beside a manger in Bethlehem, where Joseph held his child. . . . Surely God was in those places, and they noticed! Within the Jerusalem Temple, where a priest’s life was upended. . . . On a Judean workplace, where shepherds trembled before an army of angels. . . . In a Persian study, where sages pondered a strange star. . . . Surely God was in those places, and they noticed! In homes on Chalmers Street, Clegg Road, and Halls Drive; on Erb Street, Keating Drive, and in Highland Manor; on Patrick Boulevard, Geddes Street, and Stanley Crescent. . . . Surely God is in those places. Will we notice? In homes on Station Square, North Queen Street, and in Wellington Terrace; on Gordon Street, Thomas Boulevard, and Queen Street West; on Graham Street, Groves Hospital, and Second Line. . . . Surely God is in those places. Will we notice? In homes on John Street, Inverhaugh Road, and Eighth Line; on Woodhill Drive, Robertson Street, and in Riverside Glen; on Fourth Line, Water Street, and in Heritage River. . . . Surely God is in those places. Will we notice? In homes on Country Road 21, Kingswood Gate, and in Caressant Care; on St. David Street, Sideroad 10, and Middlebrook Road; on Mathieson Street, Colborne Street, and in Chartwell Elmira. . . . Surely God is in those places. Will we notice? Wherever we are tonight, and however we are gathering for worship, God is with us. We are not alone! Come and worship. Let us worship together. Artwork: Seeing Shepherds (Daniel Bonnell) Used with permission. Written by Greg Smith-Young for The Presence Project. Please feel free to use and adapt this as suits your needs with credit to the author and The Presence Project.

This is a Call to Worship for a Christmas Eve service in 2019. It could be used in other parts of a worship service too, throughout the Christmas season. Surely God was in Jerusalem, where prophets declared God’s promise. Surely God was in Iraq, where exiles waited for God’s way home. Surely God was in Nazareth, where Mary trusted the angel’s news. Surely God was in Ein Karem, where Elizabeth’s baby leaped for joy. Surely God was in Bethlehem, where the Messiah was born. Surely God is in this place. God, help me notice. Help us notice together. Surely God was in a workplace, where late-shift shepherds met an angel. Surely God was in a classroom, where sages studied a strange star. Surely God was in an office, where staff scoured records for answers. Surely God was in a lonely back-room, where the Word moved into the neighbourhood. Surely God is in this place. God, help me notice. Help us notice together. Surely God was in Mary’s womb, where the Word became a human being. Surely God was in Joseph’s home, where God’s fullness was pleased to dwell. Surely Jesus, in the form of God, emptied and humbled himself, even to death on a cross, where he reconciled all things to God. Surely God is in this place. God, help me notice. Help us notice together. Written by Greg Smith-Young for The Presence Project. Please feel free to use and adapt this as suits your needs with credit to the author and The Presence Project.

A senior living in a retirement home writes about her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's a poem by Susan Kerr, with music by Ryk Brown.

In this reflection near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we wonder how an empty village street, with tourism shut down, shops closed, and people staying home are all signs of God's Presence.