Each Sunday morning we will be sending an email to everyone in the congregation for whom we have email addresses, offering an abridged Sunday morning service — “virtual church.” For the latest news and updates from Walton, please check our Facebook page, Instagram and website.
Please contact office@waltonmemorial.com if you would like to be added to our email list.
Today’s service will be offered in 2 formats – a video and text. If you wish, you can download and print the service from this document – link – or you can read the complete service below.
The hymn-sing is at the end.
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2021 Givings Envelopes are available for pick up from the church office. You are invited to drop by Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to pick yours up. Please come to the back door and ring the doorbell. Thanks so much for your help. If you are unable to drop by during those times, please contact the church and make an appointment. 905-827-1643, office@waltonmemorial.com
For the 2021 giving year, Walton has reallocated congregational envelope numbers. This to reduce the range of envelope numbers in circulation, and thereby reduce excessive waste and administration costs. As a result, please check your envelope number to see if there has been a change; this change will be effective January 1st, 2021. If you are on PAR you will no longer receive a box of envelopes, but if you would like the special envelopes used throughout the year, please contact the office and a set of envelopes will be made available for you to pick up through the church office. Thank you.
• Thank you from the Outreach Committee!
Please know what you are doing helps!
Please know what you are doing is acknowledged and it is appreciated!
Please know that the people on the receiving end are so grateful and thank you for continuing to support and help them. Thank you! Thank you!
Our modified Spaghetti Dinner raised over $2,000 with your very generous support, this amount will go to Wesley Mission in Hamilton. As well, your response to our Thanksgiving Food Banks appeal enabled us to pass on almost $2,000. to our local food banks.
Walton’s Outreach Committee is trying to maintain some of our Christmas programs. We want people to remember this time of year and the happiness that goes with it, even though we are in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic.
• We plan to have a food drive (monetary contributions are appreciated)
• A White Gift program (with gift cards to basic retailers, ie. Food Basics, Giant Tiger, Walmart, Shoppers, etc.
Monetary givings through the church givings would be appreciated as well. Donations can be dropped off at the church Tuesday to Friday 9:00am to 12:00pm. If these times don’t work, please contact the office to arrange an ppointment: office@waltonmemorial.com or 902-827-1643
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Christmas Memorials – Everyone has the opportunity to make a special Memorial Gift to Walton at Christmas time. There are two ways you can do that this year — you can make a monetary donation or you can donate a virtual poinsettia in loving memory of a loved one. The cost for a virtual poinsettia is a minimum donation of $10.00 and all donations go to the Walton Benevolent Fund.
— Please donate online or contact the church office at office@waltonmemorial.com to make your donation either Christmas Memorial Fund or Virtual Poinsettias. The deadline for donations Wednesday, December 16th. These memorial gifts will be made into a list and will be emailed out to all those who donated by early in the New Year. They will be dedicated in the Virtual Service on Sunday, December 20th. More information – https://www.waltonmemorial.com/benevolent-fund-christmas-memorials/
— What is the Benevolent Fund? This confidential fund, managed by Rev. Gill with help from some of the staff, is to help people in need due to Covid, illness, unemployment, unexpected accident, setback, or tragedy. Every year it helps people in our congregation and in the wider community who are in need, through financial and material assistance. The work of the fund remains highly confidential to allow for anonymous support of people in need. For more information, please speak to Rev. Jim Gill jamescwaltonwuc@gmail.com
• Kids and teens – last call to share your gifts!
Like all our services, White Gift is going to be different this year. Our virtual White Gift service this year will be led by our children and youth, as always, but instead of participating in a play, we’re asking Walton’s kids and teens to share their special gifts via photo and video. Whether their gift is singing, playing an instrument, dancing, juggling, or creating art, we want to share it with Walton’s congregation in this special service, as we encourage everyone to share their gifts of support with Wesley Urban Ministries this Christmas season. Think of it as a virtual talent show for a great cause!
• Submitted videos should be no more than 2-3 minutes in length.
• Videos should be recorded horizontally, not vertically.
• Subject matter/music should be church-appropriate .and related to the message of the Christmas season.
• Videos and photos will be included in the virtual service video, which is sent to Walton’s subscribers and shared on social media. Participating children will be identified by their first names only.
• Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, November 18th.
• Email videos and photos to sundayschool@waltonmemorial.com
• Upper Rooms for November and December are now available at the church. Please contact the office if you would like to purchase one. Thanks.
• FALL SPECIAL….MIKE’S SEVILLE MARMALADE is available for curbside delivery through the church office – $3.00 per jar. Please contact the office at 905-827-1643 or email the office at office@waltonmemorial.com to make arrangements. All proceeds go to Walton Treasury to fund programs and ministries.
• Walton’s prayer chain is open. Confidential prayers requests can be sent to office@waltonmemorial.com
• If you need Rev. Jim for a pastoral emergency, please email him directly at jamescgillwuc@gmail.com
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The Mitten Tree is up and ready for your donations! We know many of our knitters have been working hard on mittens, hats and scarves. Our shoppers have been picking up items when they see them on sale.There is a big need for thermal socks!! All donations welcome!
“Warm hands …and feet… and hearts”
Good morning from Coronation Park! We thank God for this wonderful September weather in November. The sunshine and warm temperatures have been such a gift to each one of us as we look on each day with a smile and with thanksgiving.
God of the open road, God of the twisting path, God of the narrow and upward way, your people are gathered for worship!
In this time, give us provision for the journey, courage and faith and compassion, and endurance to face any hardship.
Open our eyes to see you walking beside us, protecting us, encouraging us, loving us.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,who moves us. Amen
Healing God, you invite all who are burdened to come to you. May your healing hand touch each one of us. May you teach us to reach out to you in our need and help us to lead others to you by our example. Jesus healed as a sign of your presence with us. He healed because he cared. May you teach us to reach out to others in their need and help us to show your love, your care and your presence in your world. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
One: Lord, you were willing to reach out your hand and touch the leper, and he was made clean. (Luke 5:12)
All: For your compassion, Lord, we give thanks.
One: You saw the faith of the friends of the paralytic, and assured the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:17)
All: For your forgiveness, Lord, we give thanks.
One: The woman with the haemorrhage, but touched the hem of your garment and was healed. (Luke 8:43)
All: For your power, Lord, we give thanks.
One: You touched the eyes of the blind and their sight was restored. (Matthew 9:27)
All: For your mercy, Lord, we give thanks.
One: You rebuked the unclean spirits and men were made whole. (Mark 1:23)
All: For your authority, Lord, we give thanks.
One: Lord, the centurion sought help for his paralyzed servant and you responded. (Luke 7:2)
All: Give me a humble spirit, O Lord.
One: The man with the withered hand followed your instructions and was completely restored. (Mark 3:1)
All: Help me to be obedient, Lord.
One: You healed the epileptic boy, with you all is possible. (Mark 9:17)
All: Lord, we do believe; help us overcome our unbelief.
Our Sunday School theme in November is “Cooking with Jesus,” and all month long we’ve been making yummy snacks that help us learn more about the Bible. This week, we’re cooking up a campfire classic – oooy, gooey s’mores.
It may seem weird to focus on a sweet, sugary treat on Health & Wellness Sunday because – let’s be honest – s’mores aren’t exactly the healthiest snack. A little bit of sugar now and then is ok, but grownups usually stop kids from having too much, even when they ask for more.
But God is different. When we pray to him and ask for something, he often gives us more – or “s’more” blessings than we asked for! Caitlin and Lachlan invited us into their kitchen to learn how God’s amazing love means he always gives us s’more:
Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Today is our Annual Health and Wellness Sunday. We usually have a guest speaker, often one who is connected to our parish nursing ministry. Today there is no guest speaker but we are praying for the health and wellness of the Walton congregation, the nation of Canada and the whole world fighting Covid 19.
Back at the end of May, I celebrated a milestone anniversary of my ordination. Today I want to share my top 10 pastoral care tips based on ten bible passages that I have learned over my years in ministry. One of the gifts of being a minister is that you share in a very private and special way people’s lives – in times of great sadness and great joy and everything in between. These are 10 tips I have learned about having a more abundant and peace-filled life. I pray if you can just take one of these ten and apply it to your life at this moment in time, that it may well bring more health and wellness in your daily life.
The first tip is, “Put that email written in haste into draft for at least 24 hours.” Be patient. Sleep on it. Pray about it. Act rather than react to difficult situations and circumstances. I Corinthians 13 tells us: “love is patient.” There is a real blessing in having a long or patient view of problems. Do not respond out of anger or frustration. We are told we need to count to ten; often it’s better if we count to 10,000 or even more. It’s ok to say to someone wanting an answer, “Let me think about it.” Give yourself breathing space. Do not be forced by others to make a decision impulsively that may harm you over time.
The second tip is that what seems to be the presenting issue in life is not usually the real issue. Often in the Gospels the Pharisees asked Jesus tricky questions. For example, “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” which they asked Jesus in Luke 20. It was not that they wanted to learn from Jesus. They wanted to catch Jesus out, whichever way he answered. When people present you with complaints, problems or issues the real underlying issue is often not what the presenting issue is. We need to dig deeper. Probe to find what is really going on below the surface.
My third pastoral tip is that once you reach the level to sustain your basic physical needs, money does not make you happy. This is also true about material things that money buys. First Timothy 6 tells us: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” In a world that stresses more and more of everything, that “more” brings a diminishing return to us in terms of personal happiness. It can also make us its slave through things like debt and having to work more and more hours, to have more and more things we don’t really need.
The fourth pastoral tip I want to share is: “This too will pass.” In time our troubles pass, one way or another. Things do not remain the same over time. Genesis 8 tells the story of Noah, the ark and the dove. “But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.” This flood of Covid will pass in time. Let’s do all we can to make this passing shorter by following good medical advice. Whatever flood you are facing in your life, it too will pass. The saying goes tough problems do not last but tough people do.
My fifth pastoral tip? ”Bigger is not necessarily better.” Luke 12 speaks of a farmer who thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” When all the new buildings were done the farmer died. Bigger did not help him out in the long run.
The sixth pastoral tip is to remember: “It is probably not about you.” Matthew 23 speaks of the Pharisees. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues.” But life is not ultimately about the best seats. Most of the time life is not about you. Self-centeredness is not a healthy way to live.
Number seven: “Bloom where you are planted.” Avoid succumbing to “the grass is greener in the next field” complex. Say what you will do and then do what you say you will do. Half of life is showing up. In today’s text Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Only one of the ten lepers showed up to say thanks.” Only one bloomed in thankfulness.
Number eight: “If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is,” or “all that glitters is not gold.” In 1 Peter 3 it reads, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self.” Our looks change over time. What we own changes in looks and value. The glitter comes off over time. We can never keep up with the Joneses. It is about the inner self not that outer self, to be truly healthy and well.
My ninth pastoral tip is “Do not put your eggs in one basket.” In Matthew 25 there is the Parable of the Talents and the accounting with the master of the servant’s one talent. “‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’” He hid his talent in the ground.
Last but not least, my tenth tip: “Spend less than you make. The rainy day is coming.” Or maybe we call it the “Toys are not usually an investment” tip. Matthew 25 also says: “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” The ninth and tenth tips are from this parable of the talents. How we use or abuse money lies at the root of so many troublesome situations I have witnessed in pastoral ministry.
On this Health and Wellness Sunday I pray these 10 tips based on 10 Bible verses will bless you.
Loving God, we lift to you today all those who are scared, feeling vulnerable, afraid of getting sick. Give them peace and strength, Lord. We also lift those who are worried about loved ones, or friends who are struggling with illness, with tests, with diagnoses. Grant them healing, dear Lord. We pray for all those who are suffering because of coronavirus. May they know your healing power. We lift those who are challenged with the economy, with job strain and loss. Grant them hope and ways to find a new job and an income. We pray for those who are struggling with relationships, with spouses, with children, with friends, with work colleagues or neighbours. Grant forgiveness and healing, God. When we feel alone and isolated, reassure us with a sense of your presence. Give wisdom to those in authority, and may our communities come together for the good of all. We give thanks for all those who care for others and ask you to be with them in all they do. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, healer and physician. Amen.
Invitation to Offering
Our witness to Christ may not be the ultimate sacrifice of our lives. Our witness may simply be to say “Yes” to the call to share all of our gifts generously and wholeheartedly. God takes pleasure in us whether we are able to participate by providing support or whether we are among those who receive support. The invitation awaits our bold but joy-filled response.
♥ by secure online payment from your bank or credit card – waltonmemorial.com/donate
*Important Note*Please enter the donation in one person’s name (preferably the name shown on the credit/debit card) even if you give jointly with another person. As with cheques and cash, donations made online are automatically credited to both adults in the same household regardless of which one made the donation.
♥ by cheque through the mail slot at the Church office entrance or by Canada Post.
♥ by monthly PAR payments. To sign up contact stuart@waltonmemorial.com.
O Holy One, these are the gifts of our hands and our hearts sharing in thanksgiving. May they touch the lives of many. Where brokenness resides, may our gifts offer your healing and your wholeness. In the name of Christ. Amen.
And now may the blessing of God be ours as we leave today. May we use the blessing of peace to calm our troubled spirits and our troubled world. As you go from this special time virtually, reach out to others; show them that God’s love for them each and every second of every day. Amen.
(adapted Scott Martin, The Gathering, Pentecost 2)
This morning on Facebook and on YouTube, we’re sharing a video where Linda shares with us several of our favourite hymns! Sing along!
♬ Come and Find the Quiet Centre
♬ Healer of Every Ill
♬ God Will Take Care of You
♬ You Are My Hiding Place
♬ You are My All In All
♬ May God’s Sheltering Wings
Here is Rev. Jim’s mid-week update from Wednesday, October 28th
