Today’s service will be offered in 2 formats – view the video below, read the service below or download and print the service from this document – link.
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Please contact office@waltonmemorial.com if you would like to be added to our email list.
• The UCW would like to thank the Walton congregation and friends for their huge support and great generosity at the Munch-a-Muffin Morning last Sunday, to raise money for fare Share Food Bank, both bakers and buyers. The sales and donations raised more than $700 for the Oakville Food Bank. With grateful hearts, thank you.There will also be a few bags of 6 frozen muffins available for donations at coffee time at the Welcome Centre
• Celebrate Holy Week with Walton! Please join us on Friday, April 7 from 8:45-9:45 for a pancake breakfast in Bronte Hall. Our Good Friday worship service will follow at 10:00am. On Sunday, April 9, our Easter Sunday Pier Service is at 8:00am on the Bronte Harbour pier, or under the gazebo if it’s raining. Coffee and hot cross buns will be served in Bronte Hall beginning at 8:30am. Easter Sunday worship service will be held in the Sanctuary at 9:30am (with Sunday School and Youth Groups as usual) and 11:00am.
• Walton’s Outreach Committee would like to offer a different way to recognize the season of Lent this year. Starting Ash Wednesday we have prayer themes for each week taking us to Easter Sunday. Please join us in praying for these areas of concern. Each week there is a short scripture and prayer, please add your own as you feel guided to. The sheets will be available on the table near the entrance to the Sanctuary on Sunday and a soft copy will be posted with the Sunday service for each Sunday of Lent. Thank you for your faithful support for Outreach activities at Walton. See the end of the service document for this week’s theme.
• Easter Food Drive – The Outreach Committee would like to thank all families who have donated recently, you are greatly appreciated. As many as 750 families use our Oakville Fare Share Food bank and more families register weekly. The need continues to rise. Donations of food items can be placed in our decorated food boxes within the church or monetary donations can be given through our weekly ‘giving’ envelopes or through the church website: www. waltonmemorial.com. Please share with others in our community by donating generously throughout March and April. Thank you for your thoughtful gifts.
• NEW Tuesday morning video study – Reverend Jim Gill, Parish Nurse Cathy Winn, lead our spring video study “Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are.” The 6-week study takes place Tuesdays from 10:15-11:45am in Bronte Hall, and begins on Tuesday, April 11. There is no cost and no preparation required. Please sign up online or in the church office.
• LIVE or VIRTUAL TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP SUNDAY, May 28 at the 10am Service – If you are a confirmed member of any Christian denomination and would like to transfer to Walton from another congregation, we’d be pleased to arrange the transfer. Please contact the Church Office or Rev. Jim jamescgillwuc@gmail.com for more information.
• Could you be a driver for Walton? Now that more people are returning to church, we need more drivers to bring a couple of people to and from church on a Sunday morning. You can select which service that you prefer attending and we’ll match you up with someone to bring when you plan to attend on a Sunday. We need both regular and occasional drivers. Please notify the office if you can be a volunteer driver. Those who need a drive are very grateful for Walton’s driving ministry! If anyone else needs a drive to church, please contact the church office and we’ll try to arrange a ride.
• Would you like to learn how to record a service? We would love to have you join the team! Training and try outs are unlimited and we would love to have you take part, or watch to see how it all happens. Please contact Wendy Silva through the church office or email socialmedia@waltonmemorial.com
• New to Walton? Are you visiting today? Welcome! Please feel free to ask the ushers if you have any questions during the service and we invite you to fill out a welcome card in the pew racks and leave it in an offering plate at one of the doors. Please join us for coffee, tea or cold drinks and conversation in Bronte Hall after the 9:30 service ends and before the 11:00am service begins. There you’ll also find the Welcome Centre with information about Walton and someone to chat with. Walton nametags, hats, pickles etc. are also available for purchase.
• Rooms for rent – Looking for somewhere to host a meeting, bridal shower, birthday party, music recital. exercise classes, sports groups, craft lessons or more? Walton has room for you! We have a number of rental spaces to accommodate groups large and small, for a one-off event or weekly sessions. Contact the church office for more details. See photos on our website – https://www.waltonmemorial.com/room-rentals
• The CVITP Committee (Community Volunteer Income Tax Program) is beginning to make appointments for March and April 2023. If you need help filing your return, have a modest income, and a simple tax situation, the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program may be able to help you. There is no charge for this assistance. For details about the Free Tax Clinic, you can visit the following online page: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/free-tax-help.html or call Ruth at 905-631-6188 or John at 416-840-9418. Tax assistance will be by appointment only – taxes can also be prepared by phone and by e-mail/internet. As the pandemic closure has been somewhat lifted, we will have you come to Walton Church Allen Entrance for an appointment with a tax preparer, however, you must be masked. Details also found on our website – waltonmemorial.com/cvitp-tax-clinic
• Children and youth are invited to view this week’s virtual Sunday School lesson online.
• 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.
As we gather today on these treaty lands, we are in solidarity with Indigenous brothers and sisters to honour and respect the four directions, lands, waters, plants, animals and ancestors that walked before us, and all of the wonderful elements of creation that exist. We acknowledge and thank the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation for being stewards of this traditional territory.
Good morning and welcome to Palm Sunday. What a glorious day to wave palms and sing Hosanna to our Lord and King, as we step forward into Holy Week!
One candle is lit, as well as the Christ candle. As it is lit say:
One: Let us pray:
All: Awesome God, as we enter Holy Week, we are drawn to the flickering flame. It burns brightly in our hearts. Yet, we know that amidst the celebrations of this day, there are those who want to extinguish this light in us and in Jesus. May the radiance of Christ’s glory shine brightly, this day and through the coming week. In the name of the Light of the World, we pray. Amen.
One: Crowds of people lined streets to welcome Jesus from Nazareth riding into town on a donkey.
Two: On the other side of Jerusalem, some others went to see a proper Roman military parade.
One: They watched Pontius Pilate riding on a war horse accompanied by battle-hardened foot soldiers with their swords, shields, helmets, and war drums.
Two: They were the enemy. They were impressive and fearful.
One: At Jesus’ parade, the people were shouting, “Hosanna, save us, we pray.”
Two:: Save us from the tyranny of the Romans who rule over us.
One: Save us, so that we may live in peace.
Two: Save us, so that we can live with our dignity.
One: Save us, so that we can live as ones created in God’s image.
Two: We shout. We pray. And we wait.
One: When will the day of God, the kingdom of God, come?
The sixth candle is extinguished.
Don’t be afraid.
My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid.
My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near.
Two: Let us pray.
All: O God, who rules over the universe, please do not let the fools of this world destroy your world.Do not let them gloat over you and us. Do not let them have the last say or the last laugh.May your will be done. May justice and peace prevail. May we truly know that we live and move and have our being in you and through you. So, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
One:They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
All: Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
One: Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
All: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
One: Let us join in the welcoming of Jesus.
All: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Hosanna!
adapted Allan Warren, The Gathering L/E 2023
11:00 Chancel Choir: “Now Sing We All Hosanna”
One: Loving God, we pray to you in the spirit of confession, knowing in faith that you will always listen to us.
All: We join in the crowd, waving our palms in celebration. We cry, “Hosanna,” believing that Christ has come to be our Messiah, to fulfill our hopes and expectations.
One: Then we hear his revelation of the kingdom to come, of what it truly means to proclaim Jesus the Messiah, of what will be expected of us.
All: We become unsure, perhaps unwilling to continue the journey. We would rather remain with the crowd than follow to the cross.
One: God, we pray that you renew our faith.
All: Challenge us to continue to follow in the footsteps of your Son and commit to truly understanding the Messiah who calls us to proclaim the Good News! Amen.
Adapted Sandy Ferguson, The Gathering L/E 2022
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, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Alison hands the children wooden sticks with colourful paper cutouts of handprints attached to them.
Alison: Ok everyone, on the count of 3, I’m going to shout Hosanna, and you’re going to wave your palms and shout Hosanna back to me. Ready? 1, 2, 3…Hosanna! Hmmm…I think you can shout louder than that. Maybe everyone in the congregation can help you. I’ll shout Hosanna and you all shout it back. Don‘t forget to wave your palms! 1, 2,3…Hosanna!
Val: Ummmmm…Alison? I hate to break it to you, but those aren’t the kind of palms the Bible was talking about. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, people were waving palm branches. You know, the leaves from a palm tree.
Alison: Wait, what?! Just kidding, of course I know that, but I thought it would be neat this year to use the palms of our hands to represent the palm branches.
Val: It looks pretty, but can I ask why?
Alison: Well, hold out your hand and take a good look at your palm. Notice where all the lines are. Now, hold your palm next to your neighbours’ palm and look at them side by side. What do you notice?
Val: They’re different! This line goes all the way down to my wrist on my hand, but not on my neighbour’s.
Alison: That’s right. No two hands are exactly the same. Everyone’s palm print is unique and individual, just like each person is unique and individual. That’s the way God made us. He knows each of us, loves each of us, and really really wanted to save each of us from our bad choices and mistakes, the things we call sin.
Val: That’s why he sent his son Jesus. And that’s why everyone was waving and shouting when he came into Jerusalem. Each person knew that no matter who they were, no matter their differences, Jesus was here just for them. That’s definitely something to shout about! Can we try it again, all together, and make this the loudest one yet? 3,2,1 HOSANNA!!
Alison: That’s definitely something to thank God for. Let’s say a prayer:
Loving God, thank you for knowing each and every one of us. Thank you for making us unique and special, and for loving us just the way we are. Thank you for sending Jesus to rescue us from our mistakes. Help us remember that gift and to be thankful always. Amen.
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
“Who Do You Say I Am?” Raymond A. Foss uses that question as the title of his poem. Foss continues:
“What a question, what a test
putting it on the line, with him right there
in your face, after the miracles, the lessons
wanting a mighty Savior, a king to rule
overthrow the yoke, the oppression of the age
the force of Rome, over the land of his ancestors
the promised land, of the chosen people
First, who do they say I am
then the pivotal question, the true test
of the rock,
“Who do you say I am?”
“Who,” we ask ourselves, is that in the selfie with them that they posted? “ Who” did I see you with at the Firehall restaurant the other night? “ Who” was with you when I saw you walking up Guelph Line as I drove by? “Who,” is a frequently asked question? From natural curiosity to a mystery to just plain gossip, we ask “ Who?” Even that old board game called Who.
I know that feeling of “Who are you?” Late afternoon this past Monday, I received a voicemail that challenged who I am. The call was from the Oakville Hospital Medical Centre about my early Tuesday morning test, saying I was to bring all my paperwork with me. The problem was I had no paperwork and I knew of no test being booked. After twice being put on hold, I mean terminal hold, I decided to drive up to Hospital Gate to sort this all out. I did not want to miss any test my doctor wanted done. When I got up there, the office staff said someone named James had booked the test. James has the same cell number I do. I felt I had to claim “who” I was. Finally I showed them my health card and my cell phone to prove ”who” I was. Turns out the other James had a different last name than I do, but somehow used my cell number to book the test.
All the fresh green palms in today’s services help set up the start of our Holy Week for 2023.
Our reading today is about a parade, a ride upon a donkey, palm branches, clothes on the road and shouting. It all works together to pose that question asked by the whole city of Jerusalem. Not posed by the pilgrims from Galilee; they knew the answer to the “who” question. Rather it was the city people who said, ”Who is this?”
“Who is this?”.This is the repetitive question throughout Matthew. The writer has been dealing with “who” from the very first verse of this first Gospel in the Christian scriptures. Matthew begins with the genealogy that identified “Jesus Christ” as “the son of David, the son of Abraham.” It continues to explain that Jesus Christ, is the ”Emmanuel,” which means ‘God is with us’. He is ”King of the Jews,” a prince and a shepherd, “the Lord,” the one “who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire,” ”my beloved Son,” and it continues with so many more“who” answers. Peter, of course, had recently declared Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” though Peter didn’t yet realize the full implications of his confession at the time.
The answer given in our service today is that the crowds answered: “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” There are 198 different names and titles for Jesus in the Bible; they are listed in Cruden’s Concordance. A concordance is an alphabetical list of the words (especially the important ones) present in a Bible text, usually with the biblical references to where the passages are found. While many concordances are now online like biblegateway.com, Cruden’s was first published in 1737, and has continuously been in print ever since.
The Nicene Creed gives us the Christian Church’s answer to the “who” question in these words:
One Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
Something pivotal for each of us to consider is: who do we say Jesus is for us personally? What is the creed of our personal belief? Who do we understand Jesus to be?
With communion today we think of Jesus as the “bread of life,” “true vine” and “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” As you are offered this holy meal this morning or you partake at home or some other location, we invite you to consider how you would answer that pivotal “who” question.
Michael Johnson poetically asks as well:
Who is The Lord to you and me?
Who is God’s Lamb and Christ?
Is He The One who sets us free?
The Son God sacrificed
Is He The Rock on which to build
Is He God’s virgin child?
Is he The One whose blood was spilled
That man be reconciled
Is he The Lord of all we see?
Creator God of all
Has He arrived to set you free?
And save you from the fall
Is He your Lord of life and limb?
The King of kings on high
Is now your life so full of Him?
You’ve no more fear to die
One: Lift your hearts to the living God!
All: Lift your praises to the Lord JesusHosanna! Hosanna!
Two: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
All: Hosanna in the highest!
One: If our praises fail and our thanks dry up, may the rocks cry out (hold up rocks) may the depths of the earth shout your praise.
All: All glory is yours, all life, all hope, all beautyall creation sings of you, all history tells your story.All honour is yours, for you came to us, born as one of us,poured out in love, present in power.
Two: Jesus, Lord Jesus, you rejected the way of control, you chose the way of service,you rejected the sword and the horn of victory, you chose the cross and crown of thorns.
One: You who danced with angels and commanded the stars you walked step by step into our darkness and shame.
All: Lamb of God,you take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us.
One: Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world. Grant us your peace.
Two: Jesus, Lord Jesus, we remember you met with your friends on that darkest night. Even in your fear and grief you gave thanks to God you took bread, broke it, gave it to your disciples and said
One: “This is my body, which is broken for you. Take this, eat it, and remember me.”
Two: Then you lifted up the cup of the covenant spoke aloud your gratitude to the Father and said:
One: “This is my blood, which is poured out for you. Take this, drink this, and receive forgiveness.”
Two: Jesus, Lord Jesus, we glorify you for your immense generosity for your death on the cross, for waiting in the tomb, descending into hell.
One: Father, Lord God, we glorify you for raising Jesus from the dead, for sending your Spirit in power to break open all other powers to overcome death and hell and sin, and open to us the way of life everlasting.
Two: Spirit, gracious Spirit, we glorify you for you are here, with us now, here in this circle of friends, here in these gifts of bread, wine and grape juice.
One: Feed us, fill us, break us, heal us over and over again until we grow more and more to be the people of Christ.
Two: Thank you, Lord of all, Thank you.
by Silvia Purdie
Creator God,
We give you thanks for the grain farmers, the bread bakers, the grape growers, the juice makers.
Redeemer God, we give you thanks for all that we remember as we have shared this meal: your birth, your life, your death and resurrection.
Sustaining God, we give you thanks for the eternal presence of your Spirit with us, surrounding us and filling us with Divine life.
May this meal we have shared renew us and inspire us to join more joyfully with you as you work for peace and justice in the world. Amen.
by Joanna Harader, and posted on the Spacious Faith
One: The palm branches are symbols of all we have to celebrate as we welcome Jesus, God’s just and caring one, to Jerusalem.
All: Our gifts are celebration gifts.
One: This bread and this cup remind us of the suffering and sacrifice, as Jesus, God’s faithful one, refused to take the easy way out.
All: Our gifts symbolize our renewed faithfulness.
One: God accepts and blesses them.
All: To be the glory and praise. Hosanna!
One: Our offering will now be received.
Adapted David Sparks, The Gathering L/E 2023
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All: God of the Journey, we travel to Jerusalem knowing that it is a noisy, busy community. We gather with the crowds that we too might share the holy manna. In preparation, we present gifts – our very best and our very selves. May all we share be graciously received. In the name of the giving Christ, we pray. Amen.
One: Today we have cheered you on as our champion and hailed you as our hero.
All: Forgive us tomorrow when our enthusiasm wanes.
One: Today we have entrusted you to rescue us from our pitiful circumstances.
All: Forgive us on Tuesday when we decide we can take care of ourselves.
One: Today we have made you the centerpiece of our very existence.
All: Forgive us on Wednesday when we forget to remember who you are.
One: Today we have called out to you loudly by name.
All: Forgive us on Thursday when we pretend that we’ve never met you.
One: Today we have stared at you with the star struck eyes of fans and groupies.
All: Forgive us on Friday when we avert our eyes because it’s too painful to see you on the cross.
One: Today we have expressed our unsuppressed hopefulness in the future you have in store for us.
All: Forgive us on Saturday when we believe all is lost.
One: Today we have been boldly certain of the earthly ways you will redeem us.
All: Restore us on Sunday when we are startled and awed by your rising.
by Rev. Christine Sobania Johnson, East Hills Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,, and posted on her blog, Freshly Squeezed liturgy
We entered into Jerusalem and experienced the festivities, if only in our imaginations.
We caught a glimpse of the one whom the crowds were proclaiming Messiah
At Christ’s table, we ate and were well satisfied.
Today, we encountered the timeless story of Palm Sunday.
Inspired, encouraged, and transformed by this faith story, go and be the faith-filled people that you are.
Be generous with your kindness. Be radical in your loving. Be tender in your compassion.
And may the God of the journey go with you this Holy Week.
May the Christ of vulnerability show you the way we must go.
May the delightful Holy Spirit always be your guide. Amen.
adapted Laura J. Turnbull, The Gathering, L/E 2023
Your Outreach Committee would like to offer a different way to recognize the season of Lent. Starting Ash Wednesday we have prayer themes for each week taking us to Easter Sunday. Please join us in praying for these areas of concern. Each week there is a short scripture and prayer, please add your own as you feel guided to.
We pray for our young people who are our future and have experienced the loss of community, social supports and face to face interaction in schooling during the pandemic.
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
Prayer
Loving Father, We thank you for young people, the energy, enthusiasm and potential that they have. We pray that the obstacles that can hold them back such as poverty, ill-health, and discrimination, will be removed. We ask that, inspired by your Spirit, young people will have courage to speak out for justice, find solutions to poverty and love their neighbours with word and action. May you strengthen them with joyful hearts, give them a vision of your Kingdom here on earth, and embolden them to act. Amen.
A prayer for young people – Our Coins for Care jar is located on the table at the back of the Sanctuary and coin donations received there are sent to Food for Kids (Let’s Feed Our Future – Food4Kids Ontario) which is a wonderful local charity supporting children in need.
Here is Rev. Jim’s mid-week update for Wednesday, March 29th
