Today’s service will be offered in 2 formats – video and text.
For the latest news and updates from Walton, please check our Facebook page, Instagram and website. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for videos of service, the choirs and more!
Please contact office@waltonmemorial.com if you would like to be added to our email list.
→ Weeding Team – We need a few people who will help some others weed the south and new east gardens. If you can help out, let the office know. Thank you.
→ Are you wanting to spread God’s love and help the wider community? The Outreach Committee is inviting you to join them! If you are interested in hearing about their current projects and suggesting future ongoing projects, please join them at Walton on the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Please call the office for information or just join us!
→ Bronte Coat Drive is back this year! Tentatively, on the third Saturday in October. This has become a co-operative effort between, Church of the Epiphany, St. Dominics Church and Walton Memorial primarily; all of us having the betterment of people of our area as our goal. So, sew on that button, empty those pockets, sponge out that stain …… and, please give us your coats that you will not plan to wear next year or ever again! Donations will be accepted soon. Stay tuned!
→ Calling all knitters! The Bronte COAT DRIVE Committee has a need for knitted scarves for our Annual Coat Distribution Event. If you could knit a scarf 5’ – 6’ long in black, grey or navy, we would be most happy to include it as a giveaway on October 15 th , 2022. As you may know, there are many people in our community who are grateful to receive a coat from this event, and they are delighted to also receive a warm scarf (or hat or gloves)!
→ FOOD BANK…the need is real! Every summer the food bank deals with reduced food and money donations because of families going on vacation and leaving town. Unfortunately, the families that depend on the food bank year-round still need that support. Please help by donating through your Walton envelopes, electronically through the website, or by bringing food items to put in our donation box outside Bronte Hall. It was mentioned that canned fruit and cereal are items needed right now. Go to the Fare Share website to find a complete list – www.oakvillefoodbank.com
→ Children and youth are invited to view this week’s virtual Sunday School lesson online. Let’s gather around the campfire and sing our praises!
→ 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, what an exciting day here at Walton.
Really Val what’s happening?
This morning is Communion. I mean we get the opportunity to partake in Communion all together here in the Sanctuary, to me that is very special!
Yes, Val, it sure is. We are grateful we can join together in this special Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Come, let us join together in worship, as we sing together.
We have been given the gift of a new day and we have chosen to spend some of it in worship.
The world around us rests at night, and we are called to this time of resting in God, to be renewed, restored, and revitalized for serving in God’s world.
Come, and let us worship God.
( Bob Root, The Gathering Pentecost 1, 2022)
All: One body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all, take this patchwork collection of persons and quilt together your church.
Like beautiful, unique pieces of cloth, take these words and songs and prayers, take our thoughts and inner hungers, and join them all together into a new and living fabric—the purpose of which is to cover and colour your world (or at least our corner of it) with grace and love.
In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
(Adapted Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren website)
Alison has a bag of large rocks and a bag of cotton balls. She throws some of the cotton balls at the children.
How did that feel? Normally we don’t encourage people to throw things at each other in Sunday School, but cotton balls don’t hurt, do they? They are soft and fluffy and feel pretty nice!
But what about these big rocks? How would you feel if I threw one at you? What could happen?
I think we all know that we shouldn’t throw rocks, or other hard items, because they could hurt someone really badly.
But what about your words? There are hard words and things you can say that hurt other people badly too. The problem is, you can’t always see how they hurt. A rock will leave a mark, a bruise, or even a cut, but the damage from hard words can be invisible. That’s why we have to be extra careful with the things we say so we don’t hurt anyone.
What about soft words? Are there words that feel nice like cotton balls? Here are some examples: I love you. Great job! Will you be my friend? Using soft words is one way we can love our neighbours the way Jesus taught us. Treat other people gently, with kindness.
Let us pray.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
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
“Bearing one another in love.” Those are the words today from the Letter to the Church at Ephesus. Paul is saying them to those who are part of that worshipping family of faith, that first-century local congregation in what today is southwestern Turkey, right on the Aegean Sea.
There are 59 “one another” statements in the New Testament talking about how we are to act towards one another as a family of faith. My summer theme for 2022 is “one another.” We are considering just some of these 59 passages about being “one another” to “one another.” Andy Stanley, the best-selling Christian writer, says, “The primary activity of the church was one-anothering one another.” What a pivotal phrase: “one-anothering one another.”
One of the wonderful things about a family of faith is that we embrace others who are not like us. In one church where I served, the local Liberal MP and the local head of the Conservative party would often sit in the same pew together. Here at Walton, we had the NDP candidate and someone seeking the Reform Party nomination serving on the same critical Walton Church committee. Not just political differences but cultural ones, economical ones, social ones, and so on are bridged as people of faith. The local family of faith brings together people who might not otherwise connect outside in the wider community. Ephesians say we are to be “bearing one another in love.”
Paul says to do this we must, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” I know of a church where the people of the congregation tolerated the worst cook in the area. People never said anything about the food this person brought to potlucks, dinners and group events. This person had the heart of gold but was just not the best cook around. Week in and week out, this person bore others up in love in so many ways. Culinary ways were not one of them, but that didn’t matter to others in the congregation.
In years past Walton was essentially a Bronte community-focused congregation. The majority of our flock lived between Third Line to Burloak Road and the QEW to Lake Ontario. Walton is no longer simply a Bronte congregation, no longer simply an Oakville congregation, and no longer an Oakville -Burlington Congregation.
In fact, Walton isn’t even just a Halton congregation anymore. We gather with people – both in live worship and virtual worship – from all over the greater Hamilton and Toronto areas, the Niagara Region, Brant, Haldimand, Perth, Huron, Simcoe, Muskoka and beyond. Each one brings from their own home area unique experiences and understandings into the mix of Walton life.
Today we celebrate our summer Communion service. Whether you are sharing virtually or in the live Communion, it too draws us together as a family of faith in this sacrificial and sacramental meal, this meal of God’s uniting grace given to us in the bread and wine.
Back to “bearing one another in love” from Ephesians. As I said back on Sunday, June 5 as I first began this series of messages, “Being there for one another is a two-way street. Not always giving but receiving. If we simply look at the church with a consumer mentality of ‘what can it do for me?’ or if we only want to receive, we miss out on the true “one another” blessing of church life, being part of the family of faith.” This idea of being completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love goes in both directions
So maybe this week ahead all of you on the east side of the Church need to be borne with love. So everyone on the west side is going to be there to help out in the bearing. But the week after that it flips and now the west side needs to be borne in love and the east side is going to help out in the bearing. Of course, this is only an exaggerated example, however, I hope you see the point. There is that mutuality of bearing another in love.
Now it is time to gather as a family of faith around this holy meal. The table is set. Jesus extends the invitation. Come, let us share the bread and wine.
One: non-bold script
All: bolded script
One: Jesus was always the guest.
In the homes of Peter and Jarius, Martha and Mary, and so many others, he was always the guest.
At the meal tables of the wealthy where he argued the case of the poor, he was always the guest.
Upsetting polite company, befriending isolated people, welcoming the stranger, he was always the guest.
All: But here, at this table, Jesus Christ is the host.
One: Who is invited to this table?
All: Everyone who is here today, both virtually and physically, is invited to this table.
One: This table is prepared for those who have great faith, and those who have little faith, and those who wonder if they have any faith left at all.
And it is prepared for those who love the Lord, with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and for those who love their neighbour, as they love themselves, and it is also made ready for those who don’t, but wish they could.
And it is prepared for those who hunger and thirst for a deeper faith, a better life, and a fairer world.
All: Why do we gather at this table?
One: We gather because we long for a deeper faith.
All: We gather, because we hunger and thirst for a better life, and a fairer world.
One: And we gather to remember Jesus.
All: What do we do at this table?
One: We follow the example and command of Jesus.
Listen now, to the story of how this sacrament began.
On the night on which Jesus was betrayed, he sat at supper with his disciples.
While they were eating, he took a piece of bread, said a blessing, broke it, and gave it to them with the words,
All: “This is my body. It is broken for you. Do this to remember me.”
One: Later, Jesus took a cup of wine, saying,
All: “This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Drink from it, all of you, to remember me.”
One: So, now we do what Jesus did. Remembering his promise to be present in the bread and wine.
All: Remember that through this bread and wine, Christ can make us whole.
One: Let us pray.
One: May God be with us.
All: God is here among us.
One: Let us open our hearts to God.
All: We open them to God and to one another.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
All: It is right to give thanks and praise.
One: Why do we give thanks at this table?
All: We give thanks because God is always with us. We praise you, O God, and give you thanks because you are always compassionate towards our weaknesses.
One: We praise you, O God, and give thanks because you emptied yourself of power, and entered our struggle, taking upon yourself our human flesh.
All: We praise you, O God, and give thanks because you opened wide your arms for us upon the cross, becoming a scandal for our sake.
One: Therefore, with all who are abandoned or betrayed by friends, whose body is violated or in pain; with those who died alone without dignity, comfort or hope; and with all the company of saints who have carried you in their wounds, we join to praise you.
All: Holy, holy, holy, my heart adores you!
My heart is glad to say the words; You are holy, God!
One: What do we pray for at this table?
All: We pray for the world that God loves.
One: Living God, there is no pain that does not echo in your heart, and so we offer you all the pain we have known, so often silenced, suffered alone, suppressed. We say this prayer together and ask you to say:
God, hear my prayer, and answer -in your love.
All: God, hear my prayer, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for all the tears we have shed, the sadness we have known, and the hope we have lost, and found, and lost again.
All: God, hear my prayers, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for all the places in our world where the darkness of greed, intolerance, and violence destroy people.
All: God, hear my prayer, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for all the people we know who live in the darkness of mental and physical illness.
All: God, hear my prayer, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for all the people we know who live in the darkness of addiction and substance abuse.
All: God, hear my prayer, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for all people we know who are caught in the darkness of loneliness, and grief, and confusion.
All: God, hear my prayer, and answer – in your love.
One: We pray for ourselves and those we love in these moments of silence. (a time of silence)
All: God, hear my prayer and answer, in your love.
One: And with Jesus, we pray together:
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours in the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
One: Among friends, gathered round a table,
Jesus took bread, broke it, and said,
“This is my body – broken for you.”
All: Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Amen.
One: Later he took a cup of wine and said,
“This cup is the new relationship with God
made possible because of my death.”
All: Jesus Christ, the cup of New Beginnings.Amen.
(adapted Communion Liturgy from Wesley Mission Service)
Thank you Lord for the invitation to be here, to be part of this holy meal today. To be forgiven, loved and cared for is a gift like no other. We offer up to you today our gifts to share with one another, to give some of our blessings to help someone else. May these gifts offer hope, peace and love to someone who is praying for help. I invite the ushers forward with our offerings.
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All: Generous God, we thank you for this wonderful opportunity to give in Jesus name, to share what I have today. May these gifts offer life and abundance to anyone in need and to inspire more generosity through the giving and receiving of each gift. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen
The world is waiting for a message to love and new life; go and proclaim this message with all that you are, and with all that you have, one-anothering one another.
Here is Rev. Jim’s mid-week update for August 3, 2022
