THANKSGIVING

OCTOBER 2016

Dear Members and Friends

1. THANKSGIVING SUNDAY: OCTOBER 9, 2016
Two of the most gracious words in any language are thank you!
Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of
October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good
harvest and other fortunes in the past year. We thank God and neighbours
for what we have received.
It is also custom to have a Thanksgiving Worship Service. This will also be
our topic this coming Sunday during our service of worship. We take one
hour to give thanks as a body of Christ his church to empower each
other in giving thanks together. We invite you to come along and simply give
thanks we are thankful for untold blessings in whatever form received.
I also want to share with you our order of service for Sunday. You may want
to look at read - the words of the hymns and Scripture Readings in your
preparation for the service. You may also want to hum the tunes before we
praise God together in song at the service.
1. WELCOME and CALL TO WORSHIP: Litany of Thanksgiving (Inspired by
Psalm 96)
2. INTROIT and ENTER THE WORD OF GOD: Sing to the Lord of Harvest
(VU: 519: 1, 3: Tune: VU: 112 - Lancashire)
3. LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE: O God of all the many lands (VU: 523:
1: Tune: VU: 518)
4. JOY, ANNOUNCEMENTS and CONCERNS
5. HARVEST THANKSGIVING SONGS
5.1 For Jesus
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5.1 For harvest, riches and labours

6. READING: Philippians 4: 4-7; selected verses from Matthew 15: 29-37;
John 11: 33-44; Luke 22:14-20.
7. SERMON: When did Jesus say thank you?
8. ANTHEM: A Thanksgiving Flourish
9. SHARING GOD'S BLESSINGS
9.1 Doxology: God of all good (VU: 539: 1: Tune: VU: 436 Eventide)
9.2 Thanksgiving Prayer
10. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORDS PRAYER SUNG
10.1 CHOIR: A Thanksging Prayer
10.1 CONGREGATION: LORDS PRAYER: When you are praying (Tune: VU:
266: Amazing Grace)
11. CLOSING SONG: For the fruit of all creation (VU: 227: 1, 3)
12. BENEDICTION and THREE-FOLD AMEN SUNG; CHORAL BLESSING
12.1 Benediction: Now Unto Him
12.2 Choral Blessing: Halle, Halle (VU: 958)
2. SOMETHING SPECIAL
If you would want us to sing a hymn/song during a service of worship,
please do not hesitate to contact me even if you want to sing a song. You
may have a hymn/song/music you want to share with us in memory of
someone, or, reminding you of a special event. You are welcome to contact
me.
3. THANKSGIVING DEVOTION
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6: Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
But the fact is that we do live anxious and
troubled lives on the planet earth. Jesus said
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that in this world we will have trouble. Someone once said: Life is messy
but giving thanks helps us to see and experience the other side of life.
Corrie ten Boom tells in her classic autobiography, The Hiding Place, writes
of the time she and her sister went through Nazi inspections at a death
camp. They were forced to suffer the humiliation of taking off their clothes.
Corrie stood in line feeling forsaken, defiled, and desperate for answers.
Suddenly she remembered that when He hung on the cross, Jesus too was
naked.
During that seemingly degrading moment, Corrie was struck with a great
sense of awe and worship to God. In her amazement of God, she leaned
forward and whispered to her sister, "Betsie, they took His clothes, too."
Betsie gasped and said, "Oh, Corrie, I never thanked Him for that."
Thanksgiving does not require any re-payment, but instead requires
recognition of what our Jesus did for the whole world, even those who do not
treat us well, as Corrie shared. She could have allowed hate and resentment
ruled her life even after her sister and family died. But for her thankfulness
is the opposite of selfishness. The selfish person believes they deserve what
comes to them, but the unselfish person realizes that everything is a gift
from God.
Thanksgiving is a great time to survey and make a list of things for which
you are thankful. Maybe it is the house you live in, a loved one who phoned
to see how you are, our health and the ability to walk, or the opportunity to
worship freely each week in God's house.
PRAYER: Thank God for the gift of life, salvation through Jesus Christ, His
constant comfort and love, His provision, and our many blessings.
4. THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS
It is 79 days to Christmas. On the 4 preceding
Sundays before Christmas we will focus on Advent.
We will advise you on the topics we will be preaching
on during these preceding Sundays.

Note: This December there will be no Rotary Carol

singing. I spoke to Pete and the Re-Petes about
this. We will be hosting our Cantata with Pete and
the Re-Petes on Friday, December 16 2016. Pete
thought it to be a good idea to, seeing that there
will be no carol singing, have Community Carol
Singing with narration at Trinity on the Saturday,
December 16 2016. We can let the other churches
know, invite the community and people from the
surrounding area. We can make it a real Christmas
celebration for all to enjoy the week-end before
Christmas. We discussed this at our choir practise
last night and we all thought it to be a good idea.
The choir is working hard on the Cantata: Were you there on that
Christmas night.
5. CARBON LEVY IMPACT ON TRINITY AS FROM JANUARY 1, 2017
We have received notification from the Town that the Alberta government
carbon levy will be applied to most natural gas consumption at a rate of
$1.011/GJ beginning January 1, 2017, increasing to $1.517 January 1, 2018.
To help business budgets, they have developed a carbon levy estimate
based on businesss previous usage. Businesses must keep in mind that the
winter of 2015/2016 was mild, so estimates may be low.
Hence, for Trinity, if the 2017 Alberta government carbon levy was applied
to our churchs last 12 months of natural gas consumption, we would have
paid about $639.00 more that year.
More information on the Alberta governments carbon levy can be found:
alberta.ca/climate-carbon-pricing.cfm.
We trust that all our members and friends will enjoy a wonderful
thanksgiving week-end. Please visit us on Sunday with your families and
friends if you are in town.
Many thanks and God bless.
Eras.