Please click on the  link below to get to the Sunday Services Page.

https://knox16presbyterian.ca/worship/weekly-worship-services

Good Morning

This morning our service will help us to reflect upon some of the tragic occurrences that have happened in our world.  This month we have been confronted with the discovery of 215 bodies of indigenous children in an unmarked grave outside what was the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.  We were also devastated by the hate-induced murder of a Muslim family in London, Ontario.  These tragedies cause us to pause and reflect.

I have chosen two pieces of music this morning that I hope will help us to remember that we live in a world that was created by a loving God and that we are called to be instrument of God’s peace.

He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands – Laurie London https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12CmOw5MY0E

Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace – Susan Boyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUI2EyYIEKs

Announcements

Zoom Worship – June 27th

In response to our congregational worship survey, on Sunday, June 27^th … 10:00 am our worship service will be held over Zoom.  You are invited to begin to gather just after 9:30am, for some light conversation … as well as to ensure that we can deal with any technical difficulties.  It is our hope that the service will be taped and made available later in the day through our usual way of distribution.  As the taped worship service will be made available for public viewing, as the current worship video is, your attendance will be considered acknowledgement of your consent.

Garden work Party:

We’ll be having a day to tend to the cemetery garden – your presence would be great (your help would also be appreciated).

Day: Saturday, July 10th

Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

What to Bring:  a smile and a rake

What You’ll Receive: Cold drinks, satisfaction from a job well done and likely a sore back.

Contact: John Best at   besty007@cogeco.ca  to let him know you will be coming!

Indigenous Peoples

One of the first steps toward reconciliation is to understand the other person or people and how they have been hurt.  Below are a few links that will help you to better understand the relationships between the Indigenous people and those of us who as Canadians have colonized the land that they first inhabited.

Hosted by Canadian Geographic, learn about truth and reconciliation from an Indigenous perspective in the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. This interactive website is equally beautiful as it is rich in content we may not have learned about yet.

You can learn more about the unique and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples by reading a book in the summer. Great Reads by Indigenous Canadians

The National Student Memorial Register was created to forever remember and honour the children who never returned home from residential schools. https://nctr.ca/memorial/

Presbyterian Church in Canada: General Assembly (June 6-9, 2021)

Human Sexuality:  Lengthy discussion dominated the meetings regarding Remit B and C (see below).  After years of prayerful debate and study, and much passionate and heartfelt discussion, The Presbyterian Church in Canada agreed to make changes to its theology and practice regarding marriage, permitting people to choose to define marriage as either as a covenant relationship between a man and a woman or a covenant relationship between two adult people. These decisions provide Presbyterian ministers with liberty of conscience and the freedom to choose to officiate or not officiate at the marriages of same-sex couples.

Additionally, the church agreed that LGBTQI people (whether married or single) can be ordained and are welcome to serve as ministers and ruling elders. These decisions accompany other resolutions about policies and programs that will help the church include LGBTQI people more fully in all aspects of ministry. The church will also prepare a confession to all individuals and congregations that have been harmed by the church’s exclusion of LGBTQI.^[vi]

(Remit B) The Presbyterian Church in Canada holds two parallel definitions of marriage and recognizes that faithful, Holy Spirit filled, Christ centred, God honouring people can understand marriage as a covenant relationship between a man and a woman or as a covenant relationship between two adult persons. That congregations, sessions, ruling and teaching elders be granted liberty of conscience and action on marriage.

(Remit C) That congregations and presbyteries may call and ordain as ministers and elect and ordain as ruling elders LGBTQI persons (married or single) with the provision that liberty of conscience and action regarding participation in ordinations, inductions and installations be granted to ministers and ruling elders.

I invite everyone to watch the attached video Not All Are Welcome.  This is a presentation of the Rainbow Communion Special Listening Committee and is a poignant exposition of what is means to be excluded.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muSNSOCHwnU

Knox 16 Church Parking Lot:

You will be noticing that our church parking lot will become busier!  We’ve entered into an agreement with the Town of Oakville to rent the parking lot at Knox 16 for the next three years while the new bridge is being constructed over the Sixteen Mile Creek.

As of June 1, 2021 the parking lot became public parking controlled by the Town from Monday to Saturday.  On Sundays there will be no public parking in the parking lot unless you have a parking permit.  Members and guests of our congregation will all be getting free parking permits!

This Agreement will provide some financial benefits to the congregation as well as some saving related to winter maintenance.  It will also provide us the opportunity to engage in some “Parking-Lot Evangelism!”  (don’t be concerned if you do not know what parking-lot evangelism is – I just made it up! … but you have to admit that it does sound catchy!)

Session will provide more details of the Agreement over the coming weeks.  However, If you have any questions, please email Gord Petrie at gb_petrie@hotmail.com   or give him a call at 905-878-6150 .

Music & Conversation with Lloyd

Lloyd is ready, willing and able to provide a musical interlude of favourite hymns over the phone!   He also asked me to remind everyone that the phone goes two ways – so that if you want music or a conversation just pick up the phone and give him a call!

… and if you would like a pastoral conversation please reach out either by phone 905 257 2770 or by e-mail pastor@knox16.com.

With Blessings

Patrick