First Presbyterian Church - First Presbyterian Church Edmonton

First Presbyterian Church
                   Edmonton, Alberta

                      (Founded 1881)

              Ascension Sunday
           Seventh Sunday of Easter
             11:00 am — May 16, 2021

                    Morning Worship

PRELUDE and LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

PASSING OF THE PEACE

Leader:    “The Peace of Christ be with you.”
People:    “And also with you.”

WELCOME AND INTIMATIONS

CALL TO WORSHIP

                  WE APPROACH GOD

HYMN: 272 Christ is King!

1. Christ is King! Let earthly powers,
wealth, dominion, state and crown,
here before the Servant Saviour
praise and worship and kneel down.
Jesus reigns: a cross exalts him;
suffering is the royal gown.

2. Christ is King! O saints be joyful;
grace and justice will be shown,
weakness lifted into glory,
pride and greed cast from their throne.
Jesus reigns: the once rejected
has become the Cornerstone.

3. Christ is King! Death's power is ended;
now there is no need for fear.
Love and love alone redeems us,
wipes away our guilt and tears.
Jesus reigns: the Lamb once slaughtered
in abundant life appears.

PRAYERS OF APPROACH: (Unison)
     God, we remember that in the beginning, the earth
was ‘formless and empty, and that darkness was over the
surface of the deep.’ But we remember too that you were
present, and that your creative Spirit was on the starting
line, ready to go. And so, we praise you that out of nothing
you brought everything into being and that through your
spirit, we have order and not chaotic nothingness. As we
lift our hearts to you, and as we overcome with
thankfulness for those who love us, we rejoice in all that
you have given.

But God, we acknowledge the darkness of our own lives
and our need for the light of Christ, ministered by the
Spirit. Forgive us, we pray, our self-centredness, our
fractiousness, our greed, and all that is contrary to your
will for our lives. For a healing touch, we pray, and the
courage to forgive as you have forgiven us. In the days to
come, grant us an inner hunger for deeper communion with
your spirit of grace, that we might love as you have loved
us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

KYRIE ELEISON (Lord have mercy)

DECLARATION OF PARDON

THE LORD’S PRAYER (sung): Hymn #831
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors, as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and
the glory forever. Amen.

ANTHEM      Be still for the presence of the Lord
                          David Evans arr. Richard Shephard

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
The holy One, is here; Come bow before him now
With reverence and fear. In him no sin is found
We stand on holy ground. Be still, for the presence of the
Lord, The holy One, is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord Is shining all around;

He burns with holy fire, With splendour he is crowned:
How awesome is the sight Our radiant king of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord Is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord Is moving in this place:
He comes to cleanse and heal, To minister his grace -
No work too hard for him. In faith receive from him.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
Is moving in this place.

SHARING A STORY

HYMN: 392 O holy Dove of God descending

1 O holy Dove of God descending,
You are the love that knows no ending.
All of our shattered dreams You’re mending:
Spirit, now live in me.
2 O holy Wind of God now blowing,
You are the seed that God us sowing.
You are the life that starts us growing:
Spirit, now live in me.
3 O holy Rain of God now falling,
You make the Word of God enthralling,
You are that inner voice now calling:
Spirit, now live in me.
4 O holy Flame of God now burning,
You are the power of Christ returning.
You are the answer to our yearning:

Spirit, now live in me.

                    WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

RESPONSIVE PSALM: Psalm 1 (Refrain I)

Refrain: Like a tree that’s planted by the water,
            We shall not be moved

1
  Blessed are those
       who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
       or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2
  but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
       and on that law they meditate day and night.
3
  They are like trees
       planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
       and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they flourish. R
4 The wicked are not so,
     but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
     nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
     but the way of the wicked will perish. R

GLORIA PATRI #594

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen, amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
Epistle Lessons:            Acts 1:1-11
                            I John 5:9:13
Gospel Lesson:          John 17:6-19

SERMON:          The Matrix

HYMN: 702 Dear Christ, uplifted from the earth

1. Dear Christ, uplifted from the earth,
your arms stretched out above
through every culture, every birth,
to draw an answering love.

2. Still east and west your love extends
and always, near and far,
you call and claim us as your friends
and love us as we are.

3. Where age and      gender, class and race,
divide us to our      shame,
you see a person      and a face,
a neighbour with      a name.

4. May we, accepted as we are,
yet called in grace to grow,
reach out to others, near and far,
your healing love to show.

WE RESPOND IN FAITH

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

OFFERING and OFFERTORY

DOXOLOGY #830
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all
creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly
host; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

OFFERTORY PRAYER

            We take Christ’s Love To The World

HYMN: 267 Rejoice the Lord is King

1. Rejoice, the Lord is King;
your sovereign Lord adore;
give thanks, O mortals, sing
and triumph ever more.
Lift up your heart;
lift up your voice; rejoice,
again I say, rejoice.

2. For Christ the Saviour reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when Jesus purged our stains,
he took his seat above.
Lift up your heart;
lift up your voice; rejoice,
again I say, rejoice.

3. His reign can never fail;
he rules o'er earth and heaven:
the keys of death and hell
are to our Saviour given.
Lift up your heart;
lift up your voice; rejoice,
again I say, rejoice.

4. He sits at God's right hand
till all his foes submit
and bow to his command
and fall beneath his feet.
Lift up your heart;
lift up your voice; rejoice,
again I say, rejoice.

5. Rejoice in glorious hope,
for Christ the judge shall come
and take the faithful up
to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear
the archangel's voice;
the trump of God shall sound: rejoice.

BENEDICTION

THREEFOLD AMEN

POSTLUDE            Jesus Christ is Risen      Robert
Powell

Worship is live streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/

firstpresbyterianedmonton/

WARMEST GREETINGS: We are pleased to welcome all who
join us this morning by video stream. We welcome friends
from Westmount Presbyterian Church who are
worshipping with us.

At this time the church is not open to the public because
of Covid 19 and its variants. Worship is restricted to the
worship leaders, and members who don’t have internet,
upon approval of the minister.

Our amazing online Church School with Julia-Don
Edwards:https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCSzLkIA3uQbUMnvNaDQMcLA

Joyful Giving: There are a variety of ways to give. You can
Mail a cheque, or, your church envelope with a cheque
enclosed. Please do not send cash via mail. You can also
make a financial contribution by using PayPal on the
church’s website. Click on the donate button.
You can make a monetary gift via an e-transfer. You put
treasurer@firstpresbyterian.ca in your list of recipients,
set up a question and answer, and email the answer to the
Treasurer, Javed Sommers, at above address. Be sure to
take care to email your name and address to the
treasurer so he can send you a tax receipt at the end of
the year. Use the same address for inquiries about
donating or finances. The Session wants to thank you for
your generosity.
Have you considered setting up a pre-authorized

remittance (PAR)? Information can be found at: https://
presbyterian.ca/plannedgiving/pre-authorized-
remittance-par-program/.

Sunday School Refurbishment: Good news. We have
already raised over $10,000 to update the main hall of the
Sunday school room with painting and new flooring. The
budget for the Sunday School Refurbishment is $15,000. If
you would like to donate please mark Sunday School on
your gift. We thank you again for your generosity.

Permission to podcast/stream/print the music in this
service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License # A-716770. All
rights reserved.

Thanks to the hardworking people who have made our services
happen.
Choir members: Betty Kolodziej, Holly Parkis, Ron Long, Taylor
Fawcett, Graham Fast and Rev. Harry; with our directors and
organists Marnie and Joachim.
Technician: Matt Read
Ushers and Security: Javed Sommers and Fred Ako-nai

Image on the front “Word of Life” mural, made from 6,000
separate pieces of stone from around the world. Millard
Sheets is the artist and the mural is at the University of
Notre Dame.

The Guidelines for Worship when the church is open are:

Everybody has to remain masked, except for the minister in
the pulpit. Congregants have to physically distance, may
not come to the front of the church, or be in the church
hall, and need to follow the arrows for entrance and
egress. Congregants may not sing, only the choir.

Our sympathies and prayers go out to the family of the late
Rev. Joseph Pungur, former minister of Calvin Hungarian
Church, Edmonton. Three of his granddaughters were
confirmed at First Presbyterian Church. He was a fine man,
who especially did a lot for the Hungarian Community.

  First Presbyterian Church
       10025 105 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1C8
        Phone: 780.422.2937 Fax: 780.429.3873
           Website: www.firstpresbyterian.ca
            Email: info@firstpresbyterian.ca

               Minister: Rev. Harry Currie
 Cell: 780.232.1160 Email: minister@firstpresbyterian.ca

                     Music Directors:
      Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht & Dr. Joachim Segger
           Email: info@marniegiesbrecht.com /
                info@joachimsegger.com

Assistant Music Director:
Graham Fast Email: gpfast@ualberta.ca