A Message from Rev Sheila

Rev Sheila will return from vacation on September 4th and will lead worship on September 8th. 

This Sunday at Zion

Dan MacLaren lead our worship Service this past Sunday. He gathered a few of us from the congregation to assist in his dramatization of Hebrews 12: 18-29. Myself, Pember & Heddie Edwards and Jean Strum debuted our acting skills!!!! Sorry no pics as I was in it!! 

However, we had 2 songs on the hand bells by Marjorie Powell and Pember Edwards. Pember leaves us now to return to Dalhousie, but I am sure we will hear from her on the holidays. 

I recorded the songs from Pember and Marjorie and you can hear them by clicking the YOUTUBE button to the right. 

Dan MacLaren will be leading Worship Service again this Sunday September 1. We will also be resuming the refreshments in Gorham Hall following the service. Hope you can join us.

A Message from Rev Sheila

Meet Karl & Georgia Nolph's Granddaughter Shelby Ringdahl

She just happens to be Miss Missouri 2013 and will be competing for Miss America on September 15, 2013. Congratulations Shelby Ringdahl and good luck with your bright future. You can support for Shelby to win the People's Choice Award. Just click on the video.

More pictures from the Musical Service

Privateer Brass Band

Zion United Choir

 
 Pember Edwards on the hand bells & the Zion United Choir.

Pember Edwards solo

A Message from Rev Sheila

A Special Musical Service at Zion United.

Thanks to Marjorie Powell for organizing and leading this weeks musical service. Also to Karl and Georgia Nolph for sharing these pictures from the service this past Sunday. I was unable to attend, but heard that it was just wonderful and very well attended.  

I had a call from Mary Nickerson of Caledonia. She attended on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the service and said the music was wonderful. She hopes to come back to Zion United again in the future. 

The Privateer Brass Band at Zion United

Lincoln & Lauren Inglis sang and took part in the readings for the service.

Pember Edwards played the hand bells and as usual was most excellent. It is amazing that she can do, what we used to watch about 6 people do. Just wonderful. 

General Secretary's Weekly Letter

August 9, 2013


Dear Friends,

In this morning’s paper there was yet another columnist talking about how the birth of Prince George, now third in line to the throne, has offered a welcome bit of good news in a summer of many natural disasters, economic woes, etc. 

I have to admit, I am one of those who followed the news of the impending royal birth with interest, and was excited by the news of the tiny prince’s arrival, and those first images of him with his proud young parents. They are so like anyone else…and yet not. He has been born to a life of such privilege, without many of the uncertainties that the rest of humanity faces in life. At the same time, with all that he can take for granted, a quick review of the rest of that family in the past couple of generations reminds us that happiness is not one of the things that he will be able to take for granted.

The same week that we were oohing and aahing over those first photos of our future king, I was talking to my cousin who has worked for the past thirty years or so helping people who find themselves on the edges of society in Toronto. My cousin is one who we can all turn to in times of need, but she doesn’t limit her care to our family or to her own friends. That week she was working with a family with a young infant who needed a place to live. Finances were part of their struggle to find a home, but there were other issues too. Without knowing any details, I can just call them struggles in relating to society generally. And here was this infant, a sweet and happy child, as unaware of the challenges of its circumstances as the young prince was of the privileges of his.

Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you.” It’s a phrase that many of us have struggled with over the years. I hear in it that our work is never done, there are always people in need. We work towards the Kingdom, where all will have enough, not just materially but in all ways, and yet in our life spans, that work is never done. Of course there is a context to that phrase. Jesus was reminding the disciples that he would not be with them forever, that it was worth taking time to be cared for, to enjoy simple pleasures. The multitude of self-help books written on maintaining balance in life stem from this principle. 

“The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me,” is yet another of those places in scripture where we are reminded that life is not simple. We reach out to help children in need, at the same time we find joy in the news of a child born into great privilege. Life doesn’t make sense. Let’s celebrate the complexity in which we live. 


Nora Sanders

A Message from Rev. Sheila

That would make me well over 10,000 years old!!! LOL But I love the thought of being able to start over fresh each day!!! Thanks Sheila.

Godspell at the Astor Theatre

The Zion United Choir

Zion United Summer Choir on Sunday August 4th. 

We have been enjoying a grand summer choir at Zion and the Sanctuary has been filled with music. 

Great to see so many members of the Choir in the summer at Zion. Great job and thanks for adding wonderful music to our Sunday services.

At Zion United this Sunday August 11th we will have a musical service led by Marjorie Powell. 

The Privateer Brass Band will be playing and Pember Edwards will be fascinating us on the Hand Bells.

There will also be music and readings by Lauren and Lincoln Inglis. 

Hope you can join us.