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Since all Sunday worship video posts contain several hyperlinks, this misdirect is happening frequently.
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Easter Sunday April 5, 2026
Pastor Bart wishes you and your families a blessed Easter
Prayer of the Day:
God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
John 20:1-18
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Good Friday-April 3, 2026
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, look with loving mercy on your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, to be given over to the hands of sinners, and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Homily
Jesus’ accusers hope that labelling him a king would justify a charge of treason against him and seal his fate. In the short run, it works. Even some in the crowds declare they have no king but Caesar. God alone knows what would motivate some to pledge such allegiance out loud and in public.
Jesus reframes the accusations against him by saying his ‘kingdom’ if there is such a thing isn’t the sort this world could establish. Jesus might use the words ‘king’ and ‘kingdom’ but not in the way his accusers do—nor in the way some in the crowds do.
If Jesus is a king, he’s the sort who befriends those who are considered outcasts and losers. Sometimes he heals people. This king socializes with the so called riff-raff This king confronts injustice, and critiques unjust systems. This king washes feet. This king feeds even those who he knows will turn him over to be arrested and those who flee out of fear—for good reason. This king prays for his people and weeps on their behalf. This king loves the people—to the very end.
Where does it all end? Those who study John’s Gospel closely would say that as brutal as Good Friday is, that’s not the end. Even the resurrection isn’t quite the end. The ascension isn’t even the end; not entirely. Near the beginning of John’s Gospel we get a hint at the end….that God’s passionate love for the world would bring about saving it—
Admittedly we could use some saving and the saving seems far off. Newly declared wars, human rights violations, innocent deaths carry all the marks of Good Friday. Protests across Canada and the US demonstrate we’ve about had it with kings and tyrants. As people who know all about Good Friday we live in the hope of Easter. We hold fast to John’s testimony that this king Jesus loves us and the whole world right to the very end. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Eternal God, in the sharing of a meal your Son established a new covenant for all people, and in the washing of feet he showed us the dignity of service. Grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit these signs of our life in faith may speak again to our hearts, feed our spirits, and refresh our bodies, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
31b “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Sermon
Some lessons might be too difficult and may be beyond our capacity to perform them ourselves. Fresh in the disciples’ mind was the scandal of Mary breaking open a container of priceless ointment and slathering it onto Jesus’ feet. Then she dries his feet with her hair. Nothing in Mary’s devotion is innocuous. It’s all scandalous for its extravagance and even its intimacy. Now Jesus all but imitates Mary’s ritual of serving… might he have been inspired by her? I choose to think so.
Foot washing is the job of servants; female servants at that. Servants are supposed to be practically invisible while doing their work. Religious leaders are meant to be seen, heard, and served. Simon Peter says what the others were probably thinking—Messiahs don’t serve and they don’t debase themselves. Jesus does. What’s more he continues to insist that he is from God and is soon to return to God. In a way, Jesus says his ways reflect what God is like.
We might not always appreciate the scandal of John’s description of Jesus as the pre-existing essence of God…the Word…who becomes flesh and lives among us.
Now this incarnate Word among us kneels and washes feet—presides at the meal of liberation and then calls on us to love in the same manner that Jesus loves. Even when he’s betrayed, Jesus feeds everyone and serves everyone…scandal on top of scandal each act more egregious than the one before it. As John says, Jesus loves his followers; ecen now…to the end? Where does it end? At the cross? Not for John. It ends with Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven. Why? So that we may learn to love and to trust and to live life in a way Jesus calls abundant—a life lived for the sake of others and the world God so loves.
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Elizabeth Ruth Scheel “Betty” (nee Hobbs) 1927-2026
Elizabeth Scheel, beloved wife of the late Robert Henry Scheel, passed away at the Port Colborne Hospital just shy of her 99th birthday.
Born June, 1927 to the late Lily and William Hobbs, she was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Robert Scheel and granddaughter Brenda Welsh.
Loving mother of Donna Van Nest, Diane Willms (David), Darlene Welsh (Robert), Robert Scheel (Diane) and Debra Guiry (Paul), as well as proud grandmother of Benjamin Van Nest (Miranda Hartle), Jennifer Van Nest, Christine Christakakos (Peter), Kevin Willms (Tara), Bradley Willms (Melissa), Catherine St. Germain (Timothy), Carolyn Scheel (Aaron Zammit), Erica Scheel (Christopher D’Orazio), Dylan Guiry, and Shane Guiry, as well as proud great-grandmother to 10 great-grandchildren. Also survived by her sister, Catherine McClellan, sister-in-law Anne Scheel, and sister-in-law Dorothy Hobbs, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Betty was predeceased by her siblings William Hobbs, Helen Spere (Walter), Marie Beaver (Richard), and Victor Hobbs.
Betty was born in Galt, spent her early years in Kitchener-Waterloo, married the boy next door in 1948, moved to several places in Ontario, and finally settled in Welland in 1957 with her husband and her five children. There she joined St. Matthews Lutheran Church, where she was very active on the church council, and with the women’s groups. She delivered Meals on Wheels, contributed meals to the soup kitchen, and in her later years, knitted hundreds of hats which were donated to various agencies each Christmas and were distributed to those in need as far away as the East Coast.
Many thanks to the staff at Plymouth Cordage, the PSW’s from Paramed, Carol in particular, who was wonderfully helpful this past year, and Dr. Scher and the caring and compassionate staff at Port Colborne Hospital 2nd Floor West, who helped ease her passing.
The family will receive their friends at the H.L. Cudney Funeral Home, 241 West Main Street, Welland on Monday, April 6, 2026 from 6 – 8 p.m. A family service will be held at a later date with interment in Woodlawn Cemetery. If desired, memorial donations may be made to “The Endowment Fund of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Welland” or the charity of your choice. Online condolences available at www.cudneyfuneralhome.com.
This year’s Annual General church meeting was held on Sunday, March 22, 2026 and the 2025 Annual Report was presented during this meeting.
I have taken the opportunity to make available, two excerpts from that report. Both make interesting reading and can be accessed through the two links below.
The full 2025 Annual Report is available at the church
Fifth Sunday in Lent-March 22, 2026
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death. Breath upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ and serve you in righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gospel: John 11.1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 28When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada 
Love it Rona. Thanks On Sat, Mar 7, 2026, 11:20 a.m. St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church,