Sunday Service, 28 December 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude: IV. Waltz (performed by Sydney Mariano, Kiana Umali Garvey, and Andrew Robinson)     Opening Words:  ‘To Pause on the Journey’ by Linda Hart   Every day is a new start, every year a beginning, or so we’d like to believe.   And, we don’t know, can’t anticipate where we will go, what will happen, what delights await, what heartbreaks will tear us open, the paths, unexpected, that open before us.  

Special Service, 24 December 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Congregation Members     Musical Prelude: ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ / ‘The First Nowell’ (performed by Wigfield Brass)                                                                                            Opening Words:  ‘Invitation to Christmas’ by Shari Woodbury   On this eve of mystery and magic, let us enter into the Christmas story as if we were there on the holy night.   What part will we play this

Sunday Service, 21 December 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude: ‘Midwinter’ – Bob Chilcott (sung by our Quartet with Andrew Robinson)   Opening Words:  ‘Rediscovering What Christmas Means’ by Christine C. Robinson (adapted)   Let us join our hearts and minds together in a contemplative spirit, as we gather once again, to rediscover what Christmas means to us.     May this quiet hour lead us to the heart of the season, which is peace.   May we breathe deeply

Sunday Service, 14 December 2025 Led by Members of the Congregation     Musical Prelude: Elgar - Salut d’Amour (performed by Georgia Dawson and George Ireland)     (LIZ) Opening Words:  ‘Welcome to this Place’ by Cathy Rion Starr   Welcome to this place of peace; May we find some moments of quiet contemplation here.   Welcome to this place of celebration; May our hearts soar with gratitude for the gift of life.   Welcome to this place of sacred love; May we gently hold all th

Sunday Service, 7 December 2025 Led by Dr. Mel Prideaux and Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude: Midnight on the Water / Wexford Carol (performed by Tara McCarthy, Jess Collins, Kathy Walton)     Opening Words (Jane):  ‘A Spacious Welcome’ by Shari Woodbury  (adapted)   Welcome, you who come in friendship, who long for genuine community... May you be graciously received here as your authentic self.   Welcome, you who come in curiosity, full of questions or simply open...

Sunday Service, 30 November 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Dr. Azita Chellappoo      Musical Prelude: Skye Boat Song - arr. Christopher Ball (performed by Benjie del Rosario and Andrew Robinson)     Opening Words:  ‘We Come Together with Purpose’ by David Usher  (adapted)   We come together this morning, seeking a reality beyond our narrow selves; that binds us in compassion, love, and understanding to other human beings, and to the interdependent web of all living th

Sunday Service, 23 November 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Dr. Lochlann Binney     Musical Prelude: The Blue Beyond by Howard Harrison   (performed by Abby Lorimier and Jack Campbell)     Opening Words:  ‘We Come Together Without Creed’ by Maureen Killoran (adapted)   In this free church, we come together without creed, focusing instead on our shared values of justice, equity and compassion, of mutual acceptance of our diverse ways of being, as we seek to connect ours

Sunday Service, 16 November 2025 Led by Rev. Sarah Tinker   Musical Prelude: Sentimental Melody (from Forest of the Amazon) by Heitor Villa-Lobos (performed by Holly Redshaw and Andrew Robinson)     Opening Words:  ‘In Need of Healing’ by Maureen Killoran   ‘Welcome, you who come in need of healing, you who are confused, or have been betrayed. Welcome, with your problems and your pain. Welcome, too, your joys and your wonderings, welcome your need to hope, your longing for as

Sunday Service, 9 November 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall (Apologies - there is no service recording this week due to a technical hitch). Welcome and Introduction to Two Minutes’ Silence   Welcome to all who have gathered this morning for our Sunday service. Welcome to those who have gathered in-person at Essex Church, to all who are joining us via Zoom, and anyone tuning in at a later date via YouTube or listening to the podcast stream.  As the clock moves towards 11am,

Sunday Service, 2 November 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall Musical Prelude: Ave Verum – W.A. Mozart (performed by Sophia Kannathasan and Abby Lorimier)     Opening Words:  ‘In the Company of All Souls’ by Lynn Thomas Strauss (adapted)   Today, in our special All Souls service, we bring and share our memories of loved ones who have died.   Today we share the joys and sorrows that come with the cycle of the seasons, for this is the time to remember, to honour, and to hold th

Sunday Service, 26 October 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude: Tabhair dom do lámh (Give Me Your Hand) (performed by Tara McCarthy, Phoebe Harty & Jess Collins)     Opening Words:  ‘It Is Good to Be Together’ by Alison Wohler (adapted)   With thankful hearts we come together this morning to celebrate the bounty of the day, to bask in the warmth of this community, to share with friends the tides of our lives, to entertain, perennially, our hopes for a better

Sunday Service, 19 October 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Jasmine Cooray   Musical Prelude: Ashokan Farewell - Jay Unger (performed by Georgia Dawson and Toby Morgan)     Opening Words:  ‘Sabbath Home’ by Kathleen McTigue (adapted)     Here in the refuge of this Sabbath home we turn our busy minds towards silence, and turn our full hearts toward one another.   Even in our sorrows, we feel our lives cradled in holiness we cannot comprehend, and though we each walk with

Sunday Service, 12 October 2025 Led by Rev. Sarah Tinker and Heidi Ferid Opening Music: ‘Ruddier than the Cherry’ by Handel (played by Abby Lorimier and Andrew Robinson) Opening Words: ‘ A Spacious Welcome’ by Shari Woodbury (adapted) 1: Welcome, who come in friendship who long for genuine community... 2: May you be graciously received here as your authentic self. 1: Welcome, who come in curiosity, full of questions or simply open... 2: May you embrace wonder and encounter ne

Sunday Service, 5 October 2025 Led by Rev. Stephanie Bisby   Opening Music ‘Traumerei’ from Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann (played by...

Sunday Service, 28 September 2025 Led by Rev. Michael Allured   Musical Prelude:   I Am What I Am - Jerry Herman (performed by Andrew...

Sunday Service, 21 September 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall Musical Prelude:   Gratitude – Chilcott (performed by George Ireland and...

Sunday Service, 14 September 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude:   Smetana - Vltava (performed by Georgia Dawson and...

Sunday Service, 7 September 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude:   Turning of the Tide - Cornish Trad. (Arranged by...

Sunday Service, 31 August 2025 Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall   Musical Prelude:   The Lark in the Clear Air - arr. Christopher Ball...

Sunday Service, 17 August 2025 Led by Dr. Patricia Brewerton     Musical Prelude:   Mussorgsky - Impromptu Passionné (performed by George...