Sunday, March 22, 2026 Bulletin

March 22, 2026
Dwelling in Dissonance
Lent 5: Complicity and Innocence
We gather as one people ….
Prelude
Hymn: Gathered Here
Call to Worship
Prayer
Voices of Grief: A Leader’s Regret
Hymn: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
…to listen for God’s word …
Children’s Time
Confessional Poem
Extinguishing of Candle
Hymn of Assurance: Kyrie eleison
(v.1 “Kyrie …”; v.2 “Christé…”; v.3 “Kyrie…”)
John 19:1-16a
Sermon: Pilate, Soldiers, the Crowd, … and Us?
…and respond with gratitude.
Hymn: God, Be the Love
Congregational Prayer
Offering & Offertory
Announcements
Hymn: Longing for Light
Benediction

Leading us in worship:
Worship Leader: Lynnette Hammer
Song Leader: Steve Wagler
Accompanist: Doris Martin
Voices of Grief: Tim Miller Dyck
Children’s Time: Pastor Louise Wideman
Scripture Reader: Vic Winter
Sermon: Pastor Ben Cassels
Congregational Prayer: Pastor Sara Erb
A/V: Cliff Kennel, Steve Kennel

An unsupervised nursery is available across from the washrooms for children ages 5 and under. Parents are expected to supervise their children while in the nursery.

Special Coin Offering: Cream Buns and Summer Sausage Projects

Today
Christian Education (Sunday School) for all ages:
11:00 – 12 pm Children’s Sunday School (Age 2 – Gr. 4), basement
11:15 – 12 pm Jr. Youth (Gr. 5-8) & MYF (Gr. 9-12+), basement
Adult Ed., Fireplace Room
Coffee time in the Fellowship Hall following the service.

Next Sunday
9:45 am Livestream and in-person.
Speaker: Pastor Louise Wideman
Palm Sunday – Expectations and Openness: John 19:16b-22, 12:12-27

Rockway Grade 10 Choir will be singing during the worship service.

Intergenerational Sunday School, with opportunity to walk the Labyrinth.

This Week at Steinmann MC
Mar 23 (Mon): 6:30 – 9 pm: Pickleball
Mar 24 (Tues): Pickleball cancelled (prep for Lenten Lunch)
Mar 25 (Wed): Lenten Lunch at Steinmann MC at noon.
Mar 26 (Thurs) 1:30 pm: PCRC Meeting
Mar 26 (Thurs) 7:30 pm: Finance Committee Meeting

MYF (Grades 9-12+)
Mar 26 (Thurs) 7:30-9 pm: Bible Quizzing, Genesis 21-23.

Mar 27 (Fri): Activate – watch your email for details.

Jr. Youth (Grades 5-8)
Mar 25 (Wed) 6-8 pm: Dinner Out, meeting at Highland Swiss Chalet.

KidsLIFE (Grades SK-5)
Mar 25 (Wed) 6 – 7:30 pm: Easter-themed activities.

Small Groups
Mar 26 (Thurs) 10 am: Women’s Bible Study

Mar 27 (Fri) 5:30 pm TGIF: A gathering of young families for a meal that you don’t have to make or plan! If interested, RSVP to darryl.drudge@gmail.com by the Wednesday prior.

Congregational Life
Apr 25 (Sat): MCEC Annual Church Gathering (ACG) at SMC. Any members interested in being a delegate, please speak with Gladys Bender or one of the pastors.

Holy Week (March 29 – April 5)
 The Labyrinth will be set up Palm Sunday through to Maundy Thursday.
 Maundy Thursday Service, 6:30 pm. Scripture, music, prayer.
 Good Friday Communion Service is at 10 am.
 Easter Morning Breakfast 8:30 am: Bring finger foods — hard boiled eggs, fruit, baking (yeast, muffins) and please bring your own dishes/table setting – beverages provided.
 Easter Worship Service is at 9:45 am.

Joys & Concerns
Sharon Leis continues to receive care at St. Mary’s Hospital. Let us pray for her recovery.

Nyle Hofstetter greatly appreciates visitors at this time as he continues recovery at home from a stroke.

Community Events
Today, 4 pm Trillium Lutheran Church, Waterloo – Sing in Solidarity; free event joining others in singing for peace.

March 26 (Thurs) 7 pm Zion United Church. From Earth to Sky, free movie about Indigenous Architecture. Past. Present. Future. Sponsored by Wilmot Indigenous Relations Interfaith Working Group.

March 29 (Sun) 3 pm: Inshallah Concert at Knox Presbyterian Church, Waterloo. Admission is free; an offering will be received for Let’s Tree Wilmot.
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp’s 42nd Annual Bowlathon is on April 11! There is a sign-up sheet and info by the mailboxes.

Apr 14 (Tues) 7 pm Families interested in learning more about Rockway Mennonite Collegiate are encouraged to attend our Grades 7 – 12 Information Night. Join us for a short program and campus tour. RSVP at rockway.ca/events.

Apr 27 (Mon): New Hamburg Relief Sale Fundraising Dinner at Calvary United Church in St. Jacobs.

June 28-July 4: MDS (Mennonite Disaster Service) Trip is tentatively planned in northern Saskatchewan. Open to adults and youth age 16+ by the first day of the trip. More details to follow.

Confessional Poem
Jesus, things don’t always turn out
the way we expect.
Or want.
And sometimes your choices
(or the choices of our neighbours or family members or politicians)
really don’t agree with us.
We hate to admit it,
but we feel for the angry crowd.
In our fury, we too can become so consumed,
so focused on who or what we are opposing,
that we turn away from the things
that matter most.
“We have no king but the emperor!”
we find ourselves saying.
And only after we hear our voice
do we realize
how distorted our allegiance has become.
God, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.