Author: admin

Collect

God of amazing compassion,
lover of our wayward race,
you bring to birth a pilgrim people,
and call us to be a blessing for ourselves and all the world.
We pray for grace to take your generous gift
and step with courage on this holy path,
confident in the radiant life that is your plan for us,
made known and given in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 121

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

John 3:1-17

Last week we began Lent, where we prepare to walk with Jesus as he makes his journey to die on the cross for us. Although it is a sombre time, our mission to look inward and reach outward is done mainly with one goal in mind: to make us more like Christ Jesus, and to bring us closer to God through Him.

But through the pain I felt a sense of a comfort that I am unable to describe. Because God too, lost a son, and he too, was devastated. Yet he still gave up his beloved child…

Throughout this season the children (both big and small!) will be adding items to a Lenten Garden in the sanctuary. This week’s item will tie into the theme of love, to match the scripture:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

These words have been a huge comfort for me, many times in my life. Seven years ago I lost my beloved brother; his funeral was held on Easter Saturday. It was difficult to celebrate Jesus rising again when I had just buried a loved one permanently. No person, gesture, nor amount of time nor logical thinking can take away that immense pain. And as I watched my parents mourn their firstborn child during the service, this same passage was read. But through the pain I felt a sense of a comfort that I am unable to describe. Because God too, lost a son, and he too, was devastated. Yet he still gave up his beloved child, and was even happy to do so, because it meant eternal love and life for his other children, us! As a parent myself, I can still barely fathom that amount of love. Because of Jesus’ immense sacrifice, Murray and the rest of us will live on forever, with the pain and mistakes of our earthly lives completely blotted away. God will hold us in His love then, and he already is, now. Amen!

Collect

God of mercy,
your word was the sure defence of Jesus in his time of testing.
Minister to us in the wilderness of our temptation,
that we who have been set free from sin by Christ
may serve you well into life everlasting. Amen.

Readings

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Psalm 32

Romans 5:12-19

Matthew 4:1-11

An Ash Wednesday Reflection by the Venerable Sheila Van Zandwyk

‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

These are the words spoken as the ashes are marked on our foreheads. They are not always easy words to hear as we don’t like to think of ourselves as dust. Dust reminds us that we are weak, frail, imperfect. These are the attributes we work very hard at hiding from others, from God, even from ourselves. They remind us of all we struggle with and believe that if others new the truth of; our frailties, our weaknesses, our imperfections, they’d think less of us, perhaps even find us unworthy of their love.

God says to us in our exhaustion, I know, and I love you, just as you are. It is in your frailties that my light which is inside of you is most able to shine forth, to be the light that others see and find comfort in. It is often when we are most vulnerable to people, most frail that we are able to truly connect to another.

So we work very hard to prove we aren’t dust, we show we are strong, independent, able to help others, being positive and upbeat and of course perfect.

It’s exhausting.

The fact is we are often frail, needing to rely on the help of others, tired, disappointed (mostly in ourselves after all we’re the ones demanding perfection), depressed and feeling hopeless and helpless.

What does God think of all this?? God says, I know. I know how tired you are, I know how hard it is, I know the struggles you face. In Jesus time with us he struggled with exhaustion and fell sound asleep in a boat being battered and blown about by a terrifying storm, he struggled with frustration that people were not understanding his ministry and message, he prayed in absolute fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, not just because of the horror awaiting him, but that he would not be strong enough to withstand it.

God says to us in our exhaustion, I know, and I love you, just as you are. It is in your frailties that my light which is inside of you is most able to shine forth, to be the light that others see and find comfort in. It is often when we are most vulnerable to people, most frail that we are able to truly connect to another.

It is why we come together to confess our sins in the midst of a congregation. It reminds us that we are not the only one who is frail, imperfect, struggling. We are all in the same boat, we are not alone in being dust.

God also says to us, rest in me, I don’t ask for perfection or strength I just want you, just as you are, I love you fully and completely most especially in your frailty. Open your heart to me. Let my love soothe you and comfort you. Let it give you the courage and strength you are searching for, let me love you into being all that I created you to be. The Rev’ Jan Richardson says, “did you not know what the Holy One can do with dust?”

Today we bring our frailties before God, we bring all the times we failed; situations, others, ourselves, all the times we have hurt others purposefully and without knowing it, all the times we said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, thought the wrong thing about a situation or a person. We do it in the knowledge (that we cannot fully fathom) that we are utterly and completely forgiven. All of it forgiven and forgotten by God, all of it.

Then, we let it go, all of it, that is what confession and absolution are all about. Wiping the slate clean, moving on from that state of fear and shame to new life in Christ. Beginning to look forward to a renewed reliance on the grace and love of God. As humans though we know that change is neither immediate nor easy. It takes time, this is why we have the season of Lent. In the 40 days of Lent we work at the habit of turning to God in all situations and at all times. That is why prayer, fasting, giving to those in need, reading the Bible and attending worship are all integral elements. They can help us to bring God more deeply into our lives each day. Even praying before each meal offers an opportunity to connect and focus on God throughout the day in recognition of the gifts that we are given and the opportunities we have to carry out God’s love to the world.

We have Lent to establish these practises and habits so that by Easter they are no longer Lenten practises but lifelong practises.

May your Lent be one of a deepen relationship with the God who knows you and loves you. Amen.

Collect

Perfect Light of revelation,
as you shone in the life of Jesus,
whose epiphany we celebrate,
so shine in us and through us,
that we may become beacons of truth and compassion, enlightening all creation with deeds of justice and mercy. Amen.

Readings

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 119:1-8

Matthew 5:21-26, 33-37

My reflection this week is my report for Vestry as we celebrate the year that has passed and the amazing work that was done, the worship that was experienced, the celebrations we shared and the times of fellowship.

This has not always been an easy year but there is a growing sense of life returning to normal, of people gathering again to worship, celebrate, work and have fun and that is so wonderful to see happening.

This has been a year of restarting and recovery, as we have emerged from the isolated world of Covid shut downs we have been slowly resuming the activities and relationships which have been closed off to us for the last many months. After 2 months of on-line worship this year we were back to in person worship on Ash Wednesday. It was wonderful to begin the trip to Easter morning together again. Everyone has wisely been taking their time in returning ensuring that they felt physically ready and as we continue to offer our services live-streamed each Sunday for those who were not able to attend that option was still available.

Along with a wonderful Easter celebration we had a Blessing of the Backpack/book bags in September coinciding with a Sunday Sundae treat after the service, we also had our Blessing of the Pets service which Donald always celebrates and it was wonderful not only to see the people but also our beloved furry friends in church! We honoured the survivors of the Residential School with a moving Orange Shirt Day service and we finally had a chance to worship together on Christmas Eve!! This was such a joy filled service, our hopes and prayers lifted to God in the beautiful Christmas hymns, our hearts filled with love hearing the familiar Christmas story and our eyes drawn to the light of the flickering candles as together we worshipped the Christ child. For all of this we say, thanks be to God!

We have Yoga and Zumba classes once again taking place at the church and Church of Christ Abundant has also started up in person worship and I am sure is glad to be able to gather together again as well. Our coffee hour finally resumed in September and we held a games night and a 2 Messy Church events, both well attended! Other events have also resumed such as our Yard Sale, Silent Auction (which couldn’t even be sidelined by a major snow storm!!!) and Christmas Vendor Sale. The Roadshow was also able to perform their fabulous Christmas Concert raising funds for Hospice Niagara!

There have been a number of things to celebrate as well, I was appointed Regional Archdeacon by the Bishop, a position which I am finding is helping me to push myself into new areas of growth which while challenging are also very affirming and have helped to deepen my faith life and strengthen my walk with God. Ray Elder was given the Order of Niagara for the amazing amount of work he does for our church building and parish family but also for his work in the community and his faith living out of his baptismal vows. Congratulations Ray!! We finally received out Photo Directories and they turned out beautifully, they will be a great help especially to new people who join our parish family.

For 3 Sundays this year we met after service to discuss the Mission in Action (MAP) plan for our parish. Very exciting and fruitful conversations took place and we looked at where God might be calling us as we move forward. We are looking at ways to feed people spiritually through continuing Christian Education classes including book studies, by working with Brock University to meet the needs of students and to continue to look for ways to invite our neighbours into the life of the church. Included is a summery of the initiatives we discussed and are looking to implement.

We celebrated 2 baptisms this year Chizaram Godson and Lincoln Doan, it’s always a beautiful thing when we welcome 2 new people into the family of the church! We also celebrated the life of Kathleen Harmon, Kathleen Langlois, Harold Leece and Rev Donald and Mrs. Virginia Powell. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

We have fed hundreds of people through our Community Meals Program, through our teams serving breakfast at St. George’s Church downtown and through the fresh vegetables which have been planted, watered, weeded and harvested by many members of our congregation. We are a blessed people and we share our blessings with those in need.

This has not always been an easy year but there is a growing sense of life returning to normal, of people gathering again to worship, celebrate, work and have fun and that is so wonderful to see happening.

As we continue to hear the gospel and work to live that gospel message out in our lives both within our church family and the wider world may God continue to bless and watch over us.

Collect

O God of light,
your searching Spirit reveals and illumines
your presence in creation.
Shine your radiant holiness into our lives,
that we may offer our hands and hearts to your work: to heal and shelter,
to feed and clothe,
to break every yoke and silence evil tongues. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Psalm 112:1-9

1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Matthew 5:13-20

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” Matthew 5:13

Our walk with Jesus should make a difference in our lives, it should have an impact not only on our own lives but the lives of those around us and in fact the world as a whole.

What is salt if it is no longer “salty”? It’s just sand really and while sand definitely has it’s uses it does not have all the amazing properties of salt. As humans we would die without salt, while too much is definitely bad for us our bodies need salt to work. Salt has wonderful preserving qualities, has healing qualities, can change the temperature of water and melt ice and enhances the taste of our food. But if it ceases to have these properties it becomes another grain of sand on the seashore.

What then does Jesus mean when he says we are the salt of the earth? I think if we look at this quote in connection to the seven fruits of the spirit it might help us to understand the saying a bit clearer. The seven fruits of the spirit, as they are called, are the attributes which Christians show and act on in their lives, they are signs of our faith in Jesus, gratitude for our lives and the love we experience in knowing God. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Our walk with Jesus should make a difference in our lives, it should have an impact not only on our own lives but the lives of those around us and in fact the world as a whole. Now if we do not show any of these gifts in our lives we are no less human and we are not bad people but we have missed the message of Jesus and we have not truly incorporated our faith into our daily lives.

The thing about these fruits is that they are all attributes which are positive, healing, they build up people and relationships. They heal rifts and are helpful in times of crisis. They not only make our own lives better but they make the lives of the people around us better. When we treat others with kindness and gentleness and patience we give them a chance to flourish and grow. When we are faithful and peace-loving we make connections to others and between others. When we experience joy and love we are able to then give joy and love out into the world, shining a light on those who may be experiencing darkness, bring joy to those who are sad.

So imagine a world without those fruits, where people weren’t joyful or kind or loving or gentle, the world would still continue but at what loss. So be salty! Show kindness and gentleness, share love and joy, bring peace and patience into challenging situations, practice self-control and show faithfulness in all areas of your life. Enrich the world around you in whatever way you can and do it in and through the power of the Holy Spirit! Amen.