Month: August 2021

Let me encourage you to pray the following simple prayer this week as you start each day…. may you experience God’s amazing peace.

This day, God, may I dream your dreams;

This day, God, may I reflect your love;

This day, God, may I do your work;

This day, God, may I taste your peace.

                    Voices Together #313

God of every place, some of us see you today from mountains of joy and confidence,

mountains of gratitude and praise.

Some of us seek you today from valleys of grief or doubt, valleys of loss or exhaustion.

And in all places, you are there with us, nudging us onward.

When we descend from the heights, show us your presence on the ground.

When we rise from the depths, show us the light of your way.

Meet us all on the path made by Jesus.

                     Voices Together #859

God, today we lift the people of Haiti as they strive to overcome the impact of the recent earthquake. Bring healing to those who were injured; comfort those who are grieving the death of loved ones; may Your peace surround and lift those who are living in fear; Lord, protect those who are desperately working to provide care, food, and clean water to those in need. We give you thanks.

We pray also for MCEC congregations, Famille Assemblée de la Grâce , Anjou, QC and Ma Destineé, Montreal, QC, as they pray for family and friends in Haiti. Grant them courage and faith.

[You may wish to respond with a donation through MCC Canada who will be working with local partners to provide assistance where needed most.]

Sometimes we struggle to know how to pray for the country of Afghanistan. We grieve for people who continue to wait, hoping to flee to safety. We cry out to you Father for the women and children that today are living in fear of the Taliban, and the repression that potentially lies ahead. We grieve for those families who lost family members in the latest terrorist bombings, both American and Afghani. God, hear our cries, may your power come down and may your will be done. We also pray for those families who have been spirited to safety to a new country and homeland. Lord, may there be individuals and organizations that will step up in love and compassion, providing care as needed. And Lord, if that is a role you are calling us to fill, grant us courage and wisdom

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you for praying for the other many spouses, children, and family members of our church community who are grieving the death of a loved one. Invite God to bring these individuals to your mind; invite Him to guide as to how you may reach out with support, care and love. Pray for God’s peace and presence to reign.

·       Continue to pray for Kara as she continues her sabbatical. May she find deep rest and renewal through the presence of God in her life.

Households of Faith: Praise & Prayer

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph. 6:18

Thank you for taking the time to read these weekly “Inspiration” emails, and for your prayer as well.

I came home last evening somewhat worn and tired. You understand the feeling; you have experienced this as well before. This morning I found myself going to Isaiah 40, reminding myself of the renewing strength that God provides for us. Maybe you are in need of this renewing as well.

So I invite you to read the following portion of Isaiah 40; joy in the power and glory of God, and His gift of strength to all who hope in the Lord.

Isaiah 40

²¹ Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?  Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

²⁵ “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;  my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

I invite you to pray for the many needs around the world, Haiti, Afghanistan, the elections in Canada etc., as well as for needs within our church community.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Amen!

Begin your times of prayer this week with the following:

Come, Holy One, work upon us, set us on fire and clasp us close;

be fragrant to us, draw us to your loveliness;

let us love, let us run to you. Amen

And:

God of every place, some of us see you today from mountains of joy and confidence,

mountains of gratitude and praise.

Some of us seek you today from valleys of grief or doubt, valleys of loss or exhaustion.

And in all places, you are there with us, nudging us onward.

When we descend from the heights, show us your presence on the ground.

When we rise from the depths, show us the light of your way.

Meet us all on the path made by Jesus.

                     Voices Together #857 and #859

Prayer for Haiti

Please pray for the people of Haiti who experienced a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Saturday, August 14, 2021 that has resulted in significant loss of life and left tens of thousands of people homeless. Rescue work has been hampered by heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Grace, and of course the country is still wavering from the pandemic and from the assassination of their president last month. Pray also for MCEC congregations, Famille Assemblée de la Grâce (westefag@yahoo.com), Anjou, QC and Ma Destineé (jcrheau@hotmail.com), Montreal, QC, as they pray for family and friends in Haiti. You may wish to send the congregations notes and prayers of encouragement or respond with a donation through MCC Canada who will be working with local partners to provide assistance where needed most.

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you for praying for the other many spouses, children, and family members of our church community who are grieving the death of a loved one. Invite God to bring these individuals to your mind; invite Him to guide as to how you may reach out with support, care and love. Pray for God’s peace and presence to reign.

Households of Faith:

Pray for our Households of Faith during this next week as follows:

Pray for God’s presence to flow over their lives, that they would live in joy and peace, knowing that God is near. May His grace be an encouragement in each of their lives and may they each grow more in love with Jesus.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph. 6:18

Words make a difference! They can lift and encourage, they can rip down, they can spur you on, or leave you in despair. Words matter. Words can impact our emotional state, they can calm fears or can create greater anxiety.

The Word of God also makes a difference for our lives. My prayer is that over this summer you have had or have taken increased time to really dig into the Word of God. Getting to know Jesus, the Living Word, is vital for spiritual growth. It is like fertilizer for your soul.

I invite you to read the following selections of verses from John 1, as written in

 Voices Together # 235

In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was truly God.

From the very beginning the Word was with God.

And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word.

From this Word, everything that was created received its life, a life that gave light to everyone.

The light shines in the darkness, and darkness has never put it out.

The Word was in the world, but no one noticed,

even though God had made the world with the Word.

The world belonged to the Word, but its nations did not welcome the Word.

Yet some people accepted the Word; to them was given the right to be the children of God.

They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires;

God was the one who made them children.

The Word became human and lived here with us.

We saw the Word’s true glory, the glory of a parent’s only child,

full of grace and truth.

Prayer:

Living God, by the power of your Spirit, help us to hear your holy Word,

that we may truly understand; that understanding, we may believe;

and believing, we may follow in faithfulness and obedience,

seeking your honour and glory in all that we do, through Jesus Christ.

Amen

I invite you to pray for the many needs around the world, Haiti, Afghanistan, the elections in Canada etc., as well as for needs within our church community.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Amen!

During this Sunday’s worship service we will be challenged to grow as we put scripture into practice, to apply it into our daily lives. Our focus will be on Phil. 4: 4-8, and we will hear from four members of our congregation as to their spiritual walk and growth as they strive to put these commands of Paul into daily action.

However, God’s desire is that all of His Word would become an integrated part of the fabric of our lives. What is it that God is teaching you? What steps is He calling you to take as you continue to grow?

Over these past months we have been challenged with the issues of injustice and racism in our world. This is not a new issue, and the following word of God spoken through the prophet Isaiah could very well apply to our lives today

Here is a portion of Isaiah 58 (you may wish to read the complete Chapter)

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.  If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 Prayer: (Voices Together)

Living Christ, in these times when we fear we are losing hope and feel that our efforts are futile, let us see in our hearts and minds the image of your resurrection,

and let that be our source of courage and strength.

With that, and in your company, help us face challenges and struggles

against all that is born of injustice.  Amen

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you for praying for the many spouses, children, and family members of our church community who are grieving the death of a loved one. Invite God to bring these individuals to your mind; invite Him to guide as to how you may reach out with support, care and love. Pray for God’s peace and presence to reign.

Pray for our Households of Faith during this next week.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth….” Psalm100:1

Pastor Clare

This coming Sunday, August 15, we will wrap up our series on Phil. 4: 4-8 with several members of the congregation sharing their experiences, challenges, and joys of putting these verses into practice. It is with this in mind that I want to focus our thoughts this morning on God’s offer of peace. Paul encourages us to not be anxious, but rather to pray, presenting our requests to God with thanksgiving. Is this easy? Sometimes yes; however, many times we choose to struggle through the situation/issue we are facing on our own strength and lose out on the amazing work of God in and through our lives. Yes, I too struggle and stumble in this area at times and need to be reminded of Paul’s encouragement and God’s promise of peace that results from my obedience.

Here is what Jesus had to say regarding the peace of God as recorded in John 14: 23-27

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

As you walk through this day and the remainder of this week, invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, to provide the strength necessary to walk in obedience, and to then to fill you with God’s peace.

Let the following be your prayer:

O Risen Christ, you breathe your Holy Spirit on us and you tell us: “Peace be yours.”

Opening ourselves to your peace – letting it soften the harsh and rocky ground of our hearts – means preparing ourselves to be bearers of reconciliation

wherever you may place us.

But you know at times we are at a loss.

So come lead us to wait in silence,

to let a ray of hope shine forth in our world.

                    (Voices Together – #1013)

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Over the past weeks as we have looked at Paul’s commands and prodding in Philippians 4, we have reminded ourselves numerous times that we are not alone. God is present. He is there in every situation, through every issue or challenge, present in every moment of joy.

This past week as Gloria and I had a few days of rest and renewal at the lake, I again was reminded that God is present. In the calmness of “paint splashed” water at sunset; in the beautiful whirr of the hummingbirds as they came to feed; in the silent darkness of midnight…He is there.

Celebrate and rest in that awareness as you read the following.

Psalm 139

^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!

^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute, you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;

night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Thank you for being a congregation that hears and responds to God’s call through the scriptures to pray. There is power in prayer. You will note that the following requests are a repeat of last week, partially due to the fact that I have been away from the office, but more critically, due to the fact that these are ongoing issues and needs.

Pray for patience as families and individuals cry out to God for renewed strength for each new day, each new week. Pray that God will work His perfect will in His perfect time. 

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you for your prayer support & love expressed to those of our church community who are grieving the death of a family member.

Pray that God thru the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will minister His grace and peace to all of these individuals and their families as they have need. 

·       Pray for Pastor Kara…may God fill her with His joy and peace; may she know His presence and the gift of renewal in her heart, soul, and mind.

Households of Faith:

Pray for our Households of Faith during this next week.

Pray for their well being, for summer enjoyment, and for rest and renewal. May God’s peace and presence rest on each individual

“We are not alone. Thanks be to God.”

Pastor Clare

Over the past four weeks we have been digging into Phil. 4: 4-8, learning, struggling, and joying in the process of understanding Paul’s commands and the experience of putting them into practice. (Before you proceed, re-read or recite Phil. 4: 4-8)

The following is a story Max Lucado shares regarding the experience of a member of his congregation.

In her short thirteen years Rebecca Taylor has endured more than fifty-five surgeries and medical procedures and approximately one thousand days in the hospital.

Christyn, Rebecca’s mom, talks about her daughter’s health complications with the ease of a surgeon. The vocabulary of most moms includes phrases such as “cafeteria food,” and “too much time on the phone.” Christyn knows this language, but she’s equally fluent in the vernacular of blood cells, stents, and, most recently, a hemorrhagic stroke.

In her blog, Christyn wrote:

This past week’s new land mine was the phrase “possible hemorrhagic stroke,” a phrase I heard dozens of times used by numerous physicians. Over and over and over that phrase filled my mind and consumed my thoughts. It was emotionally crippling.

  This past Sunday our preacher, Max Lucado, started a very fitting series on anxiety. We reviewed the familiar Philippians 4:6 verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

   I presented my requests to the Lord as I had so many times before, but this time, THIS time, I needed more. And so, using Philippians 4: 8 as a guide I found my answer:

  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true…” What was true in my life at this particular moment? The blessing of all family members eating dinner together.

  “Whatever is noble.”  The blessing of enjoying each other’s presence outside of a hospital room.

  “Whatever is right.”  The blessing of experiencing my two sons’ daily lives.

  “Whatever is pure.”  The blessing of all three children laughing and playing with each other.

  “Whatever is lovely.”  The blessing of watching Rebecca sleep peacefully in her bed at night.

  “Whatever is admirable.”  The blessing of an honourable team working tirelessly on Rebecca’s care.

  “If anything is excellent.”  The blessing of watching a miracle unfold.

  “Or praiseworthy.”  The blessing of worshipping a Lord who is worthy to be praised.

  “Think about such things.”

I did. As I meditated on these things, I stopped the dreaded phrase “hemorrhagic stroke” from sucking any joy out of my life. Its power to produce anxiety was now rendered impotent. And when I dwelt on the bountiful blessings in my life happening AT THAT VERY MOMENT, “the peace of God which transcends all understanding,” DID guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. A true, unexpected miracle. Thank you, Lord.

      Anxious For Nothing – Max Lucado pg 119-120

May God encourage you with this story. But my prayer is also that God would give us the courage and strength to put these principles into practice in our own lives.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Amen!

Over the past weeks as we have looked at Paul’s commands and prodding in Philippians 4, we have reminded ourselves numerous times that we are not alone. God is present. He is there in every situation, through every issue or challenge, present in every moment of joy.

Celebrate and rest in that awareness as you read the following. (Voices Together #922)

We are not alone; we live in God’s world.

We believe in God: who has created and is creating,

   who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,

   to reconcile and make new,

   who works in us and others by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:

   to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in creation,

   to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,

   to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.

We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Phil. 4:4-8

Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again: Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers & sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent of praiseworthy – think about such things.

Thank you for being a congregation that hears and responds to God’s call through the scriptures to pray. There is power in prayer.

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you for your prayer support & love expressed to those of our church community who are grieving the death of a family member.

Pray that God thru the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will minister His grace and peace to all of these individuals and their families as they have need. 

·       Pray for Pastor Kara…may God fill her with His joy and peace; may she know His presence and the gift of renewal in her heart, soul, and mind.

Households of Faith:

Pray for our Households of Faith during this next week.

Pray that God would strengthen them with His presence, would guide them with His hand, and would encourage each as they have need.

“We are not alone. Thanks be to God.”