Month: October 2021

Listening God, you hear our prayers before we speak

                yet welcome our praying;

                therefore we come with confidence to lay our requests before you.

We pray for Christians everywhere,

                for our denomination and congregation

                for strength to persevere in faithfulness.

                We pray for the whole people of God.

We pray for the nations of the world,

                for all leaders,

                and for those who make policy decisions.

                We pray for the well-being of our global community,

We pray for the earth and all living creatures,

                for regions and species at risk,

                and for the sharing of resources.

We pray for the wholeness of creation.

We pray for those who are overcome by violence,

                for victims of injustice or oppression,

and for those in poverty or pain.

We pray for all who need healing and peace.

We pray for those who endure trials,

                for those who are dying,

                and for those who mourn.

                We pray for all in need of comfort and hope.

                Hear our prayers for our Households of Faith:

                Faithful God, you have heard the prayers of your people. We rest in the comfort of your care, as we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen

It is good to be back with you following the gift of sabbatical! Thank you for your patience as I get caught up.

This past Sunday I shared how vital a spiritual practice it is to slow down and take time for reflection. The spaciousness of sabbatical provided abundant and fruitful times of reflection.

In follow up to Sunday’s message…

As you continue to reflect upon your water jar – are you filled to the brim? What is life-giving? What fills you with gratitude? With joy? 

Are you noticing that your water jar is depleted? What is draining your reserves? Is there a heavy burden you are bearing?

Perhaps your water jar is empty, completely poured out. What energies have been poured out to the point that you are experiencing a parched and dry spirit? 

As you sit with your water jar, take the time to be open to what God wants to say to you. 

Sometimes God’s voice is revealed with a word. Other times, with an image, a metaphor, a question, or invitation.

It’s been my experience that when I listen for God, my eyes are opened to see something new. Sometimes a new pathway is presented, a barrier shifts, or a perspective is reframed. 

As a congregation as we continue to discern and live into being a faithful church, we want to continue to strengthen our capacity for listening – to God, to that which lies deep within ourselves. We also want to listen to one another. As the song writer proclaims “Let all who thirst, let them come, come to the water…”

May the living water that Jesus provides, refresh us, renew us, and fill us as we continue to journey together.   

Loving God, Creator and Sustainer, You open Your hand,

and satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

And so we look to You whenever we are in need,
trusting in Your love and Your abundant goodness.

As trees planted by flowing streams, Your waters of grace nourish us

that we may bear fruits of love and peace, generosity and goodness,

kindness and compassion. May our roots go deep as we drink deeply from your life-giving stream.

God of mystery, deepen our awareness to untapped potential of buds forming within and grant us strength to risk blossoming, individually and congregationally.

Grant us the courage to release, in order for new life to emerge –

Grant us stillness to sit with you, open to what you long for us to see and to hear.

May your grace abound as we seek to live and move in the gentle current of spiritual growth.    

Listening God, today we hear your invitation to come away and rest while,

to be attentive to mind, body, and spirit;

To attend to our relationship with You, creation, with others, and ourself.

We confess many things distract us – productivity, perfectionism….

Draw near to us as we draw nearer to you. Spirit of the Living God all afresh upon us and grant us rest.

Lord Jesus as You once fed the hungry crowds with five loaves and two small fish,

we ask that You would again fill those who are empty this day.

Pour out Your Spirit on all who hunger and thirst.

We pray for those who are physically hungry—whose stomachs are empty.

We think especially of the people who are facing critical food shortages;

    who are suffering the effects of malnutrition and starvation;

        and watching helplessly as loved ones die.

We pray for those who are empty emotionally—

who are lonely and long for companionship and love,

        who are caught in the grip of depression,
            or overwhelmed with grief. 

May warm memories and the love and compassion of family and friends hold all who grieve.

Hear our prayer for those who are spiritually empty—

who are troubled, but don’t know where to turn;

    who long for purpose and meaning, but don’t know where to look;
        who need You, but do not yet know You.

Hear our prayer who stand in need of the flow of your healing.

God, we praise You for Your abundant gifts in our lives.

Pour out Your Spirit on us as we engage in important conversation today.

May we listen deeply and attentively to you and to one anther.

May our conversation be seasoned with grace and love.

We thank you and praise you, O God, that however we may thirst,

whatever we may need to satisfy our souls, You offer it freely and abundantly in Christ;

So we drink deep of the living water and, as we draw from your wells, we seek to pass the cup to others

who, like us, are thirsty for your grace. We offer our prayers in Jesus’ name. Amen 

This morning in the service, I will be praying two prayers, penned by the apostle Paul, over you as a congregation. I would invite you to receive these prayers as a blessing and an encouragement. I would also invite you to pray these prayers over others during this week. You may feel led to pray these scriptures over a family member, a friend, a fellow member of this congregation or anyone that God would bring to your mind. Let these words minister to your heart & soul as well, causing both challenge and growth.

Col. 1: 9-14

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Eph 3: 16-21

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you God that you comfort the broken hearted, those who have experienced great loss. Holy Spirit, be present with all in our congregation who are hurting and grieving, grant strength and peace, and the courage to move forward. Lord Jesus, we give thanks.

·       We give praise and thanks to God for His hand on Pastor Kara over these weeks of sabbatical and celebrate that she will return to her pastoral role today. Pray for His strength and peace to flow into and through her life as she returns to lead, instruct, and encourage all here at WMC. God, grant her fresh joy and a passion to serve and love as Jesus would.

Households of Faith: Praise & Prayer

 We are blessed to have frequent contact with several friends and family members and keep informed of information regarding WMC and following on YouTube.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph. 5:1-2

Let me start what will be my final “Wednesday Inspiration” writing with a few personal comments. What a privilege it has been for Gloria and me to worship and walk together with you as a body of believers over these past 4 months during Pastor Kara’s sabbatical. We give thanks to God for your welcome, your encouragement, and for His leading and presence among us. It has been a joy to minister together, to share, to learn, and to grow together spiritually.

We have enjoyed getting to know many of you very well, but also recognize that there are numbers of you here at WMC that we have never met…one of the many pains of COVID.

However, my prayer is that as you reflect on these past four months, you can honestly say that God has invited you and enabled you to grow in Him. I also pray that our times of worship and meeting together, whether in person or online, your times of conversation and prayer with other believers, or times of solitude and reflection, have all moved the needle of your spiritual tank closer toward “Full” versus “Empty”. God’s desire is that we grow and mature in Him.

May God continue to lead, grant wisdom, and pour out His blessings on you as individuals and as a church.

These are difficult days for many in our communities as well as around the world. As I leave WMC, I would like to challenge each of you to become “difference makers”; to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever God places you and however He inspires you. Read the following prayers from Voices Together as well as the Isaiah passage and invite God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.

VT – 1035

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;

yours are the only hands with which Christ can do His work,

yours are the only feet with which Christ can go about the world,

yours are the only eyes through which Christ’s compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world.

Christ has no body on earth now but yours.

VT – 1036

Lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time;

we can be responsible only for the one action of the present moment.

But we know that God will take them and multiply them,

as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.

VT – 1029

Christ, whose insistent call disturbs our settled lives;

give us discernment to hear your word, grace to relinquish our tasks,

and courage to follow empty-handed wherever you may lead;

that the voice of your gospel may reach to the ends of the earth.

Amen

Isaiah 58: 6-9

“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.

“God, break our hearts with what breaks Yours….”

Oh God, we come into your presence this morning with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise on our lips. We come as your children, loved and welcomed by a Holy, awesome God.

We give praise for your gift of salvation and grace, for the transforming work that you do in and through us. God, continue to shape your image in us.

On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we give you thanks for the simple things of life…. for the beauty of coloured leaves, the gift of clean water to drink, that breath of fresh air, for the gift of stars in the night sky. Thank you, God, for the gift of eyesight, the ability to hear music and the voices of loved ones. We praise you for family, for children and grandchildren, for friends and those we love. God, hear our prayers of personal thanks as we pause in your presence.

(Take a moment to pray for individuals that God brings to your mind)

God, we also give you thanks for this congregation, this body of believers that together comprise a part of the Body of Christ. What a privilege to be called by that name.

We pray today for those in this Body who are grieving…Lord bring comfort and peace through your presence. For those who are struggling with health issues, physical, emotional, or mental, God again we pray for your power to heal, to transform and to make new.

And God, where there is need, for food, for encouragement, or finances, give us the wisdom and grace to respond in love.

God, thank you for your work in and through our lives as individuals and through the ministry and presence of the church. Lord, give us together the wisdom, strength, and love to be the face and presence of Jesus in this community, to our neighbors, and in our places of work.

May this church, all who love and desire to serve you, stand up with courage, committed to follow you Jesus, committed to make a difference in our world.

God, as this church again walks a road of change, of transition, I would pray the words of the apostle Paul for each individual within this Body here.

“I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

May God’s will be done in and through you all!

Amen

Pastor Clare

Prayer Requests:

·       Thank you God that you comfort the broken hearted, those who have experienced great loss. Holy Spirit, be present with all who are hurting and grieving, grant strength and peace, and the courage to move forward. Lord Jesus, we give thanks.

·       Pray for wisdom for the leadership of our Christian Ed. program at all age groups as decisions are made concerning programming this Fall. May God’s will be done.

·       We give praise and thanks to God for His hand on Pastor Kara over these weeks of sabbatical. Pray for His strength and peace to flow into and through her life as she returns to lead, instruct, and encourage all here at WMC. God, place a fresh vision of your call within her heart and mind. Father, fill her with your joy.

Households of Faith: Praise & Prayer

Pray for these families that God would bless and encourage them over this Thanksgiving weekend. God, draw then close to you and may they grow to know you better.

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make know among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of His wonderful acts. Glory in His Holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” Psalm 105: 1-3

Thanksgiving – Yes, this is the weekend when we here in Canada celebrate a holiday we call Thanksgiving. I also realize that this day has different meanings for each individual….some see it as a great time to connect as family, enjoying wonderful food and laughter; for others it is simply a holiday from work and school. And for some it is a deeply spiritual event as they reflect on and give thanks for the work of grace and transformation that God has done in their lives.

So, what will this day we call Thanksgiving mean for you? I suspect that if we polled 10 individuals, we may receive ten different responses, or possibly 10 different responses from each person if we gave them time.

It is good to be thankful, to live with a heart of thanksgiving. Giving thanks impacts my perspective of life, my attitude toward a specific task, and yes, my attitude toward others. Does that mean it is always easy to be thankful? No, not for me anyway. And yet, over and over in scripture, God calls us to give thanks including this statement from our friend Paul, “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:18 (NKJ). How about that as a challenge for each day!

I encourage you to read the following two portions of scripture, reflect on them, and again ask yourself, “what will this day we call Thanksgiving mean for me?”. Invite God to stretch you and refine your perspectives of living with a spirit of thanksgiving. God bless you as you do this.

Psalm 100 (NIV)

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 136

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

Yes, give THANKS! Let that thought permeate your heart and mind.

O God, we give you praise for each one who is a part of the Body of Christ here at Wellesley Mennonite Church. Thank you, Father, for the gifts each one brings, for the fact that as a part of the body, each one plays a crucial role, each one is a vital part. God, you have combined the members of the body “so that there would be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part is honoured.” 1 Cor. 12: 25-26. God give us the insight, compassion, and grace, so that this may become the reality within the body here at WMC.

Lord Jesus, as we again come to a time of transition as a congregation, may we keep our eyes on you. May your love flow in and through us, may we walk in step with you through the guidance of the Holy Spirt, and may forgiveness, grace, and humility become the hallmark of our character. This we pray in your holy name Jesus, for ourselves and for each other.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1: 9-14

Prayer Requests:

· The road of grief presents a unique challenge to each person who finds themselves on it. Thank you for your continued prayers for the many spouses, children, and family members of our church community who are grieving the death of a loved one. Do not forget these individuals but allow God’s love to flow through you as you provide both care and support. Pray for God’s peace and comfort in the life of each individual.

· Pray for wisdom for the leadership of our Christian Ed. program at all age groups as decisions are made concerning programming this Fall. May God’s will be done.

· Continue to pray for Kara as she concludes her sabbatical within the next weeks. May God provide physical and spiritual rest and renewal through His presence and place a fresh vision of His call within her heart and mind. We pray Father that you would fill her with your joy.

Households of Faith: Praise & Prayer

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.”

Col. 3: 13-14