Month: January 2024

Rooted and grounded in God’s love, the trunk of the tree provides
stability.
May we be like the trunk of the tree. Steadfast in our faith, constant
even through the winds of change, ever growing and reaching upward
toward the sunlight of His Love!
Today we are thankful for our church family as we seek together our
values and our identity. Blessed with our many and various talents like
the rings of the tree trunk, collectively we can do what we cannot do as
individuals.
However we feel you stretching us Mighty One to learn and grow during
this time of discernment. We figuratively look upward envisioning our
future like the trunk and the branches of the tree knowing you are our
constant. No matter how young or old we are we continue to grow and
reach toward your light, warmth and comfort.

Our gracious God we are grateful to you for so many blessings – For the
beauty of a white blanket of snow to shed light on our world during the
dull days of winter.
We are grateful for our homes and warmth with the past week of cold
weather but our hearts ache for those without a place to call home and a
warm meal. May they know to draw near to you and may those who work to
find shelter and food for those in need be blessed.

Our thoughts go to those in war torn countries, The Ukraine and Gaza –
The Israeli and Palestinian conflict ongoing since October 7, 2023. Oh
Lord we think of the innocent victims of war. The children who when
they hear a noise tense up knowing a bomb has fallen too near. The
parents who try to shelter their children themselves struggling with
physical and emotional pains of war:
When asked what message he has for Christians outside Palestine to know,
Palestinian Pastor Ashraf
Tannus leader of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Beit
Jala stresses:
‘Remember the kinship shared among all brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are all praying
the Lord’s prayer. When we say “Our Father” this indicates relationship.
We are all God’s children!”
(From A Common Place MCC publication)
Father we pray as your children, as brothers and sisters in Christ for
peace in a world of unrest.

In our local congregation we pray your grace and guidance for so many
needs whether spoken or in the quiet of our hearts.

Almighty God,

To you all hearts are open, all desires are known.

Be with us now, that you may hear my small voice, my quiet whisper magnified by all who pray together with, and for, our congregation. Give us the strength to live and work together with respect and commitment as we grow as disciples of healing and hope. Some seek you today with mountains of enthusiasm and encouragement. Others from valleys of grief and darkness. Still others with hope and determination. Together we carry the light, basking in the glow of Christ as we pray for one another.

We humbly bring all this to your feet Lord and we know that you see far more than we do. In all this we ask in your powerful name. Amen

HOPE FOR A NEW YEAR.

As we enter another New Year Year a variety of thoughts and expectations come to mind.

• Wow 2024. We weren’t sure what to expect when we went in to 2000 and 24 years later here we are
• For some a New year brings hope and excitement for upcoming events
• For some a New year brings new physical challenges as we age.
• For some a New Year is tough because we lost someone in the past year
• For some a New year means New beginnings
• For some a New year means the treadmill speeds up and for some it means we are changing gears and maybe slowing down some.

So we enter another year with many emotions and challenges. Even our Congregation enters a New year with out a full time Pastor. It is a challenging time for our Congregation. For some it can make us feel anxious and unsettled while others may have feelings of anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead.

As we move forward may we reflect on your promise from Deuteronomy that says:

““The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8.

Or maybe we need to draw strength from 2 Corinthians where Paul tells us

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

No Matter where we are in the gamut of emotions, challenges or life experiences may we take time to know that you God are even closer than we can imagine. Help us to take some time to reflect on the many ways we are fortunate and to be thankful for what we have. As we enter 2024 help us to be better people to those around us or those we may encounter. At Christmas we were reminded again of the hope that came to us in the birth of Jesus. Truly a remarkable story filled with mystery and suspense yet giving hope.

No matter where we are at or how we are feeling may we start off 2024 with Hope for our families, friends our Church and maybe more importantly ourselves.

We bring to you our concerns and needs as a congregation and individuals. They are as varied as the number of people in our congregation. You know the pains that some are feeling. For those that are suffering give strength to move on. We are thankful for our caregivers and for those that continually support us. Thank you for the healing you have granted some of us and for the potential healing that may be taking place.

We are also thankful for the holiday season we just came thru. A different and sometimes slower time of the year. A time where we can spend time with our families and start new memories.

We also ask that you give us strength as a congregation as we pass thru another transition here at WMC. There are many decisions to be made and we trust that you will guide us in this process.

At the dawn of a new year,
we come to welcome hope for a new world.

Let the darkness lift,
to welcome a dawn of plenty,
with enough for everyone
and people ready to share.

Let the day begin,
with new energy for the struggle
to protect our children
and to care for the vulnerable.

Let the light shine,
to open a path to safety
for all who are seeking home
and longing for life.

Let the sun rise
on new talks and new resolve
to end the bombing and the terror
and to find solutions that will last.

At the dawn of a new year
we come to declare our hope
and to welcome a new world. ~ written by Susan Durber

O God, there are many in our church community, our neighbourhoods who grieve today due to the death of a loved one, some in the past weeks and months, some possibly years ago. When a relationship of love is broken, the result is pain and grief. And we know you understand and feel our pain because Jesus we too read about your grief as you stood by the tomb of Lazarus.

God, be present in our grieving, grant comfort and healing to our brokenness, and remind us of our eternal hope. We give you thanks and praise.

We also lift up those who are in need of physical healing today. God, thank you for healing through the gift of medicine, the wisdom of doctors and nurses, and for the miraculous healing of your touch as a result of the prayers of your people. God, hear our prayers as we silently lift up individuals to your throne of grace.