Month: February 2025

Good morning God

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14. ESV

Earlier this week I made a comment to one of my co -workers. What I thought was a joke (ok maybe slight jab 😊 ) turned out to be a bit offensive to the person . My coworker confronted me on it later and said it bothered him a bit. I once again realized that “words of my mouth” can impact people directly. Often times words flow out of our mouth based on how we are feeling, or we say things without thinking what impact the words could have. I think we all have been here. In my case this week it was again a real learning experience to be aware of what impact my words may have. The tough thing is that once the words come out we can’t take them back. Perhaps the “meditation of my heart” should come ahead of the “words of my mouth” . In essence if we think before we speak or have the “filter” on we may not say words that may be harmful to others. God in all our interactions may we truly be aware of what we say and what impact our words may have for those that hear them. In spite our humanness help us to control what we say. Help us to use words and communication that may be edifying to those that hear. May the “words of my/our mouths and the mediations of my/our heart truly be acceptable to you” and to those we are communicating with

Thanks for this reminder, God

Thank you, God, for guiding us thru another week. Some have traveled and some have been stuck because of the weather. Some of us have had good and uplifting experiences and some have had more challenging weeks. Some have been blessed by connections we have made and some of us look for more interaction. Some have had a good week of work and some have just had a tough week at the office. No matter what our status or experiences we thank you for being there with us. Sometimes we are not aware of your presence until later but nevertheless we are thankful for your presence in our lives

We seem to be living in challenging times in our Country, Province and Region. We face impending elections, and we often are confused about where our allegiances should be. There is so much coming at us in the political world, and we are left reeling trying to figure it all out. We ask that you guide our thoughts in this area. As we try to figure things out in the political world help us to be prayerful and uplifting rather then sinical and anxious. We pray for all our political leaders whether federally, provincially, or regionally. Give them all peace of mind and clarity of mind and may the govern with integrity and good conscience.

Thank you for answering prayers in the past and for current prayers that we have. Again we thank you for being a God that is all knowing and aware at all times. We bring shared requests, but we know you know the unspoken concerns and requests that are there. Thank you for being with those who have experienced lost of a loved on in the past year or so. Continue to hold them close as they miss their loved ones. We thank you for families that help us get thru.

We also lift up our Households of faith this week:

God we do not know what the week or months ahead hold for us but we pray that you would continue to guide us and in our thoughts and actions.

And we ask that the Meditations of our Hearts and the Words of our mouth be acceptable to you and maybe mor importantly to all those around us

In all this we ask it

Amen

Congregational prayer

Snowy and Sacred God,

In what ways will you hunker down among us today and tomorrow?

Is this snowfall a gift?

When we look up during these hours, are we meant to feel a dose of heaven?

We listen for you. We wait for you.

Holy Spirit, bless all of us with safety as we drive on the roads.

Bless us with steadiness as we walk on the slippery surfaces.

Bless all of our neighbours to be snug in their beds, cozy in their kitchens.

Bless all our neighbours up and down the road.

Bless our buildingmates, our hospitalmates, our housemates.

Bless our furry pets.

Bless our livestock.

Bless the scampering ones in the winter woods.

We pray for our congregation as a whole:

How will you polish us during this fiftieth year?

What leaps for joy lie ahead? What lessons?

God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, teach us again about your gospel.

Give us the fiftieth or five hundredth chapter of your Word.

We are paying attention.

We pray for members of church who are dealing with health difficulties.

We pray for our Households of Faith:

Bustle among them with your enlivening presence,

Motivate them, comfort them, inspire them, heal them,

Bathe them in Light – whatever it is they need during these days!

For a brief moment we lift a prayer for the wider world:

In this dear moment in history,

Even as some of our precious common good is seeming to garble,

God, can you lurch into the political meetings, for the grand sake of kindness?

Can you bombard the swaggering ones with your amazing grace?

What can your heavenly power accomplish during these days?

Go ahead: brawl with the principalities of the highest heavens.

Make presidents suddenly forget their foregone plans.

Outperform every fear and every vengeance with your love.

And implant in us a readiness to embody your gospel of peace.

Jesus, your well-taught gospel of peace!

Snowflake God, Blizzard God, Blanket God,

Bless us with an inner coat.

Or bless us with snow angels inside, outside, wherever you like.

You made us, you keep making us, no matter the weather,

And so we praise your name.

AMEN.

… and now FOUR THINGS for Sunday morning (choose your own adventure!):

ONE – Scripture reading and question

Psalm 65:5-13 (printed below) talks about God’s awesome deeds that are observable in nature. The word “snow” doesn’t appear in this passage, but what are your thoughts about how a snow event can be an expression of God’s power?

TWO – Snow picture

Make a creative picture about snow, or an image of snow. Be creative: use paper and crayons, or use snow, or use clay, or use found objects from around the house. Take a photograph of your picture and send it to matthew@wellesleymennonite.ca if you want it to be included in a Powerpoint slide show (slide snow?) next Sunday morning.

THREE – Poem

“A Winter Day” by Lucy Maud Montgomery (she’s also the author of Anne of Green Gables) – the poem is printed below. Consider taking several minutes to slowly read through. Take note of unfamiliar words, maybe look them up in a dictionary. After the last line, ask yourself: “How am I reverent? What is my winter prayer?”

THREE – YouTube video

Make sure the audio is turned on for this video! Perhaps this can be the worship music for Sunday morning. With whatever sounds are available to you in this winter wonderland, what kind of outdoor, worshipful experience can you make for yourself?

Psalm 65:5-13

5 In righteousness you answer us,

by your awesome deeds,

God of our salvation—

you, who are the security

of all the far edges of the earth,

even the distant seas.

6 You establish the mountains by your strength;

you are dressed in raw power.

7 You calm the roaring seas;

calm the roaring waves,

calm the noise of the nations.

8 Those who dwell on the far edges

stand in awe of your acts.

You make the gateways

of morning and evening sing for joy.

9 You visit the earth and make it abundant,

enriching it greatly

by God’s stream, full of water.

You provide people with grain

because that is what you’ve decided.

10 Drenching the earth’s furrows,

leveling its ridges,

you soften it with rain showers;

you bless its growth.

11 You crown the year with your goodness;

your paths overflow with rich food.

12 Even the desert pastures drip with it,

and the hills are dressed in pure joy.

13 The meadowlands are covered with flocks,

the valleys decked out in grain—

they shout for joy;

they break out in song!

A Winter Day

by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The air is silent save where stirs

A bugling breeze among the firs;

The virgin world in white array

Waits for the bridegroom kiss of day;

All heaven blooms rarely in the east

Where skies are silvery and fleeced,

And o’er the orient hills made glad

The morning comes in wonder clad;

Oh, ’tis a time most fit to see

How beautiful the dawn can be!

Wide, sparkling fields snow-vestured lie

Beneath a blue, unshadowed sky;

A glistening splendor crowns the woods

And bosky, whistling solitudes;

In hemlock glen and reedy mere

The tang of frost is sharp and clear;

Life hath a jollity and zest,

A poignancy made manifest;

Laughter and courage have their way

At noontide of a winter’s day.

Faint music rings in wold and dell,

The tinkling of a distant bell,

Where homestead lights with friendly glow

Glimmer across the drifted snow;

Beyond a valley dim and far

Lit by an occidental star,

Tall pines the marge of day beset

Like many a slender minaret,

Whence priest-like winds on crystal air

Summon the reverent world to prayer.

Hello God

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

God thank you for the “waiting” moments. The times when we shut off the rest of the world and listen for what you want to teach, show or present to us. Waiting is a verb, it requires action, or doing something. This may mean shutting off the radio, going by ourselves, or somehow just shutting out the outside world that pushes in on us. Not always easy to do. There is much to learn when we “wait”. When we truly shut off all the outside noise and hear what you want us to hear, see or feel, there is much to be gained. Sometimes waiting can be agonizing because we don’t know how long we must wait. The promising thing is that if we “wait” or pause we shall renew our strength, run and not be weary and not faint. May we take time to wait.

Thank You God for answered prayers that we have brought forward for our members here at WMC. Thank you for hearing the prayers brought forward and for hearing and answering the prayers that were not expressed openly. Thank- you for being an all knowing God.

In particular we continue to ask for prayers for the following:

We ask that you continue to be with all our members who over the past year have dealt with the loss of a loved one. Be with all who have dealt with loss as they work thru all the “first times”. May they dwell in the good memories they have of their loved one. Thank you for families that offer support here.

God, we live in a world that seems like a blender at times. in this may we feel your presence. Give us peace to not be anxious as things change all around us and we feel like we are sometimes not in as much control as we would like to be.

We offer prayers for our Political leaders, locally, provincially, and nationally. They to live in a landscape that is ever changing and challenging. May they govern with integrity, honesty and humility. Hold them close.

This week we ask that you be with our Households of faith here at WMC.

God we are blessed with so many gifts and abilities you have offered to those of our active members here at WMC. May we continue to somehow be a presence in our community. Thank you for guiding us and may you continue to be with leadership as they/ we look ahead to the future.

God, may we truly take time to pause and “Wait” for you and what you have to teach us. Sometimes this can be very challenging in a world that has many pushes and pulls. In a world that requires us to make decisions and changes in can be very tough to wait…… . You have promised us renewed strength and energy if we do “WAIT” . May we apply this to our lives this week and weeks ahead.

In your name we ask it

Amen