Whether worship is conducted in a chapel or a cathedral it is as it is written in Matthew 18:20 (NIV)20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Happy Sunday.
Tag Archives: church
Seeing God in Each Other
It is a well known fact that no one has ever seen God…or is it? Sometimes I get caught up in the whys and hows of the Bible and have always been intrigued by Genesis 1:27 about God making man in His image. 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
The Bible then goes on to describe how God is in us. The following scriptures taken from the NIV (New International Version) attest to just that:
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 1 John 4:15
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you...2 Corinthians 13:5
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (Jesus) John 14:20
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 1 John 3:9
And finally:
New Living Translation
But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! Genesis 33:10 (Jacob speaking to his brother, Esau)
Here’s looking at you, God!
Happy Sunday.
Take Time To Be Holy
“Many people falsely believe that if you want to be holy, you are not allowed to enjoy life…Holiness brings us to life. It refines every human ability. Holiness doesn’t dampen our emotions; it elevates them. Those who respond to God’s call to holiness are the most joyful people in history. They have a richer, more abundant experience of life, and they love more deeply than most people can ever imagine. They enjoy life, all of life.”Matthew Kelly
A Family Day Prayer
Sometimes certain prayers will resonate with us more than others. Our associate pastor, Monica McClure, gave such a prayer yesterday and I’d like to share it with you, with her permission. It not only touches on Family Day but our world issues which certainly need much prayer.
Prayers of the People
Abba Father, As a people who dwell in the shelter of the Most high, we praise you for being our refuge. Lord, there is safety for us in the shelter of your wings. We thank you for our mountain top experiences of your grace which have strengthened our faith and given us hope for the future.
As we continue to walk with you on life’s journeys…through the valleys as well as on the mountain tops…draw near to us so that that we might dwell forever in your presence.
Generous God, you have blessed us with life. You have placed us in families giving us a place to call home.
On this family day weekend we think about our own families. We thank you for our parents who gave us life, our family members who have shared and enriched our lives and with whom we share many memories…
We thank you Heavenly Father for setting the solitary in families. But, we are also mindful that for some of us the word “Family” brings mixed emotions or heartache…some of us have experienced much pain within our family relationships…People who should have loved us and cared for us have failed us…Some of us feel the pain of abandonment, of abuse, of neglect…of heartbreaking loss, the pain of disappointed hopes and missed expectations, the pain of alienation from loved ones. Have mercy on us Lord, and minister to us your healing grace even in the messiness of our family relationships.
Father, today we pray for those who long to be married and have their own children…for childless couples who long to be parents…hear and answer the desires and prayers of their hearts. We pray for those that are in the midst of parenting infants, children, and young people. Give them wisdom, courage and stamina in raising their children to be well-adjusted citizens of the world, with a real desire to love and serve you.
We thank you for our St. Andrew’s church family today…another family to which we belong…one branch of the body of Christ…with almost 200 years of family history! Remind us of our commitment as a church to provide for and participate in the spiritual nurture of our children and young people. Continue to bless us, encourage us and keep us faithful to your call to share the good news of Jesus with everyone.
Prince of Peace, we continue to lift up the needs of our own broken world in the turmoil that surrounds us…We ask you to give wisdom, discernment and courage to elected representatives in government. We pray for people who are very anxious about what the future holds for them. For those who feel powerless to effect decisions that will have a direct impact on their lives. Remind us, that although we do not know what the future holds we know that you hold the future…and give us your peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN
Pastor Monica McClure
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Scarborough
February 19th, 2017
Home Away from Home
Just as Planet Earth is my home away from Home, so church is my home away from home. I love being there, learning there, and worshiping there and even a picture like today’s can make me feel at home. Happy Sunday.
Steeple Space
I love how the steeple has its own space amid the trees. This is where I spend my Sundays with my church family, one of whom took this photo; another instance of seeing more than you are looking at. Surely the Lord is in this place. Genesis 28:16
What a Wonderful Day
I see sun shining through clouds of gray; I feel love all around…what a wonderful day. Happy Sunday!
He Died Alone
On Friday, I attended a memorial for yet another of our church members. This man was relatively young…under seventy. Unlike other memorials we’ve had, this was very sparsely attended, because Andy tended to be somewhat of a loner since his parents died a few years ago. He was devoted to his parents and especially his mother after his father passed. He brought her to church every Sunday, wheeling her up to the front of the church where she could see and hear everything, even though she was far from understanding anything. You see, she had Alzheimer’s Disease. But that didn’t stop Andy from being the attentive son he always was. His parents were the only family he had here in Canada, though I’ve been told there were a few cousins in Holland.
Although none of us at the service felt we knew the man very well, in his meditation, our Pastor made it possible to get a glimpse into Andy’s lonely life. He spoke of his dedication as a teacher, his political affiliations, his generosity, his devotion to his parents. Andy donated and dedicated several hymn books to the church in memory of his parents. I opened one on Sunday with his name in it. Even though Andy’s ashes were in plain view, awaiting interment in our cemetery, it was Andy the man who occupied my mind during Friday’s ceremony.
I could see him sitting in a back pew or even in the Narthex, slightly disheveled, but attentive. Very seldom did he mingle after service for coffee or tea as most of us did. He came, he worshiped, he left…or so it seemed. (In case you’re wondering how I could see him sitting at the back of the church, I’m in the choir facing the congregation.)
There is a a saying that someone can be conspicuous by their absence…that was Andy on Friday, and the weeks previous to his death. He died peacefully in his sleep one night and save for Jesus, he died alone.
“Churching”
Someone recently asked me, “Are you still churching?” Once, when I was overseas, I was asked if I missed going to church. The answer to the first question was an emphatic “yes”. The answer to the second was that I don’t need a building to go to church; church is in my heart.
However, when I do go to church, this is the one I attend, and when I’m unable to attend, this is the one I carry in my heart; my church, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Scarborough. This is where I am today. Happy Sunday.
Man in Church Haiku
Prayer was answered
when he took time to listen
in stony silence
My Precious Life 