Weekly Update

RANDOM MUSINGS FROM THE REV …

So often, when we think of the creatures of the earth, we consider ourselves apart from all the rest.

There are humans, and then there are all the rest of the non-human animals in The Garden (whom we call simply “animals”, as though we ourselves are somehow separate from them).

It is true that we are unique among sentient life in that we have the ability to control the fate of all other animal species (and the awareness of this), but it is also true that we are dependent on them for our own survival – not just physical, but emotional and spiritual survival as well.

Interdependence.

What can we learn from our personal relationships with non-human animals?

If we examine our relationships with the animals in our lives, we can see direct parallels to our relationship dynamics with the other human beings in our lives.

The animals which we invite into our homes, care for, share our lives with, embrace and truly cultivate a loving relationship with, we call “pets”.

The way we love our pets tells us a great deal regarding the way we love our families.

It offers deep insight into the way we love.

The animals we coexist with peacefully in the wild, those which may touch our lives lightly and then individually depart – the deer in our backyard, the chipmunks in our garden, the bear by our campsite…  Do we welcome their presence, or approach them apprehensively with caution?

There is parallel here to people we meet briefly or pass on the street, or others that live among us in our neighborhoods and communities.

How does our attitude here reflect the way we feel about “strangers”?

Then there are animals that we actively avoid (sharks, snakes, crocodiles…), connected to us as well by fear energy, or lack of understanding.

There are people in our communities – and in our world community – with whom we have a parallel relationship; those whose opinions or behavior are incomprehensible, or perhaps even abhorrent to us.

How do we make peace with the fear and anger they inspire in us?

Are we able to retain compassion in the face of such fear?

Animals.  People.

All of us must coexist on this planet, in spite of (and in harmony with) our various needs and differences.

How can examining our interconnection carry us forward to cultivate peace in The Garden?

 

 

 

WHAT’S ON AT GRACE UNITED!… (LOTS!)

 

WHAT:  SPRING CLEAN UP DAY

WHEN:   THIS Saturday, June 1 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

Gardening tools and cleaning supplies will be provided; bring your own gloves!.

 

WHAT:  RUNNING WITH THE REV!

WHEN:   Thursday, June 6 from 6:30 to 7:45 pm

WHERE:  Kivi Park

Everyone is welcome to come along for an hour of fun, fitness and fellowship! 😊

 

WHAT:  SOUL DEEP

WHEN:   Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

An hour of rest and renewal for body, mind and spirit…

 

WHAT:  COUNCIL MEETING

WHEN:   Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30 pm

WHERE:  Grace

This is the last council meeting before our summer break… all council members please attend…

 

SPRING FAIR! …

The big day is coming up quickly!

Saturday, June 8 is the day; Grace is the place!

Plant sale, bake sale, book sale, “best buys” bar-b-que and more.

Free admission!

See you there from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm 😊

 

 

DO YOU HAVE THE “BROADVIEW”?

Broadview is the exciting new incarnation of our award-winning denominational magazine, The United Church Observer.

Leona is our congregational rep for Broadview, and would be thrilled to sign you up or renew your yearly subscription, at the great group rate of $25.

If you are interested, please speak to Leona before July 5. ivangeorge@bell.net or 705-522-1790

 

THIS WEEK’S LECTIONARY LESSONS …  Acts 16:16-34 Psalm 97 Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 John 17:20-26

 

ONE LAST WORD …

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom- Francis Bacon

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Weekly Update

RANDOM MUSINGS FROM THE REV …  Written by Christiana McQuain

 

Each and every one of us has experienced the benefit of everyday angels in our lives.

When one sees a need and fills it, without consideration of compensation; when we put forth effort for the benefit of others without expectation of receiving anything in return, our actions become gifts, enabling some one – or some many – to live their life breathing just a little bit easier.

And our acts of service need not be extraordinary in order to make a difference:

Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s random act of kindness?

Had a teacher who went above and beyond the duties of the school day to help you understand a challenging concept?

Been in financial need and had a friend or family member help you out?

Have you ever provided a neighbor with a hot meal, a warm blanket, or a shoulder to cry on in a time of crisis?

Have you ever adopted a pet from a shelter?

Paid for the coffee of the person behind you in line?

Smiled at a stranger who looked like they might be having a rough day?

The everyday choices that we make affect others in ways we’re not even aware of.

While the magnitude of the gifts are vastly different, the motivations are, at their core, the same.

Whether in service to your neighbor, or service to your nation, your actions can have a profound impact on your fellow members of the world community…

Take a quiet moment to think (or pray, or meditate) about the many ways that many others have been angels for you.

Consider not only the assistance you were consciously aware of at the time, but those who have been of service “behind the scenes” of your life.

Teachers, guides, friends, community workers, soldiers, people unknown…

Immerse yourself in gratitude for all that they have given you, without thought for their own reward. Then take a moment to consider all those for whom your own wings have provided shelter.

Allow yourself to feel gratitude for their gift of the opportunity to be of service.

And then take a moment to think; for whom can you be an angel today?

 

WHAT’S ON AT GRACE UNITED!…

 

WHAT:  RUNNING WITH THE REV!

WHEN:   TOMORROW, May 23 from 6:30 to 7:45 pm

WHERE:  Kivi Park

“Runners” of all/no abilities are welcome to join in this weekly training programme 😊

 

WHAT:  EXPLORING OUR FAITH

WHEN:   THIS Friday, May 24 from 10:00 to 11:30 am

WHERE:  518 Morris St.

Please plan to join us for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking conversation.

 

WHAT:  SPRING CLEAN UP DAY

WHEN:   Saturday, June 1 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

Gardening tools and cleaning supplies will be provided; bring your own gloves!.

 

WHAT:  ANNUAL SPRING FAIR!

WHEN:   Saturday, June 8

WHERE:  Grace

Save the date … details to follow!.

 

WHAT:  SOUL DEEP

WHEN:   Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

 

WHAT:  COUNCIL MEETING

WHEN:   Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30 pm

WHERE:  Grace

 

 

DO YOU HAVE THE “BROADVIEW”?

Broadview is the exciting new incarnation of our award-winning denominational magazine, The United Church Observer.

Leona is our congregational rep for Broadview, and would be thrilled to sign you up or renew your yearly subscription, at the great group rate of $25.

If you are interested, please speak to Leona before July 5. ivangeorge@bell.net or 705-522-1790

 

 

THIS WEEK’S LECTIONARY LESSONS …  Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22 – 22:5 John 5:1-9

 

ONE LAST WORD …

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.

-Socrates

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Weekly Update

EASTER MUSINGS …

Food for thought from  Matthew Laney

 

Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” – Acts 9:4-5 (NRSV)

At twenty-two, I had never been summoned for jury duty, but I had a feeling it was bad form to be late.

And I was. I got off the train, sprinted up the escalator and dashed through a turnstile when a voice boomed, “HEY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” I turned and faced a young man about my age. “You didn’t see her, did you?” he said. I was confused and uninterested in conversation.

I was late for jury duty! He shook his head with disgust. “You didn’t even see her.”

I had no clue what he was talking about.

“You knocked her over!” he added. On the other side of the turnstile a group of people helped a woman to her feet.

She was unlike me: older, of short stature, female, black. “I’m so sorry,” I stammered, feebly. “It was an accident. I’m late for… jury duty.” “Jury duty,” the guy scoffed. I looked at the woman and at the people who helped her up.

Their scowling brown faces made the verdict clear.

 

Lord, sometimes I am as oblivious and heartless as Saul. Thank you for knocking me off my horse to see how I hurt you, and your beloveds.

 

WHAT’S ON AT GRACE UNITED!…

 

WHAT:  SOUL DEEP: GUIDED MEDITATION AND PRAYER HOUR

WHEN:   Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

An hour of tranquility and reflection in the midst of life’s busyness.

 

WHAT:  EXPLORING OUR FAITH

WHEN:   Friday, May 24 from 10:00 to 11:30 am

WHERE:  518 Morris St.

Please plan to join us for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking conversation.

 

 

COMING IN MAY … RUNNING WITH THE REV!

Absolutely NO EXPERIENCE necessary!😊

If you haven’t RSVP-ed as yet, please do so by Sunday, May 12.

We’ll be lacing up in the next couple of weeks; date and time to be determined when we synchronize our schedules.

Go Team Grace!

 

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY…

It’s not too late to register for MILC’s next learning event, We Are All Treaty People, which will take place THIS Saturday, May 11th, at St. Peter’s United Church from 10:00 to 3:00.  Registration $20… please contact gillian.schell@sympatico.ca

 

THIS WEEK’S LECTIONARY LESSONS …  Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30

ONE LAST WORD …

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

-Audrey Hepburn

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Weekly Update

EASTER MUSINGS …

This week’s musing comes to us from Diana Butler Bass:

A few weeks ago, I went on a pilgrimage to a tree.

Yes, a tree.

A single, extraordinary tree named Pando.

I’ve loved trees my entire life – their height, shade, spread, and grandeur, the distinctive beauty of each one.

When I was little, I drew hundreds of pictures of trees.

Despite their uniqueness, each individual tree looked remarkably like the others – a thick brown stick with a green cloud-like puff at the top.

One tree, two trees, three . . . sometimes I would draw an entire forest of these trunks and leaves.

Pando lives in Utah, some five hours north of Las Vegas, nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, on the edge of an isolated lake.

Until I journeyed there, I thought of trees in much the same way I had since childhood.

A tree.

A dozen trees make a grove.

A hundred make a wood.

A thousand a forest.

But Pando is a tree. A single tree.

Pando is a quaking aspen that covers more than a hundred acres.

While it appears to be 47,000 trees, these are the stems of one root system.

What looks to be individual trees are not.

They are connected.

They are one.

And Pando is the largest, heaviest, and oldest living organism on the earth.

A single tree.

As I quietly walked on and through Pando, the leaves seemed to welcome me to its mystery: “I am life. The tree of life. We are one.”…

Much of our recent political discourse has been more damaging than mere divisiveness—it has been brokenness.

Broken hearts, broken relationships, broken families, broken communities, broken dreams, broken lives.

Yet, the whisper of the Pando aspen haunts me.

The breeze in the delicate leaves, like the heart-flutter of the forest, spoke: “We are one. We all are one.”

The most obvious lesson of Pando is clear: We are connected.

Pando embodies what a score of spiritual leaders, mystics, and moral teachers have always proclaimed:

Dr. Martin Luther King often described the human condition as being “caught in a network of mutuality so that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Thomas Merton, just weeks before his death on an Asian journey, had told a gathering in Calcutta, “We are already one but we imagine that we are not.”

Mother Teresa’s analysis of our world’s ills was simple and profound: “We have forgotten that we belong to one another.”….

Are you feeling tired, frightened, worried, sad, or hopeless when you consider the state of the world?

Think of the Tree.

Remember we are one.

Tend the forest.

Plant kindness, joy, and justice today.

We can do this.

We can save this tree.

Together.

-Diana Butler Bass is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture.

She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the award-winning author of ten books.

 

 

WHAT’S ON AT GRACE UNITED!…

 

WHAT:  SOUL DEEP: GUIDED MEDITATION AND PRAYER

WHEN:   Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 pm

WHERE:  Grace

An hour of tranquility and reflection in the midst of life’s busyness.

 

WHAT:  EXPLORING OUR FAITH

WHEN:   Friday, May 24 from 10:00 to 11:30 am

WHERE:  518 Morris St.

Please plan to join us for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking conversation.

 

COMING IN MAY … RUNNING WITH THE REV!

It’s ON!!

Some brave souls have signed on already, but I’d LOVE to have more folks come out for fun, fellowship and fitness while working on a 5 km run.

Absolutely NO EXPERIENCE necessary!😊

If you haven’t RSVP-ed as yet, please do so by Sunday, May 12.

We’ll hit the road the week of May 13; date and time to be determined.

 

WORLD LABYRINTH DAY …

You are invited to celebrate World Labyrinth Day at the labyrinth at Lourdes Grotto, THIS Saturday May 4th.

The event will begin at 12:45 and go to approximately 1:30.

Refreshments will be served following the labyrinth walk.

 

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY…

MILC’s next learning event, We Are All Treaty People, will take place on Saturday, May 11th. This is a great opportunity to learn about the history and significance of treaties and, through a variety of presentations and hands on activities, explore why they matter to all Canadians; particularly people of faith,

Leadership will be provided by Maurice Schwitzer, a citizen of the Mississaugas of

The event will take place at St. Peter’s United Church, Sudbury, 10:00 to 3:00. Registration $20, $50 for groups of 3, $10 for students gillian.schell@sympatico.ca

 

PHOTO DIRECTORY…

For those who did NOT have their photo taken for the directory, but who would still like to receive a copy for $12.50 plus tax, please let Sam know BY THIS SUNDAY.

Thank you very much!

 

THIS WEEK’S LECTIONARY LESSONS …  Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19

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