Sunday 8 November 2015

We will Remember Them!

Today is Remembrance Sunday and last week was All Saints Day so in church this morning we will be combining the two and doing a litany of remembrance where we light candles to remember those we have loved and lost or those who we know are suffering in any way in our lives today. We also light candles for our world, to show we care. The gospel story today is often called 'the Widow's Mite'. It is the story of a widow who gives all she has to the treasury as opposed to those who give out of their abundance. We often look at this story as a call to stewardship in the church, a call to give more money and this can be a great way to look at this. We need to support our churches or soon they will be gone. However, what if we look at this story from a different point of view. What if we look at it as a radical protest against the use of religion, politics and power to victimise those who are powerless and vulnerable. We will do this today.

In our Sunday school this week we talked about "The offering". Why we have an offering in church and how we share out Time, Talent and Treasure. One young man asked me, if I earn the money, why do I have to share it. What a great question and we spent some time exploring what it means to share what we have. There are so many ways children can share. We made boxes, and decided that if we made any money, we would put some in the save box, some in the share box and some in the spend box. What a great way for children to begin to learn about money management and stewardship at the same time. Sunday school is so much fun at St. Andrew's. It is a joy to watch these young minds learn the stories of Jesus and also to learn what they may mean in our society today. I have missed working with the young folks since I went into ministry, in my former life I taught Sunday school for years. So now that I am back at it, I am loving it. Thanks to all the children who come and share their time with me and with all those who help in this midweek program.

Life is so hard some days, it helps to remember that there is always something we can share with one another, whether it be time, talent or treasure. Help someone this week by sharing one of these with others.
Have a good week everyone!

Sunday 18 October 2015

Life is Busy

Some times life just seems to get so busy that we can't remember what it is we are supposed to be doing or saying. Does this ever happen to you? It certainly does for me. We had a great bible study this week, but for the life of me I can't remember the specifics. So, a sermon had to come from somewhere else. I want to thank my friend Kim for a story that started me on my writing on Friday. Some weeks the sermon comes so easily, others, not at all easy.

This week was especially busy with two funerals. My love and prayers go out to the Rovey family and the Abbot family. It is very hard to love someone you love, even if they are growing old. Some times we lose the ones we love at a younger age and this seems especially hard. So today's writings go to all those who are experiencing grief in the midst of their lives. I highly recommend reading Warren Hansen's little book, 'The Next Place' which has some wonderful words, especially to help children with the complex issue of death. I often quote it at funerals, especially if there are children involved but I think it helps adults as well. So if you are suffering grief today, or perhaps you have gone past the initial stages of grief and are just missing someone you love so much at this time of year, know you are being held in love today. May there be a bright spot in your day where you can see the presence of all that is holy in our world.

Namastè

Sunday 11 October 2015

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It's a breezy beautiful day in Eston today and days like this remind me of back home in Cape Breton. The breeze is strong, the sun is shining and life feels good. As I write this, I am sitting at my desk before church begins and missing my family very much. It is lunch time there for them and I hope they are getting ready to enjoy a wonderful turkey dinner.

I am so blessed to live the life I am living. I read a question the other day that said if you had the past three months to live over again, what would you change. And for me, I would change nothing. Isn't that great. It certainly made my day when I looked back and realized that. Often I think things like 'if life would only get better' well for me, life is great. I have everything I need and want. Certainly being closer to family would be nice but they are only as far away as my phone or Face Time. I can see my grands grow up just by picking up my ipad. Technology is amazing.

So as I sit here today, remembering and being grateful, I can't help but think of all those in our world who are separated from their families and friends, those who have no home to live in anymore, those being forced to flee from their countries. What about those right here in our province and our country who don't have enough, who won't get to enjoy a beautiful meal with family today. Those who through no fault of their own are alone. May my eyes and ears be kept open to see where I might share my bounty with others.

I was reading a book this week by Mary Jo Leddy entitled Radical Gratitude that talked about us acting on our gratitude. So will we act on the sense of gratitude that we feel today? She says, "Gratitude is the beginning of our faith and hope in the possibility of creating something new in the world, of becoming someone new".

So go forth into this day, creating, becoming and giving thanks!
Namastè

Sunday 27 September 2015

Warm days and cool nights!

Well September was filled with beautiful days as well as a little rain which the farmers didn't really need, but it certainly has made our countryside green. It is very unusual to see the leaves falling from the trees and green grass underneath. September to me has always been a time when I start to settle in. The summer is done and fall is upon us and I love the cooler nights and warm days. Things start to get back to normal, whatever normal happens to be.

I just got back from my third residential course of my Prairie Jubilee Program in Spiritual Direction. What a great week, lots of hard work, but so much learning. This term we are working on contemplation, discernment, imagination, transformation. Easy things like that, ha... I will be needing a couple of people who would like to take spiritual direction to work with me this winter, once a month for an hour. So if you are interested, call the office and we can talk. Spiritual Direction is the process of discovering where the spirit is working in your life and also discovering your own ability to discern with some direction the answer you may need to a burning question. So if you have decisions to make, concerns to think about, or just want to explore more about where and how the spirit works in your life, this may be the process for you. I am still in training so there is no charge for spiritual direction right now. When I meet with my spiritual director, we always have lots of think about and discern. She gets me to look at life in a different way and I am more clear on what it is I need to do or think or perhaps process for a while.

I am also interested in contemplation and would be very open to having a Contemplative service once a month if folks are interested, so once again, call the office. In a world such as we live in now, we all need to be able to take the time to breath. Just to be and not have anything else we need to do at that particular moment. Often life's demands don't allow us downtime. Perhaps if we form it in the shape of a church service, in an evening, we can actually give ourselves permission to take the time we need to do this. So, let me know if this is something you are interested in.

Have a peace filled Sabbath all!
Namastè

Sunday 6 September 2015

Getting Desperate!

Well Good Sunday Morning everyone, it is a chilly damp day here in Eston.

Today in church we are going to look at the gospel from Mark and the letter from James. In the gospel story we hear two cases of healing and in both bases, the folks who bring the people for healing are desperate for this healing to occur.

Where in our world today do we see folks desperate for healing and What it is we can do about it. Do we every get that desperate life and death feeling here in our lives, I certainly hope not. At least not for ourself or our family and friends but I certainly hope we can get that feeling for the people in our world who are suffering. I think sometimes it is hard to put ourselves in the position of a woman or man in places like Syria or Libya who are so desperate to save their families that they would do anything, risk everything to leave their country. How about the people in Budapest, Hungary this week trying to get on the trains to leave. I am not sure we can even imagine that desperation. Living in such a beautiful country where we have freedom of speech, the freedom to get a job, or to live safely, without fear for our lives, it is very hard put ourselves into their place. But perhaps we need to, we need to hear the stories, see the pictures and react as the outraged people we can be when we see things harming other people. We have been so fortunate to have been born in a country where peace prevails, but so many people have not had that opportunity. So please, do what you can, do things like sign petitions, write letters to the government, here in Canada and in other places, and make donations to reputable places to help make the world a more safe and secure place for everyone to live. Let's all get a little desperate.... So much of our world is falling apart right before our eyes.

Sunday 23 August 2015

a long break!

It has been a very long time since I posted anything on this blog. I always sit in front of the computer and draw a blank on what to write. But this morning I will just let my fingers tell the story. Jim and I drove to Nova Scotia for our holiday this year. It was great so see family and friends again. We spent a week at my sisters on the Mira River, beautiful spot and even though the weather wasn't great, we all had such a good time. It is so great of my sister Sue and her partner Dana to open their home to all of us. There were 19 in total this year. We seem to be growing each year. Then Jim and I went to Margaree for 6 nights. It was great to see so many people even though we didn't see everyone we wanted to see. It is so little time and so often people are busy with family or away on vacations of their own. We ended up in Amherst for a night for a reunion of Jim's mother's family, The Christies. We got out of our truck in River Hebert and a man beside us said, Saskatchewan, what town, well I said Eston and he said No Way. Paul and David Christie, relatives of the Hartsooks, also cousins of Jim. It sure is a small world.

Now that we home and both back to work, things are starting to get busy. I have been working on the Sunday School Curriculum. It is called, "Me and My Faith". It is lectionary based and we are using hte stories of Jesus to help teach the children that our work as church doesn't stop when we walk out the church doors, it continues into our community and our world. We will be doing lots of fun things. It is being held on Wednesday afternoons right after school. All children are welcome ages 4-12. The registration is on September 8th from 5-7. We also have registration forms on our website so download one and fill it out and drop it at the church.

This morning in church we will be talking about where we find God in our lives. So come and join us for our service!

Sunday 17 May 2015

LONG WEEKEND

Well it is the long weekend and I am sure lots of folks are gone away but for us here at St. Andrew's it is family Sunday. It is our time to gather for a meal together, to share fellowship.

In church this morning I am going to be using my favourite little theological book called, "Faith, Hope and a Bird called George" written by Michael Morwood. It is a great book that I think everyone should read. I still have a few copies if anyone wants to borrow one. We are going to focus today on Prayer. Do we pray the right way? Is there a right way? And whose way is the right way? Have you ever thought about how and why you pray?? Are you praying to a God who is out there somewhere just waiting to hear your prayer and decide if you are worthy enough to have it answered, or do you pray to help strengthen yourself and the person you pray for, not to a supernatural deity out there somewhere but to the divinity that resides within us all. Strange, most of us don't think about this at all. We learned how to pray at our parents knee or in Sunday school or from a book even, but do we think about why we do it and what happens when we don't get the answer we think we need to have.

This is what today's service is about.

This year at our United Church Conference of the Saskatchewan conference we are having what is being called Spiritual Nurturing times as opposed to Worship times. This is a term I like much better than worship. What is worship anyway? Well another question for another blog.

Hope you will come out and join us at 10:30 and hopefully you will find this a time of spiritual nurturing. All are welcome!

Sunday 10 May 2015

MOTHER'S DAY

Good Morning Everyone, it is a beautiful day here in Eston, a little chilly to start out but it will warm up. It is mother's day and with my mother living so far away I just want to say thank you to all the people here in Saskatchewan who help me in my life. But a special thank you to my Mom, for all she does for me, even all the way from Cape Breton!

I just got back from 12 days away. It was way too long to be gone. I had meetings and the second residential for my Prairie Jubilee Course on Spiritual Direction. it was a very intense week of study in Beausejour at the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre. What a beautiful place. I was surrounded by nature and by a group of folks who were so supportive and welcoming. The staff at the centre were amazing, the cooks spoiled us with great food. So the topic this week was Soul Work. What is our soul, how does our soul work, how do we communicate with our soul, how do we know what is the soul filled thing to do. Do we live from our soul, or from another part of ourselves, not quite ready to delve deep enough for soul work. So much to think about. So it was difficult deep work, but totally worth it. I learned so much about myself and about why I act the way I do sometimes. I learned that our memories from our past play an important part in our living today along with our hope for the future. So it is all intertwined.

It is a pleasure to be home and back in this wonderful little town that I have become part of. Take care all,
Barb

Sunday 26 April 2015

Snow in Spring?

Now Snow in Spring reminds me of living back in Nova Scotia, where it snowed yesterday as well. I headed out yesterday to go to Saskatoon with my daughter, Tracey, and had on jeans, rolled up and sneakers, no socks, and a lightweight sweatshirt. I knew it wasn't going to be hot but I never dreamed there would be 3 or 4 inches of snow and I would get wet cold feet. It is way too late in the season for snow.

On a brighter note, it is Sunday, a time for us to gather together as a church family in this place in Eston and remember our responsibility to our neighbours, to our world and to ourselves. There has been a exceptional outpouring of love and compassion in our town this week as we joined together to help a member of this community whose home burned to the ground last Sunday. It makes me proud to be part of a community that can band together so well to help.

My daughter Tracey was here this week and she loved Eston. She said the people were so friendly and nice and if she didn't have such strong ties to the east, a family and a husband who is a lobster fisherman (hard to do that here) she would move here in a flash. Wouldn't that have been great for me. I would love all my family to move closer. Tracey was so amazed by the prairie landscape, the wildlife, the river valley, she loved it. So thank you to all of you who made her feel so welcome.

ON a more practical note - work wise... I will be going away on Tuesday for a combination of a course I am taking, Prairie Jubilee, in Beausejour, MB at the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre and meetings in Regina and Saskatoon. I will be back on May 9th just in time for mother's day. If there is any kind of emergency, please contact the office and Dianne will put you in touch with Jim who is covering for us during this time. Gail Bevill will be leading the service next Sunday and we thank her for that. There will be no bible study on April 29th but there will be on May 6th. Stay safe and healthy everyone,

Thursday 9 April 2015

How honest should ministers be? A question to ponder!

So, I came across a question in my research for my sermon today. The topic was doubting Thomas. So the question is: "how honest should minister's be to their congregations?

Should ministers tell folks just what they learned in seminary, should they be truly honest about what they think and what they believe or should they just keep compromising what they believe to make church a safe place for people to never have their faith challenged, just a nice place to visit on Sunday morning so we can feel better for the coming week.

So I am putting this out into the world, I wonder what folks really think about this. How would you feel about your minister, or any minister, standing up in the pulpit on Sunday morning and telling you about something that he or she no longer believed in. Would it change the way you felt about them, would it put their job in jeopardy. I think many ministers as they learn and grown have their faith grow with them and often they are left trying to decide what they can still say with integrity to a congregation of folks who aren't still studying and learning. For most of us our faith grows as we grow and mature throughout our lives, but for people who study a lot, who read a lot and who are challenged by their peers a lot, their faith may grow in leaps and bounds and have a huge impact on their lives. What happens then? Where is their place in the church? Does this change their ability to be a pastoral minister. Would you still want this person to be your minister. I think this is the struggle a lot of clergy have in our world today.

Just some thoughts running in my mind this day. What do you think? Talk to me sometime if you see me out and about or stop in and have a visit at the office. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Have a great Spring Day!

Sunday 29 March 2015

Oh What a Beatuful Morning!

It is a beautiful day and a sunny one and I feel like singing. Oh What a Beautiful Morning!!! ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ Glad you can't hear me, it is pretty bad here in the office. So, the Choir is offering their Cantata today. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the music and the words shared. Most of our readings today are taken from the books of readings by Joyce Rupp and Ann Weems. We also have Meghan Austin singing for us today. This week is music festival, I hope we can all get out and support all or part of the weeks festivities. The final concert is on Thursday night at the Full Gospel Church at 7:30.


As we approach Holy week, I have been thinking about my life, my faith journey, what has brought me to the place where I am now. I think we all need to do this sometimes. I have been asking myself a lot of questions lately, like, Why do I believe what I believe? Who taught me the things I knew and the things I now feel I have to unlearn? I just wish we could be free to speak how we feel and how we think without criticism from folks. There are so many people and so many different thoughts that there is no way we can all agree. The fact that we ever agree about anything is a miracle. Each of us has a different understand of who or what god is for us. For some god is a spirit, energy, a feeling of love that we each have, that inner spark of divinity that when joined together become part of the whole. Others believe in a more literal understanding of a God who controls everything. And still others believe something else. There are those who are theistic, non-theistic, post theistic and those who just don't believe anything. Who are we to say who is right or who is wrong? So, let's be patient with one another, listen to one another, and not be judgemental to one another. We are each at a place in our faith journey where we are able to make up our own minds and we should be free to do this without fear of repercussion from one who doesn't think the same. The reason there are so many different christian denominations and even different churches within the denomination is so that all christians can find a place where they fit. It is my hope for you that you have found a place where you fit and if you haven't, that you keep searching to find that place. Together we make up the face of love in our world, let us make a commitment to live that way.

Sunday 22 March 2015

Spring? Maybe, maybe not!

Well since Spring began we have had snow twice. Not great amounts but enough to turn everything white again. As well as freezing rain last night that turned everything under the snow to a sheet of ice. But still there is much to be thankful for.

As I sit in my office this morning, I can hear the choir practicing for their Easter Cantata which they are sharing with us on Palm Sunday during our morning worship. They sound pretty good.

The children are watching a movie this morning in Sunday School and having popcorn which sounds like great fun!

So I was asked a question that I would love people to think about. When do you mean when you say the word God? Who or what is God for you? Huge Question, eh! think about it. It is an important one for us to be able to answer. I think if we asked everyone in Eston, there would be a lot of answers.

So, this morning we will be exploring Psalm 51 and Psalm 119 along with Jeremiah 31. Where do we get our beliefs, how do we develop our relationships with one another and with all that is holy!. Nothing but questions for us this morning, but what a good place to start...



Sunday 15 March 2015

Another Beautiful Day

It is another beautiful day in Eston and we are looking forward in hope that Spring has indeed sprung. It is another warm day in Eston. Today in church we are going to be looking at our gospel from the writer John. We will be asking ourselves how it is we experience god. Our passage includes the famous line, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but may have eternal life'. What does it mean to hear that god gives.... Another question to ponder this day.

It is family Sunday here at St. Andrews and all are welcome to come and join us for our service at 10:30 and stay for lunch after.

As I sit in my office typing this message, I can hear the choir practice for the Easter Cantata which they will offer during our morning service on March 29th. Beautiful music and words to tell us the story of Jesus last days and the wonder of resurrection.

On Tuesday, some of the choir and others will be going to Heritage Manor to sing some Irish songs in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. If you know some Irish songs and you would like, you can come and help us sing. We will share in a time of refreshments and community after.

About the United Church, the Comprehensive Review Task Group has presented it's final proposal for General Council. If you go to the United Church's Website united-church.ca you can find the entire report. It is important that we know what is happening Nationally in our church and it is important that if we have concerns about this report that we direct them to one of our commissioners to General Council. For Prairie Pine Presbytery we have submitted three names to go to General Council. Hopefully they will be selected to go. So if you have time and would like to be part of this decision for so many changes to our United Church structure, please read the report and come talk to me.

Have a good week All!

Wednesday 11 March 2015

An Early Spring



Well it has been about 4 weeks since I wrote anything on this blog. I have been crazy busy on Sundays which is when I usually write. It feels like Spring is upon us, yesterday it got as high as 14 and it was only the 10th of March. Wouldn't it be nice if the winter was at an end and we could just look forward to nice weather, warming up and enjoying the outside.

It is Wednesday just before Bible study and I am writing. We have had lots go on in our church in the past month and there is a lot more coming. This Thursday the United Church has the responsibility for the Lenten Lunch. These lunches are all hosted by the Full Gospel Church this year but each week a different church does the lunch and the service. Well tomorrow is our day. So I am speaking on the scripture Ephesians 2: 1-10. Not an easy scripture to read or to listen to or even to write about. It is talking about some hard issues. It is talking about being compassionate, loving, forgiving and a justice seeking person even if you don't feel the person you are looking at deserves. This was written at a time for the Jews and the Gentiles, each of whom thought the other was not worth the time of day. So, how do we forgive, be compassionate to, love and and seek justice to someone who we deem as unworthy. And is it our job to chose who is worthy or not. So, the cost of being a disciple according to the writer of Ephesus is a very heavy one. Can we do it?

On Sunday we will have the gospel reading from John 3: 14-21 and a reading from the collection of stories in the book of Numbers 21: 4-9 as well as Psalm 107: 1-3, 17-22. Our Bible Study this morning will be exploring all these scriptures as well as the one from Ephesians and seeing what they mean to us in today's society. Our resource from Seasons of the Spirit that we use for Bible study suggests that we are invited to face our fears and anxieties remembering that we don't have to face them alone. That we are surrounded by all the help we may need in our living and although we may travel through the desolate and deserted places of our life, we can continue to have hope. Where do we get our support, how do we know we are not alone when life seems to be just way too hard for us to handle. These may be a few of the questions that we will ponder in bible study today.

Eston is a very busy little town. We enjoyed the Winter Carnival this past Sunday and all the young people who were part of the skating club put on an Around the World themed program for us. It was great? From the 3 year olds to the teens, they did a great job.

So, have a great week this week, and remember "Don't let the things you want make you forget the things you already have".

Barb

Sunday 15 February 2015

We are the Light!

Today is Family Sunday so we will gather for lunch after our gathering this morning to share some time as a community of faith. Everyone is welcome to come and join us.

We will be reading the story of the Transfiguration today and trying to find the relevance for us in our lives today. This is one of those stories that we are not quite sure what to make of. Did it happen? Does it matter? What is important for us when we read it? Do we every have experiences like this? These are the questions I asked myself this past week as I was trying to figure out what to say this week. What I discovered is that we all have times when we feel a sense of the sacred very close to us and other times where we don't feel anything at all. Either way we have lots to offer one another and ourselves. We all have light and love in us and it is that light and love that helps bring the sense of the sacred closer in our living. My friend Kim reminded me of a Leonard Cohen song called Anthem which I used to think of all the time when I was feeling down but haven't thought of in a long time. However, it has very powerful words for us to learn from. The chorus has these words:

Ring the bells that still can ring,
forget your perfect offering,
there's a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.

These words just remind me that I am a vessel of light to everyone I meet, I just need to stop trying to be perfect all the time and allow the light to shine from me in whatever I am doing. It also gives me comfort that when I am having a very hard time, that same light can enter whatever I am doing and remind me that I am part of the light. None of us are perfect but it is in our trying to be all that we can be when our light shines the brightest. So go, shine your light, be the best YOU, you could ever be.

Have an amazing Sabbath!

Sunday 8 February 2015

Time Outs!


It has been very quiet in the MacNaughton household this week since our baby grandson and daughter went home. We are missing them already. It is amazing how quickly you get used to having a baby around again. I miss his giggles in the morning. They are home safe and sound and reunited with Cody and Hannah. Can't wait until July when we see them again. All of you who have access to your children and grandchildren consider yourselves very lucky and give them a hug and tell them you love them often. I so wish I could do this.

Anyway, it is a beautiful day outside, the coffee is on, the church is warm so come and join us and find out what "Time Out" means for you. When was the last time you were given a time out, or perhaps handed one out to someone yourself? Is this the way of punishment or a way of renewal? Let's explore this together today in church.

Sunday 1 February 2015

Family

Well this week has been a wonderful one. My daughter, Amy and my grandson, Xander are here visiting. Sadly they leave tomorrow. It has been so wonderful having them here. What fun to have a baby in the house for a visit. I am hopeful my daughter Tracey will make the trek next. It is a long trip from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan and not particularly flight friendly There are no direct flights from Halifax to Saskatoon or Regina. So Amy and I spent some time visiting, cooking, and quilting. Amy made her first quilt and completed it. It is ready to go home except for the label which we will put on it today. So not only do I get to visit with my oldest daughter and youngest grandson, I also get to spend some time teaching her my favourite pass time, Quilting.

So this week in church we are going to look at the gospel of Mark and talk about what it is that sets people free. Do we have demons in us that need to be liberated. The story in scripture today tells of Jesus setting a man free from an unclean spirit that has been part of his life. The surprise to me is no surprise from the folks in the story. The thing that shocks them is the authority that Jesus seems to have to be able to exorcise an unclean spirit. This was something only the children of Gods or archangels could do. So as well as a story about liberation, it is also a story about honour and authority which was a very important thing in the time of Jesus. As westerners we don't understand that culture, but still today in parts of the middle east, honour and authority are totally important. You must do things correctly so as not to offend another person. Perhaps that is why Jesus was always getting himself into so much conflict, he didn't give a hoot about authority or honour. He went against the societal norms of his time to do what he felt was just and loving. Are we living that way today? Is there more we could be doing? Maybe we should spend some time thinking about what it is we do in our lives to make the lives of others around us better.

So come and join us for coffee before church and our service, enjoy the music, talk and fellowship of our service. All are welcome!

Sunday 25 January 2015

Not So Cold Now!

What an unbelievable January. The weather is so mild, it is almost like March. Hopefully this doesn't mean a terrible spring. But what ever happens, we will live with it. Every day we wake up and live in this beautiful place is another day of grace. I am getting so excited my oldest daughter, Amy and my youngest grandson, Xander are arriving on Tuesday. I can't wait to see them and spend some time together. WHen you live so far away from your children and grandchildren you miss out on so much. No matter how many pictures or emails or text messages you exchange, there is still so much you don't enjoy. For instance, someone asked me yesterday if my grandson is crawling, and I have no idea. I guess I will find out on Tuesday. I want to thank everyone who loaned me baby things, it will sure make our visit easier.

Today in church we are reading the story of Jonah telling the people of Ninevah they need to repent and the story of Jesus calling his first disciples, Andrew, Peter, James and John. Do you think you could be a follower of Jesus in today's world leaving everything behind as the disciples did. So much has changed in our world since the time of Jesus. It certainly makes it harder to do like the first followers did. For so many in today's world the following of Jesus is all about personal salvation and I think Jesus would say, my message is to help make the world a better place for everyone, not just for me so get off your duff and get going. Help others. Do something and do it now. So, that's my spiel for the day. I hope everyone has a wonderful sabbath.

The coffee is made, come and joins us for church.

Sunday 18 January 2015

EVERY WEEK!

So each week when I am writing my sermon and preparing the service for Sunday I try and imagine what might inspire people to do or think something different in the coming week. This is very hard to do and I know it doesn't always happen, but I do try.

The mark of an effective church is not how many people come but how many people who live differently as a result of being there. I sure hope there are folks for whom this happens. I think this is the challenge to every worship leader. To try and come up with something that will affect people in such a way as to help them live life in a different way, no matter how small the change is. Sometimes it happens slowly, other times it comes to us in a flash. However it happens, I hope it happens to you at some point in your life whether from the service at St. Andrew's or just from something you read somewhere, I hope your life is changed in such a way that you are able to live in a way that shows transforming love each day. Today we are going to talk about the transforming love and also about thin places. For the disciples, Philip and Nathanael I think Jesus was just such a thin place. May thin places be part of your lives today and every day.

May you have a great day today and may you feel the spirit gently surround you in such a way that you feel light and love surround and hold you each moment.

Sunday 11 January 2015

ANOTHER SUNDAY ALREADY!

It seems like it was just Sunday a couple of days ago. Oh how the time flies. It has been a cold week here in Eston and it continues today. Hopefully it will start to warm up soon.

Yesterday a wonderful woman in our congregation had a 95th birthday celebration. It was wonderful, Congrats Esther Richardson.

In the lectionary today it is Baptism of Jesus Sunday and we are going to have a renewal of baptismal faith in church for those who wish to do this. It means running your hands through the waters of the font and remembering who you have been created to be. That is a good thing to think about this morning. Who have you been created to be?

As I was doing my writing this morning which I do every morning, I came upon a question that asked, What brings you joy? This question really stumped me. I know lots of things make me happy but is that the same as feeling true Joy. I have to think about that for a while. So two questions for you to think about this morning. Perhaps as we find the answer to one of those questions, we will find the other.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone! Hope to see you in church today, the coffee is on!

Sunday 4 January 2015

BRRRR......

It is very cold in Eston this morning, -31 according to the thermometer on the garage and that is with no wind. Oh My. I heard on the news that the warm spot in Saskatchewan was -25. Imagine. Well here at the church, the coffee is cooking, the heat is on and it is nice and cozy so come and join us for our service at 10:30.

Today we are going to read the story from the writer we call Matthew of the Magi. Have you ever jumped to a conclusion? I can hear each of us saying, all the time unfortunately. We all do it. Well I think that is what the Magi did in our story when we hear of them going to Jerusalem looking for the new king. They assumed he would be in a palace, of course. Where else would a king be born. Well, we are going to unpack that a little this morning and see where we end up.

There is no Sunday school today, but it starts back up next Sunday. Also just to let you know, we are looking for drivers for pick ups on Sunday morning so if you can help there, sign up on the calendar at the back of the church. Also, don't forget the food bank. You can drop off any unopened non perishable items with a good expiry date any time or you can bring them any Sunday and put them in our food bank basket at the back of the church.

So on this cold winter day remember that we are never alone, the spirit is with us and within us always and that we bring with us everywhere we go the possibility of spreading hope, peace, joy and love.
May the light of this epiphany season surround you always,
Barb

Thursday 1 January 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year to you all. It is an overcast day in Eston but is only about -1 so it is a great day. I read a quote yesterday from Brad Paisley that said, "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book, Write a good one." So how about we all vow to make this year a great one by starting our stories new, there are 364 days left in this year so remember what Piglet says when he gets up in the morning, "I wonder what thing amazing will happen today" My prayer is that you will all be filled with wonder and amazement throughout the coming year.

Be prepared to be amazed!

Barb