Crossroads United Church
7655 120th St V4C 6P6 Delta, BC, Canada

Beloved Crossroads folks, We watch with horror as our neighbours to the south find themselves in a moment of political insurrection and violence - egged on by human frailty masquerading as power. And we remember the words Paul received from the risen Christ, and shared with the (always fractious) church in Corinth: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. We hold on to grace at this time: the undeserved love of God, poured out freely upon all G...od’s children. Humility and love are the way forward. Of course, as Canadians, we have little influence on the events in Washington today (or any other day). But as President Blair Odney of the Pacific Mountain Region reminds us in his pastoral letter today, we do have influence over our own response to this news, and how we experience it. (his words added in the comments) Some of the most common words out of the mouth of God or Jesus in Scripture (both the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures) are those words we recently heard from the angels, in Advent: Do not be afraid. Part of the way this kind of political instability and divisiveness grows, is when fear seizes the minds and hearts of ordinary people like us. Let us cling to the promises of God, and to our faith in the God of love, justice and peace. Let us not allow ourselves to be pumped up into a reactive state. If you are feeling anxious, call a friend. If you are compulsively watching newscasts in fascinated horror, turn off the TV for a while, and go for a walk. If you must DO something, call or send an email to an American friend who would appreciate knowing that their neighbours to the north (you) are praying for their wellbeing and for peace. And don’t forget to breathe deeply. Tonight, Bruce, Gabrielle and Cari are going to convene a time of vigil and prayer at 8pm via Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/5314054971 We pray for peace and love to prevail over violence and danger in our world, and particularly in the United States. We will pray, we will sing, and we will hold on to the reality of grace and God’s light and love together. Yours in Christ, Cari, Gabrielle and Bruce

#repost @saltproject Matthew 1:18-23 With so much online meeting and worshiping and planning and praying happening these days, it’s no surprise that both pastors and church folks alike are experiencing a little Zoom Fatigue going into Advent and Christmas.... To this end, SALT has created (and is giving away for FREE!) a short worship film based on Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth narrative. Feel free to use this lovely little gem as an attention-grabbing worship opener, as one of the morning’s scripture readings (or perhaps on Christmas Eve!), before or after (or during!) the sermon, and/or on any and all social media platforms - anything goes! You can watch and download over on Vimeo (just look for the download button below the film, to the right of the description). Our hope is that this worship film will help disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and Zoom Fatigue’s dark shadows put to flight!

#everychildmatters https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=nhMobBK-Iz0