St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Gananoque
175 Stone St. South K7G 2A2 Gananoque, ON, Canada

One more test. We will Get this right eventually ;)

Ugh! Another test ;)

Happy Thursday! Here are our words to start the month of October: October 1, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Romans 5:1-5:... Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Have you ever had to do something you didn’t like and been told that doing it ‘builds character’? This is usually something that we loath doing, like shovelling snow or doing homework or washing the dishes. And of course a lot of these things, these character building exercises occur when we were younger. As we age, we gather a wealth of character and often look forward to new challenges and opportunities to ‘build character’. We don’t have a dishwasher. Well that’s not completely true. I am the dishwasher, not some machine. I actually enjoy washing dishes now, but when I was younger? Not really. It is important for us to look at challenges that we face as growth opportunities for useful skills both physically and spiritually. I have told you of some of my projects, things that I have attempted during this pandemic, like refinishing a floor. But I have also had the opportunity to learn through my job at the library a lot of information and ways to help homeless people who use the library. This has also allowed me to react with grace and peace when before I may have been governed by rules. I am finding that this pandemic has raised everyone’s stress level, whether we realize it or not, and we find ourselves reacting in ways that are out of character. Our passage from Romans talks about this, and we need to ask God to help us to persevere as we endure this time of ‘deep character building’. This brings us hope: a hope that we will be stronger in our relationship with God and with others; a hope that we will one day see life return to a less stressful sort of normal. Hope that we will be able to gather and rejoice together whether we are near or far. Until then we need to persevere together. Amen.

Hi all. Here are our words for the last day of September: September 30, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Psalm 39:7:... But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. From an early age we are taught to be loyal to certain brands. Growing up on a farm, I learned that the ONLY tractor to have was a Ford. And the ONLY dairy cattle to milk were Holsteins. My first car was an Oldsmobile and I still have a fondness for them. Regardless of where we grew up, we placed our trust in things and brands. The media is also great at reinforcing our trust and tells us how great certain things are and how we need them. Life has become much easier with some of the advances of technology, but as much as we put our faith and our trust in brands and things, we are always let down at one time or another. Psalm 39 is written with the understanding that life was short and unpredictable and having something to focus on and put our hope in helps us. These comforting words again tell us that our hope is in the Lord. We all have a different relationship with God and different faith journeys, but the fact remains that we all are loved the same by God and can place our hope in God to help us in this life. Relax in that sure hope today. Amen.

Hi all. Here are our words for today: September 29, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Psalm 37:23-24:... The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I have to admit that I actually enjoy cutting the lawn. This was my first job when I was a teenager, cutting lawns. I would tow the mower behind my bike and took pride in a well groomed lawn. I like keeping our lawn well-trimmed also, but am not always as diligent as I should be. One of the problems with our lawn is that it is very uneven. I am not sure why this is and it seems to get worse every year. I suspect the soil isn’t good and the backfill used when our house was built adds to this. Every time I dig a hole for a flower bed or to plant, I end up unearthing bricks, stones, and chunks of cement once I get a few inches down. It’s a wonder I haven’t turned an ankle or tripped and fell while enjoying my grass cutting duties! I saw this passage from Psalm 37 and thought of our lawn as an example of life. Our life path is often smooth and uneventful. We can stroll along for days, weeks or even years before we happen upon the treacherous footing of life. We find ourselves unable to move ahead safely and often stumble when we do. It is normal for us to stumble. We know that in our journey, God will direct our path and will help us even more when we face the stumbling moments. God will uphold us and keep us safe and comfort us in those times. We are in difficult times now. It is easy for us to stumble. It is easy for us to lose our temper, become angry at people or protocols, at someone forgetting their mask. But we must remember that God will help us through this time. Know that God is with you each step of your journey. Don’t be afraid when you stumble. Amen.

Hi! Here are our words to start our week: September 28, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3:... We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. This week has started off with disturbing news of increased numbers of cases of Covid and fear that the second wave is upon us. We were expecting the news but obviously didn’t know when we would hear it. Have you ever had a time in your life where you needed help and weren’t sure where or if it would come? When I went back to school I remember having just such a situation. We were short on some bills and didn’t know where the money would come from or how we would pay the bill. Then I received a card in the mail with a gift that covered the debt. It truly was both an answer to prayer and a faith building exercise. I think this is what our current situation is. It is a faith building exercise. We have the opportunity to put our trust in God to keep us safe and also an opportunity to pray for the frontline workers who will have to continue to work in the midst of this. Please remember to pray for safety for ourselves, for those on the frontline and also for those who are suffering financially. I think we are all experiencing extra anxiety and stress surrounding health and money and need prayers from our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have said it before and it still holds true: we will get through this together. Keep praying. Amen.

Service for Sept. 27th

Hi all. Here are our words for today: September 26, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Acts 14:17:... Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. I spent about three hours in the car today as I travelled to and from the wedding I performed. I enjoyed the drive and the scenery. I mentioned this yesterday, but today I noticed more crops being harvested and I wondered if this was a good year. Last year was not a good harvest for many farmers. I got to thinking about how we take our crops for granted whether it is a small garden or a large farm. We do what we can to plant, water and fertilize, but ultimately it is up to God. The lesson that I take from this is that we should be thankful no matter what the outcome. As with many things in life, we can learn lessons from mistakes made in many areas of our lives. Often we can make mistakes with our gardens and we learn from them. Has anyone ever planted mint? I did once. but never again. We need to learn to be thankful and trust God to help us when we have a bad year, and we also need to give thanks when we have a good year! As our passage from Acts tells us, God provides us with plenty of food and fills our hearts with joy. Our season of pandemic will end. We don’t know when, and we should be continually watching for the lessons that we learn each day. Give thanks today for all of your blessings and enjoy your harvest. Amen.

It's Friday! Here are our words to start our weekend: September 25, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Psalm 19:1-4:... The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. I know I have lamented the shortening of the days and the reduced daylight hours, but I have to admit that it is wonderful to see the sunset much earlier! Too often we are busy keeping our heads down and forget to look up. I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I had to travel today for a wedding rehearsal and felt blessed by the beauty that surrounded me on that drive. I travelled north to Peterborough and had not been that way in over 10 years and enjoyed familiar and unfamiliar places along the way. I think that it is important for us to change our surroundings, to get away if possible even if it is for a short distance or time. Even looking out the window from a different angle can make a difference. Our passage from Psalm 19 speaks of how all of creation declares the glory of God, and we bear witness to this. Everywhere we look are signs that we are blessed with the beauty of nature. From the sun shining through the window to a bird singing in the fields, the glory of God surrounds us. Please take a moment from your day and take in the beauty found in your piece of this world. You have a unique corner and a unique space that is a blessing. Amen.

Happy Thursday! Here are our words for today: September 24, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Hebrews 4:12:... For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. I remember my first encounter reading Shakespeare. It was in grade 9 English class and we assigned The Merchant of Venice. At first I found ‘ye olde english’ difficult to read and understand but as the play progressed, it gradually made more sense and I could grasp what was being said. That being said, if you watch some of the television programs from the United Kingdom, you may find some of the dialogue puzzling due to accents and the local speech whether the show is set in England, Ireland or Scotland. It can actually be quite entertaining hearing how they describe things using the English language. I am constantly amazed at how the Bible can speak to us in different ways and passages that are familiar to us can help us through many of life’s challenges. The passage from Hebrews tells us that the word of God is alive and active, and I can’t help but believe it. Shakespeare’s plays are entertaining but don’t offer us insight and comfort for our daily lives. God’s word can speak to us when we need guidance, sometimes telling us things we may not want to hear! That being said, all guidance from the Bible is based on love for us and has our best interests at heart. I hope that these words of comfort that I share illustrate this point, that help and comfort and guidance can be found within the pages of that best-selling book that he know and love as being the Bible. Why not take a peek at one today? Amen.

Hi all. Here are our words for today: September 23, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Isaiah 40:8:... The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. It is hard to believe that fall is actually here. The days go by so quickly and they are now getting shorter as the sun sets earlier each day. One of the inevitable things about fall is the growing season drawing to a close. All of the plants that we tended over the summer are now starting to wither and die. We can enjoy them for but a short while longer. Fall is also a time for harvest. I grew up on a farm in the early years of life and the harvest time was always something special. Our neighbors would help bring in the crops and would gather around our table for a meal or two. Fall holds a lot of different memories for us all. Our passage from Isaiah offers us some comfort, sharing with us the fact that grass and flowers may wither and die, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Regardless of what season of year or life that we find ourselves in, God is constantly with us. God can show us the beauty of each season of the year and of our lives. Take a moment in the morning to enjoy the fall colors and embrace the cool weather. It is truly a gift from God. Amen.

Hi! Here are our words: September 22, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in Romans 13:8-10:... Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. One of the necessary evils in life is borrowing money, whether it is with a credit card, student loan, car loan or mortgage. This loan allows us to buy things that we need, but we have a responsibility to pay it back, usually over a longer period of time than we are comfortable with. It is such a great feeling to finally pay off the credit card or loan and be free of the debt! Our passage from Romans speaks about a continuing debt that we have. Thankfully this is not a debt that we want to pay off! We are indebted to others and are tasked with loving them. Sometimes this can be a challenge, but in doing so we feel better about ourselves. Our passage tells us that we fulfill all of the laws by showing love for one another. In this current predicament that we find ourselves in, isn’t this something that we all need not only for ourselves but also for our world? Please take a moment as you begin your day and thank God for loving us and ask that we can find ways to pay our debt of love to others. Amen.

Hi all. Here are our words to start our week: September 21, 2020 Our words of comfort for today are found in 2 Corinthians 13:14:... May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. The saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ is quite interesting. My understanding of this phrase or saying is that if we hear something often enough, we tend to not ‘hear’ it anymore. It’s like living near the railroad tracks. Eventually the sound of the train blends into the familiar sounds of ‘home’. How often do we say things but don’t really pay attention to what we are saying? Usually words that are said when we are leaving home tend to go unnoticed or again ‘unheard’. Sometimes words that we repeat often can be less helpful because they are so familiar. I think that Psalm 23 is a good example. This Psalm and the words contained in it are some of the most comforting and powerful words for our lives. We usually hear them at funerals, but need to be reminded of them daily. They are words that we cannot take for granted. Our words from 2 Corinthians are another passage that we usually hear at the benediction or closing of a church service. But this is a blessing that we need to hear each and every day, especially during difficult times. This pandemic has changed how we live and also has changed our lives. We need help in figuring out how to adjust our lives each and every day. We find ourselves reacting in ways that we wouldn’t usually, and our emotions are a lot closer to the surface than they used to be. We need to immerse ourselves in the GRACE of Jesus, the LOVE of God and the FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit each and every day for our own sake and the sake of those we love. We can get through this together with grace, love and fellowship. Amen.

Service for Sept. 20th