Wilkesport United Church
3214 Mill Street, Wilkesport N0P 2R0 Sombra, ON, Canada

Sunday, November 22, 2020 Scripture Lessons for today: Ezekiel 34: 11 - 24 Psalm 100... Ephesians 1: 15 - 23 Matthew 25: 31 - 46 Today's scripture readings remind us of God's promises and our responsibilities regarding our attitude toward other people. In Ezekiel, God promises to seek out the lost and restore them to himself. There is so much hope in this passage, for the people of that time and this time as well. God's promises are true. I believe that. I also believe that if I have strayed from God's fold, God will seek me out and call me back to it. I'd love to tell you that the need will never happen, but I don't know that. My life is not yet over. I am a human being and subject to the same frailties as anyone else, and so are you. At the same time, we are admonished to feed the hungry, care for the oppressed, cloth the poor and naked, provide for the homeless and more. There is a similar message in our Gospel lesson from Matthew, and Jesus assures us that there will be a judgment coming. We want to be ready for that. Living our lives in God's way is not a burden. It brings us joy and a sense of well-being knowing that we can make a difference for other people. At this time in our lives, many are confined to their residences. A simple phone call will bring great joy to someone whose family are far away and not able to visit because of Covid restrictions and recommendations. Not only will that person benefit from your phone call, so will you. It makes you feel good that you were able to make them feel good. PRAYER: Gracious and loving God, sometimes we can be so thick-headed that we don't always respond to others the way we should. Forgive us and don't give up on us. We are your children. We love you and are thankful that you love us. Continue to guide us in your way today and always, for we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Sunday, November 15, 2020 Scripture lessons for today: Judges 4: 1-7 Psalm 123... 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 11 Matthew 25: 14 - 30 PRAYER: Loving God, have mercy on this sinner, and enable me to choose you wholeheartedly day by day. Hear our silent prayers .. Amen. In our First Lesson, we find that the Israelites are in trouble again. Like us, they have been influenced by the societies in which they mingle. We are always jumping on the bandwagon of a new line of thought or an alternative way of thinking about an issue. While it is good to contemplate all angles of an issue, we still need to keep God in the picture. To contemplate without God's resources will lead us into all kinds of difficulties. This is exactly what has happened to the Israelites. We are told that the Israelites have been harassed and oppressed for twenty years, and God has heard their cries. Now the prophet, Deborah, delivers God's plan. God gives us many opportunities to "get it right", and when we don't, we can be sure that we will get another situation to do the right thing. God wants to bring us together into God's kingdom, but that only happens when we keep God in the picture. In our second lesson, Paul assures the Thessalonians that when they live right, they have nothing to worry about. Paul encourages the people to support and encourage one another as they go about their daily lives. Communities of faith do that for one another. It's what we do. In our Gospel lesson, we have the parable of the bags of gold. In it, we encounter confidence and fear. Each have their own beginnings according to an individual's experience in life. Let us not condemn the servant who is fearful, but rather lift him up and encourage him to be able to take a risk and know that we will still be there with him regardless of the outcome. Baby steps. Small beginnings can lead to big results. If you have someone in your life who is anxious and fearful, help them to see the bright side of their concerns and do not leave them in the dark. Some will be grateful and some will not. You can't control that, but you can pray for them.

Sunday, November 1, 2020 Scripture Lessons for today: Joshua 3: 7 - 17 Psalm 107: 1-7, 33-37... 1 Thessalonians 2: 9 - 13 Matthew 23: 1 - 12 In our lesson from Joshua, try to put yourself into this ragtag group that have spent countless years wandering around the desert. You are crossing the Jordan near the well-fortified city of Jericho on the other side. What would you be thinking? Yes, Yes, we’ve heard this story before, but I wonder how often we have reflected on it as though we were actually participating. You know how picky we can be. Do we say that we’re fearful? Of course not! We would say something like, Wait ‘til the river bottom dries out a bit. It’s all muddy. I just washed my cart yesterday. The reality is that the fortified city of Jericho stands right there where we are about to cross. We aren’t told that people are fearful, we’re told that these courageous, faithful people picked up their belongings and followed instructions. Could we do that? Would we do that? This story is about faithfulness, obedience and God leading his people, then and now. Really think about this and how you would handle it. Psalm 107 speaks of God gathering people from all over the earth to bring to himself. Despite our own questions, follow God, so that life can flow from and to you in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 2 lesson: Paul is on the defensive as he and his ministry is constantly being challenged. He speaks to this new Christian community of faith and reminds them of how it was when he was with them. Paul urges them to keep doing what is right. Matthew 23 - It's hard to be a leader. Jesus can see that what is being preached to the people is good, but that the follow-up of those doing the preaching is not. Jesus cautions us regarding the hypocrisy that occurs. Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons leads us to arrogance and pride. When we do what we do in order to honour God and God's love for us, we get it right. PRAYER: Loving God, may we honour you in all that we say and do. You have taught and continue to teach us your way. May we look to you in all things. Be with us, with our families and friends, and guide us. We need your healing touch in this world. You alone can make a difference. Be with us as we praise and honour you today, for we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Sunday, October 25, 2020 Scripture lessons for today: Deuteronomy 34: 1-12 Psalm 90: 1-6, 13-17... 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8 Matthew 22: 34-46 Our lessons for today give us many opportunities to ponder our own relationship to God. That is not a bad thing. It help us to explore our level of commitment to God and others; sometimes, we question our worthiness; sometimes we wrestle with how we should respond (we think) vs. how we would really like to do or say things. These are all very real and vibrant workings of our faith. In our Lesson in Deuteronomy, we witness the last chapter of Moses' life. I'm always a little disappointed that Moses doesn't get to enter the Promised Land, and I'm confident that Moses regretted the transgression that led to that. However, God does give Moses a good look at the land and its vitality. Thank you God. We are told that the people mourned and wept for Moses for 30 days, honouring his life and commitment to them. Alas, they are called upon to move on. For the Israelites, as for us, moving on without someone you've come to love and rely on is not easy. Nothing will ever be the same. It isn't a matter of being asked to forget that person; it's more like learning to live without that person's influence in your life, good or bad. We need to remember that God put that person in our lives for a reason, and while that person is not continuing your journey with you, God is. Look to God as you continue on your walk. Psalm 90 is interesting. While written in ancient times, we can read it today in our time and not miss a beat. We are and have been living in a time of affliction. This Psalm becomes much more potent when read as a Prayer. In our reading from Thessalonians, we become aware of a community of people who have come together because of a new-found faith in Jesus. In Paul's final verses of this reading, there is a tenderness and great love revealed in and for this community of believers. I love that! - probably because I live that! Thank you God. In our Gospel lesson, because I know that passage, I can actually become quite smug! The Pharisees bring in their "expert" to trick Jesus. True enough, the "expert" knows the scriptures, but (bonus) Jesus knows God. Love it! PRAYER: Renew us today, Lord, that we may trust our past, present and future to you. You walk beside us and guide us. May we each hear your guiding as you desire us to hear it. May we grow more in love with you and with each other. Guide us through these difficult times. We love you Lord. Amen.

Sunday, October 18, 2020 Scripture Lessons for Today: Exodus 33: 12 - 23 Psalm 99 Thessalonians 1: 1 - 10... Matthew 22: 15 - 22 We believe, or try to believe, that God is with us at all times and in all places - but sometimes it's hard to remember that. There are also times when, at our wit's end, we call on God as a last desperate cry for relief. Have you ever asked yourself why we wait so long to call on God? Can you imagine giving your concerns over to God as a first step and not the last step of desperation? There are times, many of them when we, as Christians, are called to act out, speak out in a manner that may seem to be countercultural to us and to others. However, we need to ask ourselves, exactly what culture do we want to live in. Do we want to point fingers and blame everyone else or do we want a loving culture of unity where God presides and resides? If ever there were a time to follow God's ways, it would be now. I believe we are being called to faithfulness, especially at this time of global pandemic. Yes, our lives have changed. Sometimes, this is a good thing. Families are spending more time together, large gatherings are limited. We have become more focused on the limited smaller parts of our lives that weren't receiving the attention they deserved. Let's focus on God's presence with us this week, in every thing we do and say, with all of the people with whom we interact, at all times and all places. Let's put God first. PRAYER: Lord, during this pandemic and our restricted outings, we sometimes feel that we are in a wilderness. Still, we see your workings at hand. Give us hearts of yearning and of gratitude. Hear our silent prayers .. Amen.

Sunday, October 11, 2020 continued .... PRAYER: God we want to thank you this day and every day for your many blessings: for the people who are part of our lives, for those in authority who try to keep us safe. May they too be led by you so that all of your creatures and nature may be a blessing to your people.... We thank you for your love and grace which you have poured out upon us. May we have the grace to show your character in all of our encounters. Lord, this world needs healing in every sense of the word. Teach us Lord, and bless us, your children, that we may also be a blessing to others. Make us your servants, Lord, for we ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.