Prayer: God of prayers for parking spots and prisons, of hospitals and holidays, of anger and angels, of travelling mercies and tired ones, of decolonization and deconstruction, of wilderness and wandering, of feasts and ferocity, of goodness and grief, we come to you today with our whole selves.
God of our honest prayers and more honest silences,
Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear and our hearts to understand how you are already here with us.
Mother God, gather us as a hen gathers her chicks and let us catch our breath for one hot second and remember how you hold the whole world in your kind, capable, wise hands, including us.
Spirit, when we cannot part the weeds of our own traditions and old languages, when the pathways of prayer feel choked with briars and thorns, would you make a path in the wilderness for us to find you in new ways, new words, new practices, new permissions? Would you meet us in the wilderness and set out a feast? We are hungry and thirsty.
We are grateful for (mostly) every moment that brought us here to you. Help us to sink down into your Love, to push our roots down into that marvellous Love. And be planted within your power and grace as we practice loving this world as you have loved this world.
May we laugh harder because we have learned to let ourselves weep with you.
May we see and know and name Beauty because we have learned to bring the ugliness to you.
Surprise us and startle us. We’re open to all the weird ways you want to Speak — in us and to us and through us.
May we be Peacemakers, Joy-bringers, Truth-tellers, Status-Quo-Disrupters, Wanderers, Wonderers, and Misfits to our time (because of Resolute contentment), who never settle for the sit-down-and shut up life but rise up in your She-who-the Son-sets-free-is-free indeed, birthright of freedom.
May we be the ones who come close to you because of our vulnerability and not because of our false certainties; teach us to lay down our masks and pretenses. You tore down the veil between us and the Holy of holies, keep our hands from rehanging that curtain.
Give us opportunities to practice mercy and courage (this may backfire but we’re feeling bold now.)
Call us to humility, confession, and repentance even when pride feels more comfortable and superior. Teach us how to rest, how to abide, and how to light candles and be satisfied. Don’t let us get away with divorcing our prayers from our politics and policies and practices. May we love our neighbours.
May we learn to sit with you, in silence, and know it is enough to know you and be known by you and know ourselves.
Teach us to pray, God, as you have always welcomed us to pray: fully human, fully yours, fully held, and fully loved.
We will tell you the truth of our lives and of this world. And we will listen to the truth you speak to us the truth of our beloved Hess, of your justice, of your faithfulness, of love. And say let it be so, let it be in me.
Amen. (a Benediction by Sarah Bessel and printed in A Rythm of Prayer)
Hymn Blest Be the Tie that Binds #602VU
This will be last blog posted for a while. Barbara will be on holiday through the month of August. Another blog will be posted for September 7th.
This Sunday’s services will be 9:30 in Ormstown and 11:00 in Howick. Services will begin again on Sunday September 7th, once again at 9:30 in Ormstown and 11:00 in Howick.
Keep in mind that the United Church’s General Council will be meeting in August in Calgary. A new Moderator will be elected and new decisions will be made for the church’s future. You can sign up for updates through the United Church’s website, united-church.ca.
On Sunday, August 17th a fundraiser for Ukrainian families will be held from 11-4:00 at the Georgetown Presbyterian Church. Quilts, Cars, and Community will offer a quilt display inside and vintage vehicles outside. Admission will be $10. Box lunches may also be available.
Prayer: This one thing only, loving God plant firmly in my heart,
Amidst our work to hear your word and choose the better part;
Lord show us when to labour on and when to stop and rest,
To hear your voice and so restored, to serve you at our best.
O give this gift, O loving God, and this one grace please give:
To know one thing above all else and in this one thing live. ( a hymn by Charles Spence Freeman, inspired by Luke 10:38-42, can be sung to the tune McKee, the tune of In Christ There is No East or West.)
Hymn Jesus Shall Reign #330VU
This Sunday’s services are Howick 9:30 and Ormstown 11:00. Next Sunday July 27th will be our final service before the vacation period. The services will be 9:30 Ormstown and 11:00 Howick.
The 40th edition of the Valley Flower Show will take place on Saturday, July 26th from 1-4:00 at the Ormstown Recreation Centre. Admission will be $7 and this year’s proceeds will go to La Bouffe Additionelle. Come and join in the birthday party!
Quilts, Cars, and Community, a family fundraising event for Ukraine will be held on August 17th from 11-4:00 at the Georgetown Presbyterian Church, 920 Rte 138 Howick, QC. Admission will be $10 to see the quilt display inside and the vintage vehicles outside and will also spotlight A Stitch in Time, a quilting activity with federal inmates under the direction of the Rev. David and Susannah Shantz. A box lunch is available with a donation to the church.
Prayer: For all Christians throughout the world, that each person may be a servant of Christ, truly and faithfully, Lord we pray. (Sometimes followed by a response such as Lord have mercy, or Lord, hear our prayer.)
Renew your peace in our hearts, and give us the courage of faith in our daily life, Lord we pray.
Free us from all prejudice and fear, deepen our understanding and our love, Lord we pray.
May those in authority work to establish justice and freedom in their countries and throughout the world, Lord we pray.
Show us the way to bring your compassion to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the unloved, Lord we pray.
For all who are striving to follow in the steps of Christ, and for those who are longing for the gift of faith, Lord we pray.
For those who seek to be bearers of friendship to young and old, across the age-barriers, Lord we pray.
For all who are in prison, condemned, or exiled from their home, Lord we pray.
For parents and teachers and all those entrusted with the care of children and young people, Lord we pray.
Forgive those who oppress us or distort our best intentions; forgive us also and remedy our acts of injustice. Lord, hear us we pray.
For all, through addiction, have lost their health and freedom, give those who care for them patient understanding and a persevering love, Lord we pray.
Console those who are bereaved or in sorrow, Lord we pray.
God our Maker, you care for us and know all our needs, may we rest in your love. Amen. ( a prayer from the Taize community)
Hymn Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life #681VU
This Sunday’s services will be 9:30 in Howick and 11:00 in Ormstown.
The Board of Stewards of Howick United Church will meet on Monday, July 13th at 7pm in the church.
Prayer: We join together in prayer for the stillness that renews, and for the striving that drives us onward; for the resting in grace, by a lake with a book, and the blessed unrest that fashions new futures; for the deep peace of being here and now, and the wrestling with what’s past for the sake of tomorrow.
We give thanks that the whole of it is held together by the one we call the Christ, that the peace and the struggle of our lives is not in vain, but is an offering of love to this unfolding story of the universe that we are telling with our lives. Amen. ( a prayer written by Bruce Sanguine, printed in If Darwin Prayed)
Hymn In Christ There is no East or West #606VU
This Sunday Ormstown will be having its usual 9:30 service in the church. In Howick we are hoping to hold the annual Outdoor service at 11am at the church. We are hoping it will be dry enough and not too hot so we can gather near the river beside the church. If it is looking promising, please bring your own lawn chair (and sun hat and sunscreen) if you can.
Howick United Church’s Stewards will meet at 7pm on Monday, July 14th in the church hall.
There will be no Stewards meeting in Ormstown this month.
