Message from Our Minister Reverend Mary White
Good Day and Blessings!
As we soon prepare to gather in wanted, and much needed communion, let us not forget the recent journey that has united us in an experience that we have travelled together.
Let us be mindful of the pain some have experienced during this long period of physical isolation and let us show compassion to our sisters and brothers in faith. We each have a story of our own encounters, our own feelings, and our own struggles and pieces of good fortune. Let us be mindful to each other’s narratives as we wait for new growth.
With Love,
Rev. Mary White
Dear Parents, Families and Friends,
This weekend we will celebrate Father's Day. I wish you a special day with your family. Thanks to all of the Fathers who spend time with their children and youth whether it be time spent in the yard, at the sidelines of a sporting event, in the audience for a performance, on a walk down a forest trail, reading a book, or riding a bicycle. This time is important and special. Here is a nice piece of writing that captures how an adult feels about her father which gives us an idea of how special the bond between a father and child is: "My love for my father has never been touched or approached by any other love. I hold him in my heart of hearts as a man apart from all other men, as one apart from all other beings." - Mamie Dickens.
This week the parent tot video contains a reading of a lovely book called, A Father's Love. The songs are: "The More We Sing Together", "I love my Mom, I love my Dad", "The Whole World is in God's Hands", and "Jesus Loves Me".
The Family Fun video has a poem called, "A Father Is", the reading of the book called, Mog and the Vee Eee Tee, and the songs, "You Are My Sunshine", "Give Me Oil In My Lamp", "Going A-Z in the Kitchen", and "Kum By Ya".
Enjoy some singing with your family and best wishes for the weekend.
Brenda Pielle
Reaching Out to Families
Powell River United Church
Poem • We Wait for Growth • Excerpt from Ruth Burgess “Summer”
As the elements give life, soil and air, sun and rain providing nurture,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life. With restless impatience that counts the minutes, wanting it now,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life. With steady patience, trusting roots buried deep in the ground,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life. With ceaseless work, the strenuous effort of trying to make a difference,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life. With unforced hope, living in anticipation of days yet to come,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life. In effort and expectation, in work and rest, in doing and being,
We wait for growth; we hope for new life.
Reading • Living Mindfully
Excerpt from Tom Stella “In Sync with the Sacred, Out of Step with the World.”
Mindful living is a way of “standing there,” or of practicing “stillness,” even as we are doing something. Mindfulness is about being fully present to the moment, to the people we are with and to the tasks at hand. When we live mindfully, we become more aware of what we usually do automatically, more appreciative of what we take for granted, and more conscious of the sacredness of simple things. A story is told about a spiritual teacher who, when asked by one of his students about Buddhism, replied, “We stand, we sit, we bathe, and we walk.”
The questioner responded, “I do those things too.”
The master replied, “When we stand, we know we are standing …”
“Standing there” is about being wherever we are. It need not require physical stillness, but it does necessitate full awareness of the present moment lest we overlook the often subtle but pervasive spiritual Presence that permeates all things. But even if we should fail to see or sense it, that Presence is present – we live always on the surface of boundless Mystery.”
PRUC Online Worship Service
Please join us this Sunday, June 20th
PRAYER
Creating Spirit
We have much to learn and we are grateful for all the learning experience placed alone our life path. May we appreciate the times of stillness during our pandemic experience. May we appreciate that we are resilient and able to overcome challenges and hardships. May we appreciate our life connections from whom we have been physically removed for fifteen months. May we appreciate that we have been shown that we can wait for new life, we can discard the hurriedness of our daily busyness, and we know that we are capable of existing at a slower pace. Continue to slow us down Spirit so that we can hear that still small voice of the One who guides us.
Amen