Message from Light of God Ministry
Good Day and Blessings!
Giving without the connection to love in our hearts, is still better than not giving at all.
Giving when the heart is dry, or when we are feeling disconnected from God, does have a transformative effect.
Eventually our acts of love and generosity do take root within the heart, and make us fertile for receiving God’s grace.
Or like a river, our generous acts eventually lead us back to the ocean of God, where our stagnation dissolves into pure waves of joy, gratitude, love and bliss.
In Samuel Longfellow’s heartfelt prayer written in 1864, titled Holy Spirit, Truth Divine (Voices United 368) he implores the unseen One…
Holy Spirit, love divine,
glow within this heart of mine.
Kindle every high desire,
purify me with your fire....
Holy Spirit, peace divine,
still this restless heart of mine.
Speak to calm this tossing sea,
grant me your tranquility.
With Love,
Light of God Ministry
Dear Parents, Families and Friends,
There are signs around us in nature that we are approaching a transition once again. Some leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter, the apples are ripening, and the temperature is cooling down. It can be comforting to see these signs because they are predictable and they remind us that the seasons will change in their time, the way they do each year. We are still living in uncertain times with regards to the pandemic. It is nice to know we can count on the fall to come, and we can also always count on God's love for us, as it never changes and never ends.
This week the parent tot video has these songs: "Higgledee, Piggledee, Bumblebee", "The More We Sing Together", "The People on the Bus", "Love God", and "I Love My Mom, I Love My Dad". There are two short stories: one about some bears on a picnic, and one about a fairy who paints butterflies.
The Family Fun video has the following songs: "To Be Alive", "Kum By Ya", "You Are My Sunshine", "I Walk the Line" and "Over My Head". There is a story about a sheep named Russell who has a difficult time falling asleep.
I hope you enjoy these offerings.
Brenda Pielle
Reaching Out to Families
Powell River United Church
Reading, James 1:17–27
17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;
20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.
21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness, rank and wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
POEM BY RUMI
One Whisper of the Beloved
Lovers share a sacred decree –
to seek the Beloved.
They roll head over heels,
rushing toward the Beautiful One
like a torrent of water.
In truth, everyone is a shadow of the Beloved –
Our seeking is His seeking,
Our words are His words.
At times we flow toward the Beloved
like a dancing stream.
At times we are still water
held in His pitcher.
At times we boil in a pot
turning to vapor –
that is the job of the Beloved.
He breathes into my ear
until my soul
takes on His fragrance.
He is the soul of my soul –
How can I escape?
But why would any soul in this world
want to escape from the Beloved?
He will melt your pride
making you thin as a strand of hair,
Yet do not trade, even for both worlds,
One strand of His hair.
We search for Him here and there
while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side we ask,
“O Beloved, where is the Beloved?”
Enough with such questions! –
Let silence take you to the core of life.
All your talk is worthless
When compared to one whisper
of the Beloved.
Ode 442 trans. by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva
A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi
PRUC Online Worship Service
Please join us this Sunday, August 29th
PRAYER
Dearest Lord
May our acts of kindness, generosity and compassion come from feelings of love and gratitude to your dear Lord, and for this life and all creation you have given.
May we never forget to perceive You first and foremost in everything we experience in this world.
May we always hold dear the eternal truth that You are one with the entirety of the universe and creation, and through your grace may we come to accept your Holy Spirit who exists within us and all things, as our very own divine Self.
Amen