Finding God in the most unusual places!

If you look, you can see God in the most unusual places, wouldn’t you agree?

Over the past few weeks I have started a new Vlog (video blog) series called, “Getting to Know You”.  In this new series I have been interviewing people from our congregation. It’s been so fun.

I’ve asked them three questions:

1. How are you doing in the midst of this madness?

2. What are you doing to alleviate stress or anxiety?  What are some coping strategies?

3. Where have you seen God in this?

The interviews have been via zoom and  I have been posting them once a week on our website, and Facebook page. So far you have had the opportunity to get to know, Brian Scrivens, Sandra Percy and Dave Wallace.  If you haven’t already, please check it out. WARNING: the intro song is really catchy ;)  Each week, (for as long as we are isolated), there will be a different person for you to get to know.

I have loved getting to know each of these folks in a different way, and I have loved hearing about where they have seen God in the midst of this pandemic. What they say may surprise you.

God moves in amazing, remarkable and even surprising ways. God also moves in subtle understated ways – in the quietness of a spectacular sunset; in the sound of the rain hitting the window; or even in the gift of food left on our doorstep!

Yes, God is moving even today, even in the midst of a global pandemic! There are “God moments” all around. This week be on the lookout and seize them, embrace them and receive them!

Stay safe, BE WELL and know that you are LOVED!

****************

Would you be willing to be interviewed?  We would love to Get to Know You!! Reach out to: revmona@amberleachurch.ca or admin@amberleachurch.ca

*****************

Join us for Part 3 of our sermon series entitled Joyful Sound! 

Tune into to our online service at 11 am on Sunday morning on our YouTube Channel.  Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE :)

Or find the sermon on our Facebook page.  Don’t forget to LIKE us.

Regardless of where you find us, please do leave a comment.  Let me know how you are doing and how I can pray for you.

(Don’t forget our Zoom coffee hour on Sunday at 11:45am)

A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies! By Guest blogger Nancy Varga

Over Easter weekend, we invited people to celebrate that Jesus is risen by creating their own butterflies and hanging them in their windows for the world to see. Truthfully at our house, I did most of the creating as the teenagers in the house sighed and made hesitant faces wondering why I was asking them to do a family activity. Hopefully, your experience was a little different! Thank you to everyone who sent in a photo of their butterfly art. Together we made a kaleidoscope of butterflies offering praise to God!

All of this talk about butterflies caused me to reflect on how my experience is a little bit like theirs. During this unprecedented time, it feels like I go back and forth between being tucked away as a caterpillar in the chrysalis and emerging as a butterfly ready to fly. 

Many days, many moments, I feel safest in my cocoon.  I actively try to protect myself from the news, announcements, opinions, and the concrete physical world of people and germs. I feel protected. Sort of...  In the stillness, the voices of doubt and fear can be heard.  The voices are not new; they are just a little louder now in the quiet.  Who am I? What is my purpose?  Am I good enough? Am I doing enough? Am I loved?

There is an amazing transformation that happens for the caterpillar in the chrysalis.  Scripture tells us that I am transformed too if I look to the One who is the answer. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 I am a child of God, created by Him for His purpose.  I don’t have anything to prove, defend or be. By His grace I am a new creation.    

On some days if even for only just a moment, I feel grown enough to emerge and try a little flying. Some days that means a great something is accomplished and other times it means the voices of fear and doubt are quelled for only a minute. 

Just like the butterfly something so supernatural happens in the transformation by the One who is greater.

On those days when I am grieving and it’s hard to face the day, I worry that my children will see and only remember the mom who is burdened and weak.  

In those moments remind me to call out, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”Psalm 39:7

I pray that my children see beyond the cocoon and see God at work transforming my life. 

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

**************

Nancy Varga is the Family Ministry Director at Amberlea Church.

She can be reached at familyministries@amberleachurch.ca

Why is it easier to talk about the virgin birth?

How do we talk to our Children about Easter?

It is so much easier talking to our children about Christmas, isn’t it?  Especially when we rush over the virgin birth part ;)  Talking about a little baby, the joy of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and angels and wise men, is fun.  But when we talk about Easter we can’t speak about it without speaking of death and that can be more nerve wracking.

Probably because of that, Easter, the key experience of the faith which is about new life, an empty tomb, forgiveness and resurrection so often becomes more about pastel colored eggs, Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny.  Don’t get me wrong, those are all fun, and to be perfectly honest, up until last year, we still had an Easter egg hunt before church at our house!  

Here’s the thing, one of the most important responsibilities we have as Christian parents is to teach our children about Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6: 7-9 says,  “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”.

So after our big Easter egg hunt, when the children were little, we would talk about the eggs representing new life.  Like the new life we have in Jesus.  That talk was never as engaging as when we made Resurrection buns on Easter morning to illustrate the empty tomb.  Check out the easy recipe below.  

These yummy buns were a great way to talk about how the empty tomb was the ultimate victory of the good guys (God/Jesus) over the bad guys (Judas, the priests, Pilate, the soldiers). I would tell that kids that on Good Friday the bad guys thought they had won. They killed Jesus and sealed his body into a guarded tomb. On Easter morning God/Jesus blasted right out of that tomb and proved once and for all that God is more powerful than even the worst of the worst.   And then we would cheer "Hooray for Jesus!".   Easter is about celebrating that we belong to God who is the most powerful power in the universe!

As we talk about Easter with our children it’s important to remember that Easter is bigger and more complex than any of us can fully understand. And, we don't have to have all the answers. So pray, and then go ahead and talk about it with your children.

I think we probably do more harm when we don’t talk about it for fear that we’ll not get it right.  Share the Easter story with your children.  

Share your faith with your children.

As we enter into the Easter weekend, even though we will not gather together, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.  

********************

Please check out the Butterfly Project on our Amberlea YouTube page or on our website. This is something we can all do together — young and old— while apart! I can’t wait to show you my creation!

Join us online for a very special Good Friday service and then again on Easter Sunday morning as we celebrate and honour the King of Kings!  Join with an expectation of being blessed and being a blessing!

You can find us on:

www.amberleachurch.ca

Facebook:  Amberlea Presbyterian Church

YouTube:  Amberlea Church

See yaaaa!

Resurrection Buns Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pkg. refrigerated crescent dough

1 bag large marshmallows

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a muffin tin.

2. Prepare a small bowl of the melted butter (for dipping) and another small bowl with the cinnamon and sugar mixed (for dipping).

3. Separate crescent dough into triangles, and place a marshmallow on each one.  The marshmallow represents the pure body of Jesus. As a teaching tool, children can dip a marshmallow in the butter and the cinnamon-sugar mixture to represent the burial oil and spices that were used on Jesus’ body. However, the seams of the crescent rolls seem to stay sealed better with plain marshmallows, so maybe just dip a few.

4. Seal the edges of the dough around each marshmallow, and explain that it represents that tomb of Jesus that was securely sealed after he was buried inside.

5. Roll the dough in your hands to form a smooth circle.

6. Dip the dough in the melted butter

7. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

8. Place each roll in your greased muffin tin.

9. Bake for about 15 minutes.

10. Allow the “tombs” to cool slightly before children open them to see that they are empty (the marshmallow melts away and leaves an “empty tomb”)!

Read Matthew 28:1-6 for an excerpt of the resurrection story and repeat together, “He is not here; He has risen!”