It is good!

After 18 months out of the church building it was wonderfully weird to be back. Last Sunday we gathered in-person to worship together at Amberlea Church. We maintained social distance and even still there was a genuine joy in meeting with one another masked face to masked face.  It was good.

They say it takes 40 days to create a habit. Truthfully, I have now become very familiar and even comfortable preaching to a camera, seated, in pyjama bottoms. On Sunday I dusted off my heels and preached at the pulpit to the assembled. I stood the whole time and did not fall off the platform. It was good.

We did not gather for coffee time immediately following the service, as has been our custom, but we did gather in the parking lot for some outside conversation. It was good.

As I chatted with folks outside I heard the same things over and over again, “It is so good to be back.  It is so good to see people. It is so good to see you.  It is so good to hear the band play. It is so good!. God is good.”

Indeed it was good and yes, “God is good”.

We hear that a lot don’t we?  God is good.  But what does that really mean?

We know that God is in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness. God is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe. But is goes further and deeper than that, doesn’t it? Because God provides for us, guides us, and watches over us. God’s goodness is who God is, and we are created in God’s image, so, therefore, we share God’s goodness.

In good times and in bad, when our eyes are open, we will see God’s goodness in our lives every single day, every hour, every minute and every second of the day.

It is good, and God is good!

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

If you are comfortable and able, please consider joining us in person this coming Sunday.  Please check the website for instructions on how to register… I promise, it will be good!

Getting back to it!

September has always felt like a new beginning to me.  A new school year  brings to mind words like, “fresh start”, “new chapter”, “new horizons”, “high expectations”, “exciting”, and “hope filled”. I know that not everybody shares my enthusiasm in regards to a new school year and perhaps this year, more than ever, I get it. The excitement is shrouded with uncertainty and concern for our children and their teachers.

So…. Let’s pray!

Holy God,

Thank you for the resilience and determination of our students, teachers, school staff, parents and administrators demonstrated and developed over the past year. We begin this new school year in prayer because we are anxious for our students to resume school in person, yet still be safe from COVID-19.

We pray for a better year; for a safe return to classrooms; for the health of students, teachers and school staff; for school boards and administrators under pressure to make difficult decisions; and for parents exhausted by the uncertainty and constantly changing plans.

Help us, Holy God, to bear with one another in love as we face the new challenges this year will inevitably bring. We pray that our teachers banked enough summer renewal to face any new disruptions. We ask that the hard lessons students learned since the start of this pandemic will give them the confidence and courage to face whatever lies ahead. With confidence in Your ability to do more than we ask or imagine, we pray that faith will deter fear and hope will bring new life.

Bless us, Holy God, in our efforts to protect and care for students so they can focus on their healthy development and their studies. Lead us all to health and healing.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

Working Together (by David Varga)

Corinthians 12:12

“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.”

My name is David and I had the privilege this summer to lead the Summer Team. We had the  opportunity to plan and execute the programming Amberlea offered to the children, youth and families in our community. 

One of the most challenging and rewarding things about working with and leading a team is discovering and learning each team member's strengths and weaknesses. Learning how those individual qualities fit together with each other. Our team of 5 young people spent almost the entire first week of the summer, getting to know each other through games, planning, and storytelling. This was a priority to set a good foundation of how we would work together for the rest of the summer. This “getting to know you” wasn't finished after that first week. We honestly spent the entire summer getting to know each other and learning where our strengths and weaknesses lay. This was mostly seen in how we interacted with kids, our planning sessions, and our morning devotions. Our morning devotions particularly gave  us a deeper understanding of each other that we wouldn't get by just playing a simple “icebreaker”.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26

I believe understanding each other is so important because it allows you to better offer and ask for support from each other. When we face something that we know we have a weaker skill in, we know who to ask that would be eager and ready to support us. Similarly, when we see a team member running an activity which may be more challenging for them we know to jump right in supporting them, without having to be asked. These understanding dynamics are important for a team to run smoothly and create a positive community.

I'm speaking specifically about my experience this summer with Amberlea’s Summer Team but this is an important thing to remember in everything we do. We need to truly know the people we are around so that we can support them. It is always encouraging and inspiring to be supported by someone without asking first. Remembering this, we can involve ourselves more in our community, going out of our way to support each other; whether it is in our school, local area, or our church. 

Ask yourself, “Do I know the people I share a community with?” “How can I support them?” … or… “How can I be more involved in the things that are important to me?” 

I am extremely grateful to all the staff who spent their summer working with me at Amberlea and all that God taught me through them! I am incredibly grateful to the committed youth volunteers we had this summer who chose to help at our extremely hot outdoor camps, instead of sleeping in! 

Colossians 3:23

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”