Even still...God is with us!

As you have probably already heard, Amberlea Church has decided to go back to ONLINE ONLY services until January 9, 2022 (inclusive) at which point the leadership will reevaluate the situation.

I am heartbroken that we are in this position again.  It seemed so promising that this year we would be able to gather in-person to celebrate Christmas Eve.  We had everything planned. We were excited to offer three identical services to accommodate for Social distancing. The registrations were pouring in and the leadership was ready, willing and able.

However, the COVID numbers have been rising and in an effort to keep us all safe and to mitigate any unnecessary exposure the Session wisely decided it was best to suspend in-person gatherings. I do not disagree but I had hoped for something else. A world without this virus comes to mind.

As I have heard from many of you over the past few days the word that I have heard most is…disappointed. 

In this season when we are supposed to be all happy, and light… what do we do with our disappointment?  What do we do when we feel disappointed by God?

So let’s talk about it. 

Join me on Christmas Eve when I will conclude our series on Finding the Missing PEACE!  This service will be posted at 11am…so you can watch it whenever it is convenient for you and your family. I pray that you will find it both relatable and encouraging!

I will also be posting an Interactive Children’s Christmas Eve Service. If you have littles in your house be sure to tune into this.

In spite of it all, whether we celebrate the birth of our Saviour with others or quietly on our own — the truth of the season is STILL true —  GOD IS WITH US!  

May the blessings of this season be with you!

You are loved.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas blessings,

M

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet?

Are you in the Christmas Spirit yet?  

This year will be better than last year but this Christmas will still be different from Christmas’ before. Most office Christmas parties have been cancelled. The traditional Santa Clause Parade went virtual again this year. You can see the The Nutcracker Ballet at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto but you must be masked for the duration of the performance. It’s all different.

One thing that I have been able to count on — the one thing that has been consistent — is my guilty pleasure, Hallmark Christmas movies.  Yes, I said it. I love them. The movies are all pretty much the same— they're not entirely identical, but there is always someone who finds both love and the spirit of Christmas in the span of 1 hour and 55 mins. 

There was one story about a boy who promised his fiancee that he was always only a call away. If ever she needed his presence, all she had to do was call. One day while facing a difficult situation… I think her oven broke just before the big gingerbread bake off, she called and asked him to come over quickly. His response was basically, ‘Honey, I will climb the highest mountain to be with you. I will swim the deepest river to be with you. I will travel the longest distance to be with you another day. But sorry, I cannot come today’!!  She ended up falling in love with the repairman who showed up immediately. Incidentally he also loved gingerbread!

Corny, sure, but there is something about being there — particularly, being with someone in their time of need.   

The name ‘Immanuel’ means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). It tells us of how God identified with our brokenness and came down to be with us, in the form of Jesus. It tells us that our God was willing to live and dwell among us so that we could experience His love and grace first-hand! 

I can imagine the Father telling Jesus as he was about to leave Heaven to be incarnated among humanity, “Son, as you live among them, give them ALL my love”! 

That’s exactly what Jesus did as he spread God’s love extravagantly! The fullness of His love was eventually seen through His sacrifice on the cross.

On Sunday mornings we have been working through a series entitled Finding the Missing Peace.  Spoiler Alert:  Jesus, God with us, is PEACE and our missing peace.

The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords is with us.  God is with you.  God promises that He will never leave you, and He will always be with you!

Join us this Sunday for A Very Special Family Christmas Pageant as we continue to journey through Advent together. Then on Christmas Eve we will conclude our series on Finding the Missing Peace!  

Be sure to register for one of the three services we are offering (4pm; 6pm; and 7:30 pm).  The services will be identical so pick a time that suits you and your family best.  

Finding PEACE in God's timing.

On Sunday I spoke with a lovely lady in the congregation who told me that her “Christmas baking had officially begun”.  

She is an avid baker and each year before Christmas she bakes a freezer full of delicious goodies. Something about our conversation inspired me.  During COVID lockdowns  I learned to knit socks, I learned how to make mugs and bowls on a pottery wheel, surely I could bake!  So I decided to try my hand at a Canadian favourite, butter tarts.

I found a recipe online and followed it to the letter.  It looked exactly like the picture provided.

The next step was to bake.  The recipe suggested 13-15 mins.

Okay so, I set my timer for 13 mins.  Nope. Not done.

I put the tray back in the oven and set the timer for another two min. 

Two minutes later. Nope. Not done. The recipe said that the filling should be bubbling. There was no bubbling happening. I began to doubt the validity of the recipe. Was the recipe wrong?  Was my oven working?

I set the timer for another two minutes and stood in front of the oven and peered through the glass.  Let me just say, two minutes takes forever when you are just standing looking into an oven!

Two minutes later and nope. Not done.  At least, I didn’t think they were done. I set the timer again and in frustration walked away. Mistake.  They were done.  Well done.

My timing was not at all perfect.

But here is the thing… God’s timing always is.
God gives us hope and dreams for certain things in our lives, but we are never privy to the exact timing of God’s plan. Not knowing the exact timing can be frustrating. Some of us get tired of the waiting and may want to give up.  Some of us question whether God is even listening or if God is even there.   But if we know that God’s plan for our lives is good and we trust God completely with our lives, we can experience joy and total peace.

I was not going to give up. Trusting the recipe and my baking skills, I made a second batch.  All I can say is YUM!!  :)

Join us on Sunday as we continue our journey to Christmas as we are in part 3 of our sermon series entitled: Finding the Missing Peace.