Outbreak

Have you heard of the movie “Outbreak”? It came out in the mid 90’s and starred Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo.  That movie freaked me out.

The movie was about a viral hemorrhagic disease that breaks out in a small American town and how CDC scientists race against time to stop it from spreading. It was a made up story inspired by the nonfiction history of viruses like ebola (and if made today COVID-19).

Fiction meets Non fiction.

At the end of the movie the remaining residents of the town are successfully cured but not before 120 mins of action filled drama!

Interestingly the movie is not about a community of people whose lives intersect because of a pandemic, but rather the story is about a single character played by Dustin Hoffman who is the only one who understands the real threat of the virus. The movie highlights heroic individualism.

Individualism and doing life on our own is not part of God's design. We are meant to be in community. After all, God is a community. Existing for all of eternity past, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have enjoyed the love and fellowship of their perfect triune community. In creating humankind, God desired for us to participate in that community and know the perfect and joyous love the Godhead share.

Scripture is all about community.

Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, God then instituted the church, the Body of Christ as a community of believers. The apostle Paul wrote in  1 Corinthians 12:27,

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." 

Not only were we created to be in community but we also need community. We need each other. We need to trust, rely, and depend upon on one another. 

The writer to the Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:24-25, 

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

I understand that that becomes all the more difficult when we are not meeting in-person during this new and more contagious wave of the pandemic. It might be difficult but not impossible.  As you are praying for your loved ones, pick up the phone and call them.  Send people, who come to mind, a quick email or text.  Arrange to have an outdoor visit. We are not in this alone. We are in this together and together we are stronger. Together we can encourage one another to get through whatever this world throws at us. Our story is not about heroic individualism but heroic Christian community. 

For the next few weeks Amberlea church will be meeting exclusively online. The desire of the Session is to do our part in,  keeping us safe, mitigating the risk of contraction, and curbing the burden on our already taxed Health Care System.  The decision to not meet, as is our practice and desire, was a difficult one but the decision was made as a community for the community. 

Join us online for part two of our new sermon series, Keep the Change!

Life is fleeting

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

A week before Christmas I attended the Visitation of a dear, and faithful woman.  She was a wife, a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt.  She was a teacher, a missionary, a woman after God’s heart. Janet will be greatly missed by all whose life she touched.

Every once and a while God places people in our path who have influenced the trajectory of our lives, Janet was one of those people for me.

Over twenty five years ago, I met Janet on the GO train. I believe we were both fulfilling our civic duty and returning from a day of jury selection. I knew Janet as the mother of one of the children my daughter went to public school with.

I didn’t know before she sat down beside me that she was a Christian. Janet came to faith later in life and when God got ahold of her heart that was it, she was all in.  She had a passion for God that was unmistakable, and absolutely inspiring.

As we chatted casually on the 35 min ride from downtown, she shared her faith journey and her involvement in the local church which she loved.  “Mona, you must come to Grace. We have a wonderful children’s program. The kids will love it.”

That conversation changed the trajectory of my life.

On her invitation we, as a family, visited Grace Church West Hill and stayed there for 14 years.  I started as a congregant, quickly became their Youth Director, after much encouragement I began the Ordination process, and was inducted as Associate Minister at Grace Church in 2008.  

What if Janet and I had not met that day?  Would we have found our way to the church that encouraged and nurtured me to become an Ordained minister?

WE are all blessed with people in our midst that encourage, support, guide and direct our lives.   

Stop, remember, reflect and be grateful. Tell them now, before a time comes that you can’t thank them in person.

Life is fleeting…don’t take any of it for granted.  And as we begin a New Year may we do so with the spirit of GRATITUDE.

A Prayer: 

Father God, You constantly show your compassionate love for us, in the way you provide what we need for each day. Thank you for the people you place in our lives that point and direct us to YOU. Thank you for comforting us when we are overwhelmed by the news of this world and the pain that surrounds most of us these days. Psalm 23:1-4 reminds us: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Strike the fear and worry from our lives when it wells up, Father. Help us to remember, refocus, move forward, trust you, and hold onto our hope in Christ.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

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