Dear friends,
Describing our thoughts and emotions while we witness the events in Israel and Palestine is a challenging, if not insurmountable task. Words elude me, rendering me speechless in my attempts at prayer. The past several days all I could do was to offer silence to God. I’m at a loss for words to articulate my prayers for the suffering and oppressed people in Palestine and Israel. During the recent Sunday worship services, I had intended to offer a prayer for the conflict, but I failed to find the words. I found some prayers written by others but could not say those words. I humbly ask your forgiveness for my silence. Yet, my silence is not denial or ignoring or approval of what we witness, but acknowledging my inadequacy, grieving the unbearable suffering of the oppressed and soul-searching for what is that I can do to fix our eyes on Christ not on hatred and darkness. I will continue searching for the words and carrying those unknown words in my soul, and as I do, I would like to humbly request your prayers for the afflicted people in Palestine and Israel. Praying that peace will prevail, and the humanity will not be consumed by hatred or violence.
God of truth, mercy and peace, God of life and of reconciliation,
we mourn the suffering and murder of your people
and we pray a just peace and reconciliation for the people of Palestine and Israel
who have endured the burden of violence and conflict for so long.Console those who grieve, heal the injured,
comfort those who are alone and afraid, protect those who held hostage, and
restrain those who would cause more violence or act cynically for political gain and power.Let wisdom settle on your churches and on the governments and leaders of this world
Prayer courtesy the PCC
so that justice is sought, reconciliation found, peace established and security provided for all.
In the name of Jesus we pray.
Virtual Book Study – This Sunday
This Sunday, October 22, at 1 PM, a virtual book study will be held. This month we will be studying Julian of Norwich’s Spirituality (who famously prayed, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”)
Quiet Prayer and Communion Service – Wednesday, October 25
On Wednesday, October 25 at 7:30 PM, we will host a quiet prayer and communion service in the sanctuary. In the midst of our often busy and hectic lives, finding moments for prayer and listening to God can be challenging. Our communal silence and prayer provide a space to enhance our connection with God. Please come and pray with us.
Day of Appreciation and Recognition for Rachelle Risling – Sunday, October 29
Sunday, October 29 is a day of appreciation and recognition for our beloved music director, Rachelle Risling, and her dedicated ministry among us. October 29 also marks Rachelle’s final service with us before she embarks on a new role at Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church in Mississauga starting on November 5th. We extend a warm invitation to all to partake in our celebration of Rachelle’s time with us and to congratulate her new journey. Additionally, the Bells of Guildwood will grace us with their performance.
Remembrance Sunday – Sunday, November 5
Sunday, November 5th is the Remembrance Sunday. We gather to remember the importance of peace and those whose lives are changed forever. The purpose of our worship is not to glorify a war, but to remember the stories of people whose lives were forever changed by a war and remind each other, “Please, never again.”
Please, send us a photo of a loved one, ie. parent, grandparent or other family member that was part of the Armed Forces during WWI, WWII, Korea, Afghanistan or during peacekeeping times. The name and where the loved one served should also be included to go along with the photo. For example:
Walter Harris, Late Father of Al Harris
Lance Corporal
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
86th Bridge Company
WWII
—Rev. Chuck Moon
Image credit: “Reconciliation by Vasconcellos, Coventry” (2011) by Martinvl. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Taken from the Wikimedia Commons.
A version of this message appeared in the Friday, October 20, 2023 edition of Tidbits.