Weekly News

Dearest friends,

I know, I know I am supposed to be on holidays not writing emails to send out to the church. And I am on holidays! I am writing to you from the beach on Hornby Island, so grateful for a week with my family to just be.

I did want to just take a moment and share some of my thoughts. As many of you know, I use a daily prayer app on my phone to help kick-start my morning prayer time. Wednesdays recording was the story of Moses and the burning bush from Exodus 3.  Moses is at the top of a glorious mountain with what is, I'm sure of, breathtaking view, and God catches his attention with a bush ablaze with fire. "Take off your sandals," God says to Moses, "you are standing on Holy ground!"

There are certain places in the world where it seems easier to recognize the Holiness of the ground we are standing on: the top of a mountain, the beach of a small coastal island, trees behind us, sand in our toes, the wind in our face.

But what of the every day?  What of the dark and seemingly forgotten places where God's presence isn't so breathtakingly obvious?  Can you see God there too?

God then gives Moses some pretty strong marching orders and Moses says what most of us think when God directs us, "who am I that I should do this?" I wonder how many miracles, how many acts of God's presence, love, and reconciliation, are thwarted by our own "who am I" moments?  How many of us miss the, "I will be with you" assurance that God so freely and routinely gives? 
God is here with us, in our world, in the burning bushes and the secret places.  God is seeking to draw us into trusting relationship. And in the relationship, God challenges us to stretch beyond our comfort, beyond what is known to us, and into a greater work of love and reconciliation. These acts might be big: leading of a people out of slavery, or they might be small: writing a card of apology for a long crusted-over hurt.

How can we decide to see God in all places this week?  How can we enter into a place of intimacy with God?  Can we trust God's assurance of presence as we are called into loving action?

See you next week!
Love and blessings,

The Rev. Ingrid Brown
(sand in toes, wind in face)

PS - the app I use is 'Pray As You Go' and you can also visit them online: https://pray-as-you-go.org/home/
The reflection I was referring to is from Wednesday.

*This Sunday we will be welcoming the Rev. Trevor Malkinson back to preach.  Be sure to attend for Storybooks and Scripture: “When God Made Light” & The Cosmic Christ. Scripture readings will be John 1: 1-14 and Colossians 1: 15-20.