Passing the Peace: March 25, 2020
Passing the Peace: March 25, 2020To my siblings in Christ, Welcome to the second Passing the Peace newsletter! It is my hope that through the reading of these words you may know that I wish for your hearts and homes to be filled with abiding peace during these anxious times. Below you will find a variety of opportunities to stay connected, COVID19 resources, and ways to engage your faith from home. Let us thank God for all the wonderful ways we can stay connected during this time of social distancing! I continue to work from home in Toronto with a good supply of food and toilet paper. I am very grateful to have the companionship of my partner Chris (who is also working from home these days) and my demandingly affectionate cat Ru. Stay Connected Coffee Hour - Sunday, March 29, 10:00 am Join us on zoom (an online meeting platform) for a “bring your own coffee” community gathering time. Simply click here on Sunday morning at 10 am to share the peace of Christ with one another and share how you are doing. I miss you and would love to see you! Prayers of the People Send me your prayers and prayer requests by email or by phone call at any time! Here are some questions to help guide you: Where are you seeing the Spirit at work recently? Offering One of the ways that we remain connected to our community is by offering our time, talent, and treasure. I want to thank the many people who are offering companionship and care during a time of increased isolation for many. Please stay in touch through the Glen Morris Community Facebook group to learn more about how to help each other out. If you are able, please continue to support the church financially during this time. Our building may be closed but the work of the church continues! Covid19 and Social Justice: How Christans Can Love Their Neighbour During this time of a global pandemic, we not only encounter the medical challenges of a virus but all the ways in which the distribution of resources and the structures of our communities impact the ways in which we receive care and support. I have included below a couple of articles which help explain why we need to be thinking with a lens of social justice during this crisis. This week I have been reflecting on the lessons from Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan) about what it means to “love thy neighbor” and how a Christian response to the COVID19 pandemic means remembering every one of God’s children.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
Spiritual Practices Musical meditation: You Have Not Given Us A Spirit of Fear by Allswell Take a moment to breathe and let the words of 2 Timothy 1:7 surround you. Bible Study: A Visual Meditation on John 9: 1-17 by Sanctified Art With the use of art, explore the story of a man born blind being healed. If you are hoping to join a community of faith for worship: This interactive map has links to churches across the country that are streaming their worship services. Prayer for a Pandemic Historic Saint Paul Catholic Church, Lexington, KY
May we have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable May we do have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close remember those who have no options May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market remember those who have no margin at all May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home As fear grips our communities let us choose love During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours. Amen. Yours in Christ, Michiko |