Clinton United Church Clinton Ontario

A View from my Window ~ February 9, 2021 I’ve never been a huge fan of roller coasters! I have ridden them a few times, but I guess part of my concern is that I can always picture in my mind how many things can go wrong. Other people seem to enjoy them though, including my kids, so sometimes I would end up riding with them, just so that they weren’t on with a stranger. Up and down, around sharp corners, and sometimes upside down. In some ways that sounds a lot like both ...the last week, and the last year! Yes, the twins are coming! No, they aren’t! Yes, they are coming home from hospital! No, they aren’t! Up and down we go, as we swing from joy to disappointment and back to joy again. As of this writing, we’re hopeful for tomorrow (Tuesday) but everyone is doing better every day, so it certainly won’t be long until we get into the new reality of twins who will probably take turns sleeping. I heard the news from the government today! We are going to be moving out of our stay-at-home order next week. We don’t know what colour we’ll be in, but hopefully we’ll have more freedom of movement than we have had. And the regulations around small businesses look like it will allow more opportunities than the previous orders had permitted. Every day we see the numbers and we wonder if we’re having more cases, or fewer. Are there going to be outbreaks reported in our community? How is this pandemic going to affect me, and my family and loved ones? Good news, and we are joyful, bad news and we are disappointed, and around we go again. Up and down, around corners we didn’t see coming and sometimes upside down! This year has been like that as well. We’ve had good times when most of the restrictions were lifted. We were able to open up the church and have services there. Yes, it is still liberally festooned with caution tape! But at least we could be there! We even cautiously and carefully started singing into our masks in Advent, enjoying a Christmas Eve service that was almost normal. Then we were back into a lockdown that was very reminiscent of last March when everything shut down the first time. Up and down, around sharp corners and even upside down at times! Our lives are never predictable. Man proposes and God disposes (Thomas a Kempis) We think we have our lives organized, until something happens and everything is turned upside down. Even when life feels at its most chaotic, God is there. Whatever happens we are never alone. So just grab onto God’s hand and trust that eventually things will slow down again, and meanwhile, try to enjoy the ride! See more

Sunday Service ~ February 7, 2021 https://youtu.be/rTKXlTMLhA8

Thursday Night Hymn Sing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTSJobG8n2o

Just a couple of announcements: 1) Rev. Cathy is inviting you to a drop in coffee hour any time between 10:30 to noon on Sundays for the next few weeks. It will be hosted on Zoom. If you are interested in joining her, please contact the church office or her directly. 2) Rev. Cathy is looking at beginning a Zoom Bible Study on Philippians. Please contact Cathy to let her know if you are interested and what times would be good for you!

A View from my Window ~ February 2 2021 I have fridge magnet that reads God grant me patience, but please hurry! There is only one way to learn to be patient, and that is by waiting, patiently. I am waiting, more or less, patiently. My daughter-in-law is going to have twins this Thursday, at the latest, they tell me. But they could come any day. Today is my Mom’s 83rd birthday. She would be quite willing to share with the twins! Every time my phone has a call or a message... from my son, I wonder, is it happening? Is it today? I am waiting for other things too. Today we are all waiting to see if Wiarton Willie will see his shadow. If he lived in Clinton, he surely would have seen it this sunny morning! I think most folks would like to see spring come a little early this year. We enjoy the snow, usually, some people ski, or snowmobile. One of my neighbours has built an elaborate snow fort with his kids. But warmer weather will be nice when it comes, with the chance to spend a bit more time seeing people outside, not to mention the colours of the beautiful spring flowers. Like everyone else I am waiting for the end of this pandemic. We are waiting for the vaccines to come and to be available here. We are waiting for the ability to go out and see people, and visit with people we don’t live with. We want to go to movie theatres and concerts, and to eat out with friends in restaurants. Most of all I miss hugs! I’d like to be able to see and to hug my parents, but that’s not an option right now. Touch is incredibly important for everyone and those who are living alone are starved for touch. I’m waiting less patiently to hold my new grandchildren. I can’t see them while they are in hospital, and they will likely be there for about a month after they are born. Some people asked if I am isolating so that I can see them. There are very few things I can stop doing in order to isolate because, thanks to Covid, I am already doing most of them! But I’ll do what I must to hold those precious wee ones! In Isaiah it says, Those who wait upon the Lord Shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles! They shall run, and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord, to wait! See more

A View from my Window October 28 2020 I like to walk down at Lion’s Park. Generally, I prefer to walk on trails, rather than on sidewalks. There is so much to look at! One time I last summer I saw a racoon and her kits. I watched them for a few minutes before the mama showed up and shooed them off to safety. Other times there are birds and even a small garter snake one time, slithering off into the tall grass. The trees and bushes are changing daily as the leaves turn and f...all to the ground. This past several days I haven’t been able to get across the river. The causeway across to the trail has been underwater since the storm last Friday. I have great deal of respect for the power of moving water! I’ll not attempt it until it is safe to do so. The first day I looked, on Saturday, the river was running high and fast, with the water muddy and carrying branches and debris downstream. By Monday, the water was clearer, and calmer, but still high. Perhaps I’ll look again today! We had some rain, but it’s possible that the water is down enough to get across. The Serenity Prayer says: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The river is something I cannot change! The water rises and falls, and I cannot alter that. There are other things in our lives that are like the river. This virus is one of them. Our ability here in Huron County to alter the course of the virus is limited, because it’s not here. At least, not as of this morning. We can follow all the public heath guidelines but that is not going to change how many cases there are in Toronto, or Ottawa. We still need to follow the emergency orders around how many can meet, inside and outside. We still need to do these things in case it does come. Because it won’t hire a band or a banner behind an airplane to tell us that it’s coming. It’s kind of like wearing a life jacket when out on the water. It’s a little late to try to find it and to put it on when you’re in the water! But, like the river, which rises and falls according to how much rain we have, this virus will also rise and ebb both here, and around the world. We have to wait it out, and take all the precautions we can to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Like me not crossing the causeway, we need to avoid taking unnecessary risks. Eventually we’ll be able to get back to normal again. God willing, and the creek don’t rise! See more

Service - Oct 25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqVcZBzc4Q

A View from My Window October 21 2020 This past Sunday we held our service in the church auditorium. That was because we had a funeral in the church for one of our beloved members on the Saturday, and we needed to allow time for any potential virus to die out before we used that space again. We don’t often worship there! The floor was set up with chairs at six-foot intervals, which couples could slide over so that they could sit together. We had the same number of people as ...we have been averaging in the Sanctuary, but it felt different. Some of those differences are easy to define! The acoustics in the hall are different. We have been humming the hymns for the six weeks before that, but for the first time we could hear the humming. There was a screen on the stage, rather than a projected picture high on the wall behind me. But I think the biggest difference was where people sat. In the Sanctuary people have been sitting in the same places each week. At first, with half the pews blocked off, people were trying to see where they were comfortable. It’s been kind of interesting to see how they have found their new spot and tend to try to go back there each week. Last week we shook things up again by shifting to the auditorium and people had to find a new spot where they felt comfortable. Some people have told me that they found it kind of fun to see church from a new angle, as they had to move to a new place in the church because their usual pew was already occupied. Seeing things from a new perspective can help us to see things differently. The recent news stories about racial discrimination have tried to get us to see things in a new way. Most of us always have felt cared for at a hospital, so an audiotape of medical staff verbally abusing a dying woman was deeply troubling. Most of us feel safe around our police officers, so a videotape of police beating a native person was hard to watch. We see things from our own perspective. How else can see but from our own eyes? But we can look past where we are, to try to see and to understand life through another person’s viewpoint. The German word is verstehen which means empathic understanding and essentially it means to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. If you’ve ever literally tried that, you know that blisters are often a result! It can be quite uncomfortable. But as we gain new perspectives, it allows us to see beyond ourselves, and to see our world in new ways. Perhaps more like God, who sees and cares for each of us. See more

Clinton United Church is looking to replace our secretary/treasurer as soon as possible. If you are interested in applying to this job, please send your resume to [email protected] or drop a resume off at the church.

Sunday Service for October 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAV05aHGdv8

A View from my Window ~ October 14 2020 I love the interplay of colour this time of year! While the individual leaves are gorgeous, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the way the colours interact is constantly changing. I love to watch the trees, but also the fields! Now the corn is pretty much all dried out, but a couple of weeks ago there were greens and browns as well as the pale yellow of dried out corn stalks. I even like to watch the ditches for the different purp...le and white flowers and the mix of green and white grasses that are complementing the trees. The many colours of the trees are beautiful as well, for example, dark red leaves of the sumac are wonderful and so are the orange-red leaves of the red maples or the yellow of the yellow maples. But side by side, each enhances the other! Every new piece of woodland that we see as we drive is new and different, sometimes even day by day! As the leaves colour and fall, some trees fall before others, so the ratio of reds to oranges to yellows change constantly, even in the same piece of land. Paul writes about that diversity in his letter to the Corinthians. Each part of the body has its own gifts and strengths. It would be a funny looking body indeed if it was all a mouth and no ears, or all a nose and no eyes! Feet are needed, but so are hands. One person has skills in one area, while another person has different gifts. When everyone works together, then all the parts are appreciated! It’s not that one gift is better than another, but that all are needed. And sometimes one skill-set is more valued for a time, but as needs change, so does our perception of how useful a gift is. So, at one time, the gift of organizational skills is valued, where another time the gift of empathy is more appreciated. Each person has changing gifts, sometimes at different times in their lives, and sometimes based on what is needed at any given time. So a person who is very good at teaching Sunday School may move to a different community where there are lots of teachers, and may then develop their musical gift while singing in the choir, or their culinary skills while cooking for the church suppers. God gives each community the people with the skills and gifts that are needed. Thanks be to God for diversity! See more

Service for Sunday, October 11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKsld1Sn_ms

"Parking Lot Hymn Sing" tonight in the parking lot at Clinton United Church, Clinton, Ontario. 6:15 p.m. so we can sing longer. Wear your woolies! Bring your blankies, lawn chairs, and hymn books if you wish. Sanitized hymn books will be available.See you there!

A View from my Window October 7 2020 Resiliency is the ability to spring back from difficult circumstances. We are all getting a lot of practice in that these days! I’m reminded of those punching bags we had as kids. You hit them and knocked them over, and then they would come back upright again within seconds. The harder we hit them, the faster they bounced back. In the Bible it talks about how trust in God also helps us in difficult circumstances. As Paul says in Rom...ans 5: 3, 4. Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope. We could also say that difficulties produce resiliency, and resiliency produces the endurance we need to cope with everything that life throws at us! Some people are very resilient, while others not so much. Sometimes that is because of our early lives, when we experienced set-backs or difficulties and we learned how to cope from watching the people around us. If they were defeated by their problems, then we may mimic that response. If they viewed what was happening as a challenge to overcome, and were confident that they would eventually do so, then we may mimic that behaviour also. Ultimately, we have control over our own behaviour and our responses to this challenging time. We can choose to adapt and overcome, or not. Life always has challenges. No one has only smooth sailing and calm seas! Whether the challenges are something we created for ourselves, or are caused by outside forces beyond our control, we still choose our response to the events. Are we positive and hopeful, or negative and despairing? That is up to us! God encourages a cheerful attitude, Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say, Rejoice! Paul wrote that while in prison under sentence of death. We’re not in anywhere near as bad a situation as that! Look for what you can do, to make things better for yourself. Concentrate on the positives, not the negatives. Yes, this another strange holiday, but we now know how to connect virtually, and we are living in so much less fear of this virus than we were at Easter! We will beat this thing! We just have to keep springing back upright again, no matter how many times it tries to knock us over. We have hope, and the love of God with us every single day. Thanks be to God! See more

Sunday, October 4th Service **Please note it is a quiet recording. You will need to turn up your speakers OR headphones work well too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MMmYpTDXsM

From Louise: Well, "Parking Lot Hymn Sing" at Clinton United is cancelled for this evening, Oct. 1. We have been having pouring rain and now hail for about the last 20 minutes. It came on very suddenly and looks like it will last on and off for most of the evening. We even had a bit of thunder, so I don't think we will take any chances. I hope the weather is better next week! I'm disappointed!

A View from my Window ~ September 30 2020 I’ve been enjoying the leaves on my walks. Many of them are starting to turn brilliant reds and oranges, as well as the deep crimson and glowing yellows. Some trees are still green, or a combination of many colours. I enjoy the play of colours between the browns and greens, and the more brilliant shades. Have you ever wondered what makes the leaves turn? The weather plays a part, of course, but it’s more than just the cooler tem...peratures overnight. The trees are under stress so they get ready to lose the leaves. Before doing so, they start to break down the chlorophyll, which is what makes the leaves green. So the colours we see are what was there all along, underneath the green. Like the trees, when we are stressed that is when our true colours also start to show. I’m not talking about being a little hungry, or tired. None of us are at our best then! I’m talking about when we have to make decisions about things that really matter to us. Like when we realize the depth of our love for children or grandchildren, and that we would do anything to keep them safe. Or when someone we love is at risk, and we drop everything to be with them. That is when we are showing who we really are, by the way we treat those around us. Jesus was under stress the last night that he was with his disciples. He chose what he was going to do that night carefully. He wouldn’t have another chance! He washed their feet, even Judas’ feet. He gave them a special meal, and a way to remember him. Every time that they ate, they were to remember. He showed them the depth of his love for them that night, and all the next day through his trial and death. His true colours. Then God showed God’s love in the Resurrection! A brilliant burst of beautiful, loving light and joy!! We need to trust that we also are made of beautiful colours, made to glow and to shine in God’s sunlight. We are made in God’s image, brilliant, loving and strong. That is how God sees us, through the lens of God’s love. See more

Here is today's service. It is quiet. Be sure to turn your volume up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evZkCXvUlco