Gordonville St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

This is something a little bit different. We are going to be going a little bit deeper into this past weekend's sermon

Welcome to morning prayer as we gather in the comfort of our own homes, together and yet apart. This is somewhat like Paul, wishing he could be with the Ephesians and others Christians but he could not. So he comes to them in his letters. And because this writing has been passed down over the years, we can come to it time and time again and learn new things. Yesterday we saw how even in an unjust world we are called to follow the way of Christ and not the way of the world. ...We live with temptation every day. Although Gods armour can protect us from the evil around us, it is also there to help us with our internal struggles. Ephesians 6: 13 18 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people. In Ephesians 4: 23 Paus says we are to be made new in the attitude of our minds. Although we may battle with the ways of the world there is also a battle within us. It is when we are made new in the attitude of our minds that we can see more clearly. We need Gods armour for this battle, the battle of our hearts and minds. The helmet of salvation is given by God through Jesus, a good starting point. With this comes the breastplate of righteousness, knowing you are right with God only through Christ death and resurrection. Our weapon is the word of God. We are fortunate to have bibles in our homes which we can read and study at will. Knowing Gods word, his promises and teaching is important in knowing God. Our faith shields us from harm. Even when we have faith the size of a mustard seed, God is honoured. He gives us the belt of truth to anchor us. In our times when truth is often seen as subjective, Gods truth remains strong. And the shoes of peace reminds us of the peace he gives. Underlying all of this is prayer, pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Nothing is too difficult for God to hear or respond to. When we are not able to find words, he hears the prayers of our hearts. Let us come together in prayer. Heavenly Father we come to you today as people in need of your armour to protect our hearts and minds. We give thanks for your gift salvation and righteousness. Equip us, enable us and direct our minds and attitudes that we may more fittingly give you honour and glory in Jesus name. Amen Go in faith and may God direct your way. Amen

This is a new weekly segment. We are starting off by looking a Christian Character and loosely following the fruit of the Spirit.

Welcome to morning prayer where we gather as friends before God. We live in a world that is flawed. Even though Canada has done well in many things, COVD 19 has revealed many flaws. All nations have flaws, none are perfect. Nor are we or the institutions we belong to perfect. We read Pauls letter to the Ephesians in this light. In the early 1970s my husband and I were married in a Roman Catholic Church. I was asked to sign a paper saying that we would raise our children i...Continue reading

Good morning to you. My friends, we are at the beginning of a new day and a new week. God alone knows what joys and challenges we may face. But we can know that we do not face this week alone. A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend who told me as a matter fact that he was the head of his household. There are many things I could have said about equality etc. but that was his understanding from which he would not be moved. I started thinking about the many women like me w...Continue reading

Join us for worship.

Here are the activity sheets for Sunday school for this week.

Good morning, I am so grateful that we can join together as we begin a new day. May God surprise us with his love this day and forever. There was a very renowned preacher who was quoted as saying, you must preach/teach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. I suppose today we could say your phone app instead of newspaper. However we get the news of the world, we read and understand the Bible in the context in which we live. I believe this is a time when ...bigotry, violence and addictions are better recognised. And once acknowledged there can be change. Paul is saying to the people, you each live in your own reality but whatever the reality you have choices. Ephesians 5: 15 Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. He cares about your situation, he cares about you. Change so often begins within ourselves. Asking God for his wisdom is a huge first step. We may not be able to change the situation we find ourselves in but with Gods help our attitudes, understanding and outlook on life can be transformed. We can trust God to do the rest, in his time. Let us come together in prayer Heavenly Father, you know each one of us, the situations in which we live, our hopes and dreams, our fears, and our need for your guidance and wisdom. You are the giver of good gifts and the one who does not leave us but is always there to show us the way forward. We thank you and pray for wisdom today, Godly wisdom to make wise choices. May we sing and make music to you from our hearts. May we give thanks for everything you have done and those things you are now doing. Always trusting and praying in the name of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen This is the day that God have made, may we rejoice and be glad in it. Amen

Good morning and a warm welcome to morning prayer. God is the giver of all good gifts, may we come to him today with the joy that only he can give. In much of the first seven verses of Ephesians 5 there is a description of things we ought to stay away from. There is a warning not to be partners with those who do wrong which can help us to stay away from temptation. The first verse is encouraging, lets look at it.... Ephesians 5: 1 Follow Gods example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. From this statement, we can know that we are children of God, he knows us and he loves us. That in itself is a profound statement but not everything. We are also to take as our example how Christ demonstrated his love for us, and like Christ offer ourselves, our lives to God. We can trust God just as Jesus did throughout his life and death and resurrection. Simple statements can stick with us. Generations before us memorised scripture. They always had those passages close at hand to turn to when needed. We dont do that as often now unfortunately. When I joined a church as an adult, we did not spend a lot of time on the catechisms in our preparation. But the one question we were asked before joining was What is the chief end of man? the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The answer is Mans chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Since then the wording has been updated to What is Gods purpose for our lives? and the answer has also been updated to We have been made for joy: joy in knowing, loving and serving God, joy in knowing, loving and serving one another, joy in the wonder of all Gods works. I have never forgotten the question or the answer. When life becomes confusing and I am trying to understand Gods ways it is good to have simple truths to go back to and remember our purpose. Let us come together in prayer. Lord God almighty, we come to you today, each with our own concerns and worries. Help us to lift our eyes from things of this world and look to you. May your love surround us and protect us. We pray for wisdom in difficult times, greater love for you and grace to reach out to others with your love. As we put all our concerns into your hands, grant us the ability to walk in the way of love and joy. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. Amen Go with the knowledge that God can lead you through both rough waters and smooth. Amen

Good morning and a warm welcome to morning prayer. Perhaps your life is a little quieter with children back at school. It is nice to see school buses out on their routes. Or perhaps you are home schooling, developing a new routine. Or perhaps you are like me, wondering if your life will change again with children back school and more people back to work. Whatever our circumstances, Pauls instruction for living are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. Paul believe...s our actions demonstration what is in our hearts. And if God is in our hearts and lives then our thoughts and actions should reveal him. The following are instructions for living well. Ephesians 4: 29 31 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you are sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be on guard, it is so easy for our unwholesome talk, bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice to enter our lives. Yet none of these things do anything to building others up nor can they be describes as being kind and forgiving to others. It is when we are aware of such behaviours and recognise them in ourselves that we can ask for Gods help. Let us come together in prayer. God of grace and love, we remember the many times you have been with us, sending friends and family to build us up when we were feeling down, reminding us of your generosity. Thank you God for your compassion and your generous Spirit. With your help may we learn to show this same kindness and compassion to others, even to those who are not part of our circle of friends. Teach us, show us how, and give us courage to step out of our comfort zone so that your perfect will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray in the name of Jesus who showed compassion to those he met. Amen May the wisdom and courage of God be yours as you seek to do his will. Amen

Good morning and a warm welcome to morning prayer. It is so good to reflect on Gods word as we begin the day. Yesterday we looked at the oneness of Gods family, all that we have in common. Today we look more closely at roles within that family. As we look at our own family of origin or even the families of our children, we can see the part that each person plays. Psychologists have long written about the roles of the oldest, the youngest, the middle child and the only chi...ld and how this carried on into their adult lives. At all ages and stages of our lives, we need people to remind us of what we know to be true and also to help equip us so we may grow more Christ like. Hear the word of the Lord from Ephesians 4: 11 -13. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. The church, the family of God universal is the body of Christ, sometimes referred to as the bride of Christ. Paul recognises that to each one of us grace has been given as Christ has apportioned it (v.7). The purpose, the intent of appointing apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers is not to create a hierarchy but to equip and build up Gods people so that we all may become mature in our faith and knowledge, and as the Message says, fully alive in Jesus. And in becoming mature, we can set aside differences and work together, serving God in the places we live and with Christians around the world. Let us come together in prayer God of grace and mercy, we give you thanks for your gift of grace. You are patient with us when we are slow to grasp your way, when we struggle to let go of old habits. Remind us that do not leave us alone but you place people in our lives to walk with us, teach us and build us up. Some of us may have known you since childhood and are still learning of your ways. Others are just now finding the wonders of your love, your presence and your teachings. Wherever we are in our journey of faith, may we recognise our need to grow in our understanding and love for you. Guide us into maturity that we may become all you would have us be. We pray this in the name of the one who died so we might be forgiven, Jesus Christ. Amen Go in the knowledge of Gods love and live in peace.

Good morning and a warm welcome to morning prayer. I pray for Gods presence as we begin a new day. There are many ways we identify ourselves, sometimes by our name, where we live, our work, or by our family. When my kids were little, we would visit Grand Valley. When they went into a store, the clerk would ask them, who is your father? When that wasnt any help they would ask who is your grandfather? Then they would make the connections and understand who they were. I...n our passage today, Paul is asking who your father is. We are all unique and important. In Gods big picture we are a tiny part of the overwhelmingly large family of God, one God and Father of all. This includes those who were before us and those who are yet to be included. Ephesians 4: 1-6 Paul emphasis unity and maturity in the body of Christ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Paul is very straight forward to draw our attention to what all people have in common. The importance of our common belief. This is what brings us together as a family and keeps us together. With all our differences we are still one. And as one, our actions must demonstrate our oneness. It takes work Paul says: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. How? Paul has a plan - be humble, be patient, be forgiving. And know that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. This is the oneness to which we are called, the oneness in which we will thrive. Just imagine people from Anglican, Reformed, Roman Catholic, United Church, Presbyterian and all other Christians celebrating their oneness and worshipping together. What a day of great rejoicing that will be. Let us come together in prayer. Faithful God, you have placed us in families and communities. Your word tells us of the much larger family that is ours, your family. A family in which we can feel secure even when there are differences. We pray that we may know the oneness of which you speak. Lord, we confess that it is difficult to love others. Come, eternal God. Fill us to overflowing that we may truly be one with all your people everywhere, within whom you also dwell. We pray in the name of Jesus, the one who came to bring us together. Amen Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Join us as we worship together

Join us as we worship together and continue to look at forgiveness.

Colouring and activity sheet for this weeks Sunday School time.

Good morning. Welcome to morning prayer. Today we are given another day in which we can pray and praise God. With thanks we come together seeking nourishment so we can learn and grow and follow Christ more closely. Ever wondered why we bow when we pray? Paul talks of kneeling before God as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. Some find it difficult to kneel, some find it a comfort. But it is the attitude we come to prayer with that really counts not the posture of prayer. I...n whatever posture we pray, it is good to come before God in reverence, awe and humility, ready to speak and to listen. Ephesians 3: 20, 21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. I admit this is my favourite benediction. It says so much. God can do so much more that than we consider possible. Sometimes we put God in a box, thinking we know the parameters of his ability but we dont. Earlier, Paul asks that God strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And above he adds according to his power that is at work within us. That is something to take time to think about we have Gods power within us and God in his wisdom can so much more than we can imagine. Here we realise the importance of Gods Spirit working in and through us, for only in this way can we begin to know God in all his fullness. Let us come together in prayer Teach us Lord, open our minds to all things possible in you. In this world there are limits but in your world there are no limits, everything is possible for you. Open our hearts to receive you, imperfect as we are, so that we can recognise your handiwork. May we never doubt you or put limits on you but rather may we through faith, trust and worship only you. We recognise again all that you did for humanity on the cross. It is in the name of your Son, our Saviour that we pray. Amen Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. May God, Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen

Good morning. Welcome to morning prayer. As we come to a new day, lets give thanks for those we love and those who love us. One of the major problems in our society is loneliness; so many people do not feel loved or cared for. May we know Gods love and share his love with others with a phone call, note or just letting people know that you are thinking of them. The smallest things can make a real difference. Ephesians 3: 17b 19 And I pray that you, being rooted and estab...lished in love, may have power, together with all the Lords people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness. Some of you might remember the little childrens hymn, Wide as the Ocean by C. Austin Miles. Children would do actions with it to show Gods love. The words go like this: Wide, wide as the ocean, High as the heavens above; deep, deep as the deepest sea Is my Saviours love; I, tho so unworthy, Still am a child of His care, For His word teaches me that His love reaches me everywhere. This little song is an easy one to remember even as we get older. We too need to know: *the width of Gods love bringing rich and poor, young and old, people from all nations together as seen in the outstretched arms of Christ on the cross. *the length of Gods love, the eternal duration of Gods love for all humanity * the depth of Gods love in Jesus as he humbled himself to be born of Mary, and going to Hades after his death. No one is beyond the depth that can be reached by the love of God. *the height of Gods love, higher than the heavens, beyond all known territory. This allows you to be in the presence of the Holy God wherever you are. Let us come together for prayer God of grace and glory, how can we thank you for the love that you have shown to us over our lifetime. We can be sure that wherever we go, you are there with us. When we make mistakes, when we sin, in your mercy you are willing to forgive us and make us into the people you would have us be. You provide all we need. Our praises to you overflow. May we consider the needs of others and share your love with those who you bring to mind. Praise you God for your son in whose name we pray. Amen May the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen

Good morning. Welcome to morning prayer. After Labour Day, the unofficial end of summer, we are more aware of cooler nights, dew on the ground and shorter days. Often new routines begin at this time of year. Many of these routines may be interrupted by COVID and we will need to find new ways, new routines. We recognise that our understanding of who God is, often expands as we experience new situations. During all of this we can know that our God is unchanging, his love, his c...ompassion and caring remain. Our reading for today is Ephesians 3: 8, 9, 12, 13. Although I am less than the least of all the Lords people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. In Him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. In this era of uncertainty, many are facing challenges we could never have anticipated. Some folks have been affected more directly than others but everyone has had to think about how to navigate change or perhaps to understand again what is really important in our lives. Paul was sent to tell Gentiles of the riches of God, of inclusion, of their worth and value. Yes Paul was a prisoner, he was facing death but he was not discouraged. As long as he lived he wanted to tell people the good news. To let them know whatever the situation they find themselves in that God was there with them and not to be discouraged. Let us come together for prayer God of all people, we give thanks that you have opened the door for us to draw closer to you and to learn of you in new ways. We praise you that you set us in families and communities in which we can find comfort. But we can also know loss loss of income, loss of security, loss of community and loss of those we love. In our loss we are challenged to recognise you in new and different ways. Like Paul, God you often sometimes ask us to step out of our comfort zone, to think outside the box, to listen to you intently and to heed you even when we dont completely understand. May we always spend time in prayer with you and increase our faith and love in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen May God equip and enable each one for this day and the days ahead. And may God, Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen

Good morning. A warm welcome to you as we come to morning prayer were all are invited and welcome. Today we will continue to look at the apostle Pauls letter to the Ephesians. This letter talks about the radical changes God has brought to his people. Today Paul speaks of the mystery made known to him by revelation (v.3). Ephesians 3: 4, 5, 6. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in ...other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to Gods holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I cant imagine what it would be like to have another child, a brother or a sister who was fundamentally different, come into a family. Here was God saying to the people of Israel not only do you need to know Jesus as Gods son but also to understand that in Christ, Gods family is now open to Gentiles, all the people of this world. And the Gentiles, after years of being excluded or at least feeling like second class citizens in the eyes of the Israelites, are now equal in Christ, part of the same family. Although many things in the Bible can be explained there are still mysteries today. There are things that are now hidden which God in his time will reveal. We do not know what God is planning, nor do we know how it will affect our lives or what adjustments we might have to make. But we do know that we can trust God through it all. Let us come together in prayer Compassionate and forgiving God, we come to you knowing that you are open and inviting and loving to all. We know that you have a plan for our lives. For some this is scary because it brings uncertainty, knowing things will change. Open our hearts and our lives to you ways, to your understanding, to the newness that you bring. May we look forward to what you will do and increase our trust you. And may we pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ your son. Amen Go from this time, knowing that God is with you. And may God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit guide your thoughts, words and actions. Amen

Join together in worship as we start a new message series called "What Next?" We start off looking at the importance of forgiveness.

Good morning. Welcome to morning prayer. For those at the end of the work week, and for others who work shifts and weekend, may we each take a day to rest, a day to slow things down in the midst of our busyness. Perhaps this pandemic has helped us to slow down just a little. May God grant each one a day of rest. The passage from Ephesians today talks about racism, racism in the early church. For many years the Israelites had been Gods people. The Gentiles were excluded fro...m citizenship in Israel. Paul was given the task of going to the Gentiles with the good news of Jesus. It took him a little time to understand all in the ins and outs of such a statement but once he understood, there was no room for any of the isms. Hostilities today may not be chiefly between Jews and Gentiles but racism is front and centre in our culture. Turn on the news and you will see grievances of racism, protests against police brutality. Racism is not new. Perhaps it will always live but should it be in the church? Ephesians 2: 15b, 17, 18 His (Jesus) purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility and calls for justice. He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Paul was adamant that all are equal in the eyes of God that Jesus came to all humankind. That Jesus came to break down barriers. He stressed that there is no place in the church for divisions of ethnicity, social class or gender (see Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). These barriers have been destroyed. Thanks be to God for his vision of what can be, what will be in his time. Let us come together for prayer. Heavenly Father, may we learn to see others as you see them. We know that you look at the heart, not the exterior of a person. When we want to turn our back on others, may we instead welcome them into our church. May we be a people to break down not create barriers. May our church, your church, be a place of peace in the Spirit through Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen Ask God to create in you a pure heart and know he hears your prayers. And may God, Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you this day and always. Amen

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Welcome to morning prayer. The week is half over. Time passes so swiftly. It is good to stop for a few minutes, and ask ourselves what we have accomplished this day? this week? Or to ask if we have left things undone which we should have done. It is easy to keep on the treadmill of life and never stop to take a really good look at our lives. We often fall into bad habits. Christians who have been addicted understand the power of forces like that. Others who do not know of ad...diction first hand know the cravings of our human nature and (the temptation of) following its desire and thoughts (2:3). In Gods eyes there is no big or small sin, they are all equal. And there is no one who hasnt made mistakes/sinned. Gods solution? His free grace, a gift! Ephesians 2: 8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Grace has been described as: Gods Riches at Christs Expense. We can have a new start, through the gift of grace. These are Gods riches freely given. They are free to us only because Christ, Gods son, died on the cross for us. Though it is free for us, it was costly for Jesus. Grace is an act of God. There is nothing we can do to earn it, nor do we deserve it in any way. Humbling isnt it. Remember yesterday when faith was described as the here and now. We all can receive this gift of grace through faith, through believing and asking. Let us come together in prayer. Gracious God, each day we make many choices. We confess that we do not always make good choices. Open our eyes so we can see the good things all around us. Help us to choose your path so to avoid wrong turns. We are only human but with your help we can be much more than we are now We praise you for you are our God, generous and caring, accepting and loving. Thank you. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen Go knowing that God cares for you and has a place for you in his family. And may God, Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen

Good morning, another new day is before us, a day for which we can thank God. Whether this is a day of great wonders ahead or a day in which crawling back into bed sounds like a good plan, know that there is hope. Hope is about better days ahead. We continue in Ephesians, Paul speaks to them in a time of unrest, upheaval and danger Ephesians 1: 17, 18, 19b... I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened in order that you know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. The message puts it this way: I ask ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, that God of glory to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see what he is calling you to do What is the difference between faith and hope? Some define faith is this way: faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith is in the here and now, entrusting our lives to Jesus today. And hope is about the future, about where our faith in Jesus will take us. We are all to be seekers or searchers desiring to learn and grow in our knowledge of and understanding of who God is. This is a lifelong journey as God works through the stages of our life to show his power, his mercy, his love and so much more. We will never be perfect; we will always make mistakes and make wrong choices. But with the Spirit of God in our lives, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, we can become closer to being all that God wants us to be. Let us come together in prayer. Lord God, we come with thanksgiving in our hearts, thankful that you do not give up on us. You provide so many ways in which we can grow and learn, ways in which we can drop old habits and become better people. And we thank you for your faithfulness. We remember Chishols words in the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness. He writes, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. God, by your Holy Spirit be in us and work through us that your will be done. We pray in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Go with grateful hearts and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May God guide you today and always. Amen

Good morning! It is good to remember God as we begin a new day or at any time during the day. I want to thank Pastor Ed for this opportunity to reflect on Gods word and to pray with you. May God bless Ed as he takes on other tasks. It has been a challenge to learn the ins and outs of posting, preparing and putting things together. But God does put challenges before us and through them we learn and grow in new ways. Many years ago as I was preparing for ministry, a pastor tol...d me in no uncertain words how important Pauls letter to the Ephesian is. This letter was received by the Ephesians then copied and sent to other Christians scattered far and wide for others to read and study. It does not address specific problems in a church rather a general reminder of what a church/congregation should be. It is as relevant for us today as it was for the Ephesians. Ephesians 1: 2, 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Grace and peace. First peace - we may wish for world peace. This seems like an impossible dream right now. I am sure there will be peace in Gods good time. But there is another kind of peace which lives deep inside us, a peace given by God. Even today when some are preparing their children for back to school, others who are preparing to homeschool and grandparents are wondering if they will be able to hug their grandchildren again. This makes all the difference in our lives. Grace is a theme throughout Pauls the letter to Ephesians. Basically, Gods grace is all that we have through Jesus life, death and resurrection. We can be thankful for a God who is with us, and who wants to calm the sea inside us. As Paul knew and lived this peace even as he was a prisoner so also he reminds us that we also can know Gods grace and peace. Let us come together in prayer: Holy God, when we consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, who are we that you are mindful of us. Yet even in your greatness and majesty you know us and care for each of us. So we come to you with our gratitude and praise. We come asking that the peace that only you can give will live in our hearts this day as we go about our busy lives. We thank you for Gods gift of grace so freely given. In your caring love, may we reach out to others. We pray in the name of Jesus our Saviour. Amen May you know the warmth, caring and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Go with Gods blessing.

Good Morning everyone. I hope that you have had a good weekend. Starting tomorrow, Rev. Linda Paquette will be taking over the morning prayer time. Rev. Linda has a heart for prayer and for the people here at St. Andrews. I know we will be blessed by her ministry of prayer. Here is the Scripture reading and the text of the prayer for you. Share as you wish. 28 So Jesus said, When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do... nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with mehe has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him. 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:28-32 Lord Jesus, help us have faith like Yours. A faith that does not give up in the appearance of desertion but perseveres through to the glory of our Heavenly Father. We too easily allow our own will to interfere with our journey of faith. Our will stops us from experiencing the fullness of a life walked in faith because we struggle to give up ourselves to You. Jesus, You set the example of what it truly means for Gods will to be done and not mine. As we grow in faith, and live our lives for You may You be seen more than us. In all we do, we want it to be for You and the community that You are building up in this world, for peace, for life, and to share in Your love. We pray this all in Your holy name, Amen.

Join together as we worship.

It is almost the weekend. You are almost there, you can finish off this week strong. Dont give up, the Lord is with You. Here is the Scripture reading and the text of the prayer for you this morning. Share as you wish. 45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, Why didnt you bring him in? ... 46 We have never heard anyone speak like this! the guards responded. 47 Have you been led astray, too? the Pharisees mocked. 48 Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. Gods curse is on them! 50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. 51 Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing? he asked. 52 They replied, Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourselfno prophet ever comes from Galilee! John 7:45-52 Lord Jesus, lord of justice and life, help us to go deeper than to dig for the truth. As the Pharisees argued over whether Jesus could be the Messiah because of where He was believed to be from, they only looked on the surface and failed to look past their own knowledge to the deeper truth that was hidden from them in plain sight. Lord may we also seek justice in the way of justice, not justice again from our own understanding, but from the wisdom that You bring and bless us with. Help us Lord to be people of action for life and healing that do not get caught in the reactions of the wind, but build a firm foundation on the rock of life and salvation. May we have the courage to seek the third way as Jesus always did, the way that leads to Gods life and grace. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Blessings to you this morning. As we are nearing the end of this week, I just wanted to let you know that some changes are in the works for the morning prayer time. More to come when the plans become a little more final. Here is the Scripture reading and the text of the prayer for you John 7:1619 (NLT): 16 So Jesus told them, My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is m...erely my own. 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me. Lord of truth, You see into our hearts and know our intentions. You see through our words and actions to know why we are going what we are doing. The truth cannot be hidden from You. We may do what seems good to others and our hearts get caught up pleasing people instead of doing Your will. We know that it is more than just knowing Your will, we must also obey Your will. Help us Lord to live out Your will and transform our will to Yours. We pray this in Jesus's name, Amen.

Good morning. May Gods blessing be with you today. Here is the Scripture reading and the text of the prayer for you. Blessings. 15 But the voice spoke again: Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean. 16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. ... Acts 10:15-16 Lord Jesus, many times our hearts seek to please You and we go full steam into what we think is best without listening to You and seeking Your will. How many times have we done what we thought was honouring to You but was only glorifying our freedom to do what we want. We fool ourselves into doing it and find out that instead of honouring You, we have sinned against You. Help us Lord to listen to Your Holy Spirit and to Your Words that You have given us in the Bible. May we have a humble heart that is seeking You, not seeking to prolong our own understanding and way of doing things. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

As I was preparing for this morning I was thinking that Tuesday is cheap night at the movies. I have no idea why I thought about that but it does link into this passage of scripture. It reminded me of my first time preaching in Arthur. Looking back at how things have changed and what is still the same. Blessings to you as you read and pray. John 6:60-69 60 Many of his disciples said, This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it? 61 Jesus was aware that his ...disciples were complaining, so he said to them, Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me. (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didnt believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, That is why I said that people cant come to me unless the Father gives them to me. 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, Are you also going to leave? 68 Simon Peter replied, Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. Lord Jesus, sometimes we do struggle with what You have said because we dont understand or are afraid of what it may mean in our lives. Even in those times of indecision truly You do share with us Your words of life. No where else in all of creation will show us the true path of life that You are giving to us. In Your words and Your actions we see the depth of life that You bring to us. Forgiveness where others have said we will never be forgiven. Love where we have been told we are unlovable. Grace, when all we have seen is prejudice. Lord, create in us a heart that is truly alive in these uncharted days. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.