How was church today?

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My sister got out of hospital this week after 2 months. Took her to her church which was good as she was able to visit with friends. This church is not a good fit for me, but okay to worship there a few times a year. It is quite conservative so I always find the language that I never hear at Hillhurst to be a little jarring. It was Mothers Day and the hymns were about God as King and Father etc. No mention of Mother earth or of Mother God, which is what I am used to in a more inclusive place like Hillhurst. Did have a nice 60 km bike ride after church so did have my communing with Mother Earth after all today. :)
 
We had a good church service. We celerate each year what we call, "Women's Day," rather than, "Mother's Day." This year, we gave each of the women a gift of scented hand cream. The highlight of the service was one of our women getting baptized.
 
You just never know said:
My sister got out of hospital this week after 2 months. Took her to her church which was good as she was able to visit with friends. This church is not a good fit for me, but okay to worship there a few times a year. It is quite conservative so I always find the language that I never hear at Hillhurst to be a little jarring. It was Mothers Day and the hymns were about God as King and Father etc. No mention of Mother earth or of Mother God, which is what I am used to in a more inclusive place like Hillhurst. Did have a nice 60 km bike ride after church so did have my communing with Mother Earth after all today. :)
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its amazing how our Deity continues to challenge us
helping 2 keep us all from speaking and thinking in exactly the same way
helps keep us from terminal boredom *waggles eyebrows*
 
Our minister was in the hospital .. so his wife took the pulpit (she's ordained) ... a highlight as the Lord's Prayer started with "Our Mother ..."

Isn't that dreamy ... allowing for ghosts in the psyche? Harmonizing or poem in the soul ... that wispy dreamer ... whispering in your hears ... strange voices?

I've heard some of them describing them as shouts they tend to follow ... or deny and ignore as conned science ... some don't have one ... that mono loss! A hole in mind space is like a stone or grit ...
 
The Right Reverend Jordan Cantwell's message at the Conference Celebration of Ministry Service was excellent. The whole service will be posted as a video on the Conference web site, and parts make for good viewing.
 
Today's sermon was by Bruce Sanguin, Hillhurst's Theologian in Residence this year. Sermon was on Pentecost and how we miss so many dimensions of reality when we fail to follow the Spirit's promptings in our lives. The idea that we can become so focused on the factual that we miss out on the mystery. A thought provoking sermon and amazing music from the choir this day as well. All this and an 87 km bike ride...a most satisfying start to my week. :)
 
I lead tthe worship in two little country cchurches in the flood devastated area down-river from here. The water has gone down now - but oh the damage. Before the service one man told us that he has five feet of water in the basement of his summer home. Another person told me that they lost most of theeir back yard - just washed away aand now the drop off into the lake is just six feet from their back door.
Rather than focus on the Pentecost story and the speaking in tongues, I spoke about God's love for all of creation and God's Spirit moving within us, moving us to be a caring people. I reminded them of how neighbour was helping neighbour, and volunteers helping out in any way they can. Our daughter's computer company gave any employee who wanted to volunteer a day off with pay to help with the clean-up. Shee donned her 'work' clothes and spent the day helping at two different houses. What an eye-opener to see just what a flood can do. Quite a change from sitting in an office as she shoveled sand andd dirt from a basement floor at one house and helped to tear up hardwoodd floors and water soaked walls on the main floor of another. Helpers. People sharing the love of God by loving their neighbours - and those being helped are oh so very grateful.
And I told the people that in no way were they being punished or abandoned by God. That despite the fact that people collectively may be responsible for climate change, they as individuals were not at fault. It wasn't anything they did or failed to do - it didn't happen because they didn't pray hard enough. My prayers were no more powerful than my cousins - but my house wasn't flooded and his was almost destroyed. I just happen to live on a hill, and he on low land just four blocks back from the river.
I hope that I was able to bring them comfort and reassurance, and give them courage and hope.
 
Pentecost ... a sensitivity to common attributes ... even connectedness?

Wouldn't work in sects that insist on individualism only! Not for the insensitive to alien idears ... too much like knowledge ... hated by brute powers ... however a power in another domain ... just thought!
 
Sounds like a hopeful and responsive message Seeler. I attended mass with my husband...We were out of town. The priest just happened to be the priest who married us! He is retiring soon. We were married by a Presbyterian minister and a Catholic priest. He is a really gentle, kind soul...I was happy to be there and to listen to him. He talked about the Holy Spirit being the breath of God. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, but...kind and sincere. I loved it.
 
Nancy said:
Sounds like a hopeful and responsive message Seeler. I attended mass with my husband...We were out of town. The priest just happened to be the priest who married us! He is retiring soon. We were married by a Presbyterian minister and a Catholic priest. He is a really gentle, kind soul...I was happy to be there and to listen to him. He talked about the Holy Spirit being the breath of God. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, but...kind and sincere. I loved it.
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That's cool that you got to see him again. I know where the UCCan minister who married us is serving now but it's too far away to go for just a Sunday. He'd be getting near retirement, too (maybe he has, that was a while ago that I found his current charge). My family church called him 30 years ago and we were his second charge but ministry was his "second career". He had a B.Comm. and had worked in a management role at Zellers before hearing the call.
 
Good church service yesterday. Our YP preached well from Hebrews. Afterwards, a small group of us did lunch at Wendy's.
 
Ours was about Pentecost and baptism. The tank was there and the invitation for anyone to come up and be baptized. So they didn’t have to do a testimony or anything. I was at the early service and probably 15 people came forward. Average age about 25 - 30. I imagine quite a few happened at the main service.
 
Pontifex Geronimo 13 said:
Ours was about Pentecost and baptism. The tank was there and the invitation for anyone to come up and be baptized. So they didn’t have to do a testimony or anything. I was at the early service and probably 15 people came forward. Average age about 25 - 30. I imagine quite a few happened at the main service.
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No testimony or anything? That's unusual in an ordinance that is all about professing one's faith. Were they given any instruction before being immersed? We'e they baptized in the Name?
 
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