Another Tuesday has come! These weeks seem to be flying by! Wasn’t it just July? As I sit in my office today at church, I have my windows open and I can hear the sounds of the preschoolers who are coming to see where they will be starting tomorrow.
We have spent the last few weeks talking about how we are still the church even when we are apart. And this last Sunday I preached about how even though we are not in the same space together we are still gathered to worship, so Jesus is amongst us. I hope that this week when things get difficult you can think about how when we gather together again on Sunday Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit will be there connecting us across all of our devises! And if you need more of that connection before Sunday, maybe pick up the phone and call a fellow member of the church.
A reminder that at the end of the month, East Ohio Conference will be having their annual conference. It will be virtual this year and you can find out more information on it here and you can also find the livestream link there too. That will help you watch anything that is happening on September 26th and September 27th. On September 27th, we will be watching the Conference Worship Service and then meeting afterwards at noon for a Church of the Redeemer Virtual Coffee Hour. There we can share Joys, Concerns, and any announcements that we might have.
Also, on September 27th, Brecksville UMC will be hosting the Annual Conference Open Table Service. There is not much information released about this event yet. But it will be held virtually at 4pm. Once more information becomes available, I will send it out to all of you.
Our scriptures for the week are Jonah 3:10-4:11, Matthew 20:1-16, and Philippians 1:21-30
Our prayer for this week is the Daily Prayer for Anti-Racism put out by Discipleship Ministries:
God, help me to realize that it doesn’t matter what clothes people wear, how they cut their hair, or what color their skin is. We are all the same in your eyes, and with this awareness your children can move forward as a family. Discrimination deprives people of not only their civil rights but their human dignity. To overcome the evil challenges of our life we must turn to Christ, the good news of Jesus. Everyone deserves the love that you taught us to give to each other. I guess I am petitioning you not to miraculously solve a problem but to allow for an individual understanding of the violation against you and your world that blatant prejudice and discrimination commit.
Nakela Cook, from Dreams Alive: Prayers by Teenagers, St. Mary’s Press, 1991, p.45.
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I pray that this week lands gently on you all.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Megan