“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)
Greetings, all! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
One of those cliché phrases that abound at meetings, in board rooms, and in families, is “communication is key”. Some might feel it buzzwords, but the sentiment is always true. It is important to communicate, whether it be good or bad news. There’s always a way to phrase things pastorally or meaningfully, but we are called to share our joys and struggles all the same. We find the call to do so in God’s words and actions towards us. The heavens joyously declaring God’s glory, and the words of the Word made flesh guiding our discipleship.
My own week has been a flurry of communication, with meetings and family news out the wazoo. Some of these communications have been joyous. My cousin and his wife have just had their first child, the first great-grandchild for the family. Pictures and words of congrats have been shared widely and welcomely. Some of these conversations are less joyous. I found out this week that my father had to go to the hospital this week after a cow fell on him. He has a badly bruised shin, but is otherwise in good spirits. The only text message I got from him was “The hospital is a good place to have a nap.” Par to the course with his humour, but a lesson about the need for information in our communication!
And much of my communication this past week have been some more serious conversations. Our conversations around if and when to return to worship in the sanctuary is ongoing. Re-opening committees and the Spiritual Growth Team are meeting to determine when and how to worship, following guidelines and advice from the Public Health Unit. Hopefully we will have more concrete answers soon, but know that these conversations are not taken lightly. We are exploring all options, including hopefully more outdoor worship opportunities when the weather warms up. If you have any insights or concerns that you would like to contribute to this conversation, please be sure to reach out to myself or any members of the Spiritual Growth Team.
I encourage you all, in the weeks ahead, to keep communicating with one another, words of holy love and care. As further communications come about vaccine availability, and as more church communications come, be sure to have open ears and open hearts. Take care.
Upcoming Events:
- Our Zoom Psalm and Prayer Study is underway, but you are still welcome to join in! The main focus of these sessions is exploring how to incorporate Psalms and different prayer practices into your individual lives of faith. And be sure to invite others in the community as well to join! Sessions are on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., and Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m.; this study will run for five weeks.
- Our Zoom Fellowship Times continue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10:30-11:30. Folks can join in electronically or by phone. If you do not have the links or codes, be sure to reach out to Alex.
- Previous lesson and craft packages of our Youth Ministry from the past several weeks are still available for families to pick up or get delivered to them. Reach out to Alex for more details. Weekly Youth Ministry online lessons are starting up again.
- Many thanks to our Lay Pastoral teams who are checking in with congregants and friends, and making sure that they are connected to the happenings of our congregations. If you know of someone who might enjoy a call, or who may need pastoral care from Alex, be sure to reach out!
- A generous community member has offered to the Brussels Ministerial occasional home-cooked meals to those who need it. If you know of someone or a family who might benefit from the occasional home-cooked meal, please reach out to Sandra Cable.
- The Brussels Ministerial is putting together a worship service for our congregants and friends in Huronlea and Huronview. Please keep the Ministerial in your prayers as they plan for this and future joint church opportunities. And continue to pray for and reach out to our friends and members in our long term care facilities.
Upcoming Dates:
Sunday, March 7th, 2021 – Third Sunday of Lent service available on Youtube.
Sunday, March 7th, 2021 – Online Youth Sunday School session from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Packages can be picked up outside of either church building. Contact Alex for more information.
Tuesday, March 9th, 2021 – Zoom Fellowship session from 10:30-11:30. Please check your email for the Zoom link or phone passcode, or email Alex for details.
Tuesday, March 9th, 2021 – Psalm and Prayer Study Group on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. Contact Alex for more details.
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 – Zoom Fellowship session from 10:30-11:30. Please check your email for the Zoom link or phone passcode, or email Alex for details. Note – Alex will not be attending this session.
Thursday, March 11th, 2021 – Psalm and Prayer Study on Zoom at 10:30 a.m. Contact Alex for more details.
Sunday, March 14th, 2021 – Fourth Sunday of Lent service available on Youtube.
Blessings and Christ’s Peace be with you all!
Alex Jebson
Student Minister – Blyth and Brussels United Churches
Email: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com
Blyth Office Number: 519-523-4224
Brussels Office Number: 519-887-6259
Emergency Pastoral Number: call/text 705-344-3385
Feature Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
Brussels & Blyth United Churches 