The Church Mouse

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.. (Exodus 20:8,9) “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 5:12) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For … Read more

(This week’s blog is written by request from The Rev. Bronwyn Corlett, Rural Ministry Coordinator, Growth Department, Organizational Development and Strategy The United Church of Canada) Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones … Read more

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. (Matthew 10:14) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34,35) integrity noun [U] (HONESTY):the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change (Cambridge English Dictionary) When I was a team member of the at the old Kingston Psychiatric Hospital, way back … Read more

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;     fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)  Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. (James 4:17) God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.  That whosoever believes in Him shall not die, but have eternal life (John 3: 16)   This week has been a tough week to watch unfolding in front of us, eh.  The increased social action in Los Angeles, with the unexpected and kind of horrifying order to have the military go in … Read more

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis … Read more

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1: 17) Trendy: adjective   informal Modern and influenced by the most recent fashions or ideas (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trendy)   When my kids were younger and still at home living in our house like kids live with mountains of laundry, spills, overflowing backpacks and shows strewn from the front door to the back door, we had an older couple without children spend quite a bit of time at our house.  I like having people come visit and I … Read more

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good … Read more

So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.  Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.  He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout … Read more

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. (Revelations 21: 5-7) The secret of change is to focus all your energy not … Read more

“Be Still, and know that I am God”.  (Psalm 46:10a) “Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many … Read more