This Week@Wesley

April 3, 2020

Hi all

I awoke today to another grey and rainy morning and I have to say that I am beginning to wonder if it is a sign that the heavens are crying out for all of us as we live through these difficult times. I have read a great deal online about the grief that this time of isolation is for us all and the rain seems to me to be a symbol of the tears that many folks are crying.

As I consider this time for me, I am unsure what to say. Like everyone else I am making the best of it, but I am finding it hard, even very hard at times.  It is not that I am unused to being at home or uncomfortable with it. The physical isolation I can contend with.  However, I think it is the emotional, mental and intellectual aspects of the isolation from friends, family and all of you, along with the uncertainty of it all, that I am finding the most difficult. I just cannot wrap my head around what is going on and there is a part of me that just wants and needs to know when this is going to end. Give me a date please. I can cope with anything, if I can just have a time line!

But we know that there is no such thing as a clear answer in this. As a result, I find I sometimes  have a day when I cannot accomplish anything. I can live with these days as they come only about once a week, but I do not live alone and I have company in my beloved Ellie. We are both working during the day and filling our evenings and weekends by exercising regularly, taking walks (when it is not raining), cooking healthy meals and some not so healthy treats, watching lots of Netflix (I recommend Unorthodox if you are looking for a compelling story), as well as  knitting and doing jigsaw puzzles. What are you doing to pass your time?

In all of this, I take some comfort in knowing that we are not alone in all of this. God is with us and I give thanks for God’s presence every day.  I hope you will remember that God is with us and that we are not alone and that this will bring you some peace of mind when you are feeling down or particularly isolated. Please know that I am here if you need or want to chat. Just let me know.

This week at Wesley, we will mark Palm Sunday with worship on Zoom that includes a Palm Parade and Communion. You can link in on your computer, tablet or cell phone. Alternatively you can call in on your telephone.  All details for how to do both are below. In order to be ready for worship please have a candle that we will light together at the beginning of the service, a ‘palm’ for the parade, elements for communion as well as the order of service which you can find here: https://mcusercontent.com/3845ede49cb9f1d56e9c9f50a/files/fa572976-34a5-480e-89eb-1171f1b52f3f/April_5_2020_service_outline_Palm_Sunday_Communion.01.pdf

Your palm can be one you make from paper or cut from a branch in your yard or it could be a scarf. If you would like to make your own paper palm, you might want to run off a copy, colour and cut out the one found on page 7 here: https://illustratedmin.s3.amazonaws.com/weekly-resources/PalmSunday.pdf?ck_subscriber_id=760720689

Your communion elements need to be some kind of ‘bread’. It could be pita bread or a cracker, a slice of any kind of bread or bun. All that is important is that you have enough for everyone who is worshipping in your home to have a piece. It can be pre-cut into individual pieces or left ready for each person to tear off a piece. As well, you will need some kind of juice. It can be grape juice, but any kind will do. Again you will need enough for each person to have a small amount to drink.  Whatever bread and juice you use, please do not make a special trip to the store to get it, use what you have on hand.

Finally, in the coming week, you are welcome to join in for the Time to Share and the Children’s Story Time on Zoom. The links for those are also below.

I hope to see you on Sunday.

Rev. Heather

Sunday Worship at Wesley
Time: April 5, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To join online, use this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/823842178
Password:110322

To phone in, call: 438 809 7799
Meeting ID: 823-842-178  

Time to Share
Time Thursday, April 9, 3:00 pm
To join online, use this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/977063007
Password: 120767

To phone in, call: 438 809 7799
Meeting ID: 977-063-007

 
Children’s Story Time
Time Thursday, April 9, 4:00 pm
To join online, use this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/270387155
Password: 381665

To phone in, call: 438 809 7799
Meeting ID: 270-387-155