This Week@Wesley

March 15, 2019

Good Morning Everyone

I first heard it last night, on the late news and it was the first thing I heard this morning as I woke up to my clock radio; the news of a mosque shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand.  My heart is breaking at the thought of another mass shooting in the name of raciest, white supremacy and supposed Christian views. As one Imam said on the radio this morning, there is no religion on the face of the earth that promotes or condones this kind of violence.

My first reaction, after the initial heartbreak is to wonder what can we do in the face of this violence and terror. And time and again I find myself in prayer. I pray for those affected first hand: the victims, their families, the police and first responders, and the parents who have to explain this situation to their children. I also pray for those people who think this kind of a situation is a good thing, for we all know that this kind of hate comes from others. Hate is learned and so I pray for all those who teach hate and learn hate, that they might find a speck of love in their lives to counter the hate. And in the midst of my prayer, I also pray that I might find ways to be kind to those who hate; that I might, in some small way be a beacon of the love they need to turn away from their hate.

In this season of Lent, when we are invited to reflect on the way in which we live out our faith, I invite you to reflect on love and ways to turn hate into love. It is not easy work, but so essential to peaceful living in our world; a peace, I believe, we all yearn for.

This week at Wesley we have a service of celebration and great joy.  We are celebrating the sacrament of baptism for both infants and adults, as well as the confirmation of the adults and the reception of a new member by transfer. The children will be going to Sunday School after the babies are baptized. It is a full service and I hope to see you there. Please do not forget to sign up for our bowling event(see below for details). 

Have a good Saturday and I will see you on Sunday.

Rev. Heather

Annual Family Bowling Event: Once more, Wesley is having its Family Bowling event. It is happening on Saturday, April 6 from 3:30 - 6:00. It includes: your shoe rental, an hour of bowling and supper with a choice of food and drink. The cost is $20 per person. Please see Deborah Angelus at church to sign up, make payment and make your meal choices.  Alternatively, contact me and I will connect you with Deborah. This is an all ages event for singles, doubles and families, and friends are all welcome.