Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:1-5).

I thank God for this faith community which is full of faithful, loving, prayerful people. I’m grateful for our Pastoral Care team and your loving care for one-another. I’m thankful we can gather to pray for Ukraine on Thursday June 2nd, and I’m thankful for all your prayers for me, for each other, and for our Parish Council as we continue to work on our Mission Action Plan. We are currently discussing worship services and music selection and I want to apologise that some of my music selections haven’t been great recently. I appreciate your grace and patience, and also appreciate you letting me know some of your favourite songs to sing in Church. 

This coming Sunday we will be looking at John 14:23-29, and pondering the peace which Jesus gives us (verse 27). I heard the Archbishop give a talk on this passage on Tuesday evening at the clergy conference I attended and was surprised to learn he had been held up at gun point when he was serving as a parish priest. I think we have all been in situations that make us feel afraid or anxious, and managing these feelings with the Lord and receiving his peace makes all the difference.

May we each be encouraged to live by faith, not fear, when our sense of peace is challenged.

Every blessing to you in Christ, 

Rev. Tanya 

This coming Sunday we will reflect on what it means to love one another as Christ loves us (John 13:31-35). The Amplified Bible Translation says “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” To love “one another” as Christ loves us; whole heartedly and sacrificially, can be challenging at times. It might be easy when we all agree, and when no one wants anything from us, but the challenge comes when people are difficult or take more than they give. 

Regardless of how others behave or treat us, as Christ’s followers we are to follow his example and continue to show unconditional  love and mercy. Some days’ that means giving people my time. Other days it means giving people money, or helping meet their needs in other ways. How might you be called to show love to others today? 

Love is an action word which requires intentionality. Everyday as I leave my house I remind myself that loving others is the most important thing I can do today. In comparison, nothing else really matters as much. It is my hope to grow more loving like Jesus. And I hope we all shall be people known by our love of others, for Christ’s sake and God’s glory.

Every blessing to you in Christ, 

Love,

Rev. Tanya 

This Sunday is Mothers' Day and we hope all women feel special as they come to Church, whether they are mothers or not. I understand this day can be an emotional day for some people. Some women may have wanted to be a mother and didn’t have the opportunity, others of us have lost mothers, others have strained relationships, some mothers carry burdens for their children or grandchildren, and others are full of joy and hope in regards to motherhood. 

However you are feeling about Mothers' Day, we hope you join us at Church as we take a closer look at the 23rd Psalm. This psalm gives comfort and hope while reflecting on the realities of human experiences. In this psalm we see three movements which exemplify a fragment of the human experience. We see orientation, disorientation, and reorientation.

In our lives we all experience “Orientation" (when everything feels right and content in our lives), “Disorientation" (when life feels difficult, dark, and broken), and "Re-Orientation” (when God pulls us out of the brokenness of life and we are brought to a deeper sense of awareness and gratitude).

This is why we can all relate to Psalm 23 personally and deeply. In this psalm, the first three verses are of orientation: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Life is good, happy, blessed. The Lord provides us with lush green pastures and refreshing waters. God is known to be reliable and a source of all our needs.

Verse four suggests disorientation—the “darkest valley”—a description of the trauma and suffering we go through as humans and communities.

And, later in verse four, there is re-orientation. The psalter declares, “for you are with me”. There is an expression of trust and confidence in the presence of God in spite of suffering.

Whichever stage you are in right know, I pray this psalm renews your hope and gives you peace and comfort this week.

Every blessing to you in Christ, 

Reverend Tanya Cummings

How are you?

There’s a few in our congregation undergoing operations at this time, and there’s also a bit of COVID going around. A few in our congregation have experienced it. Please let me or another member of our pastoral team know if we can help you in any way, or if you’d like specific prayer.

I’m so glad to be part of a praying community. I’m grateful for Sarnia putting together a daily prayer list for us each month, and for those expressing the desire for a monthly prayer meeting. I believe that prayer ought to be at the very core of our church, and I look forward to beginning a monthly prayer meeting soon. Meantime, please continue to pray for one another, our church, our community, and our world.

I love ministering among you here at Church. This week I have also had the great privilege of speaking at the Anzac Day service in Mount Eliza, and then at Peninsula Grammar’s year 9-12 Anzac Service. I am grateful to God for His call on my life to Minister not only here at Church but also in the wider community. While I know we don’t all have public speaking roles, I know God calls each of us to be His representatives wherever we go. I wonder how God has been using you to bless others in your neighbourhood or wider community this week? I’m praying and trusting that He is using you for His purposes in all sorts of ways.

Yesterday, at our Wednesday service, our small congregation shared “good news” stories about what God is currently doing in our lives. We spoke of God’s goodness to us, regardless of our struggles, and exalted him. This is what David encourages us to do in psalm 34.

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

This Sunday as we gather together to exalt His name again, we will witness the Baptism of two young children. Will you pray with me that God will truly minister to them and their families who will attend, and pray these children will follow the Lord all the days of their lives. 

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading we will look at Jesus call on Peter’s life (John 21:1-19) which makes a good time for us to reflect more deeply on God’s call on our own lives. What is God saying to you through this passage? And what will you do in response to what he is saying? 

I pray we all continue to live out God’s call on our lives, and continue to be His faithful witnesses wherever we go.

God is with you and for you.

Enjoy His presence.  

Reverend Tanya Cummings