Morgan’s Point 180th Anniversary Sunday
As a Pastoral Charge, I know that we are all celebrating with Morgan’s Point United Church their 180th Anniversary of life, worship, and outreach in our community of Wainfleet this weekend. Congratulations, Morgan’s Point United Church, and God’s blessings for your past and many future years of ministry to come.
Although I was able to chat with a smaller number of folks this past week through phoning and texting, it seemed that I ran out of time for all our visits. It is my hope to connect in with everyone over this next week, because I enjoy immensely these opportunities to have our conversations. My prayer is that everyone has had a grand week. Although our Provincial COVID-19 numbers are increasing, I am hearing from so many of you on the Pastoral Charge that you are keeping well and safe. We, of course, need to keep everyone in our prayers during these times.
I thought a lot of Morgan’s Point United Church as I prepared my sermon this week. A hundred and eighty years of worshiping as a community of faith is a long time. With Forks Road East we, as a Pastoral Charge, are, together, such a strong, vibrant, prayerful, and caring community of faith. We are truly the hands, feet, and voice of Christ.
My sermon this week is based on Matthew 22:34-46. The point of the sermon this week is that without oversimplifying the faith, we need to keep it simple. We need to keep our faith at Morgan’s Point and Forks Road East United Churches simple. We need to have substance to give us purpose and direction, yet, not be so weighty as to drag us down. Our faith also needs to be brief enough to memorize, and simple enough for a child to understand. So, today, we look at the Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matt 22:37-40)
God has much to say to us during this sermon, but in brief we are being told to love God is to love others; and to love others is to love God. Nowhere is this stated more clearly than in the first Letter of John where it says, “If a man says,’ “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his bother, whom he has seen; how can he love God, whom he has not see? This commandment we have from him that he who loves God should also love his brother.” (1 John 4:20-21)
This Great Commandment we see around us every day in the Cross. The vertical beam points us to God, and reminds us that first and foremost we’re to love God with every fiber of our being. The horizontal beam reminds us that we live in community with each other, and that the truest test of faith is our empathy and service to others in the name of Jesus, the Christ.
It is my hope and prayer that each of you have a wonderful week filled with God’s goodness, joy, and peace. I look forwards to connecting in with each of you again though out the week as we share stories, prayers, laughter, and tears.
Also, remember that as we pray for one another every morning at 10:30, God grants us wisdom, love and peace to hold each other in God’s infinite love and care.
Keep well and safe.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Laura