Public Worship (click here)

Good morning,

My hope is that you are keeping well.

The weather is turning colder, we have entered into lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic and, as we watch what is happening in the wider world, … we wonder what it all means.    These are unfamiliar and unsettling times, so my hope is that you are keeping well.

Public worship:  Your Session met on Friday and continues to engage in the work of managing our community.  As per public health directives, public worship has been suspended until further notice.  Session has taken the decision to revaluate when public worship will be reinstated at the monthly Session meeting: our next meeting is February 12^th.

Annual Meeting: The date for the Annual Meeting has been set for March 14^th.  As we do not know if we are going to be able to gather as a large group, we have begun to make plans to hold the meeting using Zoom.  I would invite anyone who is not familiar with the platform to reach out to me over the next few weeks so that we can assist you in learning how to use the technology.  If anyone has any knowledge, experience or interest in “live-streaming” please let me know!

Reaching out to others: I know that these are unsettling times and that many are feeling the strains that come from not being able to be together.  So I encourage you to connect to people for conversation and companionship.  Especially now, I would encourage everyone to make a daily practice of giving someone a call to check-in.  Even a short conversation will lift the spirit of the person you call … and miraculously, it will lift your spirits as well.  We are all connected, and we will be stronger & healthier when we are intentional in nurturing our relationships with one another.

Prayer Practices: And I also encourage everyone to be intentional in developing or expanding your daily practice of prayer.  Take time each day to be quiet in God’s presence, ask God to intercede in places where God’s peace needs to be felt, listen for where God is calling you to be present for others.   Please give me a call or an e-mail if you would like to talk about ways that you could deepen your prayer life and draw closer to God.

Candles for Worship: Our weekly worship services are also a time when we draw closer to God and to one another.  As you prepare to listen to the service, I invite you to have a candle ready to light that reminds us of God’s presence with us as well as the wooden Knox 16 that reminds us that we are all connected together.

Today’s worship will focus on Baptism.  So, I have selected 3 pieces of music that will help us to center ourselves on this topic as well as open up a space for the Spirit to move.

Child of blessings, child of promise

Down to the River to Pray:  Allison Krauss:

Sweet Sweet Spirit:  Doris Akers

With care and blessing

Patrick