Weekly Reflections

July 4–10

 “But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”

Mark 10:43–44

I’m from a small town in New Jersey. Every year, a couple of days before the Fourth of July, everyone in town stakes out a viewing spot for the parade, lining up lawn chairs along the sidewalk. None of my Toronto friends can believe that the chairs stay there, untouched, until the parade is over.

The Fourth of July is also called Independence Day, the day when Americans celebrate their independence from British rule. But the way my hometown celebrates the occasion makes it seem more like Interdependence Day.

It's not just because everyone tacitly agrees to leave others' property alone for this day. It's also expressed by what the town shows off in their parade: three volunteer fire brigades, the Friends of the Library, bands, baseball teams, churches, and the borough council—it seems like half the town is in the parade and the other half is watching it.

Like all towns, this town has its problems; scandals, prejudice, unfairness. But it’s also a community that values service to others, and that recognizes, through that service, just how interrelated we all are. 

Prayer

Loving God, like those lawn chairs sitting shoulder to shoulder along the main drag, we’re intimately connected to your world and to one another. Help us recognize opportunities to serve those around us in whatever way we can.

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July 11–17

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 

Isaiah 40:8

Summer is a time of year when, for a few minutes, I can sit back and do nothing. I will be on holidays when this Sunday rolls around. I know that then, at least for a little while, those to-do piles on my desk or at my house might get put away. As the grass withers and the flower fades, I hope that my work might fade into the background, allowing me a wee respite in the summer.

In the midst of this summer breather, maybe I will be able to take time to reflect on the wonders of God’s creation, which does endure. Maybe I will notice the birds singing, the music of laughter, the gentle touch of a warm breeze. My busyness seems much less significant when I’m surrounded by the grandeur of God.

Prayer

God of our busyness, God of all time, be with us during these quieter moments of summer. May our eyes be ever opened to your enduring presence every day. In Christ we pray. Amen.

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July 18–24

Then [Jesus] said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath."

Mark 2:27

It’s midsummer: some of us are back from holidays and others may be heading away. But some have no time off or cannot go away for a break. We all need time for rest—no work, no keeping vigil, a chance to be with family and friends in a more relaxed way.

We are a society of rushed and distracted people. Our ears are plugged into all kinds of listening devices, so we cannot hear people around us. Our focus is not on where we are in the present. This is not a healthy way to be; we must try to regain awareness of our surroundings and of the people we are with. 

Getting time to goof off; to have fun without the restrictions of time, homework, work, and endless meetings; turning the cell phone off, allows breathing space. This is called sabbath, and it is a bid for our good health, peace of mind, and clear sight.

There are also special days of sabbath for worshipping God. Both kinds of sabbath are necessary for our lives to be active, healthy, and in right relationship with others.

Prayer

God, you know your creation so intimately that you know our need for rest and for time to be still and quiet within your healing arms. May those who cannot get away for holidays be yet given their needed measure of rest and peace. Amen.

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July 25–31

July 28: Day of Remembrance of the Grand Dérangement (Acadian Deportation)

Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 43:5–7

It is a tragic hallmark of human history that peoples have experienced time and time again the horrors of displacement, upheaval, war, and genocide. This week, as each year on July 28, Canada remembers the tragedy known as Le Grand Dérangement (The Acadian Deportation). In our history we have much to celebrate and, sadly, much to heal and for which to seek forgiveness. Knowing our history allows us to learn from it so that we may live more faithfully and in right relationship with one another, working to prevent grand dérangements; crises such as those that have occurred in Darfur, Palestine, and Sri Lanka; and displacements to reserves here in Canada. God, through the voice of Isaiah, may be challenging our generation to gather all the peoples, build the bridges, break down the walls of misunderstanding and mistrust. It may seem like a tall order, but God does not ask of us that of which we are not capable.

Prayer

O Great Spirit,  
You who sing the song that calls the wind and the seas to dance in joy,
You who awaken the dawn to give light to our darkness,
We thank you for your presence among us as we gather. 
We honour you, Great-Grandmother-Great-Grandfather Spirit,
For you love us in a way far beyond our understanding, and you call each
and every one of us your beloved son, your beloved daughter.
How truly blessed we are for that, and we thank you!
Open our hearts to learn your love that we might recognize You in each other.
You are our light of Hope and of Healing.
Open our eyes that we may see this light in our own spirit.
Open our hearts and our minds that we may see this light in our
sisters and our brothers.
We thank you for teaching us to be one family and for helping us
find the courage within us to become this one family.
For you are the Great Spirit!
Walalin! (| wa ‘la leen |: Mi’kmaq for “thank you”)