 The AVUC Beautification Fundraiser
A donor has come forward willing to match beautification donations up to $6000 toward this project. If you would like to make an outright donation over and above your regular givings, please mark it 'Beautification Project' and bring it to the church. If you would like to join the team to paint or resurface the floor, please let Sarah know. Email: avunitedchurch@shaw.ca to register.
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 National Indigenous Council Art Contest
We would love to show off your artistic talent! Create an image of an eagle that we can use either as the main image for the newsletter, or as artwork within it. To be eligible, you must identify as Indigenous, be between the ages of 15 and 25, and reside in Canada. All submissions must be original, and accompanied by a signed consent form. If you are under 18, you will need to get the consent form signed by your parent or guardian. (See below for a downloadable version of the consent form.) The Messenger logo contest winner and 2 runners-up will receive great prizes:
The contest closes June 14, 2021, and members of the Elders Council will choose the winning artwork. Send us your original artwork or a high-resolution photo or scan. (If you send a scan or photo, we may need to contact you to get a better-quality copy.) All original artwork will be returned to you. Please send your submissions to our Indigenous Youth Programs Coordinator Springwater Hester-Meawassige Youth Leadership Coordinator shester-meawassige@united-church.ca 416-231-7680 x4063 1-800-268-3781 x4063 By mail: Indigenous Ministries and Justice The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 200 Toronto ON M8X 2Y4 https://united-church.ca/news/national-indigenous-council-art-contest Dear Alberni Valley United Church and Courageous Community Center, Thank you for the wonderful gift to journey with you in ministry. Thank you for the gift of the “Ministers Purse” and all the beautiful cards and notes. I have cards and letters from my last two Pastoral Charges, which are in my bentwood box. The box now holds your cards and messages. A couple of times a year, I pause and reread the words shared with me. I do this to remember every person who has blessed my life in the ministry contexts where I have served as the Minister to the ministers. You are the most unique, caring, and courageous Churches. Thank you for your commitment to being the church outside its four walls. As I prepare to leave, something beautiful has emerged, which I’d like to share with you as my parting words. Dewayne Parfitt, Sarah Williams, Coreen Humphries and I, along with the AVUC Council and the CCC visioning team, have been working with a vision that Dewayne has hosted for many years. The idea of AVUC being a hub church with several satellite or campus churches. We have developed a one-year pilot project and strategic plan to put the vision into reality. We presented the project to an AVUC Information update on April 26. Following the presentation were responses of excitement, curiosity, and hope. There was a lot of information presented, and I have prepared to brief project overview for you as a follow-up and for those who could not attend the session. Dewayne offers to meet with you for further discussion if that would be helpful. Project name: Collaborative Partnership Ministry Church Hub Start date of a Ministry Personnel appointment: Tentative start date Sept. 1, 2021-August 31, 2022 Brief description of Proposal: Collaborative Partnership Ministry Church Hub (CPM) is a pilot experiment between Alberni Valley United Church and 2-3 Communities of Faith (also called satellites or campuses), Rural Connect, and Pacific Mountain Region to explore what’s possible when Communities of Faith(particularly small congregations) share resources including, but not limited to, Ministry Personnel and collaborative, multi-site Sunday Worship, based on the principles of equity and abundance. Alberni Valley United Church and Courageous Community Center are two unique expression of church. AVUC and CCC are in a partnership ministry sharing a Minister, an office manager, and many other gifts, skills and resources in a spirit of reciprocity. This means that you are in a unique position to reach out to other small congregations and help them, support them, and offer what you have learned through oyur six-year journey of livestreaming and our firm commitment to reconciliation. The CCC Virtual Neighbourhood has a variety of programs and opportunities for connection which we are ready to offer to other small congregations. The pilot will, all being well, receive funding from the ProVision Fund and the Leadershift Church Plant Project. If those grants are not approved, we have a plan b.  Rural Connect is a key partner with a mission to support multi-site worship. More info: www.ruralconnectucc.ca
Mission: To support and partner with congregations without sufficient resources to call a full-time Ministry Personnel by developing a Church Hub. To support the UCC reshape the church in its commitments toward anti-racism, inclusion, equity and decolonizing practices by establishing an equity-centered capacity building learning lab. To support Hybrid worship in a post-pandemic world. To pilot a model of partnership ministry that will benefit the Pacific Mountain Region of the United Church of Canada
Project Beneficiaries: Communities of Faith, smaller congregations, who may have limited resources, who may be need of leadership, for example, Ucluelet, Bamfield, Ahousaht, Taloquiaht. Communities of Faith committing to innovative ways to be the church. Together we have and are enough and, similar to the biblical story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, together we experience abundance ( not a scarcity). AVUC & CCC in their commitment to reconciliation. Communities of Faith experiencing connection instead of isolation and cost sharing instead of financial depletion. Pacific Mountain Region will benefit from the Pilot’s learnings. Project Objectives: Reach beyond our four walls and to reach out beyond silos. We firmly believe now, more than ever it is important to ‘reach beyond our four walls’ to those who are unable to or unwilling to join us physically. There are thousands of people with a connection to church who are looking for ways to reconnect. Communities of faith intentionally partnering and sharing connections and resources. Our feeling is that with many congregations financially struggling along with declining members and adherents we must do our best to continue building our congregation through these initiatives and to reach out to and partner with other congregations in sharing our connections and resources. To develop an equity-centered way of being. Equity has the possibility to deconstruct the system of colonial power.
Equity and equality are not the same thing. Equality means giving everyone the same thing, whereas equity means giving people what they need to be their best selves. For example, in the picture above, three people of different heights are trying to reach the fruit on the tree. If we treat these people equally, we will give everyone the same box to stand on, so only the tallest person could reach the fruit. If we treat them equitably, we will give them as many boxes as they need to reach the fruit. EQUITY, then, is about each of us getting what we need to survive and thrive—access to opportunity, networks, resources, and supports. Think of it as each of us reaching our full potential. Equity what Jesus meant when he said in John 10:10. “I have come so that you will have life, the fullness of life.” And the words of St. Irenaeus, the great second-century theologian, “the glory of God is every human being fully alive!” Equity, mutuality, and inclusion are Jesus’ love in action. Equity invites the Church Hub project to ask this quintessential question: “What does each campus need?”  Project Goals:
 Outcomes:
 Provision Fund Application Budget  Financial sustainability  Initially it is expected this grant will assist AVUC & CCC in funding the CPM Church Hub concept and up to 3 satellite congregations. Once in operation, and after a period of experimentation, we expect these satellite congregations will contribute financially to AVUC & CCC to cover some of the costs of Ministry and other personnel, cellular service and other costs borne by AVUC & CCC. These contributions would need to be negotiated with the satellite congregations based on their needs and affordability. Faith Connection – Scriptural references supporting project  There are many instances shown throughout scripture that point out that we are to go out and spread the word to as many others as possible, using the means available to us. Establishing a Collaborative Partnership Ministry will create opportunities to reach out and share this message while empowering other congregations with our support. Mark 16: 15 says: When Jesus appeared to his disciples, he said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and proclaim the gospel to all mankind.” 2 Corinthians 5: 18 – 20a proclaims, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” Philemon 1:6 tells us, “And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Well folks, thank you for reading through the project overview. It is a lot of information to take in and we’d appreciate your thoughts, reactions, clarifying questions, hopes and fears. Please send those reactions to avunitedchurch@shaw.ca I look forward to hearing about how the project dream unfolds. Thank you again to all who have contributed to writing the Provision Fund Grant Application, Dewayne, Sarah, & Coreen. With much love and prayer, God of all love, breathe on us your spirit of compassion. Open us to receive you, communicating through us. Open us to find you in the face of each person. Open our hearts and minds to experience your presence. Guide and direct us with your wisdom. Help us discern how to live into creating an equitable and just world, embracing all creation. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Minnie Reverend Minnie Hornidge 
 After ten years with Alberni Valley United Church, Rev. Minnie Hornidge is retiring. We would like to thank her for her years of service to us and the community at large. We will remember her for all she has accomplished especially her work with Road to Reconciliation, the Bread of Life, Mindful Self Compassion, Reiki, Craft Night in Port and the emergence of the Courageous Community Center to name just a few of her many iconic giftings. Thank you Reverend Minnie. May you continue to shine and bring light and life to those around you. "Go now in peace," Reverend Minnie Hornidge's final words to all as she bid farewell to her time with us at Alberni Valley United Church. Congregants stood by their vehicles to applaud and wish her well as she enters into the next phase. Thank you Minnie for your many years of spiritual leadership. We wish you well!  In a year so full of challenges, in a season that is about Light, which also feels so dark, we hold this space of compassionate reflection to hold grief and loss this Advent and Christmas and to anticipate the coming of light both in the season after solstice and in the Christ.
At this time of year, the darkest time of year in the western hemisphere, we gather around an ancient story about light that comes into the darkness of our lives. We have undergone unprecedented loss this year. Family and friends have succumbed to death in this pandemic; millions have experienced economic uncertainty through losing jobs; some have lost or fear they may lose businesses. Most of us have lost our beloved rhythms of life that felt familiar and gave our lives the richness of gatherings and adventure. We can name many losses related to hatred and violence. We are stirred up, if not confounded, by the unveiling of racism and we proclaim hope, love, joy, peace and the presence of God that came and dwelt among us amid hardship May this be a night of the arrival of a new solstice light. May we find comfort in the ancient stories and traditions. May we feel the promise that no matter what we are not alone. God, all the love in the universe is with us; loving us; and brining new light. We have been singing this song throughout Advent…. As song which is based on a poem I Believe, by a Jewish Prisoner in a Nazi Concentration Camp in WW 2 which was found posted on the wall of a cellar in the Cologne a concentration camp. “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining And I believe in love, even when there’s no one there. And I believe in God, even when he is silent. I believe through any trial, there is always a way But sometimes in this suffering and hopeless despair My heart cries for shelter, to know someone’s there But a voice rises within me, saying hold on my child, I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope. Just stay a little while. I believe in the sun even when it is not shining And I believe in love even when there’s no one there But I believe in God even when he is silent I believe through any trial there is always a way. May there someday be sunshine May there someday be happiness May there someday be love May there someday be peace… A Litany for Losses On this night we gather, mindful of the losses that have multiplied throughout the year. On this night We gather to light candles Lighting candles has long been a sacred ritual in all traditions, creating precious moments in our own and other people's lives. As we look back at it all at once, we are in danger of being overwhelmed by its tragedies– sickness, violence, fire, hurricane, earthquake, and more. Our aim tonight is to acknowledge this, to mourn this, and to know that in all of this, there is the possibility of more Light. If we are to be overwhelmed, let it be that we are overwhelmed with the assurance that we are not alone. Psalm 36:9 says, "Within You is the spring of life; in your light, we see the light." As we gaze on the Light of this tree, even though we may feel blue, may the full spectrum of Light sustain us. When we feel as if our Light is dimmed, we can rely on the Holy Light to continue to shine until we shine brightly once more. We are not alone. Please join me in a Litany of Losses. Loss of Life We mourn this night the loss of life. [Light the first blue candle] For so many, the pandemic has taken loved ones. We mourn the loss of those close to us and those whose names we do not know. We mourn those who perished while working to save other lives. We mourn those who died, not of the pandemic, but other causes. We mourn the loss of our ability to be with them as they passed, our loss of gathering together for comfort in the ways we needed so much. I invite you to repeat after me: We mourn this loss of life. We mourn this loss of life. We honour and remember these beloveds. We honour and remember these beloveds. We pray for comfort and peace. We pray for comfort and peace. Amen. Amen. Loss of Livelihood We mourn this night the loss of livelihoods. [Light the second blue candle] For so many, the pandemic has taken the security of food, shelter, care for families, and medical care. We mourn the loss of businesses that could not withstand the circumstances. These were not just businesses but dreams born of passion and hard work. We mourn those who find themselves needing to rely on others for help when what they want to do is to be able to help others. I invite you to repeat after me: We mourn this loss of livelihood. We mourn this loss of livelihood We honour and remember the dreams now deferred. We honour and remember the dreams now deferred. We pray for sustenance and resilience. We pray for sustenance and resilience. Amen. Loss of Love We mourn this night the loss of love. [Light the blue third candle] Our society's dilemma, centuries in the making, has created such hatred, suffering, oppression, and ill-will. We mourn the loss of those whose lives were lost to brutality and violence. We mourn the loss of our ability to love one another despite our differences, as beings who deserve to be seen for their inherent beauty and worth. We mourn that black and brown peoples have perished and suffered at the most significant proportion in the pandemic of coronavirus. We mourn the pandemic of racism that plagues the fabric of our communities. I invite you to repeat after me: We mourn this loss of love. We mourn this loss of love We honour and remember the work of prophets who proclaim justice. We honour and remember the work of prophets who proclaim justice. We pray for compassion and change. We pray for compassion and change. Amen. Amen. Loss of Liveliness We mourn this night the loss of liveliness. [Light the fourth blue candle] For so many, this year has robbed us of our energy, our enthusiasm, and our sense of well-being. We mourn teachers and leaders and caregivers and workers who are struggling to help those in their care, themselves exhausted and needing the sustenance they give to others. We mourn the loss of all who are suffering from anxiety and depression, who are finding it difficult to live each day with fullness or to find hope for tomorrow. We mourn those we have lost to suicide. We mourn those, to ease the pain that feels unbearable, who find themselves addicted to substances. We mourn those who are experiencing their place of shelter as an abusive place from which they struggle to escape. I invite you to repeat after me We mourn this loss of liveliness. We mourn this loss of liveliness We honour and remember that each person is precious and whole. We honour and remember that each person is precious and whole We pray for recovery and renewed vigor. We prayer for recovery and renewed vigor Amen. We gather around the mystery of how it is that light comes to us in human form to a particular man and a particular woman in a particular location in our world as if to say, this is how God, how light and love is made manifest in our world, in the particular circumstances of our individual lives to bring us a universal message of hope, grace, healing and peace. Whatever your life circumstances may be, however you may be feeling this Christmastide, may you hear and know the wonder of this truth, this message of love, this message of light that comes to you and to each one of us… More Light And now we light the fifth candle. Just as we will do on Christmas Eve, We light this as a sign of our belief… We believe in the Light that has come and is coming. [Light the fifth candle] This Light casts its glow on all the surrounding prayers we have prayed. This Light resides within us, perhaps dim for a time, but always lit – an ember of the Holy inside us. This Light reminds us that we are not alone. May you be held in the all embracing loving presence of the Holy, this night and always.  Praying with Music 1. Choose a piece of Christmas music (or any music) that you want to “be with” for the next 15-20 minutes. 2. Relax as you listen to it for the first time. Allow yourself to be drawn into the music as a whole, as though it were being performed just for your ears. 3. Spend an equal amount of time in silence before playing it again. 4. Play the piece a second time. This time let yourself go until you feel yourself merging with the music, until you feel that you are being played as an instrument too. Let the music give you permission to fall into “the lap of God,” the source of the original sound. 5. Again, spend an equal amount of time in silence. 6. Finally write down or doodle any special feelings (positive or negative) or insights that were gained through the sound or the silence. Excerpt from: Spirit Windows, A Handbook of Spiritual Growth Resources by Ann Kulp. “Raise your voice… do not be afraid.” — The Messenger Scroll to the end for a free printable booklet! I Believe Even When by Mark A. Miller I believe in the sun, I believe in the sun, even when, even when it’s not shining. I believe in love, I believe in love, even when, even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God, I believe in God, even when, even when God is silent. I believe in the light, I believe in the light That has come, that has come, and is coming. Even when the sun is hidden from sight Even when love feels so remote Even when God is silent Even then… We believe 1st Week of Advent, November 29, 2020 "I Believe in the Sun: Hope for Tomorrow” This Advent, we are looking to hear words of comfort, of challenge and of good news. The prophet Isaiah and the four Gospel authors were writing in a time when people needed desperately to hear all of these as well. This first week, Isaiah, the prophet, and Mark–the Gospel writer who published first–reassure the people that good news is beginning and yet they both say, “Make yourself ready! Raise your voices, change your hearts, get ready to be transformed, because now is the time.” Let us embrace hope that we can do what needs to be done to bring more light into the world. Prayer Holy One, we thank you for the glimpses we catch of your gift of untiring hope. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle– even when our view is obscured by clouds of doubt, ignite the flame of hope within us, that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Help us face this bleak night of the soul and embrace it as a womb of rebirth. Amen. You are invited to light your Advent 1 candle of Hope. Isaiah 40: 1-11 (CEB) Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. Speak compassionately to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins! A voice is crying out: “Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The Lord’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.” A voice was saying: “Call out!” And another said, “What should I call out?” All flesh is grass; all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. The grass dries up and the flower withers when the Lord’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are grass. The grass dries up; the flower withers, but our God’s word will exist forever. Go up on a high mountain, messenger Zion! Raise your voice and shout, messenger Jerusalem! Raise it; don’t be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” Here is the Lord God, coming with strength, with a triumphant arm, bringing his reward with him and his payment before him. Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock; he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. He will gently guide the nursing ewes. Mark 1: 1-15 (CEB) The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger before you. He will prepare your way, a voice shouting in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.” John the Baptist was in the wilderness calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. Everyone in Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to the Jordan River and were being baptized by John as they confessed their sins. John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. He announced, “One stronger than I am is coming after me. I’m not even worthy to bend over and loosen the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” 2nd Week of Advent, December 6, 2020 “I Believe in Love: Daring Right Relationship” In both the Gospel of Matthew and Isaiah, a messenger appears as a sign from God, heralding a new era. In each passage, the words “do not be afraid” appear… offering a clue that the messenger–whether prophet or angel–was referencing something that induced fear in the recipient. A new way of being together, of relating and loving takes courage–eschewing the present order of things so that a new and better day can be born. Prayer Holy One, we thank you for the glimpses we catch of your gift of daring love. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle– even when we cannot yet see a better day when we will act like the human family we are, ignite the flame of love within us, that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Help us face this fear of difference and dare to see what love can do. Amen. You are invited to light your Advent 2 candle of Love. Isaiah 7: 1-14 (CEB) In the days of Ahaz (Jotham’s son and grandson of Judah’s King Uzziah), Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah (Remaliah’s son) came up to attack Jerusalem, but they couldn’t overpower it. When the house of David was told that Aram had become allies with Ephraim, their hearts and the hearts of their people shook as the trees of a forest shake when there is a wind. But the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the channel of the Upper Pool, by the road to the field where laundry is washed, and say to him, ‘Be careful and stay calm. Don’t fear, and don’t lose heart over these two pieces of smoking torches, over the burning anger of Rezin, Aram, and Remaliah’s son. Aram has planned evil against you with Ephraim and Remaliah’s son, saying, “Let’s march up against Judah, tear it apart, capture it for ourselves, and install Tabeel’s son as its king.” But the Lord God says: It won’t happen; it won’t take place. The chief of Aram is Damascus; the chief of Damascus is Rezin (in sixty-five more years Ephraim will be shattered as a nation); the chief of Ephraim is Samaria; and the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you don’t believe this, you can’t be trusted.’” Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign from the Lord your God. Make it as deep as the grave or as high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask; I won’t test the Lord.” Then Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Isn’t it enough for you to be tiresome for people that you are also tiresome before my God? Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. Matthew 1: 1-25 (CEB) A record of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Aram. Aram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asaph. Asaph was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram. Joram was the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amos. Amos was the father of Josiah. Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers. This was at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Achim. Achim was the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary—of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ. So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile to Babylon to the Christ. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means “God with us.”) When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus. 3rd Week of Advent, December 13, 2020 "I Believe in God: Ode to Joy” This week, we turn to Luke’s writing, which is an account in two acts: the Gospel biography of Jesus and then the story of the early church–the “Jesus community.” Whether you were a Jew or Gentile in those days, deciding to become a part of this illegal early Christian movement could bring punishment for your allegiance. Surely the message in both Luke and Isaiah that the downcast, lowly, and oppressed would rise up is a welcome and inspirational account. Like the Jewish exiled people of Isaiah’s time and like the early Christians, we also sometimes wonder where God is in our suffering. We long to hear the promise that a reason for joyful praise is the good news on the way! Prayer Holy One, we thank you for the glimpses we catch of your gift of the depths of joy. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle– even when we are not sure of your presence, ignite the flame of joy within us, that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Help us face the silence of unknowing and embrace it as the pregnant pause before joyful new beginnings. Amen. You are invited to light your Advent 3 candle of Joy. Isaiah 57: 14-19 (CEB) It will be said: “Survey, survey; build a road! Remove barriers from my people’s road!” The one who is high and lifted up, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says: I live on high, in holiness, and also with the crushed and the lowly, reviving the spirit of the lowly, reviving the heart of those who have been crushed. I won’t always accuse, nor will I be enraged forever. It is my own doing that their spirit is exhausted-- I gave them breath! I was enraged about their illegal profits; I struck them; in rage I withdrew from them. Yet they went on wandering wherever they wanted. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them. I will guide them, and reward them with comfort. And for those who mourn, I will create reason for praise: utter prosperity to those far and near, and I will heal them, says the Lord. Luke 1: 1-4; 26-56 (CEB) Many people have already applied themselves to the task of compiling an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used what the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed down to us. Now, after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, I have also decided to write a carefully ordered account for you, most honorable Theophilus. I want you to have confidence in the soundness of the instruction you have received… When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.” Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.” Mary said, “With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home. 4th Week of Advent, December 20, 2020 "I Believe in the Light: Illuminating Peace” The “great light” prophesied by Isaiah in today’s text is echoed in the first strains of John’s Gospel good news: the light that brings peace–that saves the people from all that would extinguish it–has been there from the beginning. The Word is made flesh and dwells among us. This reign is now… will we believe it? Will we continue to put flesh on it, embodying the peace meant for all humanity? Prayer Holy One, we thank you for the glimpses we catch of your gift of peace on earth. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle– even when we aren’t sure that goodwill among us can be found, ignite the flame of peace within us, that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Help us face the pain of life and embrace the assurance that light is already here, and always coming. Amen. You are invited to light your Advent 4 candle of Peace. Isaiah 9: 2-7 (CEB) The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned. You have made the nation great; you have increased its joy. They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as those who divide plunder rejoice. As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them, the staff on their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. Because every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire. A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. John 1: 1-18 (CEB) In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. The light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him. But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God’s children, born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace; as the Law was given through Moses, so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known. Christmas Eve “We Believe, Even Now” In this season leading up to this night, we have been hearing the Good News from all the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John because we have needed good news and that’s what “Gospel” actually means. We have heard stories of courage all along our journey–of people who have sung out songs of hope, love, joy, and peace. Our luminaries have been a witness to the light we believe has come, and is coming. Tonight we return to the story of Jesus’ birth as it is told in the Gospel of Luke. This account is the narrative we read again and again on this holy night, for this author gives us the most beloved detail. We yearn to see the scene play out, to hear the music of the angels, to feel the rush to the manger to see what this star that pierces the night sky has come to proclaim. We so desire to believe the Good News of the messengers that is the culmination of humanity’s pain of birth: “don’t be afraid” for unto us a sign has come that will be to all people… “on earth, peace.” Prayer Holy One, we thank you for the glimpse of heaven on earth In the faces and the light of those around us. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle– even when our view is obscured by clouds of doubt, You have ignited the flame of hope, love, joy, and peace within us. Let us glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Amen. You are invited to light your Christ Candle. Isaiah 52: 7-10 (CEB) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of a messenger who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God rules!” Listen! Your lookouts lift their voice; they sing out together! Right before their eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion. Break into song together, you ruins of Jerusalem! The Lord has comforted his people and has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm in view of all the nations; all the ends of the earth have seen our God’s victory. Luke 2: 1-20 (CEB) In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. Rev. Minnie Hornidge avucrev@gmail.com 250-735-1649 Worship series design © Worship Design Studio by Marcia McFee. Used, adapted, and live-streamed with permission. www.worshipdesignstudio.com/believe. CCLI Song # 7048796 “I Believe” by Mark A. Miller
CCLI License # 2299095
"My Quilt" author unknown As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles. An Angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life. But as my Angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all. I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My Angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives has been. My Angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes… I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and death, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times, I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. Now I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was. I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. Gasps filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes. Then I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, “Every time you gave over your life to me, it became my life, my hardships, and my struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let me shine through, until there was more of me than there was of you.” May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through.  |
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Copyright © 2023 Alberni Valley United Church | All rights reserved.