South West Norfolk Pastoral Charge

                                                                                Celebrate God's delight in us as we follow God's way......

Great lessons for life come to us through the Gospel message, a way to show and reflect God's way in our lives. We are directed and encouraged to grow in the direction of God's vision for the world by these lessons. We have been called to be the “salt of the earth”, flavouring the world with God's love; to be the “light of the world”, that all people may see God's light shining in the world. We have also been called to love our neighbour and to love our enemies; that we can't really honour God in our living and our worship, if we are not open to forgiveness and restoration of broken or struggling relationships. Jesus’ lesson from the Sermon on the Plain, (Luke 6: 17 – 26) makes the point that life is not about striving for the material goods, but for working for God's reign of justice and peace. The challenge is to see the world as God sees it and then to live that way. Jesus is very clear about this: " No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" What does this mean in the 21st century as we strive for happiness and balance in our lives. The world we live in and the culture we are a part of literally forces the gospel of material accumulation and monetary wealth on us. Success is measured the size of your house, what’s parked in your driveway, where and when you took your last vacation, how much money is in your bank account. Jesus teaches that this way of life will not be fulfilling. We never get enough! The high from the material grab does not last and we are never really satisfied, but rather distracted and always left wanting more. I believe Covid-19 is also teaching us many things about ourselves and where our priorities should be. Broken systems are being exposed and are falling apart. Finally, today, we are seeing signs that more and more of us want a new way, a different way of honoring our value and meeting our needs.  Here is where we might start: let's change the risk/reward equation. Let's make the actions and products that hurt people and the planet LESS profitable and LESS desirable. Let's work to make giving someone healthcare more profitable than denying them.  Let's work to make maintaining peace more profitable than going to war. Let's work to make protecting women's rights and freedom more profitable than selling them to human traffickers.  Let's work to make investing in under-resourced communities more profitable than jailing black and brown people. As we emerge from this COVID lockdown, let's work toward an economy that shapes a better world for all of us. Jesus talked about money more than any other topic during his ministry among us. There's a reason for that. We can't love God and oppress each other. 1 John 3:17-18 says it best: "How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." When we see the world in the way that God does, we live in a Gospel of abundance, rather than with a fear of scarcity. This is yet another invitation from Jesus welcoming us to full life, realizing God’s reign of justice is fulfilling, satisfying, enduring and eternal. Hallelujah and thanks be to God for always being there for us even in the midst of pandemic.

We are blessed!              Our journey continues...... Yours in Christ’s service........ Pastor T

South West Norfolk Pastoral Charge...We Are Linked In LOVE!!

CULTUS UNITED CHURCH: Located at  748-6th Concession Road ENR, Cultus, Ontario            WORSHIPS on Sundays at  9:00am        ALL SERVICES CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

COURTLAND UNITED CHURCH: Located at 133 Talbot Street, Courtland, Ontario                        WORSHIPS on SUNDAYS AT 10:30am     ALL SERVICES CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE      

Our Mission Statement:   The South West Norfolk Pastoral Charge is called to be a Christian community empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT US:   EMAIL: swnpc@yahoo.ca                  Office Phone: 519-688-4050

OUR MAILING ADDRESS:       South West Norfolk Pastoral Charge, P.O.Box 129, 119 Talbot Road, Courtland, On., N0J1E0

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