May 15, 2020

Hello again
 
For the past two months, Woodroffe has been sending out two emails a week to keep people updated, and to offer spiritual and emotional support.  Since we still have no idea when churches will reopen and things have settled into the new normal for now, we will be discontinuing one of the weekly emails and moving the remaining one to Wednesdays.
 
Both our Pastoral Care team and our Emergency Preparedness team are still very active.  As the pandemic slows (or stops) we will continue to update you on the plans and activities of the church. 
 
For this Friday’s email, I want to share with you a prayer poem from the book Awakened by Ashes (2013 Echoe Press) written by Carol Scott who is a pastoral care team member at Emmanuel United Church.  I hope you find meaning and blessing in it.
 
Kathryn
 
God of a Thousand Blazing Suns
 
God of a thousand blazing suns
Awaken the very cells of my being,
My heart and mind, the depths of my soul
To be fully alive and present to life.
 
God of a thousand dandelion seeds,
Of the thousand blades of grass at my feet,
Remind me to walk gently, with respect,
For the earth that I walk on today.
 
God of a thousand morning bird songs,
Help me to hear the message beneath the words,
The melodies and harmonies rising above
Humanity’s pain and longing.
 
God of a thousand refracting dew drops
Remind me of the newness of your presence.
Refresh me as I open up to live this new day,
Newly returned from my desert wanderings.
 
…Shalom…
…Shanti…
...Amen…

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(note: starting May 15, each weekly message will be in its own document)

(transcript of the message)