SEARCHLIGHT

  Over the last year I participated in a group called "HEARTS EXCHANGED." It was a study of the relationship between Indigenous People and Non Indigenous People and the "road to reconciliation." I learned much!! As a pastor I was drawn to the rich spirituality of Indigenous People and in particular those who are "Christ followers." Today I would like to share some prayers that have been part of my daily prayers, for the last several months. Prayers that I have learned from Indigenous Sisters and Brothers.  I invite you to read them slowly and reflectively and let God's spirit speak into your hearts today on this "ORANGE SHIRT DAY."  Pastor Darrell A Prayer for Bravery Creator Father, help me to understand that because you are as close to me as my breath, I may be brave. May your Spirit give me the courage to face challenges and circumstances with the confidence that your power for me is greater than death and all evil. Meegwetch*. In Christ’s

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis Webstad’s memory of her first day of school at the St. Joseph Mission Residential School in British Columbia. When six-year-old Phyllis excitedly arrived wearing a shiny orange shirt from her grandmother, the teachers took it away. Says Phyllis, “The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.” Phyllis went on to earn diplomas in Business Administration and Accounting. In 2017, she was awarded Thompson River University’s Distinguished Alumni Award for her unprecedented impact on local, provincial, national and international communities through the sharing of her orange shirt story. Recently, in our worship time together during a meditation I asked the question of all of us When you look out at our world, what breaks your heart? What makes you sad? Do you remember? My answer to this q

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 Matthew 13:44-51 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 “Have you understood all this?”   In today’s reading Jesus uses a sequence of images to show how astonishing and surprising God’s kingdom is. The story of the pearl says the kingdom is hidden but very precious. T

SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 Psalm 30:11,12 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Psalm 30 provides a beautiful picture of the God who spared the author of the psalm from falling into a pit and healed and restored them. It is an honest picture of the ups and downs of life and a relationship that survives both the positives and negatives. The Psalm writer recognizes God’s actions in bringing them out of the difficulties of life. In our culture,  the ‘self-made person’ is revered and individualism is prized, Psalm 30 offers us a refreshing picture of life in relationship with our loving creator. (You may want to read all of Psalm 30) May you be blessed with the vision to recognize God’s hand in your circumstances and give praise and thanks to the One whose " anger lasts only a moment but whose favor lasts a lifetime." Remember, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the

 SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, my burden’s light. “Give it a rest”, has anyone ever said that to you? Have you spoken that into a person's life? This expression is an informal way of saying, “Stop talking about it.” Ok, it basically means "Shut Up". The expression reveals an attitude that communicates I just can’t be bothered with you right now. So, "give it a rest!" I wonder how many of us approach God, expecting that same rejection, That God is going to respond with "give it a rest." I sometimes have these thoughts because my prayers can be repetitive, praying the same petitions and intercessions day after day. Do you fear asking the Lord for anything because you feel like you are asking the same things in prayer, or do you believe th

 SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 John 4:46-53 46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. ‘Go,’ Jesus replied, ‘you

 SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel.                   (1 Corinthians 9:22b,23a) When the Apostle Paul wrote to the people of Corinth, he was deeply aware of how many different groups of people with competing beliefs existed in the busy seaport of Corinth. This included people from different cultures, people who held different religious views, people who were free and people who were slaves, people who were transient and those who were permanent inhabitants of the city. So, we need to understand that when Paul talks about becoming all things to all people, he is talking about the necessity to be able to communicate with widely differing groups with one key aim: to share the gospel so that they may be know the love of God personally. So, another way of putting it is that Paul knew his audience. Whether they were Jew or Gentile, under the law or outside the law, strong or weak

 SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 Matthew 13:44-46 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. What does it mean to you to know you have a God who loves you unreservedly, and who promises his presence to be with you always. What does it mean to you to know God’s forgiveness and that he offers each of us a fresh start again and again. What does it mean for you to experience the welcome of God’s open arms that say come to me? What worth do you put on that knowledge and experience compared to the many other things you might have in your life that are of significance? If your heart is set on something, then nothing will get in the way of you achieving it. You will make sacrifices, do without things, and persevere and

 SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 Luke 16:1-13 16 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2 So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3 Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ 7 Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ 8 And

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022  “To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn,” she asked,  “than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?” Queen Elizabeth II I am not a “Royal Watcher, however, Queen Elizabeth II is the Monarch I have grown up with. Singing at the start of Each Elementary school day our National Anthem and "God Save our Queen."  Today, will be her funeral and the world will pay tribute to her, and celebrate her life. Whatever our views happen to be about Monarchy, I have found it interesting and have been deeply moved by the evidence of Queen Elizabeth II’s faith. One of her titles is “Defender of the Faith,” and she did not simply carry this title in name, she was a Christian and she at many times during her reign revealed this spiritual depth, and through it, she was used to give too many the strength and comfort needed at just the proper time. In her 2016 address, she explained, “Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching

 SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 We End our week with Praise.  Here is a song that we must learn to sing.  Let's go celebrating, dancing, and praising God in this Day!  I really hope this tune swirls in your mind all day.   Here is a Psalm that we can pray today. Let Us Pray. Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14 Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise the Lord in the heights Praise the Lord, all his angels; Praise the Lord, all his hosts. Rulers of the earth and all peoples, Sovereigns and all judges of the earth, Young men and maidens as well, The old and the young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord, For God’s name alone is exalted, Whose splendor rises above heaven and earth. The Lord exalts the strength of the people, And is the praise of all the faithful The praise of the children of Israel, Of the people to whom our God is close. Alleluia! AMEN

 SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 Here is a promise for our day  from our Creator God. Malachi 4:2 “But for you who worship my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his rays. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. What an awesome image for this new day. What a promise that is given to us. God's presence sends us out into a new day like a calf let out to pasture and released from the stall. Have you every witnessed that?  You may not feel "free, leaping with Joy" at this moment. That is why I include this prayer for us. Let Us Pray. God, I don't know who or what will cross my path today. But I do know that You are my Rock and my Fortress. You are my Shield and my Strong Tower. You are my guide, lead me today by your still waters. Help me to anchor myself to You today. Teach me how to stand strong in You and choose only Your way today. Help me walk by Your truth and not my feelings. Help me to embrace anything that comes my way as

 SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 Today let us pray the words of what I suggest is a very personal prayer between us and God. This Psalm has a closeness and intimacy about it that reveals a deep spiritual connection with the Creator. Today make them your prayer. Once again I invite you to read the words slowly and let the petitions of Psalm 63 sink into your heart and mind. Let Us Pray. Psalm 63:1-8 You, God, are my God, I earnestly seek you; I thirst for you, My whole being longs for you, In a dry and parched land Where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary And beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, My lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, And in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied with the richest of foods; With singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed, I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; You

 SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 For today's prayer I want to invite us to pray for your neighborhood. The prayers  below are samples but use your own words to pray for the area where you live. I have said this before, and I believe this wholeheartedly, God has a purpose for placing you where you live, so let's pray for our neighborhoods today. Let Us Pray. 1. Pray for Families.   Heavenly Father, we ask for your presence in families in our neighborhood. We pray for strength and understanding between the marriages in our neighborhood. We ask for loving, strong bonds between the children, teenagers, adults, and grandparents. We pray that each branch of the family would demonstrate love for one another. 2. Pray for Relationships between neighbors.  God, we ask for healthy, thriving relationships between neighbors. We pray different cultures will be able to understand and care for one another in our neighborhood. We pray that the diversity of your people will be celebrated by all neighbors, j

  SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 Praying Together This week in our Daily Devotions we are going to post some prayers that we can pray together as a follower of Jesus and as a Community of Jesus. I want to invite us to pray the words slowly, don't rush through, and see if there is a phrase or request that you really take notice of, that leaps off the screen at you.  Take a few moments to reflect on why these particular words caught your attention.    Let's Pray Dear God, at the start of this day and week, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our heart that we might see you, and notice how you're at work through our lives.  Give us wisdom to make the best choices, fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this world. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new.  Thank you that you are greater than anything we may face in our day. Thank you that your presence goes with us, and that your joy is never dependent

 SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 1 Peter 2:4-10 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a peop

  SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 Numbers 9:15-23 15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the c

 SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 John 13:34-35 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   1 Peter 2:17 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.   Acts 2:42-47 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. We need one another. In fact, the phrase “one anoth

 SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 Psalm 68:6 6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Deuteronomy 14:27-29 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 24:18-22 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. 19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless yo

SEPTEMBER 5, 2022   Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 2:15 "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it" Exodus 20:9 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. Happy Labor Day!! For many, Labor  Day signals the end of summer. But what evolved into just another long weekend began as a massive working class demonstration in the streets of Toronto for better working conditions for laborers. The push by the Printers Union for shorter workdays, 9 hours instead of the 12 hours they worked, became a driving force that awakened Governments to the need to recognize the contribution of Canadian laborers. So, in Parliament on July 23, 1894, Labor Day became a National holiday. It was a big victory and was a gre