Seeing the earth from outer space can profoundly affect one’s view of life.
Here is a selection of quotes from various ‘space travelers:
“The view of the earth from the Moon fascinated me…a small disk, 240,000 miles away…Raging nationalistic interests, famines, wars, pestilence don’t show from that distance.’ – Frank Borman, Commander of Apollo 8
“The scenery was very beautiful, but I did not see the Great Wall.” -Yang Liwei, China’s first Astronaut
“Oddly enough the overwhelming sensation I got looking at the earth was, my god, that little thing is so fragile out there.’ – Mike Collins, Apollo 11 Astronaut
“To fly in space is to see the reality of Earth, alone. The experience changed my life and my attitude toward life itself. I am one of the lucky ones.’ – Roberta Bondar, neurologist and Space Shuttle Astronaut
“Now I know why I’m here. Not for a closer look at the moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth.’ – Alfred Worden, Apollo Astronaut
These comments represent what is called the ‘Overview Effect’ – a perceptual shift in the way some astronauts and cosmonauts come to see the world after viewing it from space.
They come to realize we all belong to one human family rather than to separate nations. they see everyone as a citizen of earth, as a member of one race – the human race.
They see that all life is connected. They realize that humans are one part of this precious and fragile earth.
Most of us will never travel into outer space. But many of us have had a kind of ‘space capsule’ experience during the past few years.
We have spent a lot of time in our homes, our apartments, our dwellings, looking out windows at the world.
We have also been viewing the world via social media and television programs and phone calls and ….
We hope that our pandemic experience can have a global ‘Overview Effect’, so that we all realize we are part of this precious and fragile earth, that we are all related as members of the human family and that we are all children of God.
We hope that we see this Earth, see ourselves and see our relationship to Earth, to each other and to all creation – in a new and more loving way.
CHURCH GATHERINGS and NEWS
When we gather as a faith community, we gather to see ourselves and our relationships thorough the love of God experienced in Jesus and in biblical stories.
We invite you to gather as the TMUC faith community during the coming weeks:
- We invite you to ZOOM Sunday School with Brenda this Sunday at 9:30 a.m.! Here’s the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7538449219
- TMUC’s Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday March 6 at 10:30 p.m. The meeting will be held online. We are invited to join in worship prior to the meeting. We will worship online at 10 a.m. Communion will be celebrated during the worship time. The Annual Report is available for viewing on the website at www.tmuc.ca.
- TMUC’s Glenlea Greenhouse plant sale fundraiser is available for online shopping until April 15, 2022. Get growing with us by supporting the online plant sale by clicking on the link and selecting Transcona Memorial United Church in the drop down menu at check out. There are bedding plants, hanging baskets, hanging bags, vegetables, and herbs for sale with 20-25% of profits being returned to TMUC. The more we sell, the more we get back. Please see the link for more information.https://www.glenleagreenhouses.com/collections/fundraiser-2022-home-pageThe plants will be delivered to TMUC on Friday May 13 and pick up usually starts around 4pm. If you require delivery, please contact tmucflowers@gmail.com and we can make arrangements with you.
We are thankful for the grace and blessing of everyone engaging with us on this COVID-19 journey. We are grateful to share ministry with you and really appreciate your efforts to stay in touch and to continue to care about TMUC with your prayers and your financial support.
The Prayer List is distributed separately and allows us to remember specific people with our prayers. If you want to receive the Prayer List, or add a name (with their permission), please be in touch.
Donations on PAR (note: the PAR program now accepts monthly credit card donations as well as automatic monthly bank withdrawals), Canada Helps(https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/14890), e-transfers to the church’s email address: tmuc@shaw.ca,
and cheques mailed to the church are making a difference. Thank you.
Even though we cannot be together in one place, let’s continue to be a community at prayer together. On Sunday at 10, please think about the gifts we have in our lives, and needs of our world, and then pray the Lord’s prayer (you can pray silently, or out loud).
And, sometime, when you want to have a longer worship time, we are including some words and videos for your use.
As we share this week’s TMUC worship service, we are called again to listen to our faith community’s words of reconciliation:
We are gathered for worship and work in Treaty One territory, which is the traditional land of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dené peoples and the homeland of the Metis Nation. For thousands of years Indigenous Peoples walked this land and knew it to be the centre of their lives and their spirituality. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
Worship for Sunday, February 20, 2022
Introit: “Joy is now in Every Place”:
Come, Holy Spirit!
Come to awaken our faith,
to inspire our hope
to embolden our love
and to let Christ live in us!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Today’s opening hymn is ‘Come let Us Sing’:
Esther and Emmett talk about ‘Praying!’
Printable Version:
Esther and Emmet_Feb 20
Scripture reading:
Luke 6:27-38
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.
Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Carol offers a reflection:
Printable Version:
Carol reflection-Feb 20
Let us pray:
God, we grasp at words to describe You,
we grasp at words that cannot describe You
We bring these words to our worship:
Powerful,
Loving,
Holy,
Awesome,
Almighty,
Glorious!
Words that try to contain a reality that cannot be contained by words, by thoughts, by data.
Words that only hint at Your presence,
only hint at the mystery and wonder and heights and depths of GOD!
So we come again to pray,
aware that our words of prayer are also just hints,
just glimpses
of Your Spirit in our lives,
of our yearning for peace, for justice,
for us to live in Your world,
as Your people,
as Your creation,
as Your prayer become flesh, become human.
We come again to pray as companions of Jesus,
who taught his companions to pray,
who found times of solitude
and places of wilderness
in order to pray, to be in Your presence through the
relationship we call ‘prayer’.
We come again to prayer,
thankful for the faith we discover through Jesus;
Thankful to belong to Your Creation of such diversity,
Wonder and relatedness.
Thankful for the gifts of imagination and awe, and for our human capacity to love.
Thankful for Your Spirit birthing newness and life.
We pray that we may allow your newness and life to flow through us as blessing in this world.
We pray for this world – Your Creation.
We pray for medical personal continuing to care for so many patients, and we pray for patients suffering from COVID and patients suffering from many illnesses and injuries.
We pray for the health of people throughout the world. We pray wisdom as we continue to live in these challenging times.
We pray for the people of Keeseekoose First Nations as they grieve after the discovery of graves at the site of two former residential schools.
God, as we continue to discover the pain and violence that are part of our history, we pray for forgiveness, we pray for healing, we pray for Indigenous people throughout Canada, we pray for truth to be told and reconciliation to be sought.
We pray for the people of Ukraine. We pray for peace. We pray for peace throughout the world.
We pray for peaceful resolution to the blockades and protests in this country.
We pray that we learn the ways of peace, the ways of respect, trust, forgiveness, and healing.
We pray for all who have no shelter or home. We pray for compassion to guide us so that all may be welcomed and offered safe places to live.
We pray for all whose lives are bound by poverty. We pray for a world of compassion and for all people to have access to food, clean water, medical care, education, housing and opportunities to contribute to the well-being of all.
We pray for renewed faith, for renewed hearts, for renewed love so that we may share the hope embodied in Jesus the Christ.
We offer these prayers in the name and spirit of Jesus the Christ. AMEN
Our closing hymn is “We Cannot own the Sunlit Sky”
May God bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you.
May God grant you peace and joy.
Be in the peace of Christ, this day and always. Amen
We keep you in our prayers,
Jeff and Carol