July 23, 2021 TheWee Voice Newsletter THE SUMMER DAY Mary Oliver Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean - the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down - who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver 1935 - 2019 Mary’s work is inspired by nature, rather than Cover Photo the human world, “Sunrise, Policeman’s Creek, stemming from her Canmore AB” lifelong passion for solitary walks in Mireille Gray the wild. “One who Forgives” or HARD SAYINGS “One who is Forgiven”? - SUMMER SERIES The “Hard Sayings” from last Sunday Matthew 5: 29 ~ 30 generated a lot of “musings” this week! I guess that means it was a successful sermon! “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!” As I reached the “middle years” I found it easier This week we tackle another hard saying of to forgive. The childhood “it’s not fair” faded Jesus. Every week I think to myself “this is the away as I took heed of the advice from “learned” hardest one yet!” but then next week I say the counsel that the only way for me to “heal” was to very same thing! “forgive and forget”. It is not always easy, but it This one may not be the most well known of does bring peace. The “forgetting” part is the Jesus’ sayings but it may well be the most hardest as I was reminded that if past injustice troubling. Of course, if we took it literally, we is ever brought up, it really hasn’t been forgiven! would all be walking around with only one hand! Forgiving we have control over, so it is possible to I am sure you are wondering what I will be saying learn how to do it. about this one, as gruesome as it is. I invite you Seeking “forgiveness” is much, much harder. It to come and find out! Join us this Sunday on starts by admitting we were wrong, then asking to Zoom. be forgiven. We all know people who seem to be Rev. Vivian Yarwood incapable of admitting they could be wrong - but are we one of those? If we do admit to being in The the wrong, sincerely say “we’re sorry”, and ask for forgiveness, and it is not granted to us, “Lily Trail” what can we do? We are not in control. Do we simply, sadly, walk away? Is committing ourselves to trying to do better in future enough? Lots of tough questions! Tom Joyce Just a Reminder!! Rev. Jennifer Palin is on vacation (staycation?) This is a trail that my friends and I walked She will be returning to us Sunday, August 8th. today. It is just south of the DM tennis club, in the Happy reading, Jennifer! park to the east of Duncairn Road. A gentleman, called Chris, has cleared the brush and planted over 5,000 lilies over the span of five years. The trail stretches to a bit north of the tennis courts PLEASE NOTE and has some interesting During July and August the stones along the way. Anne Anderson Church Office will be closed on FRIDAYS For the summer our church office is now open: Monday to Thursday, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Please help keep No one but Emily is allowed access into the office. everyone safe Offering cheques can be dropped in the mailbox (call by doing your Emily and let her know). Please help support Emily as we live the new life of self-distancing. part !! WANT TO STAY Follow us and Like us on Facebook UP TO DATE? Donway Covenant United Church SUMMER Oh, How I Love Summer “The HARD SAYINGS SERIES Susan M. Gilbert of JESUS” Though May did bring her deepest grey And June did bring her gloom, I woke this morn in a glorious way Rev. Vivian Yarwood will be leading us To Sunshine in my room. in worship (ZOOM services) from July 4th to August 1st while Rev. Jennifer Palin is Quick, get up, on vacation. Rev. Vivian will be available It's time to rise. for emergency pastoral care (through Greet the day. physical distancing) I started to cry. Join us for Worship on ZOOM. For today, It has begun. Call the church office to be It's finally here, put on our email list, The summer sun! or use the link below. Feel her warmth, Jul 25 “If Your Hand Causes You To Sin, See my garden grow, 10:30 am Cut It Off” Taste the sweetest fruits, Watch the butterflies flow. Aug 1 “The Kingdom of Heaven Is 10:30 am Like......” Hear the squirrels chatter And my orioles swoon It doesn’t matter where you are - Till the evening comes in Don Mills, or across the country, With the summer moon. or around the world, you can join us on ZOOM! It seems like I've waited The Worship Committee Such a very long time, Longing for the light of Your rays of sunshine. (MORE) So please stay a while. Bring your long, lazy days. SAYINGS SHARED I'll cherish each blue sky Cleaning up your own backyard first And ride every wave. Oh, how I love summer Pouring like cold molasses And all of her songs, Happy summer to all, Making a mountain out of a mole hill And may it be long! Carolyn Reashore July 25, 2021 10:30 am PLEASE JOIN US Eastern Daylight Time To join the service with audio only using your ZOOM WILL OPEN AT 10:00 am phone please dial: To join the service with online video please (647) 374 - 4685 or (647) 558 - 0588 CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW You will be prompted to enter the following https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85971302160?pwd=K2RMVURudndoYTBpOVR1YkgvWnBJdz09 information: This link should take you directly to the meeting, Meeting ID you enter 859 7130 2160# however if asked for the Meeting ID and Participant ID you enter # Password, they are as follows: (there is no participant ID for us) Password you enter 940587# Meeting ID: 859 7130 2160 If you need help to get connected Password: 940587 please call Ruth Kenny at (416) 832-9709 To the Ladies’ Fellowship to enlist on a British man-of-war ship. The conditions on board were intolerable to him, so he DEVOTIONS deserted, but was soon recaptured, publicly flogged and demoted to common seaman. Finally I'm always amazed how the mind works! at his own request he was exchanged into service Especially when I am thinking of something to on a slave ship bound for Africa. He then became write. So...this morning, while doing laundry of all the servant of a slave trader and was brutally things, I thought of a future Devotion, or abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea Devotions! captain who had known his father. John Newton I would like to propose that each of you send ultimately became captain of his own ship, one me the title of one of your favourite Hymns and I which plied the slave trade. will feature my Devotion on that! Since not all Hymns are listed in my reference book, I would Although he had some early religious request your sending two (2) titles. It would give instruction from his mother, he had long since me pleasure to include your request in my given up any religious convictions. However, on Devotions throughout the summer months, a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to perhaps even into the fall. steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his Incidentally, one of Udo's favourites is a Hymn “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal from his Lutheran Days, called DAY BY DAY. that when all seemed lost and the ship would I look forward to your requests! surely sink, he exclaimed: “LORD HAVE MERCY Roberta UPON US”. Later in his cabin he reflected on I imagine that you, like me, have a favourite what he had said and began to believe that God Hymn. I decided to do a bit of research on one had addressed him through the storm and that that means a great deal to me, but first a quote grace had begun to work for him. from 1 Chronicles 17, verse 16: He decided to become a minister and “And David the King came and sat before eventually was ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln the Lord and said, Who am I O Lord God, and accepted the curacy of Olney, and what is mine house, that thou hast Buckinghamshire. Newton's church became so brought me hitherto” crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. Newton was a prolific Hymn writer, many of which That passage from the Bible became reflected are still sung today, but AMAZING GRACE is in the third verse of a song originally titled probably the most popular hymn in the English “Faith's Review”.