Sunday April 21st saw twenty-three people welcome Karen Pryznyk as our worship leader for the first in a four-part series she will deliver. The scripture readings are found in Mark 4:26-29 and Luke 17:20-21. Karen entitled her message “The Kingdom of God Is Within You” _and included in the bulletin a picture of a seed with these parts shown: embryo, seed coat, and stored food. The embryo is the blueprint or soul of the seed, and this embryo is within us spiritually to grow and multiply. She asked us to reflect on what seed of God’s kingdom is within each of us waiting to grow. How do we answer this question?
Then on April 28th twenty-six people again welcomed Karen as our worship leader. Again, we heard the scripture found in Mark 4:26-29. The additional scripture is found in John 15:1-8 where Jesus says that he is the true vine, and we are attached to this vine to bear fruit. Entitling her message “Growing in the Kingdom” _Karen reminded us that plants grow their roots into the ground and upwards above the ground. Spiritually we experience spiritual photosynthesis as God’s light causes our growth as we remain attached to the Christ vine. Karen left us with a couple of questions to reflect upon: What does God need to prune in our lives? and What helps us to grow in faith? Let us reflect on these questions.
The first Sunday in May (the 5th) saw twenty-three people welcome Karen once again as the worship leader for the third in her series this week entitled “Harvest.” Once again, we heard the scripture reading Mark 4:26-29 with the additional reading 1 John 3:18 which says, “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” _Contemplation and action are both required to produce the harvest through God by the Holy Spirit. The gifts (fruits) of the Spirit’s harvest are declared in Galatians 5:22-23 and include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Karen asked us to reflect upon What fruit is expressed in our lives for the world around us. How do we answer this question?
Marie Wedderburn