daily updates about Activities and Events
at St. Peter’s

ZOOM INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2025
First Sunday in Extended Advent

The ZOOM link for today’s service, which opens at 09.30 am on November 9, 2025, can be found here:
Worship November 9 , 2025 09:30 am ZOOM room opens; service begins at 10:00 am.

Join Zoom Meeting click here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86594280120?pwd=cJ07AosND16wJ0Jo0pnzqOjVbLaXMR.1

Meeting ID: 865 9428 0120        Passcode: 155931

You don’t have to have a computer or internet to connect to any of our church Zoom services; you can also just call in on one of these numbers (long distance charges may apply):  (All Canadian numbers). You can also access the ZOOM from your telephone by using the “One tap mobile” option: 
+15873281099,,86594280120#,,,,*155931# Canada; +16473744685,,86594280120#,,,,*155931# Canada

Dial by your location:
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 780 666 0144 Canada
+1 204 272 7920 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada

Meeting ID: 865 9428 0120       Passcode: 155931  

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kkudXhpUs
……………………………………………….

On this All Saints Sunday, St. Peter's, Cambridge remembered those saints who have gone on before us and are now part of the great cloud of witnesses, and we also welcomed four new members to our household of faith. A wonderful service!

Sunday October 26, 2025 at St. Peter's, Cambridge we celebrated four young people who affirmed the promises made at their baptism through the Rite of Confirmation. The confirmands made candles for the altar which they took home with them and a wooden cross was gifted to each of our young people. May God bless you as you continue your journey in faith! Thank you to Pastor Laura for such a meaningful Confirmation/Reformation celebration!

http://stpeterscambridge.com/weekly-announcements

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UPDATE November 6, 2025

Your Peace
God, who is more than we can ever comprehend,
help us to seek you,
and you alone.
Help us to stand before all that we could do
and seek what you would do,
and do that.
Lift from us our need to achieve all that we can be
and instead,
surrender to what you can be in us.
Give us ways to refrain from the busyness
that will put us on edge and off center,
give us today your peace.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/calmness-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Not Forget’, by StillCreek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhxg4ihMqos
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UPDATE November 5, 2025

Leading in Our Lives
God,
we are your beloved.
Even in our unfinished state,
you take delight in what we are
and what we will become.
Help us to claim for our own your gentle leading in our lives,
help us to know you are always hoping for more for us
and from us.
Give us the strength and peace of heart
to be filled with your power.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Renew My Life’, by StillCreek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVJDiQgqDXo
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UPDATE November 4, 2025

Drenched in Holiness
Dear God, Spirit, Divine Mother,
On this day I ask you to grant this request,
May I know who I am and what I am,
Every moment of every day.
May I be a catalyst for light and love,
And bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.
May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict,
And the courage to speak my voice, even when I'm scared.
May I have the humility to follow my heart,
And the passion to live my soul's desires.
May I seek to know the highest truth
And dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.
May I embrace and love the totality of myself,
My darkness as well as my light.
May I be brave enough to hear my heart,
To let it soften so that I may gracefully
Choose faith over fear.
Today is my day to surrender anything that stands
Between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.
May I be drenched in my Holiness
And engulfed by Your love.
May all else melt away.
And so it is.
- Debbie Ford
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Lord is Good’, by StillCreek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06VBjzrc-8
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UPDATE November 3, 2025

Give Me Strength
Dear Oh God, I ask not for easier tasks.
I ask for stronger aptitudes and greater talents
to meet any tasks which may come my way.

Help me to help others
so that their lives may be made easier and happier.
Strengthen my confidence in my fellow men
in spite of what they may do or say.

Give me strength to live according to the Golden Rule,
enthusiasm to inspire those around me,
sympathy to help lighten the burdens of those who suffer,
and a spirit of joy and gladness to share with others.
-attributed to Harry Bullis, former chairman of General Mill
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Abide’, by Carrie Newcomer & Parker J. Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWxgvY5j0HY
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UPDATE November 2, 2025

Your Loving Support
God, oh God, it is you I seek.
And, with your constant loving support
I will even try to seek you in lost causes,
those dark and forgotten places that I can't imagine you present.
And yet you are there.
Help me to be there too,
seeking, finding, proclaiming your goodness
even as the day darkens
and my spirit draws back to my false safety of self.
Fill me with wonder of your goodness,
replacing my self doubt with confidence
in you and your sure and steady help.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Mercy of God’, by StillCreek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA49kDdrNPQ
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UPDATE November 1, 2025

A Prayer Meditation for All Saints Day
We give you thanks, O God, for all the saints who ever worshiped you
Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals,
Weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses
Where your name was lifted and adored.

We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise:
Manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil,
Strong hands and those gnarled with age
Holy hands
Used as wave offerings across the land.

We thank you, God, for hardworking saints;
Whether hard-hatted or steel-booted,
Head ragged or aproned,
Blue-collared or three-piece-suited
They left their mark on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come.

Thank you, God, for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who have gone before us.
Bless the memories of your saints, God.
May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love.
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/a-prayer-meditation-for-all-saints-day

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Saints Day’, by Carrie Newcomer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQefafxbS9E
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UPDATE October 31, 2025

For Strength and Wisdom
Thank You, Lord, for being there for me and allowing me to cry out to you in my times of need. It is amazing to me that the Lord of the Universe would take time to listen to me and to care about what I say.

God, there are things happening around me right now that I do not understand. Some of these thinks make me feel weak, helpless, and afraid.

Even in the midst of this, I know that you are the Lord.

I know that the situation is in Your hand, and I trust You.

I beseech you for strength and for wisdom that I would be able to endure his situation and be able to handle it in a way that would bring glory to Your name.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Reformation Song’, by Sovereign Grace Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osKjBaYwq5k
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UPDATE October 30, 2025

May What I Do Flow From Me Like a River
I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.
I want to free what awaits within me
So that what no one has dared to wish for
May for once spring clear
Without my contriving.
If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,
But this is what I need to say.
May what I do flow from me like a river,
No forcing and no holding back,
The way it is with children.
Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,
These deepening tides moving out, returning,
I will sing you as no one ever has,
Streaming through widening channels
Into the open sea.
- Rainer Maria Rilke
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Thou Fount (Above All Else)’, by Shane & Shane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i5UYXP0GqI
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UPDATE October 29, 2025

Sarum Primer Prayer
God be in my head
and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes
and in my looking;
God be in my mouth
and in my speaking;
God be in my heart
and in my thinking;
God be in my end
and at my departing.
- Author Unknown, c. 1514
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Creatures of Our God and King’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haisvt45Kdc
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UPDATE October 27, 2025

A Prayer for Unity
In this century and in any century,
Our deepest hope, our most tender prayer,
Is that we learn to listen.
May we listen to one another in openness and mercy
May we listen to plants and animals in wonder and respect
May We listen to our own hearts in love and forgiveness
May we listen to God in quietness and awe.
And in this listening,
Which is boundless in its beauty,
May we find the wisdom to cooperate
With a healing spirit, a divine spirit
Who beckons us into peace and community and creativity.
We do not ask for a perfect world.
But we do ask for a better world.
We ask for deep listening.
- Jay McDaniel, Professor of Religion, Hendrix College, Arkansas
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Humble My Heart’, by Steph MacLeod & Leah McFall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEbFfOd4X2Y
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UPDATE October 26, 2025

In One Family
Send thy peace O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting,
that our souls may radiate peace.
Send thy peace O Lord, that we may think, act, and speak harmoniously.
Send thy peace O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts.
Send thy peace O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife, we may enjoy Thy bliss.
Send thy peace O Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all,
in the thought of thy grace and mercy.
Send thy peace O Lord, that our lives may become a divine vision,
and in thy light, all darkness may vanish.
Send thy peace O Lord, our father and mother, that we thy children on Earth
may unite in one family.
- Hazrat Inayat Khan
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Mighty Fortress’, by 2nd Chapter of Acts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usa7bK4sEpM&list=RDusa7bK4sEpM&start_radio=1
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UPDATE October 25, 2025

United in Your Love
Almighty God, who are mother and father to us all,
Look upon your planet Earth divided.
Help us to know that we are all your children,
That all nations belong to one great family,
And that all of our religions lead to you.

Multiply our prayers in every land
Until the whole Earth becomes your congregation,
United in your love.
Sustain our vision of a peaceful future
And give us strength to work unceasingly
To make that vision real.
- Helen Weaver
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Open Hands’, by Laura Story ft Mac Powell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AABE--YR1No
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UPDATE October 24, 2025

A Christian Prayer for Unity
One only Holy Spirit of Father and son
in whom all are baptized,
one giver of many gifts,
one tree of many fruits
one speaker of every tongue, renew in our day
the wonders of Pentecost,
grant that people of every race and nation
may understand one another, and as one, proclaim
the praises of God.
Grant that all may be one
as you, Spirit, with the Father and the Son
are one God, one Lord.
Grant unity to the Body of Christ;
grant unity to the human family.
Sole breath of every living thing,
may all be one who, in you,
live and move and have their being.
- Carl K. Moeddel
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Give Up’, by Laura Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd8a3T_P2gs
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UPDATE October 23, 2025

Ephesians 4:25
Oh Lord, as we work together to build your empire, let us be the light that leads the world to you.
God, teach us to be good role models to the people around us, so that when they see you and your love within us, they would want to know you more and more.
God grant us the patience to work together, bring us all together as a family.
Let us work together with understanding and compassion in our hearts. Let us not be rude or arrogant towards one another, as we light the way to your heavenly kingdom.
- Christianstt (Resource for prayers, faith, belief and spirituality.)
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Cannot Be Stopped’, by Laura Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygcyxpvo0zI
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UPDATE October 22, 2025

A Prayer For Oneness
I rest in you, Spirit of Life.
I place in you my feet, my legs, my torso, my arms, my shoulders, my head and allow you to support all that I am.
I rest in you, Spirit of Life, and give to you my worries, my fears, my doubts, my hopes, my joys, my pains, my anger, my love, my hate, and allow you to take in all that I am.
And as I give all that I am, I find the place of truth, stillness, still, eternal where you and I are one.
I breathe in, deep, deeply, down, up, all that we are, as I stand on my toe at the edge of the universe, in oneness.
And all that we are expands, until forever.
- Karem Barratt
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/unity-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I’m Not Perfect’, by Babylon Still Cries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H5typPfJjw
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UPDATE October 21, 2025

Special People
We thank you, O God,
For those people who are channels of your love in our lives:
For those who gave us birth,
And, in the weakness of our infancy,
Sheltered, nurtured, and treasured us.

For those who taught us to walk,
To talk and to explore tastes, smells, sounds,
And affirmed our strengths,
And the friends young and old
Who share our tears and laughter.

We thank you, Lord,
For the people of strong faith
Who stretch out minds and enlarge our capacity
To explore and understand your ways.

For those at every stage of our journey
Who teach us trust by trusting us,
Who enable us to love others
Through the experience of being loved.

We thank you for those very sincere people
Who have demonstrated the joys and disciplines
Of the kingdom of God,
And especially people who taught us to love you,
Rather than to be afraid of you.

God of love, God of Jesus,
For these healing experiences of growth and loving,
And for the knowledge that the best is yet to come,
We praise your holy name:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
By Bruce D. Prewer (year 1983). Australian Prayers, Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, Australia (p. 112)
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gods-love

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Simply Jesus’, by Aaron Williams & Amanda Cook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpa1MAxRjOY
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UPDATE October 20, 2025

Your Love
Bless us with Love, O Merciful God;
That we may Love as you Love!
That we may show patience, tolerance,
Kindness, caring and love to all!
Give me knowledge; O giver of Knowledge,
That I may be one with my Universe and Mother Earth!
O Compassionate One, grant compassion unto us;
That we may help all fellow souls in need!
Bless us with your Love O God.
Bless us with your Love.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gods-love

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Abide’, by Aaron Williams & CAIN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXl2yE8FKXA
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UPDATE October 19, 2025

A Prayer for Resting in God's Love
God of Goodness, I come into your presence so aware of my human frailty and yet overwhelmed by your love for me.
I thank you that there is no human experience that I might walk through where your love cannot reach me.
If I climb the highest mountain you are there and yet if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life, you are there.
Teach me today to love you more.
Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing more than the simple trusting heart of a child.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gods-love

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Give Thanks (Psalm 107), by Sovereign Grace Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zb_1Inl3ak
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UPDATE October 18, 2025

Prayer to an Evolutionary God
You accept us--at times of self-doubt
Thank you, God of all,
Co-creator of our world,
For allowing us to be imperfectly made:
Because it makes us, if we are wise, forgiving.
Do you accept us as we are?
We condemn people too quickly:
We judge them for flawed thinking, disguised egotism,
Unworthy acquisitiveness, or skewed opinions.
But we can forgive them once we accept our own shadow,
And realize how well we ourselves fit
Into the ranks of a less than perfect human race.
You, Holy God, accept each of us,
Prophets tell us, just as we are:
Provided our moral judgments of others
Are reciprocally generous and compassionate.
Imperfection fits this evolving reality,
For the universe thrives on diversity,
Including random failure,
One of the very preconditions for the unfolding advances.
May it be so.
- William Cleary
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gods-love

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)’, by Sovereign Grace Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xLIjhGguXg
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UPDATE October 17, 2025

Bring Justice and Peace
God of all creation, bring justice and peace to our world.
Teach us to be peacemakers. Guide us in our pursuit of
justice and the common good. Inspire us to welcome all, forgive
all, and love all. Direct us as we walk in the shadow of Jesus: the
Way, the Truth, and the Life. Inspire us to perceive the world
through your eyes, that we might find hope and joy each day,
supportive of each other, for the sake of your Kingdom.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Came Running’, by Laura Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEhQ579cPtI
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UPDATE October 16, 2025

Peace in the Middle East
God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.
- Reverend Said
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lift High the Name of Jesus’, by New Irish Arts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yjAz_rSD0g
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UPDATE October 15, 2025

Reconciliation in the Middle East
Almighty God!
After almost a century of mistrust and fratricide,
you inspired Jews, Christians, and Muslims
to take the path of reconciliation in the Middle East...
We ask for your forgiveness, O God,
yet we find it hard to forgive our past enemies.
May Your Words touch those who still stray
in the wilderness of vengeful violence,
forgetting your command to "forgive and overlook,
till God accomplish His Purpose;
for God hath power over all things."
- Abdelwahab Hechiche
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Glory Be to Christ’, by New Irish Arts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSDHP-Oncxk
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UPDATE October 14, 2025

Thanksgiving Prayer
Holy Father, thank you for your love that endures forever. In your Spirit, we give thanks every day. But, this one day each year, we gather to celebrate your goodness, your gifts, and your provision. We pause to praise you that every good and perfect gift comes from you, that we have so much for which we are thankful. Above all, thank you for your gift of salvation through your Son Jesus Christ, from whom we receive forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
https://prayer.reframeministries.org/blog/5-prayers-for-thanksgiving

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Perfect Wisdom of Our God’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezxuJ_Irpks
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UPDATE October 13, 2025

Remembering Others
O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
- Samuel F. Pugh
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/thanksgiving-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Total Praise’, by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0PPZyF-Bzo
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UPDATE October 12, 2025

Scottish Blessing
May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire,
so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it.
And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,
like a candle set in the window of a house,
bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.
And may the blessing of the rain be on you,
may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.
And may the blessing of the earth be on you,
soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,
soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day;
and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it.
May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God.
And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Celtic_Blessings_and_Prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Before the Throne of God Above’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV6mQxlZ78g
***************
UPDATE October 11, 2025

May You Find What You Seek
In anxiety may you find peace
In sadness may you find comfort
In sickness may you find healing
In loneliness may you find company
In busyness may you find space
In listening may you find wisdom
In following may you find hope
In the One who meets our needs
Who says, ‘Ask and you will receive.’
https://www.faithandworship.com/blessings_and_benedictions.html#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Road is Long’, by Passenger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHaBLFaTy2w&list=RDkHaBLFaTy2w&start_radio=1
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UPDATE October 10, 2025

Within the Busyness of This Day
Within the busyness of this day
may you sense God’s presence,
an inner warmth and strength
that can overcome adversity,
a sense of peace, a whisper
heard through the distractions
of daily life, uplifting, calming,
enabling, your assurance that,
whatever this day might throw,
you are well-equipped, ready
and willing to follow the call
to be God’s hands and voice
and make a difference today.
https://www.faithandworship.com/blessings_and_benedictions.html#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Thousand Ways’, by Matt Redman, Joe L Barnes & CalledOut Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kmZ9n5PBfs
***************
UPDATE October 9, 2025

The Blessed in Your Eyes
The blessed in your eyes
are not those who have everything
but those who have nothing.
Not the rich in earning
but the rich in spending
who give their all for you.
Your ordinary saints
being your hands,
feet and words
in their ordinary lives,
doing extraordinary things for you.
The blessed in your eyes
are not those who desire honour,
but those who merely seek to serve.
Thank you for the servants in your kingdom.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Thanksgiving.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bring My Children Home’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqy6qhwHDSw
***************
UPDATE October 8, 2025

Blessing Through the Seasons
As a part of nature's wondrous cycle
Of new birth, growth, fruitfulness and death
We rejoice in the creation of new life,
For parenthood, the passing on of knowledge,
For understanding and the wisdom of years.
We are grateful for those who have gone before
Passing on to us our spiritual heritage.
May our lives blossom as the apple tree in Spring
May we become fruitful in thought and deed
And may the seed of love that falls to the ground
Linger beyond our time on this earth.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Harvest_Thanksgiving_Resources_and_Prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Safe in the Covering’, by Cageless Birds ft Molly Skaggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmmQPV_ViW4
***************

UPDATE October 7, 2025

Forgive Our Ingratitude
Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving
reaping without sowing.
Open our eyes to see
our lips to praise
our hands to share
May our feet tread lightly on the path we tread
and our footsteps be worthy of following
for they lead to you.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Harvest_Thanksgiving_Resources_and_Prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80TpeVdW7HE
******************
UPDATE October 6, 2025

Show My Gratitude
Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in ways that keep my eyes focused on you and make my spirit soar.

Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You protect me from those things that seem to haunt others. You help me make better choices and provide me with advisors to help me with life's difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways so that I always know you are here.

And Lord, I am so grateful for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me.

I am extremely grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind of just how blessed I am and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and returned acts of kindness.
- By Kelli Mahoney
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gratitude-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Mighty Cross’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGZ1tnCI2R4
******************
UPDATE October 5, 2025

Making Our Souls Great
To pray is to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings,
the divine margin in all attainments.
Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.
It is all we can offer in return.
Who is worthy to be present at the constant unfolding of time?
Here we are amidst the meditation of the land, the songs of the water, the humility of the flowers,
flowers wiser than all alphabets -
Suddenly we feel embarrassed,
ashamed of our complaints and clashes in the face of tacit glory.
How strange we are in the world!
Only one response can maintain us:
gratefulness for the gift of our unearned chance to serve, to wonder, to love life and each other.
It is gratefulness which makes our small souls great.
- By Abraham Joshua Heschel, the rabbi, scholar, and philosopher
- Offered by Becky Cull
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gratitude-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT7nBIt-QLk
**************
UPDATE October 4, 2025

Gratitude to You
Loving Lord,
As I express my gratitude to you in prayer, may it be a pleasing, joyful sound to you.
Thank you, Lord, for your love. It brings me acceptance and significance.
Thank you, Lord, for your truth. It brings me guidance and direction.
Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. It brings me help and comfort.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. It brings me stability and strength.
Thank you, Lord, for your beauty displayed in the earth. It brings me joy and delight.
Thank you, Lord, for your way of redemption - the cross. It brings me salvation and regeneration.
- By Beth McLendon of Inspirational-prayers.com
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gratitude-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Deep the Father’s Love for Us’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeUUmuwZIRs
*****************
UPDATE October 3, 2025

Teach Me Gratitude
Holy Spirit,
open my heart
to understand how precious I am to you,
how loved I am by you.
Open the eyes of my soul,
to see the gifts you have put before me this day.
Give me the grace to recognize each encounter with you.
Teach me to respond in gratitude, to grow in gratitude.
Teach me to be generous, as you are generous with me,
and to collaborate with you in serving my sister and my brother
for your greater glory.
- Written by Rebecca Ruiz
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/gratitude-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘By Grace Alone’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVdgwcpxJeE
*******************
UPDATE October 2, 2025

Prayer of Gratitude for Beauty of Creation
God, our Creator of heaven and earth, how blessed we are to be surrounded by the beauty of your creation.
We lift our prayer of gratitude as we see the stars of heaven, and the beauty of the sunset.
We are amazed by the seas and waterways and all that are in them.
We are enchanted by the flowers and trees which are clothed by you.
We are awed by all the animals you created.
For the beauty of the earth, the mountains and valleys, the sun and the moon – we give you praise.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Troubled Soul’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSCKIfc2ksw
************************
UPDATE October 1, 2025

Thank you Jane Goodall for your life’s work among God’s creatures and for showing the rest of us that all of creation is important and good. Godspeed, Dr. Jane.

From the website: https://janegoodall.ca/rememberingjane/
“Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace and world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian, has died at the age of 91 of natural causes.

Dr. Jane was known around the world for her 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. However, in the latter part of her life she expanded her focus and became a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species and environmental protection, and many other crucial issues.

Jane was passionate about empowering young people to become involved in conservation and humanitarian projects and she led many educational initiatives focused on both wild and captive chimpanzees. She was always guided by her fascination with the mysteries of evolution, and her staunch belief in the fundamental need to respect all forms of life on Earth.

Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977, initially to support the research at Gombe. There are now 25 JGI offices operating diverse programs around the world. In 1991, Jane founded Roots & Shoots, her global humanitarian and environmental program for young people of all ages. The initiative began with just 12 high school students in Dar es Salaam. Today, Roots & Shoots is active in over 75 countries. Roots & Shoots members are empowered to become involved in hands-on programs to affect positive change for animals, the environment, and their local communities. In 2017, Jane founded the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation, to ensure the ongoing stability of the core programs she’d created – her life’s work.

Throughout her life and remarkable career, Jane inspired generations of scientists, brought hope to countless people from all walks of life, and urged us all to remember that “every single one of us makes a difference every day – it is up to us as to the kind of difference we make.” Her legacy continues with the ongoing research at Gombe, the community-led conservation program Tacare, the work of the sanctuaries Chimp Eden in South Africa and Tchimpounga in the Republic of the Congo, and Roots & Shoots empowering young people to become involved in hands on programs for the community, animals and the environment.

Though Jane travelled 300 days a year, her home was in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, in the house her grandmother and mother had lived in before her. Her sister Judy Waters and her family played a huge role in supporting Jane’s work over the decades, providing a warm welcome whenever she returned home. Jane is survived by her son Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick (affectionately known as Grub) and her three grandchildren, Merlin, Angel, and Nick.”

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trees We’ll Never See’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYzGMsBwU8c
****************
UPDATE September 30, 2025

Prayer for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
Vibrant God
Your creation explodes with the colours of the
rainbow. Your peoples reveal the beauty of
diversity. We remember today when the joy and
dignity of a precious child was destroyed. We
lament today for the childhoods lost through the
residential school system. We mourn for the spirits
crushed and the futures compromised.
Celebrate the hope and joy of every child. Tell the
stories of resistance that make us stronger. Build
the bonds of solidarity to ensure “never again” In
the name of the one who was child among us,
Amen
~Kairos Canada

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Taken Away’, by Leif Wainwright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5USGuyV2RwI
*********************
UPDATE September 29, 2025

Creation Prayer
God our Father,
you created the world and sent your own Son to live among us,
made of the same stuff, breathing the same air,
marveling at sunrise and sunset just as we do.

Help us to participate in the life around and within us as your life,
as you living in us and we living in you and in each other.

God of love and life, restore us to your peace,
renew us through your power and teach us to love all that you have created and to care for the earth as your gift and our home.
- The Earth Community: In Christ through the Integrity of Creation
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You’re Still God’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22WoEYfuZN0
************************
UPDATE September 28, 2025

God Bless the World
Mighty God, Father of all,
Compassionate God, Mother of all,
Bless every person I met,
every face I have seen,
every voice I have heard,
especially those most dear;
bless every city, town and
street that I have known,
bless every sight I have seen,
every sound I have heard,
every object I have touched.
In some mysterious way these have all fashioned my life:
all that I am,
I have received.
Great God, bless the world.
-John J. Morris, S.J.
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One People’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJCCpD6vMU
************************
UPDATE September 27, 2025

Autumn Months
O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.

As we welcome the autumn months,
may the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.

May the brilliant colors of the leaves
remind us of the wonder of your creation.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life.

May the harvest from the fields remind us of the abundance we have been given and bounty we are to share with others.

May the dying of summer's spirit remind us of your great promise that death is temporary and life is eternal.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/autumn-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I, The Lord of Sea and Sky’, by Collin Raye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngoit0sRTWY
************************
UPDATE September 26, 2025

Shades of Gold
So many shades of gold
Autumn
Another miracle we take for granted
Another expression of the artist's vision
The blending of the autumn hues
with the setting sun
Warm
Comforting
Perfect
Thank you for autumn, Lord.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/autumn-prayers

Remember always that you are loved
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Serenity’, by Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuQExlVnoRQ
************************
UPDATE September 25, 2025

For Those Whose Harvest is Poor
Creator God, for daily bread
and all who work
to bring your harvest home
we bring our thanks today.

Forgive our ingratitude
we who have so much
yet waste what you have given.

For those whose harvest is poor,
whose crops have withered,
water tainted, children starve,
help those who bring relief
and bestow on us
an unaccustomed generosity,
that all might share from your garden
and all might sing your praise.

Creator God, provider of all
we bring our thanks today.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/autumn-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘People of the Cross’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XM6VZxgeM
************************
UPDATE September 24, 2025

Golden Leaves
We see signs of summer's passing in golden leaves,
shortening days, misty mornings, autumn glow.
We sense its passing in rain that dampens,
winds that chill, Harvest's bounty placed on show.
Creator God, who brings forth
both green shoot and hoar frost,
sunrise and sunset,
we bring our thanks
for seeds that have grown,
harvests gathered,
storehouses filled,
mouths fed.
And, as your good earth rests
through winter's cold embrace,
we look forward to its re-awakening
when kissed by Spring's first touch.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/autumn-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Road Back Home’, by Katrina Mallory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B3TnBkIErc
************************
UPDATE September 23, 2025

God of Seed and Harvest
We bless you,
God of Seed and Harvest
And we bless each other
That the beauty of this world
And the love that created it
Might be expressed though our lives
And be a blessing to others
Now and always
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/autumn-prayers

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Only Our Rivers Run Free’, by Onoir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6oTw56LH4g
************************
UPDATE September 22, 2025

Prayer During Difficult Economic Times
Gracious God,
We know that your love is infinite and that you care about all areas of our life. In this time of economic insecurity, help us to trust that all of our security is in you. Keep us mindful that you always have and always will provide for our needs.
Apart from you we can do nothing.

Merciful God,
We ask that you give our leaders the wisdom to guide our nation and the world out of the current economic crisis.

Help us to protect the poor and all those who are struggling during this difficult time. Provide for their needs and give them hope. Open new opportunities for them and furnish the resources they need to live with dignity.  Encourage those who have enough to share essential resources with those who lack the necessities of life, and to do so with humble, grateful and loving hearts.

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord.  Amen.
--US Conference of Catholic Bishops
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/economic-justice/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Love of God’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqp27IvdbSo
*******************
UPDATE September 21, 2025

Prayer for Those Dying in Economic Chaos
Hear our prayer for all those who will die today because of economic oppression, especially the children.

Prepare them for the agony, despair, and terror of the violence that is upon them. Comfort them and hold them close to the bosom of your most Immaculate Heart as they drink deeply of the bitter cup which is forced upon them. Wipe their tears, calm their fears, welcome them to peace and safety. Eternal rest grant to them, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May all rise in judgment against the wickedness that brings this violence upon the world.

Overturn the thrones of tyranny, scatter the unjust, cast down the bloody rulers who make the cry of the widow and orphan rise to heaven. Give us your grace and strength to stand against the demonic powers which prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Grant that peace with justice will come to all the world.

Amen
--United Church of Christ
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/economic-justice/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Press On’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DVJve79e4
*******************
UPDATE September 20, 2025

For Your Quiet Saints
Thank you Father,
for the selfless giving of time.
For those often quiet saints
who do not argue their theology loudly,
engage in lengthy debates
over complex doctrinal issues,
or make their presence felt
within the hallowed space
of Church Council meetings,
but simply get on with doing
the business,
visiting the sick, the aged,
and the lonely,
a shoulder to cry on,
a listening ear,
and the reassurance
of one who cares.
Thank you Father,
for all those quiet saints,
who live their faith through their lives
in a world that often forgets
that you were never too busy to listen,
never too busy to minister to needs,
never too engrossed in work,
to bring hope and wholeness into lives.
Thank you Father,
for your quiet saints.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_Gods_people.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Higher Name’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ymzL3QY4s
*******************
UPDATE September 19, 2025

For These Things We Pray…
For those who bring hope
where there is none,
love where there is hatred,
peace where there is war,
sustenance where there is hunger,
water where there is drought,
and comfort where there is sadness,
bless them Lord Jesus ,
whether they be Christian, Muslim,
no faith or any faith.
For all love has it's source in You,
and every act of selfless giving
brings a smile to your face.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_Gods_people.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christ Our Hope in Life and Death’, by Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgwdrtZkZws
*******************
UPDATE September 18, 2024

Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

– the common name for a prayer authored by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). The first three lines are the most known and prayed.
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Perfect Father’, by Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnnXFn0T_oI
*******************
UPDATE September 17, 2025

Give Us This Day
Give us this day our daily bread,
O Father in heaven, and grant that we
who are filled with good things
from your open hand, may never close our hearts
to the hungry, the homeless and the poor.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
– Abbey of New Clairvaux
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When I Found Jesus’, by Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PowUY3Q4TA0
*******************
UPDATE September 16, 2025

Lord Open Our Eyes
Lord, open our eyes,
That we may see you in our brothers and sisters.

Lord, open our ears,
That we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold,
the frightened, the oppressed.

Lord, open our hearts,
That we may love each other as you love us.

Renew in us your spirit
Lord, free us and make us one.
– Kathryn Spink
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Blessed Assurance’, by Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCyrAgBxXnU
*******************
UPDATE September 15, 2025

Late Summer Prayer
We see signs of summer's passing in golden leaves,
shortening days, misty mornings, autumn glow.
We sense its passing in rain that dampens,
winds that chill, Harvest's bounty placed on show.
Creator God, who brings forth
both green shoot and hoar frost,
sunrise and sunset,
we bring our thanks
for seeds that have grown,
harvests gathered,
storehouses filled,
mouths fed.
And, as your good earth rests
through winter's cold embrace,
we look forward to its re-awakening
when kissed by Spring's first touch.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Autumn.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Prepare the Way’, by Steph MacLeod ft Nathan Jess
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM1pTuAK6VQ
*******************
UPDATE September 14, 2025

Prayer for Our Planet
Creator God, only you see
the big picture, this earth
that, spinning through space
can sustain the life we see
and hear, warmed by sun,
refreshed by rain, fed by
seed sown and harvested,
if we will only play our part.
Forgive our complacency,
our arrogance and greed,
and raise up leaders who,
with wisdom, can work
together for the good of all,
and save this precious gift
for future generations.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_care_for_Gods_world.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Jesus I Love Thee’, by Anthem LIghts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVzlUiclXTY
*******************
UPDATE September 13, 2025

Creation Care Prayer
God, maker of marvels,
you weave the planet and all its creatures together in kinship;
your unifying love is revealed
in the interdependence of relationships
in the complex world that you have made.

Save us from the illusion that humankind is separate and alone,
and join us in communion with all inhabitants of the universe;
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
who topples the dividing walls by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and who lives and reigns with you, for ever and ever. Amen.

-Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation
Reported to the 78th General Convention.
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’, Celtic Worship ft Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1-5kmbkyQ
*******************
UPDATE September 12, 2025

Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace and Protection from Violence and from Terrorism

O Almighty and merciful God, Lord of the universe and of history. All that You have created is good and your compassion for the mistakes of mankind knows no limits.

We come to You today to ask You to keep in peace the world and its people, to keep far away from it the devastating wave of terrorism, to restore friendship and instill in the hearts of your creatures the gift of trust and of readiness to forgive.

O Giver of life, we pray to You also for all those who have died as victims of brutal terrorist attacks. Grant them their eternal reward. May they intercede for the world that is torn apart by conflicts and disagreements.

O Jesus, Prince of Peace, we pray to You for the ones who have been wounded in these acts of inhuman violence: children and young people, old people and innocent people accidentally involved in evil. Heal their bodies and hearts; console them with Your strength and, at the same time, take away any hatred and a desire for revenge.

Holy Spirit Consoler, visit the families of the victims of terrorism, families that suffer through no fault of their own. Wrap them in the mantle of Your divine mercy. Make them find again in You and in themselves the strength and courage to continue to be brothers and sisters for others, above all for immigrants, giving witness to Your love by their lives.

Touch the hearts of terrorists so that they may recognize the evil of their actions and may turn to the way of peace and goodness, of respect for the life and for the dignity of every human being, regardless of religion, origin, wealth or poverty.

O God, Eternal Father, in Your mercy hear our prayer which we raise up to You amidst the deafening noise and desperation of the world. We turn to You with great hope, full of trust in Your infinite Mercy. Made strong by the examples of the blessed martyrs of Perú, Zbigniew and Michael, who have rendered courageous testimony to the Gospel, to the point of offering their blood, we entrust ourselves to the intercession of Your Most Holy Mother. We ask for the gift of peace and of the elimination from our midst of the sore of terrorism.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/pope-francis-prayer-peace-and-protection-violence-and-terrorism

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Walk You to Heaven’, by Beth Nielsen Chapman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q_f2RAY2Uk
*****************
UPDATE September 11, 2025

Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11
O God, our hope and refuge,
in our distress we come quickly to you.
Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided,
replaced now with an emptiness,
a longing for an innocence lost.

We come remembering those who lost their lives
in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants
who demonstrated the greatest love of all
by laying down their lives for friends.
We commit their souls to your eternal care
and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.

We come remembering
and we come in hope,
not in ourselves, but in you.

As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken,
we are reminded of the illusion of security.
In commemorating this tragedy,
we give you thanks for your presence
in our time of need
and we seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth,
our guide and our guardian.

Amen.
- Rev. Jeremy Pridgeon

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If I Had My Way’, by Linda Eder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ9Yx-0_E1Y
*****************
UPDATE September 10, 2025

Environmental Sabbath
Gracious God, who made the covenant promise with our ancestors, we gather here today a rebellious people.

We want to act out your intentions for us, but we keep getting mixed up by all the glitter of the world around us.

You tell us to honor creation, and we use other people and animals and plant life only to meet our wants.

You offer daily bread to every living creature, and we steal that bread from our brothers and sisters in the name of our greed.

You promise us new life, and we shrink back from it in fear.

Heal us, God, lest we destroy ourselves.

We need your presence among us.
Amen.
--U.N. Environmental Sabbath
https://greenchurches.ca/tools/spirituality/prayers/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wonderful, Merciful Savior’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK6sYVQCqhs
*****************
UPDATE September 9, 2025

The Canticle of the Creatures
by Saint Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.
https://greenchurches.ca/tools/spirituality/prayers/canticle-of-creatures/

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Echoes of the Glen’, by The Cheeky Celt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8p5tvlnzGQ
*****************
UPDATE September 8, 2025

A Prayer For Protection
Lord, we ask you to protect the safety and the health of students, educators, staff, and families. Prevent evil and harm from entering into schools and communities. We pray that this year is full of joy and peace. Remind every person starting a new school year that you are in control and you are faithfully watching over them.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Are My Sanctuary’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Jon Guerra and Molly Parden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PorcInE2lSY
**********************
UPDATE September 7, 2025

A Prayer For Those With Anxiety
Jesus, draw near to every person that is feeling weighed down with anxiety and fear of starting school. Cover them in a peace that transcends all understanding. guard their hearts and minds against worries and help them to trust in you. Bring friends and mentors into their life who can speak truth over them and remind them of your plan and your presence.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Establish the Work of Our Hands’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Aaron Keyes & Urban Doxology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V2_cs8gTIw
********************
UPDATE September 6, 2025

A Prayer For New Friends
God, we pray over anyone who is feeling lonely as they start a new school year. We ask that you bring new friendships to light. Bless each person with kind and encouraging friends who reflect your character and are a good influence. We thank you for the gift of friendship and we ask you to bless each of these relationships over the next year.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All to Honour Jesus’, by CityAlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwGnEwFxwH8
***********************
UPDATE September 5, 2025

A Prayer For Parents And Guardians

As a season of change begins to happen, move in close, Heavenly Father. May parents and guardians joyfully entrust these students into your loving hands. Remind them that they don’t have to have all of the answers. They can come to you and seek your understanding and guidance. Surround their family with a strong and loving community. Bless them with peace, patience, endurance, and wisdom as they watch their student navigate a new year.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The God We Love’, by CityAlight ft Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vUjxxmve-o
**********************
UPDATE September 4, 2025

A Prayer For Staff & Educators
Thank you Lord for the men and women who invest in the future of our children. No matter how big or small their role is, we are grateful. Bless each person with creativity and discernment as they lead others. Help them not to feel alone. Give them friends and coworkers who speak encouraging words. Protect them from feeling overwhelmed. May they sense your presence and your delight as they begin a new school year.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Eyes on Me’, by Kathy Troccoli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDTwkWiV5gc
************************
UPDATE September 3, 2025

A Prayer For Students
Lord, we ask that you surround students with peace as they begin a new year of classes. Give them a passion for learning new things and bless their hard work over the coming months. Surprise them with unexpected moments of joy. Guard their hearts against peer pressure and help them to be a light to those around them. Raise up this next generation of leaders and call them further into your grand and glorious story. Remind students that they are never alone, you are in every moment of their day.  Amen.
--Greg Holder

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let it Be a Hallelujah’, by Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvfPK0gCdUc
*********************
UPDATE September 2, 2025

Prayer for Labour Day:
God of all, on this Labour Day, we thank You for the blessing of work and the strength to complete each day. We pray for all workers, that they would receive fair compensation and treatment in their labour. Provide sustenance for those who cannot work, and jobs for those who seek them. Help us to be your people, working for a world where all workers are valued—where those who clean houses can also afford to buy houses; where those who grow food can eat their fill; where those who serve us in various roles are also served by us. May all workers everywhere share in the abundance you have given us.

Be with us all in our work. Hold us accountable for our actions, seeking to transform unjust structures of society, and remembering to always strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth in all that we do. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
--From ‘Anglican Life Facebook Page

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Labour Unto Glory’, by The Porter's Gate-ft Liz Vice, Josh Garrels, & Madison Cunningham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRuPZCXShg4
********************
UPDATE September 1, 2025

A Prayer for Labor Day

As the sun rises to bring in the new day:

We remember those who descend into the earth, their work begins in darkness, pulling from the earth, the resources we steward.

We remember those who work inside a building away from the light and brightness of the day.

We remember those who work outside in the harsh elements of our world, the bitter cold and sweltering heat of extremes.

We remember those who do not have a job to go to, who are struggling to meet the needs of their daily living expenses, for whom the day becomes long and arduous.

As the sun sets to bring in the evening of rest:

We remember those who work in the night.

We remember those who are trying to recover from their labor and toils of the day.

We remember those who participate in unsafe and dangerous work.

We pray for a renewed sense of dignity in their lives and in their work.

God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the worker. Make a place in our hearts for compassion to the men and women who labor tirelessly for basic necessities. Ensure a place for the men and women who are struggling to find work. Grant us your wisdom to greet and care for those who are unable to work due to illness or circumstances that prevent their participation. Be with the children who are not able to run and play, but instead must put in a hard day’s work to help their family afford to eat, to live. Be with us all, Christ Jesus, as we go about the busyness of our work. Hold us accountable not only for our actions, but most importantly to each of our neighbors. May we continue to work together to bring about your reign! We ask this in your holy name, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/prayer-labor-day

Remember always that you are loved!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Your Labor is Not In Vain’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Paul Zach & Madison Cunningham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPj3Kf7Dorw&list=RDbPj3Kf7Dorw&start_radio=1
****************
UPDATE August 27, 2025

I am breaking my sabbatical briefly to offer this prayer of comfort following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota earlier today. From the AP News Service: “A shooter opened fire with a rifle Wednesday through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.” He said the shooter then died by suicide. The children who died were 8 and 10. Fourteen other kids and three octogenarian parishioners were wounded but expected to survive, the chief said.” Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.-LC

Prayer for After Mass Shootings

God of healing and grief,

We know that light dawns in a weary world,
but we are too numb to notice it today.
Regardless, we pray mightily,
during this time when no words san salve our ache.
Protect our hearts,
we are to broken and exhausted.
Sit with us when we are overwhelmed
help us to endure
the waiting,
the media,
the investigating,
those eavesdropping on our tragedy,
those making this tragedy about themselves,
those who say offensive things trying to help
and everything else that will bug us.
help us to care for ourselves
mind, body, spirit and psyche,
to remember to eat,
to sleep when we can,
to make the healthiest choices available,
to accept help when we need it
and to say ‘no’ when we need to
help us to lean into hope, light, and love,
To cherish our life and live it fully,
to advocate for other who are vulnerable,
to eventually transform anger into medicine
and to prevent days like this
from ever happening again

We are angry that Your healing hand
was unable to prevent this tragedy.
We demand Your unending streams of justice come again,
quickly,
to repair what was broken

Provide wisdom, safety and love to all the first responders.
Guide the hands of nurses, doctors and coroners
who are caring for those who were injured or died.

Mend our community,
knit us together into a kin-dom of loving kindness,
unite us in mutual support of one another
and help us to breathe together
when there is nothing else we can do.

Above all, be with us today and every day
Amen
—Rev. Dr. Megan D. Rohrer
https://www.revrohrer.com/books

‘You Are Mine’, by Walkers to Heaven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcEunxHgzCk
********************
UPDATE July 31, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.”

Pierre Trudeau

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Song for the Mira’, by Anne Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoR3SiIqBmI
******************
UPDATE July 30, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.”

Jack Layton

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Northwest Passage’, by Stan Rogers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKF2uPx-d50
******************
UPDATE July 29, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Doing all we can to combat climate change comes with numerous benefits, from reducing pollution and associated health care costs to strengthening and diversifying the economy by shifting to renewable energy, among other measures.”

David Suzuki

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Always Be Right There’, by Bryan Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3zZEvLhqec
******************
UPDATE July 28, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he can burrow into the ground like a mole. Now if only he could walk the earth like a man, this would be paradise.”

Tommy Douglas

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Bless the Child’, by Shania Twain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm4LSgFv2VY
******************
UPDATE July 27, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn't be able to do that.”

Oscar Peterson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Georgia On My Mind’, by Oscar Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tY_RE7tWzM
******************
UPDATE July 26, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world. Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.”

Steve Nash

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Nova Scotia Home’, by Hank Snow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o096e_RiI0
*****************
UPDATE July 25, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“There's beauty everywhere. There are amazing things happening everywhere, you just have to be able to open your eyes and witness it. Some days, that's harder than others.”

Sarah McLachlan

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Daughters of Newfoundland’, by The Ennis Sisters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnP7LwWwaps
*****************
UPDATE July 24, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to participate in that work as a representative of my country, Canada, whose people have, I think, shown their devotion to peace.”

Lester B. Pearson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘California Dreamin’’, by Diana Krall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U8XWyHaGkI
*****************
UPDATE July 23, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine. “

Chris Hadfield

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Home’, by Michael Buble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbSOLBMUvIE
******************
UPDATE July 22, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“My heroes in real life are definitely my mom for being true to herself, for having a foot in both worlds, for being so very polite - Canadian and also such a traditional Greek woman. I would sum it up this way: the life lesson she would say is be polite while you're breaking the rules.”

Nia Vardalos

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Prayer’, by Celine Dion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLsUb_mJWmI
******************
UPDATE July 21, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“I believe that never was a country better adapted to produce a great race of women than this Canada of ours, nor a race of women better adapted to make a great country.”

Emily Murphy, women’s rights activist, jurist, and author

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’, by Knackers Yard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLgGSG7PF8
******************
UPDATE July 20, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Privilege isn’t about what you’ve gone through; it’s about what you haven’t had to go through. And right now, we are in a time that is calling on us to learn the stories that we don’t know.

Janaya Khan

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wood River’, by Connie Kaldor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYS_1TPAnPk
*****************
UPDATE July 19, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“We need to move towards a truly just and equitable society by... making sure that every Canadian - whether they're living in long-term care or they're working part-time or they're students or they're Black or they're Indigenous - whatever their circumstances, can live in dignity and security.”

Annamie Paul

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bird on a Wire’, by kd lang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvhD1cORBrU
*******************
UPDATE July 18, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Through these ongoing activities and possibly in the future, a Canadian will go live and work on the International Space Station and we will continue to make Canadians proud of our achievements in space.”

Marc Garneau

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Emily Remembers’, by Shirley Eikhard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPUo5jTSUfQ
*****************
UPDATE July 17, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“The purpose of a woman’s life is just the same as the purpose of a man’s life: that she may make the best possible contribution to the generation in which she is living.”

Louise McKinney, provincial politician and women’s rights activist, first woman sworn into the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Try a Little Kindness’, by Jann Arden with the Doane Uschool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzLHgdz4ag
****************
UPDATE July 16, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.”

Clara Hughes

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘B Minor’, by Leahy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN0IPO91d4
**************************
UPDATE July 15, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“If there's a pro-Canadian, or someone who's a real proud Canadian, I am. Nobody in Canada would want a united Canada more than me.”

Terry Fox

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Rise Again’, Raylene Rankin and the Rankin Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6typt9LJUXo
***************
UPDATE July 14, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Since the summer days of my Canadian childhood, I have loved to canoe across the dark mirror of northern lakes, paddling with an inside flick of the blade, leaving a trail of twisting whirlpools in my wake.”

Rory MacLean

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

 ‘Dante’s Prayer’, by Loreena McKennitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHvj1cxOs0
***************
UPDATE July 13, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“People ask me, ‘Are you proud of the fact that you were Canada’s first woman prime minister?’ I respond, ‘Yes, but I’d be prouder still to say I was Canada’s tenth woman prime minister.’”

Kim Campbell, Canada’s first and only female Prime Minister

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’, by Salome Bey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YQoxdHuuvY
***************
UPDATE July 12, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“We owe the Aboriginal peoples a debt that is four centuries old. It is their turn to become full partners in developing an even greater Canada. And the reconciliation required may be less a matter of legal texts than of attitudes of the heart.”

Romeo LeBlanc, former Governor General of Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Blackbird (sung in Mi’kmaq)’, by Emma Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-LoEkAA3w
*****************
UPDATE July 11, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“I think reconciliation with indigenous people remains the biggest social justice issue facing the country, because we don’t do a good job of acknowledging the contributions native people have made. This is not just a country of immigrants.”

Wab Kinew, politician and broadcaster

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Canada, My Canada’, by Liona Boyd ft various artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpCt8-vBgrM
*****************
UPDATE July 10, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

“Even before you’ve earned it, treat yourself and your career with the level of respect that you hope to one day deserve.”

Catherine O’Hara, actress

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Summer Wages’, by Ian & Sylvia Tyson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HaddgwNqhY
******************
UPDATE July 9, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"The woman is the foundation on which nations are built. She is the heart of her nation. If that heart is weak, the people are weak. If her heart is strong and her mind is clear, then the nation is strong and knows its purpose. The woman is the center of everything."

Art Solomon, Ojibway Elder

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cherokee Morning Song’, by Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble ft Rita Coolidge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQTYmWTnrSY
*****************
UPDATE July 8, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"Bullying, jealousy, hate, greed, lies, arrogance, searing self-absorption, destructive 'power over' mentalities are wasteful pursuits and causes the human heart to fall to the ground. It is beyond healing, beyond human conscience when women fight with each other. We are Mother Earth's heartbeat, it is our responsibility to bring peace, harmony and balance back to the world. This will not happen if we continue to find fault with ourselves and perpetuate it on our sisters."

Shannon Thunderbird, Tsimshian singer and storyteller

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Georgia’, by Jackie Richardson ft Peter Appleyard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ObplHsxa4
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UPDATE July 7, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"I remember my first solo (in the CF-18 Hornet). There I was taxiing out to the end of the runway thinking to myself, 'Can you imagine this, look at me driving this $35 million jet!'"

Major Deanna Brasseur, one of the first two women in the world trained to fly jet fighter aircraft in combat

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Four Strong Winds’, by Neil Young ft Willie Nelson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIQu_MVZcas
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UPDATE July 6, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"I do not want to be the angel of any home; I want for myself what I want for other women, absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns at being angels.""

Agnes Macphail, first woman member of Parliament in Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Working Man’, by Rita MacNeil ft Men of the Deeps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe2hEm1xsa8
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UPDATE July 5, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"It's great going up and looking at the earth, but all I could think of was getting back and having a glass of cold skim milk."

Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christian Island’ (Georgian Bay), by Gordon Lightfoot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP3n_U7G2CY
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UPDATE July 4, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"I see a peaceful world in which we have finally come to terms with the reality that our survival depends on abandoning conflict, working for peace, sharing what we have and living within our ecological means."

Elizabeth May, environmentalist

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Circle Game’, by Joni Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VoLCO-d6U
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UPDATE July 3, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"The people do not exist for the sake of art, to give the painter fame or the picture a market. On the contrary, art exists for the sake of the people, to refresh the weary, to console the sad, to increase man's joy of living and his sympathies with all the world."

Madge Young Clement, singer and first president of The Brandon Art Club

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Snowbird’, by Anne Murray ft Jann Arden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKmqmYcRLM
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UPDATE July 2, 2025

Canadian Quote of the Day

"The root of the word 'society' is 'friendship' and 'companionship'. This concept is the basis of the Kaienerekowa, the Great Law of Peace, the Constitution of the Five Nations Iroquois Confederacy. The Great Law is a way of life that was given to us as we saw it. It's how we are to relate to the universe, which is the way that I have tried to live."

Kahn-Tineta Horn, Mohawk activist

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dreamcatcher’, by Morgan Toney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy6lrOgW0Hs
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UPDATE July 1, 2025

Prayer for Canada
(inspired by Psalm 72)

“He shall have dominion from sea to sea….” Psalm 72:8

O Lord,
we gather together in your presence on this Canada Day.
We read of your “dominion” in Psalm 72,
and claim this promise—that your will would prevail in this land.
We pray for the movement of your Holy Spirit across this nation
and for the work of your church in every city and village.

O Lord, make us mindful of your generosity,
and glad to do your will.
Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education,
and an honourable way of life.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride, arrogance, and from every evil course of action.
Make us, who come from many different backgrounds and countries,
a united people – one in purpose and vision.
Give our government a spirit of wisdom and compassion
that there may justice and peace in our land.
When times are prosperous, lead us to thanksgiving,
and when times are troubled, lead us to a deepening trust in you.

All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ adapted from a prayer on the website of Trinity Anglican Church in Barrie, Ontario. http://www.trinitybarrie.ca/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Canada’, by Various Artists in 11 Different Languages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jROsqdrLdk
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The month of June offers us two themes to focus our minds and hearts. It is Pride Month where we consider how the church has too often excluded our 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings. Also, it is Indigenous History Month where we consider our learning and further our journey of reconciliation with our Indigenous siblings here on Turtle Island. We want to observe and celebrate both of these important observations so we will alternate daily from one focus to the other with resources and music from each of these diverse communities. We will offer suggestions of books, movies, documentaries, and podcasts that you can use to begin, or continue, your own personal journey as well as the journey of the church. Some resources may prove more difficult to watch or read than others, but you are encouraged to find a place to start. We as individuals and in the church have not always conducted ourselves with the grace and welcome we might have liked if we had been in the shoes of others. But, in the immortal words of the late Dr. Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”—ED

***************
UPDATE June 30, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Alarm in the Firehouse: A Memoir of America's First Openly Gay Professional Firefighter (Book)
By: R Kevin Mallinson
Publisher: R. Kevin Mallinson
2021

From Indigo
In the early 1980s, Kevin joined the Key West Fire Department. His dream of being a professional firefighter had come true. He hadn't imagined how being gay would threaten his fellow firefighters. Kevin became the target of fierce and unrelenting homophobic assaults intended to force him out of the department. His story highlights the importance of personal values and a sense of humor when facing adversity. Against a backdrop of the emerging AIDS epidemic, Kevin relays a narrative of conflict, resilience, and triumph over his several years as America's first openly gay professional firefighter. This honest account invites the reader to contemplate the nature of masculinity and consider what it means to be one of America's Bravest.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dear Insecurity’, by Brandy Clark ft Brandi Carlile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYyzSI3eEw
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UPDATE June 29, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Feature Film) (English Subtitles)
Written by: Paul Apak Angilirq
Directed by: Zacharias Kunuk
Produced by: Paul Apak Angilirq, Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk, Germaine Ying Gee Wong
2001; Running Time: 2 Hr 41 Min

From the NFB website:
This adaptation of an ancient Inuit legend was filmed in Inuktitut and directed by Inuit filmmakers - making Atanarjuat the first feature film of its kind!

Set in Igloolik, in Nunavut, this is "a powerful drama, not a documentary," reminds the director Kunuk. "It demystifies the exotic, otherwordly aboriginal stereotype by telling a universal story." The clothes, spears, kayaks, sunglasses and dwellings were all painstakingly researched. "We show how our ancestors dressed, how they handled their dog teams, how they argued and laughed.. confronted evil and fought back."

Many enthusiastic viewers have compared this epic story to The Iliad. In the words of one movie critic, "If Homer had been given a video camera, this is what he would have done!"

In Inuktitut, with English subtitles.

THIS WORK CONTAINS SCENES OF NUDITY AND/OR SEXUALITY. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

You can watch this movie for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu2CuT6fBIQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Voice of the Earth’, by Emma Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khULpXUzNJM
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UPDATE June 28, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Our Witness: The Unheard Stories of LGBT+ Christians (Book)
Edited by: Brandan J Robertson
Foreword by: Lisbeth M Melendez Rivera
Published by: Wipf & Stock Publishers
2018

From Indigo
The stories of LGBT+ Christians are not untold, but have often been unheard by faith leaders and communities. While so much of the conversation about LGBT+ inclu18sion has focused on theology and ideology, few have actually interacted with the raw, real stories and experiences of LGBT+ Christians. In this volume, LGBT+ Christian activist and theologian Brandan Robertson has brought together stories of LGBT+ Christians from around the world combined with his theological insights to create a powerful book that will challenge, convict, and inspire readers from all theological backgrounds to examine their posture and message toward the LGBT+ community and embrace the revival that the Holy Spirit is igniting among queer Christians around the world.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Boy Like Me’, by Adam Mac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em8WbG4XK6E
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UPDATE June 27, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Indian Horse (Feature Film)
Directed by: Stephen Campanelli
Written by: Dennis Foon
Produced by: Clint Eastwood (exec), Paula Devonshire, Trish Dolman, Christine Haebler
Starring: Sladen Peltier, Forrest Goodluck, Ajuawak Kapashesit, Edna Manitowabi, Michael Murphy, Michiel Huisman
Based on: ‘Indian Horse’ by Richard Wagamese
2017: Running Time: 1Hr 40min

From the ‘Indian Horse’ website:
Indian Horse PosterAn adaptation of Ojibway writer Richard Wagamese’s award-winning novel, this moving and important drama sheds light on the dark history of Canada’s boarding schools or Indigenous Residential Schools and the indomitable spirit of aboriginal people. INDIAN HORSE stars Canadian newcomers Sladen Peltier and Edna Manitowabi, as well as Ajuawak Kapashesit (Indian Road Trip, Once Upon A River), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant, The Miseducation of Cameron Post), Michael Murphy (Away From Her), Michael Lawrenchuck (Tokyo Cowboy), Johnny Issaluk (Two Lovers And A Bear) and Michiel Huisman (The Age Of Adaline).

In the late 1950’s Ontario, eight-year-old Saul Indian Horse is torn from his Ojibway family and committed to one of the notorious Catholic Residential Schools. In this oppressive environment, Saul is denied the freedom to speak his language or embrace his Indigenous heritage while he witnesses horrendous abuse at the hands of the very people entrusted with his care. Despite this, Saul finds salvation in the unlikeliest of places and favourite winter pastime -- hockey. Fascinated by the game, he secretly teaches himself to play, developing a unique and rare skill. He seems to see the game in a way no other player can.

His talent leads him away from the misery of the school, eventually leading him to the Pros. But the ghosts of Saul’s past are always present, and threaten to derail his promising career and future. Forced to confront his painful past, Saul draws on the spirit of his ancestors and the understanding of his friends to begin the process of healing.

You can watch this movie for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-f17KY0Rk

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Gentle Warrior’, by Kalolin Johnson ft Devon Paul & Thunder Herney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkUxIFw5vOg
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UPDATE June 26, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

The Umpire is Out : Calling the Game and Living My True Self (Book)
By: Dale Scott with Rob Neyer
Foreword by: Billy Bean
Published by: Nebraska
2025

From Indigo:
Dale Scott's career as a professional baseball umpire spanned nearly forty years, including thirty-three in the Major Leagues, from 1985 to 2017. He worked exactly a thousand games behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at the pinnacle of his profession, interacting with dozens of other top-flight umpires, colorful managers, and hundreds of players. Scott has enough stories about his career on the field to fill a dozen books, but what makes Scott's book truly different is his unique perspective as the only umpire in the history of professional baseball to come out as gay during his career, after decades of maintaining a public facade of straightness. He navigated this obstacle course at a time when his MLB career was just taking off-and when North America was consumed by the AIDS epidemic.

Scott's story isn't only about leading a double life, then opening himself up to the world and discovering a new generosity of spirit. It's also a baseball story, filled with insights and memorable anecdotes that come so naturally from someone who spent decades among the world's greatest baseball players, managers, and games. Scott's story is fascinating both for his umpiring career and for his being a pioneer for LGBTQ people within baseball and across sports.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cowboy Take Me Away’, by Cameron Hawthorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij_7lgVPaWA
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UPDATE June 25, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Stories From the River's Edge (Documentary)
Directed by: Tamar Weinstein
Written by: Gillian Findlay
CBC/The Fifth Estate Production
2011; Running Time: 45 Min

From YouTube
In the ten years before the 2011 airing of Stories From the River's Edge, seven of the Aboriginal students who came to Thunder Bay to complete their high school education in Thunder Bay returned home in coffins. The Fifth Estate profiles of two Aboriginal students Starleen and Sylvia Meekis, who left their reserve in Deer Lake to attend school, looking at the issues facing these youths, both at home on the reserves and in Thunder Bay. As well as a look at the adults who are trying to help the students of Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School as best they can.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2wfVjTJ3zA

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Shall Remain (It Wasn’t Taken Away)’, Kalolin Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jYnPr065-4
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UPDATE June 24, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World (Book)
By Christian Cooper
Random House, 2023
304 pages
ABA Sales–Buteo Books 15350

From Goodreads.com
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Central Park birder Christian Cooper takes us beyond the viral video that shocked a nation and into a world of avian adventures, global excursions, and the unexpected lessons you can learn from a life spent looking up.

"Wondrous . . . captivating.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Immense World

Christian Cooper is a self-described “Blerd” (Black nerd), an avid comics fan and expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. While in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the birdwatching ritual that had been a part of his life since he was ten years old when what might have been a routine encounter with a dog walker exploded age-old racial tensions. Cooper’s viral video of the incident would send shock waves through the nation.

In Better Living Through Birding , Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous incident in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in America today. From sharpened senses that work just as well at a protest as in a park to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover them yourself.

Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper’s story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him, from his days at Marvel Comics introducing the first gay storylines to vivid and life-changing birding expeditions through Africa, Australia, the Americas, and the Himalayas. Better Living Through Birding recounts Cooper’s journey through the wonderful world of birds and what they can teach us about life, if only we would look and listen.”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Tomorrow is a Long Time’, by Chely Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHjZEBbCRgk&list=RDWHjZEBbCRgk&start_radio=1
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UPDATE June 23, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

The Walk (Documentary)
Directed by: Peter Spirer
Produced by: Charles Block, Gayle Anne Kelley, Morgan H. Margolis, Peter Spirer
2021; Running Time: 52 Min

From IMDB
The Walk tells the story of three hundred Native people that attempted to walk 768 miles, from the Pala Reservation near San Diego to Sacramento, in an effort to bring unification to the tribal nations of California. California has the largest Native American population in the United States with 278 tribal nations, more than any other state in the country. The history of California Indians is brutal and devastating, but few Americans, including Californians, know anything about these tribes. The Walk tells the moving story of the traditional walk of several California tribal communities and their supporters. Led by Native spiritual leader, Robert John, and beginning at the Pala reservation in Southern California, the group makes the 768-mile journey to Sacramento, the state's political seat. There they hope to bring light to issues threatening Native American sovereignty, preservation of culture and language, and inter-tribal unity.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHXXJWxer28

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Native Women-The Anthem by The Future is Indigenous Women’, by Lyla June and Desirae Harp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSRRWqYNDz4
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UPDATE June 22, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Out North: MNLGBTQ History (Documentary)
PBS Twin Cities Production
2017; Running Time: 1 Hr 57 Min

From YouTube
“Out North: MNLGBTQ History" explores the untold past of Minnesota's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and celebrates the strides the state has made since the gay liberation movement began in the 1970s.

The film lifts up the stories of well-known and largely unknown LGBTQ Minnesotans who found each other and spoke out when it was a tremendous risk to do so. The film explores some of the important ways that Minnesota has played a significant role in the national movement for LGBTQ equality. As part of Twin Cities PBS’ important body of work on Minnesota’s history, the film explores the past through people and place, personal moments and major milestones. Rather than chronicling politics and policy, these stories tilt toward the human, lived experience.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DTZxwn4NhY

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Don’t Tell Me Who To Love’, by Ray Boltz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjqQySbj0N8&list=RDQjqQySbj0N8&start_radio=1 ************************
UPDATE June 21, 2025

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Who We Are: Four Questions For a Life and a Nation (Book)
By The Honourable Murray Sinclair cc
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
2024

From Goodminds.com
Senator Murray Sinclair was a judge for twenty-eight years. He was the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second. He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s report in 2015.

He served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Manitoba and has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001) and its Distinguished Service Award (2016), and has received Honorary Doctorates from 14 Canadian universities. Senator Sinclair was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016.

Judge, senator, and activist. Father, grandfather, and friend. This is Murray Sinclair’s story—and the story of a nation—in his own words, an oral history that forgoes the trappings of the traditional written memoir to center Indigenous ways of knowledge and storytelling. As Canada moves forward into the future of reconciliation, one of its greatest leaders guides us to ask the most important and difficult question we can ask of ourselves: Who are we?

For decades, Senator Sinclair has fearlessly educated Canadians about the painful truths of our history. He was the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, and only the second Indigenous judge in Canadian history. He was the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and remains one of the foremost voices on Reconciliation. And now, for the first time, he will share his full story—and his full vision for our nation—with readers across Canada.

Drawing on Senator Sinclair’s unique experiences, and his perspectives regarding Indigenous identity, human rights, and justice in Canada, Who We Are will examine the roles of history, resistance, and resilience in the pursuit of finding that path forward, and healing the damaged relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. And in doing so, it will reveal Senator Sinclair’s life in a new and direct way, exploring how all of these experiences shaped him as an Anishinaabe man, father, and grandfather.

Structured around the four questions that have long shaped Senator Sinclair’s thinking and worldview—Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I?—Who We Are will take readers into the story of his remarkable life as never before, while challenging them to embrace an inclusive vision for our shared future.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

One World (We Are One), by IllumiNative & Mag 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHhbeRJudY4
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UPDATE June 20, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Yet Here I Am (Book)
By Jonathan Capehart
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
2025

From Barnes and Noble
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Pulitzer Prize winning writer, editor and TV host Jonathan Capehart recounts powerful stories from his life about embracing identity, picking battles, seizing opportunity and finding his voice.

MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart is one of the most recognizable faces in cable news. But long before that success, Capehart spent his boyhood growing up without his father, shuttling back and forth between New Jersey and rural Severn, North Carolina, and contemplating the complexities of race and identity as they shifted around him. It was never easy bridging two worlds; whether being told he was too smart or not smart enough, too Black or not Black enough, Capehart struggled to find his place. Then, an internship at The Today Show altered the course of his life, bringing him one step closer to his dream. From there, Capehart embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Yet Here I Am takes us along that journey, from his years at Carleton College, where he learns to embrace his identity as a gay Black man surrounded by a likeminded community; to his decision to come out to his family, risking rejection; and finally to his move to New York City, where time and again he stumbles and picks himself up as he blazes a path to become the familiar face in news we know today.  

Honest and endearing, Yet Here I Am is an inspirational memoir of identity, opportunity, and finding one's voice and purpose along the way.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘All My Life’, by Brooke Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv2QMboZ_Lc
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UPDATE June 19, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

‘Indian” in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power (Book)
By Jody Wilson-Raybould
Published by: Harper-Collins
2021

From Harper-Collins
THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A compelling political memoir of leadership and speaking truth to power by one of the most inspiring women of her generation—now in paperback

Jody Wilson-Raybould was raised to be a leader. She was inspired by the example of her grandmother, who persevered throughout her life to keep alive the governing traditions of her people. And as the daughter of a hereditary Chief and Indigenous leader, Wilson-Raybould always knew she would adopt leadership roles and responsibilities. But she never anticipated these roles would take her from her community of We Wai Kai in British Columbia to Ottawa as Canada’s first Indigenous Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Cabinet of then newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Wilson-Raybould’s experience in Trudeau’s Cabinet reveals important lessons about strengthening our political institutions and culture, and making the changes necessary to confront challenges like racial justice and climate change. As her initial optimism about the possibilities of enacting change while in Cabinet shifted to struggles over inclusivity, deficiencies of political will, and concerns about adherence to core tenets of our democracy, Wilson-Raybould stood on principle, and ultimately, resigned. In standing her ground, both personally and professionally, and telling the truth in front of the nation, she demonstrated the need for greater independence and less partisanship in how we govern.

“Indian” in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power is the story of why Wilson-Raybould got into federal politics, her experience as an Indigenous leader sitting at the Cabinet table, her proudest achievements, the SNC-Lavalin affair, and how she got out and moved forward. Wilson-Raybould believes there is a better way to govern and a better way for politics to function—one that will make a better country for all.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Now is the Time’, by Jonathan Maracle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcJ9r7Sn6PA
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UPDATE June 18, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

The Ryan White Story (TV Movie)
1989; Running Time: 1h 45 Min
Directed by: John Herzfeld
Starring: Judith Light; Lukas Haas; George C. Scott
Story by: Phil Penningroth
Production companies: Landsburg Company, Saban International

In Kokomo, Indiana, in the early 1980s, an adolescent hemophiliac named Ryan White (Lukas Haas) contracts AIDS through a routine blood transfusion. The fear and misinformation caused by the then-new disease causes his school to bar him from attending due to worries that he may infect his classmates. With the help of a dedicated attorney (George C. Scott) and a kindly nurse (Sarah Jessica Parker), Ryan, his mother (Judith Light) and his sister (Nikki Cox) fight for Ryan's human rights.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53dumkxzHwA

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Last Song’, by Elton John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5eEQJZm7ZM&list=RDR5eEQJZm7ZM&start_radio=1
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UPDATE June 17, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (Documentary)
Directed by: Tasha Hubbard
Production companies: National Film Board of Canada, Downstream Documentary Productions
Produced by: Tasha Hubbard, George Hupka, Jon Montes, Bonnie Thompson
2019; Running time: 1h 38m

From YouTube:
On August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2votrF717I

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Life is a Sacred Gift’, by Jonathan Maracle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-SmVmxXSpo
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UPDATE June 16, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Edie & Thea-A Very Long Engagement (Documentary)
Directed & Produced by: Gréta Ólafsdottir, Susan Muska
Executive producers: Lynne Kirby, Janice Tufford
2009; Running Time: 1 Hr

From YouTube
The story of the long-term lesbian relationship between Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, including their respective childhoods, their meeting in 1963, their lives and careers in New York City, Thea's diagnosis with multiple sclerosis and Edie's care for her partner, and their wedding in Toronto, Canada, in May 2007, because gay marriage was not then legal in their home state of New York.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Qiodvq1qI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Stand Closer’, by Justin Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ep86Wx0co
************************
UPDATE June 15, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

The Pretendians (Documentary)
Directors: Paul Kemp, Drew Hayden Taylor
Produced by: CBC Docs
2022; Running Time: 44 Min

From YouTube
The term “pretendian” has come to refer to someone who claims distant Indigenous heritage that doesn’t stand up to deeper scrutiny. But why would someone fake an Indigenous identity?

Anishinaabe author and humorist Drew Hayden Taylor investigates how — and why — Indigenous identity, culture and art are being appropriated by those who are not First Nations.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoVE9JaIFJg

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Resilience’, by Morgan Toney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9nOcamyAtk
***********************
UPDATE June 14, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Standing On the Line (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Paul Émile D'entremont
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 18 Min

From the National Film Board website:
In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. For some athletes, the pressure to perform is compounded by the further strain of deciding whether or not to come out of the closet. They set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow.

TRIGGER WARNING: This film contains the following subject matter: Suicide and self harm.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following National Film Board link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/standing-on-the-line/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Back Pew’, by Lily Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXlL4Bk9VjE
************************
UPDATE June 13, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Ninan Auassat: We, the Children (Documentary)
Directed by: Kim O'Bomsawin
Produced by: Mélanie Brière, Nathalie Cloutier, Colette Loumède
2024; Running Time: 1 Hr 31 Min

From the National Film Board website:
Told entirely from a child’s perspective, Ninan Auassat: We, the Children is a powerful and immersive documentary that reveals the dreams of a new generation ready to take flight. Renowned for her intimate and compelling films, director Kim O’Bomsawin takes us deep into the world of Indigenous youth, capturing the stories of children from the Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu Nations over a period of more than six years. Without adult narration or expert commentary, the film offers an unfiltered look at childhood as it unfolds, from everyday life to defining moments on the path to adulthood. It’s a bold cinematic statement—one that gives space to a generation eager to be heard. Their voices ring out, not just as personal stories, but as a call to action, demanding recognition and the chance to thrive on their own terms.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/ninan-auassat-nous-les-enfants-english-version/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ko’jua’, by Morgan Toney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnpvxx0xyMU
***********************
UPDATE June 12, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the deadly Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. A shooter entered the Pulse Nightclub, a place where LGBTQ+ young people went to simply be themselves for a few hours in the company of others just like themselves. Their lives were senselessly taken by a gunman who ultimately took the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 others. He was also killed at the scene. These folks were human beings, created in God’s image, beloved and loved. --ED

Stop the Hate: 49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Pulse Tragedy (Documentary)
Produced by: The Human Rights Campaign
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
2016; Running Time: 18 Min

From YouTube
For too long, a toxic combination of anti-LGBTQ hate and easy access to guns has put LGBTQ people at disproportionate risk of violence and murder. On June 12, forty-nine innocent people -- most of them Latinx -- were killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando simply because of who they were. It's on all of us to keep their memories alive, and to ensure part of their legacy becomes meaningful action to end hate violence.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq6xRZlCSoM

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Different’, by Justin Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbIh4BHDxJA
************************
UPDATE June 11, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Feather Fall (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Ossie Michelin
Produced by: Liz Cowie, Rohan Fernando
Narrated by: Ossie Michelin
2024; Running Time: 23 Min

From the National Film Board website:
In Feather Fall, Indigenous journalist Ossie Michelin reflects on the personal memories and viral images stored on the phone he used to document a pivotal moment of Indigenous resistance. In 2013, while reporting for APTN and covering conflicts from an Indigenous perspective, Michelin captured a photograph that resonated across the globe and became a symbol of resistance. Ten years later, he returns with a film crew to Elsipogtog to reconnect with the community at the heart of the story and explore how the events of that fall have shaped the lives of those involved. The film also examines how Indigenous activism, environmental struggles and media coverage have evolved in the decade since.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/feather-fall/?docs-hp_=feature_1

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Light of the Moon’, by Celeigh Cardinal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI09h7xtfRo
***********************
UPDATE June 10, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Into Light (Documentary)
Directed by: Sheona Mcdonald
Written by: JC, Sheona McDonald
Produced by: Teri Snelgrove
2021; Running Time: 19 Min

From the National Film Board website:
When a child reveals who they truly are on the inside, how does a parent set aside their own expectations to help them become their most authentic self? Sheona McDonald’s documentary captures a season of change as a mother and child navigate the complexities of gender identity together.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following National Film Board link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/into-light/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘No Matter What’, by Calum Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBIhqNT5gsE
************************
UPDATE June 9, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

The Knowing (Documentary)
Produced by Courtney Montour & Tanya Talaga
CBC Docs
2024; Running Time 88 MIn

From YouTube
Journalist Tanya Talaga and her family’s eight-decade long search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter, reveals a story deeply intertwined with Canada’s Indian residential school system.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3Gu2n_0rw

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Water is Life’, by Lyla June ft Oliver Enjady
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfX0tTrSRG0
***********************
UPDATE June 8, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

The Times of Harvey Milk (Documentary)
Director: Rob Epstein
Produced by: Richard Schmiechen
Narrated by: Harvey Fierstein
Production companies: Telling Pictures, Black Sand Productions, WNET, The Harvey Milk Film Project Inc., Pacific Arts
1984; Running Time: 1Hr 30 Min

From Wikipedia
Operating from his camera store in San Francisco's Castro district, charismatic Harvey Milk is defeated three times before being elected to the city's Board of Supervisors, making him California's first openly gay public official. On the job he meets fellow supervisor Dan White, a homophobic ex-fireman with whom Milk develops a troubled working relationship. White grows increasingly disgruntled, resigns from his position and subsequently assassinates both Milk and Mayor George Moscone.

Warning: Contains some strong language. Discretion Advised.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clpNnIcnDpQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You and Me on the Rock’, by Brandi Carlile ft Catherine Carlile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLrXLjWGmi8
************************
UPDATE June 7, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

The Knowing (Book)
By Tanya Talaga
Nation: Multiple Nations
Publisher: HarperCollins
2024

From GoodMinds.com
From Tanya Talaga, the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Seven Fallen Feathers, comes a riveting exploration of her family’s story and a retelling of the history of the country we now call Canada

For generations, Indigenous People have known that their family members disappeared, many of them after being sent to residential schools, “Indian hospitals” and asylums through a coordinated system designed to destroy who the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are. This is one of Canada’s greatest open secrets, an unhealed wound that until recently lay hidden by shame and abandonment.

The Knowing is the unfolding of Canadian history unlike anything we have ever read before. Award-winning and bestselling Anishinaabe author Tanya Talaga retells the history of this country as only she can—through an Indigenous lens, beginning with the life of her great-great grandmother Annie Carpenter and her family as they experienced decades of government- and Church-sanctioned enfranchisement and genocide.

Deeply personal and meticulously researched, The Knowing is a seminal unravelling of the centuries-long oppression of Indigenous People that continues to reverberate in these communities today. 

Available from most major book sellers, but also available from https://goodminds.com a bookstore dedicated to promoting First Nations, Metis, and Inuit books.
https://goodminds.com/products/9781487002268

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Road to the Reservation’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQCiY-E3VUM
***********************
UPDATE June 6, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

You’ll Be Straight (Documentary)
Directed by: Caroline Benarrosh
Production: Tohubohu for France Télévisions
2021; Running Time: 52 Min

From YouTube
Homosexuality: The Underside of Conversion Therapies

Accepting one’s homosexuality for an American today ought to be simple? And yet, it is not so straightforward!

700,000 young people in the United States have already undergone so-called conversion therapies, intended to "cure" their homosexuality. Run by religious or pseudo-scientific communities, these therapies promise to fix a supposedly "deviant sexual orientation" and to change a person’s inner identity.

Through social, familial and religious pressure, Mathew, Jordan and Lucas all signed up for these therapies and went through hell: Isolation, sequestration, humiliation, food deprivation, physical and psychological violence.

Today, a political combat is underway to halt these therapies and to acknowledge the victims. This is likely to be a long process, given that such practices are still allowed in 41 states and have the backing of the Trump administration.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q71p4AvUBhI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘So Small’, by Ty Herndon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGpcuspZK6U
************************
UPDATE June 5, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Seven Fallen Feathers (Book)
By Tanya Talaga
Published by: House of Anansi Press
2017

From Goodminds.com
Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City recounts with clarity and honesty the truths surrounding the lives of seven Indigenous teenagers who lost their lives while attending high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Jethro Anderson, Curran Strang, Robyn Harper, Paul Panacheese, Reggie Bushie, Kyle Morrisseau, and Jordan Wabasse attended secondary school to further their education because their northern home communities lacked such basic facilities. Between 2001 and 2011 these seven students lost their lives in circumstances that that many readers will conclude are unacceptable.

In setting the stage to present the facts the journalist begins with the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack (January 19,1954 - October 23, 1966) was an Ojibwe boy who ran away from Cecelia Jeffrey Residential School where he boarded for three years while attending public school in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. He died of hunger and exposure while trying to walk 600 km (370 mi) back to his home, Ogoki Post.

Suitable for secondary and college level readers. Highly recommended.

Finalist, 2017 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction; Finalist, 2017 Speaker's Book Award; Finalist, 2018 B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Tanya Talaga wins the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Seven Fallen Feathers. Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City has been selected in the Young Adult/Adult Category for the First Nation Communities READ 2018 Award. Teaching

Available from most major book sellers, but also available from https://goodminds.com a bookstore dedicated to promoting First Nations, Metis, and Inuit books.
https://goodminds.com/products/9781487002268

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Residential School Song (Indian Boarding School Song)’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoVERQn0YV0
***********************

UPDATE June 4, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Our Proud Hearts (Documentary)
Produced & Directed by Jamie Sharpe
2019; Running Time: 25 Min

From YouTube
'Our Proud Hearts' is a documentary that explores the journey that 10 young members of the LGBT community have experienced after coming out. The cast members explore the controversial belief that being gay is a "choice."

((TRIGGER WARNING)) This film contains graphic news footage, mature language, and content that may not be suitable for younger audiences.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUGEjWSp8Mk

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Orphans of God’, by Ty Herndon & Kristin Chenoweth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFmobwkQMfs
***********************
UPDATE June 3, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

Indigiqueer (Documentary)
Directed by: Sarain Fox
Written & Produced by: Jeremie Wookey, Janelle Wookey
2025; Running Time: 43 Min

From YouTube
This film delves into the world of members of indigenous LGBTQIA+ communities in Canada. Activist and filmmaker Sarain Fox sheds light on their lives, while asking what the future holds. The answers come from a wide variety of perspectives.

On her quest, Sarain accompanies a young family friend on a journey of her own as she works to complete her coming out process with her friends, family and pow wow community. She also meets with other members of the Indigenous community. Along with queer fellow human beings, old guardians of knowledge and the well-known drag queen Ilona Verley, she sheds light on their stories, and on their perspectives on indigenous and sexual identity.

Through these connections, Sarain gains a better understanding of who she is, where she came from and what the future holds for the next generation of queer Indigenous youth.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl2XVzlMG_Q

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Boarding Schools’, by Lyla June ft Lee Moquino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilCdIBAzvA
*******************
UPDATE June 2, 2025

Today’s Pride Month Resource

Beyond Stonewall (Documentary)
Exploring LGBTQ+ History Through the Smithsonian Archives
Written & Directed by: Allan Martin
Produced by: Allan Martin & Pip Gilmour
2018; Running Time: 51 Min

From the Smithsonian Channel
Produced by Highland Pictures, the film moves beyond the Stonewall riots of 1969, often celebrated as the birth of modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, to trace the struggles and triumphs of modern gay life. Using commentary from LGBTQ+ allies, icons and expert perspectives from Smithsonian curators, Beyond Stonewall tells the story of the LGBTQ+ community via rare artifacts in the Smithsonian collections. The doc illustrates the multifaceted journeys of trailblazing gay pioneers in the objects they left behind, including 19th-century stage actress Charlotte Cushman's Cardinal Wolsey costume; a first edition copy of poet Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass; love letters among World War II soldiers, and more. The documentary features commentary from LGBTQ+ icons like Matthew Shepard's parents, Stonewall eyewitness participant Mark Segal, and Gene Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be consecrated a bishop by the Episcopal Church.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G1wZPeZZTQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What Mattered Most’, by Ty Herndon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSnGDePzppE
***********************
UPDATE June 1, 2025

Today’s Indigenous People’s Month Resource

A Perspective on Canadian History that You Might Not Know (Documentary)
Produced by: The Ballantyne Project
2020; Running Time: 31 Min

This powerful film offers a unique exploration of Canadian history, showcasing two contrasting perspectives. One perspective highlights the traditional narrative taught in Canadian schools and reinforced by the government through immigration and refugee citizenship testing. The other perspective, shared through verified sources, offers a viewpoint of the history of Canada through the eyes of Indigenous Peoples.

This eye-opening experience will to broaden your understanding and appreciation of Indigenous history and perspectives. It is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of Canada’s diverse histories, and to engage in meaningful discussions about our shared past and future.

This video is produced by The Ballantyne Project. The Ballantyne Project is a Vancouver based organization that focuses on bringing inspiration, a voice and opportunity to remote First Nation communities in Canada.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghxevR78_fU

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Nations Rise’, by Lyla June
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr2VLI8jKww
*******************
UPDATE May 31, 2025

Peace
There is more to peace
than a temporary
cessation of hostility,
political solutions
cannot undo such
wilful disregard
for human life.
First must come
repentance,
forgiveness,
and finally, shalom.
God of grace,
work in hearts
torn apart by hate,
pour upon them
your healing balm of love;
bring wholeness,
restoration and hands
that reach out to embrace,
rather than cause more pain.
Bring your peace,
your shalom.
Amen.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_justice.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Run to the Father’, by Matt Maher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiNckhkjOLU
********************
UPDATE May 30, 2025

Bless the Brave Voices
For all those brave voices
speaking out on injustice,
inequality, abuse of power,
and corporate greed, who
want to leave this world
a better, more equitable
place for their children
and grandchildren to inherit.
Who are willing to stand
in the firing line of politics
and suffer the consequences
for speaking out the truth.
Bless their endeavours.
May their voices be heard,
and this world, your gift to us,
begin once more to resemble
the world that you intended.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_justice.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Waiting’, by Katie Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3cz68npn0
********************
UPDATE May 29, 2025

Forgive Our Reluctance
Forgive our reluctance
to raise our voices
where we see injustice.
Forgive our reluctance
to become involved
where we see suffering.
Forgive our reluctance
to become a light
in this world’s darkness.
Forgive us, inspire us
to make a difference,
to be your willing servants,
become your true disciples
within this fragile world.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_justice.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cease Striving’, by Sarah Steele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjlsNeDn9OA
********************
UPDATE May 28, 2025

For the Beauty of the Earth
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.
https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/prayers-and-thanksgivings#For-the-Beauty-of-the-Earth

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Grace is Sufficient For You (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)’ by Sarah Steele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCY8WwYp0w
********************
UPDATE May 27, 2025

What You Feel Today, You Can Share Tomorrow
The joy you felt today
is the smile you share tomorrow.
A time for all things,
that all might be blessed.

The grief you knew yesterday
may be the comfort you share today.
A time for all things,
that all might be blessed.

The hurt you felt today
is the forgiveness you share tomorrow.
A time for all things,
that all might be blessed.

The seed you sowed yesterday
may be the fruit you harvest today.
A time for all things,
that all might be blessed,
in springtime
and winter,
in dancing
and mourning,
healing,
life and death.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_stress.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Water is Deep (Psalm 69)’, by Sarah Steele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uFqv_OeFvk
********************
UPDATE May 26, 2025

For the Helpers in Our World
For small miracles
in the midst of tragedy
we thank you, Lord.
For refugees rescued
from sinking ships,
earthquake victims
brought alive from
upturned buildings,
and the many others
that go unnoticed
in our daily lives,
where acts of love
and selfless bravery
confront misfortune
and catastrophe
and from the darkness
bring light and life.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_signs_of_hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Broken Body of Christ’, by The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPyx89YZLUg
********************
UPDATE May 25, 2025

Today we remember George Floyd who was murdered by police five years ago today. People of colour face challenges that those of us who are white can never fully comprehend, but must stand up against at every opportunity. Too many people of colour are killed in disproportionate numbers compared to white people. And punishments for the perpetrators of those crimes, especially those committed by law enforcement, are almost non-existent or are much more lenient than those meted out to the perpetrators against white victims. We must never forget that a police officer knelt on the neck of a black man for more than nine minutes over the protestations of a crowd on the sidewalk, until that black man was dead in the street. George Floyd, a child of God, let alone any human being, did not deserve to die that way. Pray for George Floyd and his family. Pray for the officer who committed this racist crime that his heart might be changed. Mr. Floyd deserved better. Say his name.--ED

George Floyd Memorial Prayer
Published May 25, 2023

God of never-ending mercy, trusting in you we ask:
grant eternal happiness to George Floyd on anniversary of his death, and to all those who suffered a shameful and cruel death.

Wrap their families round with your restorative love and healing mercy,
and change the hearts of those who inflict senseless suffering and inhuman treatment of others.

God of boundless love, trusting in you we ask:
do not allow our rich diversity to be a source of division,
but fashion us into the one colorful human tapestry you imagined.

Root out all forms of racism from our society and institutions,
and liberate our world from any and all forms of supremacy.

God of unrelenting reconciliation, trusting in you we ask:
grant us endurance as we struggle for a society built on truth, and freed from all lies,
give us perseverance as we work toward a world united by love, and liberated from al hatred,
and bestow on us the resilience needed to strive for a community beaming with healing and hope, lifted out of darkness and despair.

God of limitless forgiveness, trusting in you we ask:
pardon us for any wrongs we did unto others,
grant us the grace to seek forgiveness and to forgive,
and bring healing to any relationships that are strained or broken.

God of everlasting peace, trusting in you we ask:
calm our troubled hearts and grant us peace of mind,
quiet our anxious thoughts and clothe us with serenity,
soothe our weary souls and embrace us with your love.

God of eternal wisdom, trusting in you we ask:
grant us kindness in all our thoughts, gentleness in all our words,
and generosity in all our deeds.

Inspire us to resist the sin of indifference and speak out for those in need,
and guide us in ways that will bring about the world you imagined for us.

We offer this prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
https://mary.org/georgefloydmemorialprayer/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Remember When’, by The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he98mMybs1A
********************

UPDATE May 24, 2025

Keep Watch Over Me
In my going out
and coming in,
my rising
and sleeping,
watch over me,
keep me from harm.
In summer sun
and winter rain,
my joyfulness
and sorrow
watch over me,
keep me from harm.
In the darkness
and in lighter days
my fears
and comfort,
watch over me,
keep me from harm.
This day,
and all days.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_stress.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus, Drive My Steps (I Am Confused)’, by She Speaks Virtue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6OykHzLf5k
********************
UPDATE May 23, 2025

Entering the World Without Fear
The door through which we enter
into the world can be for some
more than a handle to be turned,
more than a barrier to be crossed.
There is comfort and security
in isolation, a kind of peace
behind locked doors.
And the alternative?
Fear in venturing beyond the known.
Fear in the interaction with others.
Fear of intimidation or worse.
For those whose hearts are troubled
or spirits crushed
by sin or circumstance,
Good Lord, deliver them,
bring healing and wholeness
of mind, body and spirit,
and freedom
to be the person
they were always meant to be.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_stress.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In Jesus Name’, by I Am They ft Cheyenne Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUqtRYlZ7E
********************
UPDATE May 22, 2025

A Prayer for Peace After Gun Violence

“Thus says Yahweh: a voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and bitter weeping. Rachel, weeping for her children, refuses to be comforted, for her children are no more.”
Jeremiah 31:15

God, comforter of the broken and disheartened, We come to you plagued with an agonized grief after yet one more outbreak of senseless gun violence.

We come to you, from the East to the West, from the North to the South, people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life.

We represent one voice, the voice of bitter weeping echoing throughout our cities and resounding in communities throughout the world.

As violence abounds, we sit in the darkness, sitting alongside the suffering on the mourner’s bench.

We are Rachel, mourning with wordless sobs, the lives of those sacrificed on the altar of violence.

We are Rachel, weeping for the wounded, for those whose minds and bodies are etched with painful memories of men’s unjustifiable rage.

We are Rachel, lamenting with the families who have lost loved ones whose cries of despair join with those from tragedies of gun violence.

We are Rachel, perplexed with troubled souls, and searching for answers, seeking to understand what would cause humans to inflict pain on their fellow sisters and brothers.

We are Rachel, exasperated, grasping—crying out, “How long, O God?” How long will this wave of violence consume your people?
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/gun-violence/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Al Shlosha D’varim’, by Halifax Camerata Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5xpamd3f0U
********************
UPDATE May 21, 2025

A Blessing
Bless those whose faith,
even when tested
by pain, loss or sorrow,
still shines through
the darkness of their lives
as a witness to you,
and speaks so clearly
of your love for them.
Bless them, for their witness
to your grace and mercy,
and hold them gently
in the comfort of your arms.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_signs_of_hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God and God Alone’, by Aaron Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNiiNThrfkU
********************
UPDATE May 20, 2025

Yours is the Love
Yours is the love
that in a moment of divine joy
announced, “Let there be light!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the master plan
of a garden we now walk upon.
Creative love,
Enduring love,
Patient love,
Forgiving love,
Yours is the love
that in such suffering and pain
announced, “The price is paid!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the Master’s plan
of Salvation that we depend upon.
Yours is the love!
Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_signs_of_hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Mighty Name of Jesus’, by The Belonging Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiNTfREV7oM
********************
UPDATE May 19, 2025

We Pray For…
We pray for our communities -
that snapshot of humanity
with all ages, backgrounds,
education, employment status,
politics and religious viewpoint
who are our neighbours
in the streets where we live.
We pray for all of them;
not only those we know by name
and chat to through the day,
but also less familiar faces
about whom we know so little
and pass by with just a smile.
Bless their homes and families,
and let your love and peace
so shine within this community
that smiles turn to conversations,
and strangers become friends.
We pray this through Jesus Christ,
the Prince of Peace. Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_love_your-neighbor.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When We Pray’, The Way Worship ft Alegra Garcia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DJ3NjA9ZjA
********************
UPDATE May 18, 2025

Bless the Good Neighbours
Bless the good neighbours, Lord,
who call to check that all is well,
and share a cup of tea and chat
with those who struggle to get out,
and whose gentle act of service
brings a ray of light into a day
that would otherwise be cheerless.
Bless them, and all who likewise
give of their time for others
in following your good example,
that this might become a better
and more caring world in which to live.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_love_your-neighbor.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lovely, Needy People’, by The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_6gxdeJ_LY
********************
UPDATE May 17, 2025

Bless the Paths
Bless the paths that cross today;
the old friends and strangers
with whom we might share
a pleasant greeting, a smile
or maybe something deeper.
Grant us a word in season
that might resonate within
and bring a blessing to these,
your precious children, Gracious God
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_love_your-neighbor.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ride the Storm’, by Judah Collective ft Jane Evelyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgX_sfRX7Xc
********************
UPDATE May 16, 2025

Teach Us to Love, Lord
Lord, you have said
that to truly love you
then I must also
love my neighbour,
which can be difficult
when we disagree
or lifestyles clash.
Yet in overcoming
those difficulties
it is possible to see
the miracle that you
love someone like me.
Teach us to love, Lord,
as you have loved us
that this world might be
a better neighbourhood
in which to live and share.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_love_your-neighbor.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘After Your Heart’, by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TioXGd4KgI
********************
UPDATE May 15, 2025

For the Beauty of the Earth
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.
https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/prayers-and-thanksgivings#For-the-Beauty-of-the-Earth

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Home is a Song’, by Mary Chapin Carpenter ft Anaïs Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtRkiQ45-ks
********************
UPDATE May 14, 2025

This Eternal Truth
May this eternal truth be always on our hearts,
That the God who breathed this world into being,
Placed stars into the heavens
And designed a butterfly's wing,
Is the God who entrusted God’s son
to the care of ordinary people,
became vulnerable that we might know
how strong is the wonder of Love.
A mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp.
A mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore.
https://www.faithandworship.com/creation_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Gratitude’, by I Am They
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSBZryBPSzA
********************
UPDATE May 13, 2025

In Praise of Creation
Every creature, every plant,
every rock and grain of sand
proclaims the glory of its Creator,
worships through colour, shape,
scent and form.
A multi-sensory song of praise.
Creator God, may we join
with the whole of your creation,
in praising you, our Creator,
through the fragrance
and melody of our lives.
https://www.faithandworship.com/creation_prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Who He Is’, by Jamie MacDonald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDw_ed9k1_w
********************
UPDATE May 12, 2025

Blessing of seed
Eternal Father,
maker of heaven and earth,
we bless you and give you glory.
Bless + this seed, and make It fruitful.
Look upon our work this season,
and grant that the seeds we plant
will produce plentiful crops,
providing food and work for many.
In your love, give us favorable weather
throughout this growing season.
Make us truly grateful for all our gifts,
and willing to share our goods and talents with others,
especially those without adequate food.
All praise and glory are yours, almighty Father,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
In the unity of the Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
--Excerpt from “Prayers for Good Harvest”, A Book of Blessings (1981), Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
https://greenchurches.ca/tools/spirituality/prayers/a-prayer-for-planting-rogations/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trinity Song’, by Sandra McCracken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk28HVgQ0AE
********************
UPDATE May 11, 2025

a blessing for Mother's Day
Bless all the moms—
those who have carried us
in their bodies,
and in their hearts,
and in their minds,
and all those who have mothered us
in some form or fashion.

The ones who answer our calls
no matter the time of day,
or absurd the request.

Those who remind us
that we are loved, loved, loved
no matter what.
We thank them and honor them all.

Those we can hug today,
and those who are now gone
and those now distant from us.

And bless all those too
for whom mothering is
complicated, difficult,
heartbreaking, or incomplete.

Do what only you can do, God:
Bless and heal.
Restore. Rebuild.
Pour love over everything
These hearts have touched.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When My Mama Prays’, by Corrina Grant Gill & Vince Gill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey4TsEZj1SU
********************
UPDATE May 10, 2025

Blessing for the Spirit of Peace

May the Spirit of Silence open our hearts to Gods transforming love;

May the Spirit of Compassion help us to feel for the sufferings of others;

May the Spirit of Love melt the cold hearts of those who trample on human rights;

May the Spirit of Beauty teach us to treasure Mother Earth;

May the Spirit of Wisdom help us to learn from spiritual teachers of every faith;

May the Spirit of Patience and Endurance strengthen the oppressed and those who are
exiled from their homes;

May the Spirit of Courage strengthen those who speak for those whose voice is never
heard;

May the Spirit of Non-violence bring healing, peace and justice to those who live in
countries torn apart by conflict;

May the Spirit of Unity help us to welcome people of every country and creed as
brothers and sisters.

By The Reverend Dr. Marcus Braybrooke
https://www.chausa.org/prayers/prayer-library/prayer/blessing-for-the-spirit-of-peace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Patient Kingdom’, by Sandra McCracken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I52uX8G-UoI
********************
UPDATE May 9, 2025

A Prayer of Gratitude for Creation
God of the universe,
We thank You for Your many good gifts -
For the beauty of Creation and its rich and varied fruits,
For clean water and fresh air, for food and shelter, animals and plants.

Forgive us for the times we have taken the earth's resources
for granted
And wasted what You have given us.
Transform our hearts and minds
So that we would learn to care and share,
To touch the earth with gentleness and with love,
Respecting all living things.

We pray for all those who suffer as a result of our waste,
greed and indifference,
And we pray that the day would come when everyone has enough
food and clean water.
Help us to respect the rights of all people and all species
And help us to willingly share your gifts
Today and always. Amen.
— Fiona Murdoch, Eco-Congregation Ireland
chausa.org/prayers/prayer-library

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Sand and Water’, by Beth Nielsen Chapman, Olivia Newton-John, & Amy Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1vQj6NbjZU
********************
UPDATE May 8, 2025

The Living Spirit
by Ghana

Morning has risen;
Sleep is still in our eyes,
but at once on our lips
shall be your praise.

We glorify, praise and adore you.
We, that is, the earth,
the water, and the sky;
that is, the people here on earth.

Everything that you have created
enjoys your sun and your grace.

Dawn glistens on the grasses.
Mist is still hanging on the trees.
And a soft wind promises a fine day.

Should we not enjoy everything
that you have created?

We are meant to.
That is why we are so joyful this dawn.

O, Lord, Grant that the hours and
minutes do not slip away in our hands,
but that we may live in your time.
Amen.
—Ghana

Hallellujah for The Day: an African prayer book
Ed. ANthony Gittins CSSp
(Darton, Longman and Todd, 2002)
https://greenchurches.ca/tools/spirituality/prayers/the-living-spirit/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Turn Around’, by We Are Messengers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IThO9DjYppg
********************
UPDATE May 7, 2025

The Earth is Miraculous
by Dunscore Parish Church (Scotland)

Creator God, this earth is
miraculous and beautiful.
Forgive our confusion and
inaction as we confront the
challenges of climate change.

In the light of your truth,
seen so clearly in the life
and teaching of Jesus,
help us to re-examine ourselves and
our lifestyle choices and see clearly
the implications of how we live
on all that sustains life on
this earth.

May we follow your leading in caring
for every aspect of this precious world,
which you made and love.

Throughout history you have moved people
to do amazing things
for the sake of their neighbours.

Inspire us now to work together,
as your people, to change
priorities in the way we live,
so that we build a fair and safe world
for all your creation;
a world where your will is done as it is in heaven.
Amen
Dunscore Parish Church (Scotland) wrote this prayer for Earth Hour.
https://greenchurches.ca/tools/spirituality/prayers/the-earth-miraculous/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Love of God’, by Reawaken Hymns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m6PEycj0Hs
********************
UPDATE May 6, 2025

Out Of The Depths

Out of the depths;
Not from the top of our lungs;
Not out of the need just to do something;
Not out of pure frustration, anger, desire for revenge;
Not out of the superficiality of our restlessness.

Out of the very depths of our being we cry to God for peace.

Out of that fearful place where we have to confess that we too are part of the destruction against which we are protesting.

Out of that center where we discover that we too are so high up in the air that we have become numb and no longer see, feel and hear the agony of thousands who are struck by the seeds of destruction…

Out of that empty spot of silence, where we feel helpless, embarrassed, and powerless, where we suffer from our own impotence to stop the reign of death in our world.

Out of those depths we cry to the Lord and say:

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
--Henri Nouwen
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/peace/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘More Than Anything’, by Stephen McWhirter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4Hk6JJpDiI
********************
UPDATE May 5, 2025

A Prayer for Murdered and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People:  

Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within your creation.

For many their visit to your creation ended through violence and we don’t know where they currently lay.

In Jesus, you place the Gospel in the Centre of this Sacred Circle through all of which all creation is related. 

We remember those Missing and Murdered Women and Girls and Two Spirited People who suffered.

We take time to remember they are Our Relations, as all creation is related.

We remember their family members and friends and the heaviness of loss and grief that they have carried for so many years.

Creator, in Jesus, you showed us the way to live a generous and compassionate life.   

Give us your strength to live together with respect, care for one another and commit ourselves to providing safety for all.

May we grow in your spirit, and support all our relations, for you are God, now and forever.
Amen.
--adapted from resources for this day produced for the Anglican Church of Canada
https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/red-dress-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’, by Antone George & the West Shore Canoe Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KMYi-2BMsI
********************
UPDATE May 4, 2025

Today we are featuring some quotes from author, blogger, and theologian, the late Rachel Held Evans who died far too young on this day in 2019. She is still missed.--ED

“This is what God's kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. And there's always room for more.”--Rachel Held Evans

“But the gospel doesn't need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, "Welcome! There's bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk." This isn't a kingdom for the worthy; it's a kingdom for the hungry.”--Rachel Held Evans

“We could not become like God, so God became like us. God showed us how to heal instead of kill, how to mend instead of destroy, how to love instead of hate, how to live instead of long for more. When we nailed God to a tree, God forgave. And when we buried God in the ground. God got up.”-- Rachel Held Evans

“Doubt is a difficult animal to master because it requires that we learn the difference between doubting God and doubting what we believe about God. The former has the potential to destroy faith; that latter has the power to enrich and refine it. The former is a vice; the latter a virtue.”--Rachel Held Evans

“If same-sex relationships are really sinful, then why do they so often produce good fruit-loving families, open homes, self-sacrifice, commitment, faithfulness, joy? And if conservative Christians are really right in their response to same-sex relationships, then why does that response often produce bad fruit-secrets, shame, depression, loneliness, broken families, and fear?”--Rachel Held Evans

“Perhaps we could push beyond these legalistic gender roles if we spent less time worrying about “acting like men” and “acting like women,” and more time acting like Jesus.”--Rachel Held Evans

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘King of Glory’, by The Isaacs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5avAZumLpQ
********************
UPDATE May 3, 2025

A Muslim, Jewish, Christian Prayer for Peace
O God, you are the source of life and peace.
Praised be your name forever.
We know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.
Hear our prayer in this time of war.
Your power changes hearts.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews remember, and profoundly affirm, that they are followers of the one God, children of Abraham – brothers and sisters.
Enemies begin to speak to one another; those who were estranged join hands in friendship; nations seek the way of peace together.
Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live.
Give to us:
Understanding that puts an end to strife;
Mercy that quenches hatred; and
Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live in your law of love.
Amen.
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/peace/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Another Time, Another Place’, by Sandi Patty ft Wayne Watson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWMT0HPNotE
********************
UPDATE May 2, 2025

Litany of Non-Violence
Provident God, aware of our own brokenness, we ask the gift of courage to identify how and where we are in need of conversion in order to live in solidarity with Earth and all creation.

Deliver us from the violence of superiority and disdain. Grant us the desire, and the humility, to listen with special care to those whose experiences and attitudes are different from our own.

Deliver us from the silence that gives consent to abuse, war and evil. Grant us the desire, and the courage, to risk speaking and acting for the common good.

Deliver us from the violence of irreverence, exploitation and control. Grant us the desire, and the strength, to act responsibly with the cycle of creation.

God of love, mercy and justice, acknowledging our complicity in those attitudes, actions and words which perpetuate violence, we beg the grace of a non-violent heart. Amen.
--Sisters of Providence
https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/peace/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Middle of the Fire’, Rebecca St. James ft Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrf8urGeZiI
********************
UPDATE May 1, 2025

Open my eyes and ears

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.
Amen.
– Alan Paton (1903-1988)
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Near to Hear’, by Songs of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8zMqCFWdxc
********************
UPDATE April 30, 2025

When Our Faith…
When our faith
stands at the grave,
grieving
for a stone that's rolled away,
forgive us.

When our faith
is short of
understanding
though the truth is there to see,
forgive us.

When our faith,
beset by doubt, sees
no further
than an empty tomb today,
forgive us.

Bring to mind
the cry of Mary,
‘I have seen the Lord!'
and grant us faith to believe!
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Easter.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Much We Can Bear’, by The Choir Room
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSw1ka0MYAU
********************
UPDATE April 29, 2025

Thanksgiving Prayer
Thank you, God,
for birds and animals, fish and insects,
things that slither, glide and scuttle,
in all their wonderful diversity.
Thank you for the working animals who share our load,
the livestock who help to feed us,
and the pets who keep us company.
Thank you for the wildlife
of rivers, lakes and oceans,
of desert, bush and rainforest.
Show us how to care for their habitat,
and teach us to treat all your creatures kindly,
for you have made them all. Amen
-Author Unknown
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Only the Name of Jesus’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IVgApqkSgQ
********************
UPDATE April 28, 2025

A Prayer for our Earth
All-powerful God,
you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty,
not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.
|-Author Unknown
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Yield’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8ZGtsaOw8
********************
UPDATE April 27, 2025

The Praises of God
You are holy, the only God,
And your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, All Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,
Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful
Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior.
Amen
-St. Francis of Asissi
https://franciscanaction.org/prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What a Love’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV97UCaGojw
********************
UPDATE April 26, 2025

Easter Gratitude

God, we pause with such gratitude for the gift of your undeserved, unfailing, and unfathomable love. Thank you for walking around on this broken, dusty, and trouble-ridden planet for 33 years so that we might believe and have eternal life.

Thank you for communicating your love for us in a way that is so personal, so extravagant, and so gracious. Thank you for dying and then rising from the dead so we could have hope. Thank you for proving that you are real, you are powerful, and that only you give us the power to live our lives well through your incarnation, death, and resurrection.

Thank you for washing away our sins by offering yourself as the perfect and blameless sacrifice in our place. Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done for us. We offer our lives as a living sacrifice to you in gratitude for amazing grace. Amen.
—Amanda Idleman
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g46806141/easter-prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dawn’, by Rebecca St. James ft Luke Smallbone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0re_J-MBVU
********************
UPDATE April 25, 2025

Rise Up

O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
—Pope Francis, 2021 Easter Mass
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g46806141/easter-prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Simple Things’, by One House ft Annatoria & Morgan Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq16N969-zg
********************
UPDATE April 24, 2025

Draw Us Forth

Draw us forth, God of all creation.
Draw us forward and away from limited certainty
into the immense world of your love.
Give us the capacity to even for a moment
taste the richness of the feast you give us.
Give us the peace to live with uncertainty,
with questions,
with doubts.
Help us to experience the resurrection anew
with open wonder and an increasing ability
to see you in the people of Easter.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/easter-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Table of the Lord’, by Hope Darst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8TJMy6p0B8
********************
UPDATE April 23, 2025

Easter Prayer of Saint Hippolytus
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead,
the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever.

- St. Hippolytus of Rome
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/easter-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Something Inside So Strong’, The Spirituals Choir ft Annatoria & Ché Kirah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkwzl8J5nWU
********************
UPDATE April 22, 2025

Joyous Time of Year 

May the glory
and the promise
of this joyous time of year
bring peace
and happiness to you
and those you hold most dear.

And may Christ,
Our Risen Saviour,
always be there by your side
to bless you
most abundantly
and be your loving guide.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/easter-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Easter Song’, by 2nd Chapter of Acts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-hLSR5F4Y0
********************
UPDATE April 21, 2025

Some thoughts on the death and legacy of Pope Francis
by Rozella Haydée White, The Love Big Coach

“Pope Francis has died. A love-rooted leader has returned home.
He wasn’t perfect.
He was human.
A man who led a global institution shaped by both beauty and brokenness.

But what I will always remember is this:

He led with love.
He showed us what it looks like when power bends toward compassion.
When tradition meets tenderness.
When faith is practiced with humility.

Pope Francis used his voice and his platform to name oppression.
To denounce greed.
To embrace the marginalized.
To call out discrimination within the church and beyond it.

He reminded us that faith without justice is hollow.
That leadership without love is harm dressed up in hierarchy.

And while the church still has a long road ahead—he helped us turn toward a better way.

He made space at the table.
He asked hard questions.
He wept with the hurting.
He kept pointing us back to Jesus—not as dogma, but as love in action.

That is the kind of leadership that lasts.
That is the legacy of a love ethic embodied.

Rest well, Pope Francis.
Thank you for showing us what love can do—even in the most powerful of places.

May we all be brave enough to lead with conviction, care, and compassion—
especially when the institution makes it hard.”
https://www.rozellahwhite.com/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ave Verum Corpus (W.A. Mozart)’, by Hunter Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-hqQCDFxU
***************
UPDATE April 20, 2025

Easter Morning

As the world sings triumphant cries to heaven over death that you conquered, help us, Lord, tomorrow as well, when the dresses are put away and the candy is all eaten and on with life we go let us not forget.

The celebration of your resurrection over death is a celebration of life that should continue well beyond the sunrise service and the music, rehearsed for days prior; it is beyond the sign of spring, beyond the lily, beyond new lambs grazing in open fields.

Resurrection is a daily celebration over fear; man's greatest and most powerful enemy. Fear of tomorrow, fear of our yesterdays, fear of what shall become of our young our old our unborn. Resurrection is replacing fear with physical action.

This alone, the most touching and profound of your signs that fear is dead and belief in you brings, not just hope but life.
What better living parable could You have brought? All fear death. All. Even in the garden, You took on our fear if for only moments, it was as real as our fears can be real and You knew then that this single enemy must be destroyed.

And, You sacrificed your life, leaving those who had been comfort, and follower; You left them behind, to conquer fear.

I shall cling to this now, and the tomorrows given me.
Peace and thanksgiving lifted unto you.
Amen.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/easter-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hallelujah’, by Kelley Mooney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWwl3DS2dh4&list=RDqWwl3DS2dh4&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE April 19, 2025

From the Byzantine Matins of Great & Holy Saturday:
“Today the one who holds all creation in his hand
is himself held in the tomb,
a rock covers the One who covered the heavens with beauty,
Life has fallen asleep,
Hades is seized with fear,
and Adam is freed from his bonds.
Glory to your work of salvation;
through it you have accomplished the eternal Sabbath rest,
and You grant us the gift of your holy resurrection.”
https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/triduum-and-easter-prayers/prayer-meditation-for-holy-saturday/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross’, by Bradley B. Moggach, tune Wachowiak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDf0k06N0P4
*********************
UPDATE April 18, 2025

Holy Week
Friday

My Lord,
your son has suffered so much, shed so much blood.
I was born with so many faults
and my nature is so full of weakness,
and yet your son Jesus has died on the cross.
For me.
I know your grace has the power
to cleanse me of my many sins
and to make me more like your Son.
Thank you for your goodness and love for me.
I ask you, Father, to watch over me - always.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Were You There When They Crucified My Lord’, by Johnny Cash & The Carter Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYwrovW9Xcc
***********************
UPDATE April 17, 2025

Holy Week
Thursday

Loving Provider,
you gather me in this upper room with your son,
to be fed by your love.
At that supper, Jesus told us to "love one another"
and I know that is the heart of his gift,
his sacrifice for me.
I ask that I might find the source of my own heart,
the meaning for my own life,
in that Eucharist.
Guide me to the fullness of your love and life
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wood and Nails’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Audrey Assad & Josh Garrels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIyr1PIMWgw
*********************
UPDATE April 16, 2025

Holy Week
Wednesday

My savior,
do you invite me to share
in the glory of the resurrection?
Please stay with me
as I struggle to see
how accepting the crosses of my life
will free me from the power
of the one who wants only
to destroy my love and trust in you.
Help me to be humble and accepting
like your son, Jesus.
I want to turn to you
with the same trust he had in your love.
Save me, Lord. Only you can save me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Only for a Moment’, by Danny Gokey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YTDylMnHa8
*********************
UPDATE April 15, 2025

Holy Week
Tuesday

God of such unwavering love,
how do I "celebrate"
the passion and death of Jesus?
I often want to look the other way
and not watch,
not stay with Jesus in his suffering.
Give me the strength
to see his love with honesty and compassion
and to feel deeply
your own forgiveness and mercy for me.
Help me to understand
how to "celebrate" this week.
I want to be able to bring
my weaknesses and imperfections with me
as I journey with Jesus this week,
so aware of his love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Sweet Jesus’, by Selah & Jill Phillips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdfnEHo7Vk8
*********************
UPDATE April 14, 2025

Holy Week
Monday

God of love,
My prayer is simple:
Your son, Jesus, suffered and died for me.
I know only
that I cannot have real strength
unless I rely on you.
I cannot feel protected
from my many weaknesses
until I turn to you
for forgiveness and your unalterable love.
Help me to share this
strength, protection and love with others.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Exchange’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJy9Skh9Qt0
*********************
UPDATE April 13, 2025

Holy Week
Sunday

Loving God,
I am just beginning to realize how much you love me.
Your son, Jesus was humble and obedient.
He fulfilled your will for him by becoming human and suffering with us.
I ask you for the desire to become more humble
so that my own life might also bear witness to you.
I want to use the small sufferings I have in this world
to give you glory.

Please, Lord, guide my mind with your truth.
Strengthen my life by the example of Jesus.
Help me to be with Jesus in this week
as he demonstrates again his total love for me.
He died so that I would no longer
be separated from you.
Help me to feel how close you are
and to live in union with you.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-06.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hosanna’ by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPyeVhfBI7U
*********************
UPDATE April 12, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Saturday

Loving God,
Your eternal watchfulness keeps me safe from harm.
I am filled with a great happiness
when I feel your endless love for me.
Thank you for your care for me, one of your children.
I ask you to protect from harm
those who will soon be your children,
joined in the joy of your church.
Please continue to pour out your blessings
on all of us who have been given
the lifegiving waters of baptism.

https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lamb of God’, by Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFtvbrjvjY&list=RD1nFtvbrjvjY&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE April 11, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Friday

Most forgiving Lord,
again and again you welcome me back into your loving arms.
Grant me freedom from the heavy burdens of sin
that weigh me down
and keep me so far from you.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Million Chances’, by Jamie MacDonald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td9kWMImZAU
*********************
UPDATE April 10, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Thursday

Lord,
all I want is to be faithful to you in my life,
but so often I fail.
Free me from my many sins
and guide me to the life I will share with you.
I wait for your promise to be fulfilled
with great hope in my heart
and your praise on my lips.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Desperate’, by Jamie MacDonald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE63arP4vDY
*********************
UPDATE April 9, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Wednesday

Loving Creator,
I know in your great love for me,
you see the deep sorrow in my heart.
Hear my prayers which are offered
with such trust in you.
Be with me in both mind and heart
as I renew my life in your spirit.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary’, by The Mark Lowry Vocal Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGGM6ZRybE8
*********************
UPDATE April 8, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Tuesday

Loving God,
You have heard my complaints, my impatience.
Sometimes I become frightened
when I move away from you.
Guide my heart back to you.
Help me to think beyond my own wants
and to desire only to do you will.
Thank you for the many blessings in my life
and for the ways I feel your presence.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘And Can it Be’ by Reawaken Hymns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7PfDoRmaM
*********************
UPDATE April 7, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Monday

God of love,
I know that you are the source of all
that is good and graced in my life.
Help me to move from the life of sin
to which I so often cling,
into the new life of grace you offer me.
You know what I need to prepare for your kingdom.
Bless me with those gifts.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Lamb’, by Songs of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZCdWSaIV3k
*********************
UPDATE April 6, 2025

The Fifth Week of Lent
Sunday

My loving Lord,
it's so hard to love the world sometimes
and to love it the way Jesus did seems impossible.
Help me to be inspired by his love and
guided by his example.
Most of all, I want to accept that I can't do it alone,
and that trying is an arrogance of self-centeredness.
I need you, dear God, to give me support in this journey.
Show me how to unlock my heart
so that I am less selfish.
Let me be less fearful of the pain and darkness
that will be transformed by you into Easter joy.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-05.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God of the Impossible’, by Songs of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY8nJ4KNRPk
*********************
UPDATE April 5, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Saturday

Lord,
what you ask of my life seems so right.
It is how I want to live,
following your Son, Jesus, so closely.
And yet I fail so often to stay on that path.
I cannot do it alone, loving Lord.
I need your help and guidance.
I need to remember your love for me
and I want to remember
how very much I need you in my life.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘His Grace Will Carry You’, by Songs of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpqgjplTJy8
*********************
UPDATE April 4, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Friday

Loving God of forgiveness,
I come before you humbled and sad
in the face of my own repeated failings.
I hold out my hands as a petitioner would,
asking for mercy.
It is then that I feel you reach out and take my hand
in your loving grasp.
Thank you for the love you pour out on me
so lavishly.
Help me to follow more closely
in the path you have set for me,
the path of your Son.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Power of the Cross’, by Laura Story, Oliver Rea, New Irish Choir and Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuKlGIg6U1M&list=RDvuKlGIg6U1M&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE April 3, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Thursday

Merciful Father/ Loving Mother,
I know that the tiny sacrifices I make this Lent
can never serve as a real penance in my life.
But help me to make my whole life
one of following your Son.
I am filled with your love.
Let your love shine out from within me
and guide my life in this sacred journey
toward the Easter joy you offer me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Battle and the Blessing’, by CityAlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=solHPv3DRe8&list=RDsolHPv3DRe8&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE April 2, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Wednesday

Loving and merciful God,
I am so aware of my sins and weaknesses.
But as painfully aware of my faults as I am,
Let me also remember your tender love,
your gentle and limitless forgiveness.
I come before you filled with pain and guilt
but look into your eyes and see the forgiving love
I so long for in my life.
Help me to forgive the same way.
Teach me to love as you love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Hope is in the Blood’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTBQ8jaxdYM&list=RDVTBQ8jaxdYM&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE April 1, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Tuesday

Joyful praise in Lent?
I'm not sure I always feel that.
I ask you to help me prepare to understand
and embrace the paschal mystery in my life.
I don't always see the beauty and mystery
of this season
and often I run from the pain.
Help me to see how your saving grace
and your loving touch in my life
can fill me with joyful praise of the salvation
you have sent to me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trust’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyfcrnPZbNc&list=RDQyfcrnPZbNc&start_radio=1
*********************
UPDATE March 31, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Monday

God who created me,
You offer me new life through your Son
and through the gift of your sacraments.
While I see new life all around me,
I don't always recognize the new life you offer me.
Help me to grow this Lent in an awareness
of the gifts you place in my life
and in a greater appreciation for your care.
Give me the courage to ask for help.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Loved Me First’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz2Etmcy9nQ&list=RDPBJCCpD6vMU&index=4
*******************
UPDATE March 30, 2025

The Fourth Week of Lent
Sunday

Loving Creator of mine,
I feel the pace quicken, the time draw near.
I am filled with joy as I move toward Easter
and the promised reconciliation with you.
Teach me to follow the example of your Son,
to be worthy of being called one his people:
a Christ-ian.
Help me to live each day as he did
turning hatred to love and conflict to peace.
I await the new life with eagerness, faith
and a deep gratitude.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-04.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Everything is Possible’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSUCG0NUFyc&list=RDPBJCCpD6vMU&index=3
*******************
UPDATE March 29, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Saturday

God of Mercy and Understanding,
I know that with help
I can open my heart more fully
to the mysteries of the suffering and death
of your son.
Help me to be humble in this journey
and remember that any mercy and compassion I feel
is a gift from you.
I await the joy of Easter with new longing and patience.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One People’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJCCpD6vMU&list=RDPBJCCpD6vMU&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 28, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Friday

God of Mercy,
I feel my heart overflowing with your tenderness.
I sense your loving touch deep within my soul.
I ask for your help in my weakness
that I might be faithful to your word
and I am so grateful
that your mercy for my failings
is as strong as your unbounded love for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You’re Still God’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22WoEYfuZN0&list=RDKf43P5QuZ2E&index=2
*******************
UPDATE March 27, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Thursday

Loving God,
I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"
and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in your name
and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel your love in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Troubled Soul’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf43P5QuZ2E&list=RDKf43P5QuZ2E&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 26, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Wednesday

God, you love me as your own child.
May I bend my life and will toward you
so that I might accept your teaching and guidance.
I am so grateful for your support in my life,
now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me.
I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Send Out Your Light’, by Sandra McCracken ft Ashley Cleveland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cEvMW_PCI&list=RDL-cEvMW_PCI&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 25, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Tuesday

God of infinite love,
I thank you for this reminder of your love
and your call that we be more patient,
gentle and compassionate with others.
Here in the middle of Lent,
I turn to you to beg for your help.
Please soften my heart.
Help me to let go of judging others.
I ask you this, in Jesus' name.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Morning Has Broken’, by Cascade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92EYvNX7CNE&list=RD92EYvNX7CNE&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 24, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Monday

Merciful God,
Free your Church from the sins of this world
and protect us from evil we see
and the evil we prefer to ignore.
We need your guidance, Lord
for we cannot do this alone.
Only with your help can we be saved.
Thank you for your desire to save us and love us.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Canon in D’, by Cascade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4fpbDNz30Q&list=RDh4fpbDNz30Q&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 23, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Sunday

Loving Father,
So many times I turn away from you
and always you welcome me back.
Your mercy and love gives me confidence
Thank you for the invitation to share, fast and pray
so that you can form a new heart within me.
Your powerful compassion for my weaknesses
leads me to ask for mercy
and await with great hope the Easter joy you share with us.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Evermore’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05SMCk2bvBA&list=RD05SMCk2bvBA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 22, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Saturday

God of infinite love,
you shower me with limitless gifts in my life.
In my every thought and action today
guide me to the bright and loving light of your kingdom.
Help me to be aware of
the many ways you allow me
to share in your life so intimately today.
Thank you for the gifts you have placed in my life.
Let me be grateful every moment of this day.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Be Here’ by Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk3Fb_21W2Q&list=RDHk3Fb_21W2Q&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 21, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Friday

Loving God, Caring parent,
I am a child who so often turns my back
on your love.
Please accept my small acts of sorrow today
and help to release me from the self-absorption
that closes my heart to you.
As I journey through Lent,
let me remember the feast you have prepared for me
in the resurrection
and let me be filled with thanks to you.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘No Greater Love’, by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGffrc0CUYA&list=RDEGffrc0CUYA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 20, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Thursday

Loving God,
I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"
and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in your name
and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel your love in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Magnify’, by Christy Nockels|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmmPe10MUXA&list=RDJmmPe10MUXA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 19, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Wednesday

God of Love,
through this Lenten journey,
purify my desires to serve you.
Free me from any temptations to judge others,
to place myself above others.
Please let me surrender even my impatience
with others,
that with your love and your grace,
I might be less and less absorbed with myself,
and more and more full of the desire
to follow you, in laying down my life
according to your example.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘As For Me (Psalm 2)’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFWjFsxp4Sc&list=RDBFWjFsxp4Sc&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 18, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Tuesday

God in heaven and in my life,
guide me and protect me.
I so often believe I can save myself
and I always end in failure.
Lead me with your love away from harm
and guide me on the right path.
May your Spirit inspire the Church
and make us an instrument of your love
and guidance.
Thank you for your care for me
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mighty Name of Jesus’, by Hope Darst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFfQFwjfTPY
*******************
UPDATE March 17, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Monday
Lord,
your commandment of love is so simple
and so challenging.
Help me to let go of my pride,
to be humble in my penance.
I want only to live the way you ask me to love,
to love the way you ask me to live.
I ask this through your son, Jesus,
who stands at my side
today and always.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Be Thou My Vision’, by Keith & Kristyn Getty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZBOSfiH8Rk
*******************
UPDATE March 16, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Sunday

Loving God,
there is so much darkness in my life
and I hide from you.
Take my hand
and lead me out of the shadows of my fear.
Help me to change my heart.
Bring me to your truth
and help me to respond to your generous love.
Let me recognize the fullness of your love
which will fill my life.
Free me from the darkness in my heart.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Peace Be Still’, by Rev. James Cleveland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfIjj-wN93Y&list=RDyfIjj-wN93Y&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 15, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Saturday

Loving God,
Sometimes my heart
turns in every direction
except towards you.
Please help me
to turn my heart toward you,
to gaze upon you in trust
and to seek your kingdom with all of my heart.
Soften my hardened heart
so that I might love others
as a way to glorify and worship you.
Grant me this
with the ever-present guidance of your spirit.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Redeemer’, by Matthew Ward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he-E9nMETFA&list=RDhe-E9nMETFA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 14, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Friday

Creator of my Life,
renew me: bring me to new life in you.
Touch me and make me feel whole again.
Help me to see your love
in the passion, death and resurrection of your son.
Help me to observe Lent
in a way that allows me to celebrate that love.
Prepare me for these weeks of Lent
as I feel both deep sorrow for my sins
and your undying love for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Be Still My Soul’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6bK-2oiemg
*******************
UPDATE March 13, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Thursday

Lord,
I’m not always eager to do your will.
I’d often much rather do my own will.
Please be with me on this Lenten journey
and help me to remember
that your own spirit can guide me
in the right direction.
I want to ‘fix’ my weaknesses
but the task seems overwhelming.
But I know that with your help,
anything can be done.
With a grateful heart,
I acknowledge your love
and know that without you,
I can do nothing.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Friend in Jesus’, by CAIN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1D5C0kid2g
*******************
UPDATE March 12, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Wednesday

Dear Lord,
I know you receive what is in my heart.
Let me be inspired by your words
and by the actions of your son, Jesus.
Guide me to make sacrifices this Lent
in the spirit of self-denial
and with greater attention to you
and to those around me.
Help me to believe that you will grant me this
because of the sacrifice Jesus made for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lwtbnU-1Tw
*******************
UPDATE March 11, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Tuesday

Father of my soul,
Mother of my heart,
I know your love for me is limitless beyond imagining.
You care for me as a loving parent.
Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices,
help me to become less selfish
and more aware of your ways.
Fan the flame of my desire
to draw ever closer to you.
Guide me to seek your love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Father of Light’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7g0IMTUWHs
*******************
UPDATE March 10, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Monday

Loving God,
you call us back to you with all of our hearts.
I feel your call for me deep in my heart
and I know you want me back
as much as I want to return.
Please, Lord,
give me the wisdom to know how to return.
Make my journey back to you this Lent
one of grace, forgiveness and gentle love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Stand Amazed’, by Celtic Worship ft Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmt5VNnrJIM
*******************
UPDATE March 9, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Sunday

Lord God,
you who breathed the spirit of life within me.
Draw out of me the light and life you created.
Help me to find my way back to you.
Help me to use my life to reflect your glory
and to serve others
as your son Jesus did.

Amen.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Sacred Harp’, by Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xg3itKffEw
*******************
UPDATE March 8, 2025

Prayer for International Women’s Day

On this International Women's Day,
as we celebrate and give thanks for the achievements of women,
we remember the women who have played a part in our lives.
Those who have
nurtured us,
taught us,
inspired us,
loved us.

Forgive us when we have limited women
through inequality,
by stereotype,
by exclusion,
through lack of opportunity.

On this International Women's Day,
as we acknowledge the challenges women still face,
we pray that all women may know equality
of healthcare,
of education,
of wealth,
of prospects.

We pray that all women may know themselves to be
respected,
safe,
included,
empowered.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus
in whom there is neither male nor female.
Amen.
By Rev. Rosie Frew
https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/archive/2020/a-prayer-for-international-womens-day-rev-rosie-frew

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One Woman’, by Various International Artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyvIcVR9JI
*******************

UPDATE March 7, 2025

Friday
After Ash Wednesday

Lord,
I know how much you love me.
It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes,
but I know your love is always with me.
Help me to use your love as a way
to persevere in my Lenten intentions.
I am weak, but I know with your help,
I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.
Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yRC1VJsCk8

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Your Forgiveness’, by Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCdginpjlZU
****************
UPDATE March 6, 2025

Thursday
After Ash Wednesday

Lord,
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.

I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
Amen
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-00.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’, by Andre Rieu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yRC1VJsCk8
********************
UPDATE March 5, 2025

Blessing the Dust
For Ash Wednesday

All those days
you felt like dust,
like dirt,
as if all you had to do
was turn your face
toward the wind
and be scattered
to the four corners

or swept away
by the smallest breath
as insubstantial—

did you not know
what the Holy One
can do with dust?

This is the day
we freely say
we are scorched.
This is the hour
we are marked
by what has made it
through the burning.

This is the moment
we ask for the blessing
that lives within
the ancient ashes,
that makes its home
inside the soil of
this sacred earth.

So let us be marked
not for sorrow.
And let us be marked
not for shame.
Let us be marked
not for false humility
or for thinking
we are less
than we are

but for claiming
what God can do
within the dust,
within the dirt,
within the stuff
of which the world
is made
and the stars that blaze
in our bones
and the galaxies that spiral
inside the smudge
we bear.
—Jan Richardson
https://www.janrichardson.com/books

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Want Jesus to Walk With Me’, by Lynda Randle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR9Y_ZNvzoA
******************
UPDATE March 4, 2025

Your Word is Hope
In a world of fake news,
lies and half-truths
may this be known,
your word is true
and everlasting,
Your word is love
and brings healing,
your word is joy
to those searching,
your word is hope
to those struggling,
your word unites
rather than dividing.
In this fragile world
in which we live,
Lord God, may it be
your word that we trust.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Today we feature a song Dolly Parton wrote to celebrate her and her husband’s 50th wedding anniversary. Dolly’s husband Carl Dean passed away at the age of 82 on March 3rd. Dolly and Carl were married for almost 60 years.

‘Forever Love’, by Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLOjqVNo_0o
******************
UPDATE March 3, 2025

In Your Time
In your time, Saving God,
You walked upon this earth,
And in your time
Became one of us,
To show what we could become.
Remind us always
As we look at our lives
In comparison with yours,
That at the centre of all things
Is the saving Grace of God

In your time, Mighty God,
You will come in glory,
And in your time
Gather the harvest,
From one end of this earth to the other.
Remind us always,
In times of plenty,
And in times of famine,
That at the centre of all things
Are the mercy and justice of God.
Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_God.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Running With Angels’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9MwJYnq5oM
******************
UPDATE March 2, 2025

Transformation

There is a transformation that takes place
within the warmth of your embrace,
That certain knowledge that you are
refuge, shelter, fortress and stronghold,
against which no army can succeed.
That you are Brother, Sister, Mother, Father,
the love that knows no bounds.
That you are God,
And I am lost outside of your embrace. https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_God.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Did!’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrhhYWU6BGE
******************
UPDATE March 1, 2025

Sign of Hope in a Troubled World
Yours is the love
that in a moment of divine joy
announced, “Let there be light!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the master plan
of a garden we now walk upon.
Creative love,
Enduring love,
Patient love,
Forgiving love,
Yours is the love
that in such suffering and pain
announced, “The price is paid!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the Master’s plan
of Salvation that we depend upon.
Yours is the love!
Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_signs_of_hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Looked Up’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAibihiiLI
******************
UPDATE February 28, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Truths We Hold (Book)
By Kamala Harris
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: 2019
Media Type: Print, e-book, audio

From Wikipedia:
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey is a memoir by Kamala Harris. The book was first published by Penguin Books on January 8, 2019. A young readers edition was published by Philomel Books on May 7, 2019.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris details her life as the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India. She was born in Oakland, California, and raised in West Berkeley.  She describes her childhood neighborhood as "a close-knit neighborhood of working families who were focused on doing a good job, paying the bills, and being there for one another."

Harris would eventually become the San Francisco district attorney in 2004. Her decision to become a prosecutor was so she could serve "the victims of crimes committed and the victims of a broken criminal justice system." Understanding this dichotomy, Harris describes herself as a progressive prosecutor. She elaborates:

“It is to understand that when a person takes another’s life, or a child is molested, or a woman raped, the perpetrators deserve severe consequences. That is one imperative of justice. But it is also to understand that fairness is in short supply in a justice system that is supposed to guarantee it. The job of a progressive prosecutor is to look out for the overlooked, to speak up for those whose voices aren’t being heard, to see and address the causes of crime, not just their consequences, and to shine a light on the inequality and unfairness that lead to injustice. It is to recognize that not everyone needs punishment, that what many need, quite plainly, is help.”

The book continues on through her time as California Attorney General, her face-off against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate election, and ends with her touting her fights against the Trump administration.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesse’, by Roberta Flack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPoZRJP1ZH8
*******************
UPDATE February 27, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Warmth of Other Suns (Book)
Author  Isabel Wilkerson
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: 2010
Media type: Print, e-book, audiobook

From Wikipedia:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration is a 2010 non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson. The book provides a detailed historical account of the Great Migration, a movement of approximately six million African Americans from the Southern United States to the Midwest, Northeast, and West between 1915 and 1970. Wilkerson's work has been widely acclaimed for its comprehensive research, engaging narrative style, and significant contribution to the understanding of this crucial period in American history.

The book chronicles the Great Migration through the lives of three primary subjects:

Ida Mae Gladney, who migrated from Mississippi to Chicago in 1937; George Starling, who moved from Florida to New York City in 1945; and Robert Foster, a physician who left Louisiana for Los Angeles in 1953. Through these personal narratives, Wilkerson illustrates the broader historical context of the Great Migration, including the social, economic, and political factors that drove millions of African Americans to leave the South.[1] The author explores themes such as racial discrimination, economic opportunity, and the search for personal freedom and dignity.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, by Roberta Flack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVuktsluhiE
*******************
UPDATE February 26, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Becoming (Book)
By Michelle Obama
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2018

From Michelle Obama’s Website:
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, now available in paperback and as a Young Readers edition, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Available wherever you buy your books in hardcover, paperback, audio, and Young Readers editions

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’, by Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AubmN7UYlRQ
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UPDATE February 25, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

How We Got Over (Documentary)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Produced, Written, & Edited by: Dorothy Williams Kendrick
Narrated by: Huel A. Perkins
2024; Running Time 1 Hr 28 Min

From YouTube
After the Civil War, many formerly enslaved people left Louisiana and moved to the North or out West in search of better opportunities.

This is the story of those that decided to stay behind in West Feliciana parish.

Their success in the post-war world and the unbelievably difficult times ahead hinged on the impact of education and one man – John Dawson – and those that believed in him.

Hard work and new industry eventually propelled African Americans in West Feliciana to a level of prosperity not seen in many of Louisiana’s communities. It’s a story that has many Black Louisianans looking back on the challenges and wondering just exactly, “How we got over?”

(This video does contain fundraising ads for Louisiana Public Broadcasting)

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsFxASXS7MU

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How I Got Over’, by Yolanda Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTRvdzhuUOA
**************
UPDATE February 24, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music (Documentary)
3 Episodes
Production Companies: Catalyst Studios, Green Door Pictures, Pink Towel Pictures, Supercollider Global
2024; Running Time: Each episode: 44 min

From CBC
Black artists have been exploited since the dawn of recorded music. Paid in Full explores the fight for fair pay and racial justice in the music industry.

Episode 1: Black artists have fought for fair pay and ownership of their songs since the 1920s. Includes the stories of Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Little Richard, TLC and more.

Episode 2: Black-owned labels like Motown, Stax and Def Jam shaped the musical landscape and confronted injustice in the music industry. But it wasn’t easy.

Episode 3: Streaming changed everything, but the economics are still bad for most Black recording artists. What does it take to get fair pay for music in the digital era?

Sensitive Content Warning: This film has content that may be sensitive and triggering. Viewer discretion advised.

Episodes 1, 2 & 3 available at the following link:

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/ but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/paid-in-full-the-battle-for-black-music

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God on the Mountain’, by Lynda Randle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg
*******************
UPDATE February 23, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

James Earl Jones-With A Strong Voice: An A & E Biography (Documentary)
Produced by Alan J. Weiss
Written & Directed by Alan J. Weiss
Narrated by Peter Graves
Running Time: 47 Min

From Wikipedia
James Earl Jones (1931–2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, he is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.

Following his death in 2024, The New York Times described Jones's career as a "a prodigious body of work" and called him "one of America's most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career". The Hollywood Reporter referred to Jones as "one of the most-admired American actors of all time". The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote, "like Sidney Poitier or Harry Belafonte or Paul Robeson, [Jones] was an African American actor with a beautiful voice which was the key to his dignity and self-respect as a performer; it was how his characters rose above racism and cruelty", and described Jones as "movie royalty". Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis said that Jones's career reflected "black excellence".

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLXJF8KT4U

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ese (Thank You)’, by Patience Tumba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBb-9b10qdA
******************
UPDATE February 22, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special (Documentary)
PBS Production
Directed by: Joy Elaine Davenport
2022: Running Time: 1 Hr

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is an original documentary film told through the public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist.

If you’ve ever heard of Fannie Lou Hamer, odds are you were introduced to her through the heart-wrenching testimony she delivered before the 1964 Democratic National Convention’s Credentials Committee. As significant as Hamer’s 1964 DNC speech was and is, her testimony is but one moment within the activist's career that spanned nearly 15 years and took place before audiences - in every region of the country.

One of the movement’s pre-eminent orators, Hamer used stories from her own life to call America to account for the racism that defined every aspect of her existence—from the turn-of-the-century cotton plantations of the Mississippi Delta where she was reared, to her death in an all-black hospital in 1977.

Viewer discretion advised: Mature content, racial epithets in historical context, and descriptions of violence

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h2MzXavgEg

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Wait’, by Bri Babineaux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfJUQOThguQ
******************
UPDATE February 21, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Knoxville's Red Summer: The Riot of 1919 (Documentary)
Executive Producer: William Osom II
Directed by: C. Lee Smith
Narrated by: Brandon Gibson
2020; Running Time: 27 Min

From Black in Appalachia
On August 30, 1919, 27 year old Bertie Lindsey was assaulted and murdered in her home by what was reported to be a Black intruder. The lead investigator on the case, Police Officer Andy White, had a particular grudge to settle and arrested a handsome, young man about town, Maurice Mays.

The next 48 hours would challenge the city of Knoxville’s highly touted progressive race relations and New South marketing. The Sheriff, having relocated the accused to Chattanooga, Tennessee, would see the destruction of the jail house, mass consumption of confiscated moonshine and the would-be lynch mob’s looting of weapons from downtown shops.

Soon the rioters turned their rage to the Black business district and where they were met with armed and prepared Black military veterans. Eventually and through loss of life and property, the National Guard managed to restore order to the city, but no such relief was found by Maurice Mays. He was eventually executed by the State for a crime he did not commit.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.blackinappalachia.org/knoxville

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Nessun Dorma’, by Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb75oTHOV4
***********************
UPDATE February 20, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Into the Light (Documentary)
Produced by: Nathalie Cloutier
Writen & Directed by: Gentille M. Assih
2020; Running Time: 1 Hr 19 MIn

From the National Film Board Website:
Into the Light features the liberating life stories and powerful words of inspiring Quebec women of African origin who’ve regained control over their lives after suffering from domestic violence. The film transcends prejudice and breaks the silence, pulling back the curtain on a poorly understood, hidden world, while testifying to the tremendous power that comes from overcoming isolation and accepting one’s self. It’s a luminous dive into the quest for personal healing and universal humanity. This is Togo-born director Gentille M. Assih’s third documentary.

This documentary is free for you to watch from the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/into-the-light/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Down By the Riverside’, by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xzr_GBa8qk
***************
UPDATE February 19, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Unarmed Verses (Documentary)
Writen by: Charles Officer
Directed by: Charles Officer
Produced by: Lea Marin
Executive Producer: Anita Lee
2016; Running Time: 1Hr 25 Min

From the National Film Board Website:
This feature documentary presents a thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At the centre of the story is a remarkably astute and luminous 12-year-old black girl whose poignant observations about life, the soul, and the power of art give voice to those rarely heard in society. Unarmed Verses is a cinematic rendering of our universal need for self-expression and belonging.

This documentary is free for you to watch from the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/unarmed_verses/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Blessings’, by Yolanda Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3LD1JI5saU
*****************
UPDATE February 18, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Two Podcasts about Birding

Two Podcasts about Birding from the perspective of people of colour. Birdwatching, and nature-loving in general, has historically been thought of as something done primarily by white people. However, people of colour find the same joy, peace, comfort, and indeed deeper spirituality as white people do. These two podcasts highlight the hobby of birdwatching and the challenges people of colour face as well as showing the rest of us that birds and nature really are for everyone.

First, Bring Birds Back® is a show about the joy of birds and the ways that humans can help them through simple, everyday actions. Speaking with bird enthusiasts from many different backgrounds, identities, and communities, we share stories that are not only educational, but timely, new, inspiring, and expansive. We invite listeners to join us in appreciating the beauty and mystery of birds all around us and learn small but impactful ways we all can help bring birds back. https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/bring-birds-back

Second, the Bird Joy Podcast, is where birds, community, and connection take flight! Hosted by Dexter "The Wisco Birder" Patterson and Jason "The Birding Beardsman" Hall, they bring together bird enthusiasts from around the globe to share the joy of birding, inspire curiosity, and build a welcoming space for everyone. From tips for beginner birders to in-depth conversations on conservation, urban birding, and green spaces, we explore how birds enrich our lives. Our episodes feature expert guests, personal stories, and lively discussions on birding, inclusivity in the outdoors, and the latest birding trends. Whether you're a seasoned birder, or a newbie curious about what makes birding so magical, the Bird Joy Podcast is your place to discover, learn, and celebrate the feathered wonders around us. Are you ready to find your flock and soak in some Bird Joy? Let's go!

These podcasts are available wherever you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, Google, Castbox, YouTube, or any number of other podcast platforms.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Help Me Jesus’, by the Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf9ZzOzb7Hk
********************
UPDATE February 17, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle (Documentary)
Director: Paul Wagner
Producers: Paul Wagner, Jack Santino
Editor: Paul Wagner
1982; Running Time: 1 Hr

From YouTube
This oral history documentary tells the story of the Pullman porters who organized the first Black labor union. A group of retired porters board an old passenger train and tell stories of their work and camaraderie, their unionization battles with the Pullman company, the important role they played as leaders in the Black community and as activists in the early days of the civil rights movement, and the challenges they faced maintaining their dignity as Black men providing personal service and surviving on tips from white passengers. The film is narrated by Rosina Tucker, the 100-year-old wife of a porter and a courageous union activist.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQJ16SokVg

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If My People’, by The Choir Room ft Chaundra Jefferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X7PqN15Yto
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UPDATE February 16, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Charley Pride: I’m Just Me (Documentary)
Director: Barbara Hall
Narrator: Tanya Tucker
Collaborator: Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson
2018; running Time 78 Min

From CBC Documentary Channel:
Charley Pride: I’m Just Me traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Mississippi to his career as a Negro American League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar.

The new documentary reveals how Pride’s love for music led him from the Delta to a larger, grander world. In the 1940s, radio transcended racial barriers, making it possible for Pride to grow up listening to and imitating Grand Ole Opry stars like Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. The singer arrived in Nashville in 1963 while the city roiled with sit-ins and racial violence. But with boldness, perseverance and undeniable musical talent, he managed to parlay a series of fortuitous encounters with music industry insiders into a legacy of hit singles, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Narrated by Grammy-nominated country singer Tanya Tucker, the film features original interviews with country music royalty, including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Marty Stuart, as well as on-camera conversations between Pride and special guests, including Rozene Pride (his wife of 61 years), Willie Nelson and fellow musicians.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/charley-pride-im-just-me-1-8bedb4d5-a1f2-415b-88ab-c5a8d3f3e9a7

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I’m Just Me’, by Charley Pride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78KiZk_Yric
***************
UPDATE February 15, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Hollywood Black (Documentary Series)
4 Episodes
Directed by: Justin Simien
Cast: Spike Lee, Forest Whitaker
Executive Producer: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Amy Goodman Kass, Shayla Harris, Jon Kamen, Kyle Laursen, Stacey Reiss, Jeffrey Schwarz, Justin Simien, David Sirulnick
2024; Running Time: Each episode 1 Hr

A chronicle of the Black experience in Hollywood, revealing the story of the actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place on the screen.

Episode 1-Built on Our Backs
During the dark days of Jim Crow segregation, silent film star Bert Williams and the Oscar®-winning Hattie McDaniel pave the way for the glamorous Lena Horne and genteel Sidney Poitier to become stars

Episode 2-The Defiant Ones
After the success of Blaxploitation, Black actors and directors try to maintain their dignity without selling out. Melvin Van Peebles, Charles Burnett and William Greaves pave the way for Spike Lee.

Episode 3-The Price of Admission
In the 90s, studios finally recognize the value of Black stories and open the doors for stars like Halle Berry & Denzel Washington but the popularity of hood films outshines other groundbreaking works

Episode 4-Dear Black People
After the election of Barack Obama, Hollywood offers Black filmmakers and actors more opportunity than ever. Working across new genres, black filmmakers embrace this new landscape.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.

Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 can be found at the following link:
https://gem.cbc.ca/hollywood-black

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Motherless Child’, by Sweet Honey in the Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFvDtzMpPM0
*******************
UPDATE February 14, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Jackie Robinson (Documentary Series)
4 Episodes
Written by: David McMahon, Sarah Burns
Directed by: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
Starring: Jamie Foxx
Narrated by: Keith David
Producers: Sarah Burns, David McMahon, Ken Burns
Production Company: Florentine Films
2016: Running Time: Each episode 55 Min

From CBC Gem
Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s colour line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist, and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body, and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.

Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 can be found at the following link:
https://gem.cbc.ca/jackie-robinson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Uncloudy Day’, by The Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV46KeFRKds
******************
UPDATE February 13, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital (Documentary)
Directors: Joyce Fitzpatrick, Brian Shackelford
Cast: Rebecca Robinson-Williams, Earle U. Robinson Jr., Walter E. McDonald, Oliver W. Page Jr.
Producers: Joyce Fitzpatrick, Rebecca Robinson-Wiliams, Brian Shackelford
Production companies: Flatcat Productions, Tunnel Vision Entertainment
Executive producer: Joyce Fitzpatrick
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 50 Min

From https://www.thecolorofmedicine.com/press-release
The documentary titled, “The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital” tells the untold history of the exceptional medical training of African-American doctors and nurses at an all-black operated hospital in St. Louis from 1937 to 1979. This film features Dr. Earle U. Robinson Jr., a 2nd generation physician and alumnus from Homer G. Phillips Hospital , who shares his unique and colorful personal story at “The G,” and his father’s, Dr. Earle Robinson, Sr., who was one of the first 27 black graduates of this ground-breaking facility.

“The Color of Medicine” film proudly captures the rise and fall of Homer G. Phillips Hospital along with heartfelt stories from other doctors, nurses and community members chronicling the hospital’s vibrant years, in remembrance of the significance of Homer G. Phillips Hospital and its valuable place in African-American history.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVxgfZWiGuQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Sit Down, Servant’, by The Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxgZuE14he8
*****************
UPDATE February 12, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Our Voices: Our Stories Andrew Young (Documentary)
Directed by Jesse Nesser
Production Company: Overseas Cowboy Films
2021; Running Time: 51 Min

From YouTube
“Watch the documentary about Andrew Young as part of the “Our Voices: Our Stories” series produced by the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Andrew Young Foundation. You’ll hear Ambassador Young share stories about his time as a pastor, politician and activist while serving as a close confidant to Dr. King throughout the civil rights movement and as Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He reveals how these experiences shaped him and prepared him for public service as a U.S. Congressman, United Nations Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta.

As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, the Ford Fund provided financial support to produce the “Our Voices: Our Stories” documentary series which raises the voices of Black Americans to ensure their legacies are heard and shared today, and for generations to come.”

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j51YXac5Mfc

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’, by The Five Blind Boys of Alabama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Rhl-S2KIs
*******************
UPDATE February 11, 202 

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Ocoee Massacre (Documentary)
Project Manager & Executive Producer: Daralene Jones
Storytellers: Deanna Allbrittin, Deneige Broom, Melonie Holt, Q. McCray, Karen Parks, Cierra Putman
WFTV9 & Cox Media Group
2020; Running Time: 44 Min

From the WFTV9 Website:
In the late 1800s Blacks migrated to Florida from other southern states. They were looking for better opportunities. By 1920, Ocoee, Florida was home to hundreds of Blacks. Some had bought their own land with the money they earned through Florida’s booming agricultural business.

That year something else happened in Ocoee. Blacks went to the polls and tried to vote in a Presidential election. Republican Sen. Warren G. Harding was up against Democratic Gov. James M. Cox. Women and Blacks were legally allowed to cast a ballot. Their votes could shape the outcome of the election. In Ocoee, their neighbors turned on them.

There was a massacre: killings, bloodshed and a public lynching. This made November 2, 1920, the single bloodiest day in modern American political history.

This is the story of the Ocoee Massacre.

From YouTube:
The atrocity in the rural settlement started on Nov. 2, 1920. An untold number of people were killed, Black and white. It led to the lynching of one of Ocoee’s most successful Black businessmen, Julius ‘July’ Perry, in downtown Orlando. Described as the “single bloodiest day in modern American political history,” it brought about the forced removal of hundreds of Black citizens from Ocoee.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA0CLxHeH6Y

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Take it To the Lord in Prayer’, by The Birmingham Community Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdTNMOc4u58
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UPDATE February 10, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

I’m Still Here (Documentary)
Reel South Series Episode, PBS
2025; Running Time: 26 Min

From the PBS website
Between 1947 and 1967, black-owned homes in Birmingham, Alabama were bombed over 50 times. Homes on Center Street were targeted so often, the neighborhood became known as ‘Dynamite Hill.’ What happened on Center Street is a scar on American history, but the voices of Dynamite Hill speak with strength and grace about how they faced unimaginable hatred, with one repeated refrain: “I’m still here.”

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIw55O_Mbs

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ndikhokhele Bawo (Lead Me Father)’ by The Unveiled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkz9xBFD-ls
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UPDATE February 9, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Shirley (TV Movie)
Written & Directed by: John Ridley
Produced by: Regina King, Reina King, Anikah McLaren, Elizabeth Haggard, John Ridley
Starring: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, André Holland, Terrence Howard
Production companies: Participant; Royal Ties Productions
2024; Running Time 1 Hr 57 Min

Shirley is a 2024 American biographical drama film written and directed by John Ridley. It depicts the 1972 presidential run of Shirley Chisholm, who was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. The film stars Regina King in the title role alongside Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, André Holland, and Terrence Howard. Shirley had a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 15, 2024, before its streaming debut on Netflix on March 22, 2024.

Shirley Chisholm, already the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, ran for president of the United States in 1972, becoming the first Black candidate to run for a major-party nomination for president and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's nomination.

This movie is available for you to watch on Netflix with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Do It Anyway’, by Tasha Cobbs Leonard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mtrOSbrNX0
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UPDATE February 8, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Six Triple Eight (TV Movie)
Directed by: Tyler Perry
Written by: Tyler Perry
Based on: "Fighting a Two-Front War" by Kevin M. Hymel
Produced by: Keri Selig, Carlota Espinosa, Tony Strickland, Angi Bones, Nicole Avant, Tyler Perry
Starring: Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, Oprah Winfrey
Production companies: Tyler Perry Studios, Mandalay Pictures, Intuition, Her Excellency Productions
2024; Running Time: 2Hr 7 Min

From IMDB
During World War II, 855 women joined the fight to fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Faced with discrimination and a country devastated by war, they managed to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail ahead of time.

This movie is available for you to watch on Netflix with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trust and Obey’, by Erica Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPzNWbaBrU4
*****************
UPDATE February 7, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Documentary)
Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Production companies: Perfect Day Films, Magnolia Pictures, Mongrel Media
Producers: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Johanna Giebelhaus, Tommy Walker, Chad Thompson
2019; Running Time: 2 Hr

From Wikipedia
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is a 2019 documentary film, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and produced by Johanna Giebelhaus, Greenfield-Sanders, Chad Thompson, and Tommy Walker. It follows American novelist Toni Morrison who examines her life and work. The film also features Oprah Winfrey, Fran Lebowitz, Russell Banks, Angela Davis and Barack Obama.

Morrison was an American novelist from Lorain, Ohio. In 1988, she earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel Beloved and in 1993, she became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. She died on 5 August 2019. In the film, she and various friends, colleagues and literary critics discuss her life, work, and the themes she has explored throughout her career.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Dpvy4-uZI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How I Long for Peace’, by Rhiannon Giddens, Crys Matthews, Resistance Revival Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmwwqHmwZq8
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UPDATE February 6, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Central Park Five (Documentary)
Directors: David Mcmahon, Sarah Burns, Ken Burns
Producers: David Mcmahon, Sarah Burns, Jim Corbley, Ken Burns
Distributed by: Sundance Selects
Production company: Sundance Selects; WETA; Florentine Films; PBS; The Central Park
Five Film Project
2013; Running Time: 1 Hr 58 Min

From Ken Burns’ Website:
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, tells the story of the five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. Directed and produced by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, the film chronicles the Central Park Jogger case, from the perspective of the five teenagers whose lives were upended by this miscarriage of justice

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1yTgXhcJOU

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Father, Let Your Kingdom Come’, by Birmingham Community Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXzwnNK5E_s
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UPDATE February 5, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

For Our Younger Readers:
little people, big dreams: Rosa Parks (Children’s Book)
Written by: Lisbeth Kaiser; Illustrated by: Marta Antelo
By Frances Lincoln Children's Books
32 pages
For ages 4 to 7 years

From Indigo-Chapters:
“In this book from the highly acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Rosa Parks, the "Mother of the Freedom Movement."

Rosa Parks grew up in Alabama, where she learned to stand up for herself at an early age. Rosa went on to become a civil rights activist. In 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her courageous decision had a huge impact on civil rights, eventually leading to the end of segregation on public transport. She never stopped working for equal rights. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the activist's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
 
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus’, by The Freedom Riders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ODLwix8DGM
*********************
UPDATE February 4, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World (Book)
By Christian Cooper
Random House, 2023
304 pages
ABA Sales–Buteo Books 15350

From Goodreads.com
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Central Park birder Christian Cooper takes us beyond the viral video that shocked a nation and into a world of avian adventures, global excursions, and the unexpected lessons you can learn from a life spent looking up.

"Wondrous . . . captivating.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Immense World

Christian Cooper is a self-described “Blerd” (Black nerd), an avid comics fan and expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. While in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the birdwatching ritual that had been a part of his life since he was ten years old when what might have been a routine encounter with a dog walker exploded age-old racial tensions. Cooper’s viral video of the incident would send shock waves through the nation.

In Better Living Through Birding , Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous incident in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in America today. From sharpened senses that work just as well at a protest as in a park to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover them yourself.

Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper’s story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him, from his days at Marvel Comics introducing the first gay storylines to vivid and life-changing birding expeditions through Africa, Australia, the Americas, and the Himalayas. Better Living Through Birding recounts Cooper’s journey through the wonderful world of birds and what they can teach us about life, if only we would look and listen.”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wade in the Water’, by The Spirituals Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxZ4H-gq_lc
*****************
UPDATE February 3, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Baltimore Rising (Documentary)
2017; Running Time: 93 Min
Director: Sonja Sohn
Producers: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Anthony Hemingway, George Pelecanos, Sheila Nevins, Nathan Mook
Executive producers: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Anthony Hemingway, George Pelecanos, Sheila Nevins, Mark Taylor
Produced by: HBO Documentary Films; Blowback Productions

From Wikipedia
Baltimore Rising is a 2017 documentary on the protests in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. It was created, directed, and produced by actor and filmmaker Sonja Sohn and HBO Films. It covers the death of Freddie Gray, the protests and riots immediately following, efforts to keep the peace during the unsuccessful prosecutions of the six police officers involved, as well as efforts to change policing by both the Maryland General Assembly and the US Department of Justice. It includes segments covering the perspective of Black Lives Matter protesters, community leaders, and members of the Baltimore Police Department.

Among the protesters, it focuses on Kwame Rose and Makayla Gilliam-Price, two young (17–21 years old) activists. Among community leaders, the documentary shows Adam Jackson and Dayvon Love, members of the group Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. Among the police, Baltimore Rising includes Lt. Colonel Melvin Russell, head of a community affairs program in the BPD; Detective Dawnyell Taylor, the lead police investigator into the death of Gray; and interim police commissioner Kevin Davis, who came to his position shortly after Gray's death. Baltimore Rising premiered on HBO on November 20, 2017.

You can watch this documentary on Crave TV or HBO with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Glory’, by Common and John Legend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUZOKvYcx_o
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UPDATE February 2, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Harriet (Feature Film)
2019; Running Time: 125 Min
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Screenplay by: Gregory Allen Howard, Kasi Lemmons
Produced by: Debra Martin Chase, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Gregory Allen Howard
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Janelle Monáe

From https://www.focusfeatures.com/harriet
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Haunted by memories of those she left behind, Harriet (Cynthia Erivo) ventures back into dangerous territory on a mission to lead others to freedom. With allies like abolitionist William Still (Leslie Odom, Jr.) and the entrepreneurial Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monae), Harriet risks capture and death to guide hundreds to safety as one of the most prominent conductors of the Underground Railroad. Witness the story of a woman who defied impossible odds to change the course of her life and the fate of the nation.

You may be able to watch this movie through any number of online streaming services.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ringing Them Bells’, by The Spirituals Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3wzlwUztd4
******************
UPDATE February 1, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Finding Me (Book)
By Viola Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780063037328

From Indigo.ca
“It’s clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written) celebrity memoir; Finding Me reads like Davis is sitting you down for a one-on-one conversation about her life, warts and all.”—USA Today

“[A] fulfilling narrative of struggle and success….Her gorgeous storytelling will inspire anyone wishing to shed old labels.”—Los Angeles Times

In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.

This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.

As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Change is Gonna Come’, by Sam Cooke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4
******************
UPDATE January 31, 2025

High Flight
By John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/157986/high-flight-627d3cfb1e9b7

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘By Faith’, by Praise and Harmony Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEUskp1e2bg
********************
UPDATE January 30, 2025

We offer up a prayer today for the victims of the mid-air collision between an army helicopter and a small passenger plane last evening over Washington, DC. We pray for the family members and friends left behind and for the first-responders who have been working tirelessly to recover all of the passengers. You are encouraged to keep all those affected by this terrible tragedy in your ongoing prayers.—ED

Let’s pray together.

Lord, for many of us, this was just another run-of-the-mill Thursday morning. We woke up thinking about our to-do lists, making breakfast, getting the kids out the door to school. But then we turned on the news or scrolled through social media posts that alerted us to this terrible tragedy and loss of life. It jolted us out of our temporary complacency and was a stark reminder that all is not as it should be in the world.

So this morning, Lord, let us lay aside our personal struggles and focus our attention on those who are grieving. We pray for comfort for the families of every person who lost their life both on the airplane and the helicopter. Surround them with a loving, caring support system today and in the difficult days of grief ahead. Give them hope when it seems like none can be found--a peace that the world cannot understand because it only comes from you.

We acknowledge that you are the one who gives and takes away and we won’t always understand why this side of heaven. But we also know that you will never leave us or forsake us. We know that each life is precious to you and you know each of us so intimately that you can count each hair on our heads (Luke 12:7).

Jesus, we remember your words that you will send the Holy Spirit to be with us. You called him the Comforter, and we ask for his comforting presence now for the sake of those who are grieving. We pray that he would still anxious, despairing hearts and draw people to you through this tragedy.

Father, we also pray for the first responders and all who are involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. We pray that you would direct their steps and allow them to serve with diligence and gentleness. We pray boldly for your guidance that each body would be found so that the process of closure and healing can begin.

Lastly, Lord, we pray for all those traveling today. This tragedy has sparked fear in the hearts of many who were about to board an airplane. We ask for your peace and the assurance that nothing is out of your control and there is nothing we can do or fail to do that is outside your plan. Give your Spirit of assurance to all airline passengers today and your wisdom to pilots and crew members.

We pray all this boldly, knowing you welcome us to the throne of grace.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-for-those-grieving-the-washington-dc-crash.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Will Hold Me Fast’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OOphIgGkjM
*********************
UPDATE January 29, 2025

A Day of Hope
May this be a day of hope,
of expectation,
and relishing each moment
as a gift from you.
May this be a day of joy,
of breaking free
and loosening the shackles
that are binding us.
May this be a day of peace,
and healing,
knowing our lives are
always in your hand.
May this be a day of love
and blessing,
living as children
of a living God.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In Need’, by Praise and Harmony Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smm1cFRjz3I
**********************
UPDATE January 28, 2025

For those of us who have been around for more than a couple of decades, this time of year is a difficult and dark period in our collective remembrance. Specifically your attention is drawn to the disasters that befell those who sought to explore the expanse of outer space. It is also a time of renewed willingness to find joy through tragedy, life, through loss, and hope through defeat. The tragedies of Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), Challenger (January 28, 1986) and Columbia (February 1, 2003) all happened six days apart across the span of thirty-six years. Each one of these incidents, on their own, with such a tragic loss of life, could have ended the exploration of space altogether, being a price higher than we were willing to pay. But, our human eagerness and need to ‘see what else there is to see’ pushed us to learn from each of these disasters, to fix the flaws and faults that caused them, and to return to our exploration of space with renewed purpose. Each time the space programme returned to the launch pad following tragedy, they carried on the legacy of those who were lost in such a public way, as well as those who perished along the journey in unseen training accidents and whose names we might never have heard of. We forged on, and we continue to do so, thus honouring their lives and their sacrifice. 

May God bless the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger STS-51, and Columbia STS-107, as well as all who died in the field of space exploration. Take a moment to say a prayer for those they left behind, and prayer of thanks for the lives they so willingly gave seeking new horizons.--ED

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Flying for Me’, by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0xW6d4zGTg
******************
UPDATE January 27, 2025

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Prayer
Loving God, you care for each
and every human life. All people
are cherished as your beloved
children, no matter how ordinary or
extraordinary their stories are.
Today we come before you to
remember the victims of the
Holocaust.

We lament the loss of the six
million Jews who were killed in the
Holocaust, the millions of other
victims of Nazi persecution, and
victims of all genocides.

May our minds be clear and attentive
to their memory, and our hearts be
moved to bear witness to their lives.

Help us all to turn away from hatred
and division, and to build a world
where genocide is no more.

Strengthen us so that we, in our
own ordinary ways, may show
extraordinary love in the world
today. Amen.
https://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/holocaust-memorial-prayer/
https://www.gloriadei.ca/news/a-prayer-for-holocaust-remembrance-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ilse Weber: Wiegala‘, by Esther Abrami & the Esther Abrami Ensemble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY9-wBia_4E
******************
UPDATE January 26, 2025

A Prayer in Time of Political Turmoil
Speak Lord, into the heart
of government, and those
whose decisions today will
affect the lives of millions.
May their incentive be
not pleasing the powerful,
the political influencers,
loudest voices and donors,
but rather to do your will;
seek justice, help the poor,
work for the common good
of all people, not just a few.
It’s a difficult ask, we know,
but in you, Lord, is our hope.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church