Bunty Hodgkins welcomed back a dear friend, Rev. Edna Perry, to lead our worship last Sunday. We began with a great hymn, O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, with organ accompaniment by Rod Smith. With a full heart Edna thanked our caring God for our abundant blessings and for each other, asking for forgiveness for our thoughtlessness. Then we repeated the Lord’s Prayer. She lit candles to remind us that God is always watching.
In Amos 8, read by Keith Harrison, the prophet warns of God’s wrath towards those whose worship is ritualistic and lacks heartfelt sincerity. Luke 10, read by Jill Harrison, tells of Martha, fully occupied catering for everyone, resentful that her sister Mary took time out to listen to Jesus’ teaching. Jesus gently pointed out that opportunities to hear him speak in person were limited while chores will keep. How we use our time reflects our priorities. Diminished church attendance and Bible reading has led to moral decay in modern times. Edna urged us to pray, to listen and observe with open minds subsuming our worldly preoccupations. She led prayers for the frightened, lonely, despairing and suffering and concluded with Aaron’s blessing.