St. Peter's United Church of Christ
1475 Orchard Park Rd., West Seneca, NY 14224 (716) 674-1233
(Corner of Reserve Rd., near Berg Rd.) 10:00 am Worship
stpetersws@verizon.net
A PSALM 23 PARAPHRASE
By Pastor Hope Harle-Mould
The Lord is my shepherd...
With you I am home.
I shall not want...
You give more than I ask.
He makes me lie down in green pastures...
With lush sweet grass and young flowers.
He leads me beside still waters...
To drink deep pools of peace.
He restores my soul...
My life's broken pieces you heal into wholeness.
He leads me in paths of righteousness...
Teaching me to touch outcasts and free the forsaken.
For his name's sake...
My life, to the glory of God.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...
Whose dark streets of violence, hate, or depression try drowning me...
I fear no evil...
I turn with truth's courage to face every foe.
For you are with me...
Every step of the way, never letting go.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me...
When weeping and worn, in your hands, lay my head.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
A feast of hope in the midst of strife, the coming triumph tasted here and now.
You anoint my head with oil...
Ordaining me, your chosen child.
My cup overflows...
You fill my emptiness with the light that gives light to all.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me...
Your purpose pursues me till I stop resisting and start rejoicing.
All the days of my life...
As child or elder, I leap into your promises.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord...
Sensing your presence, seeing your face.
Forever...
As long as I sing your song!
Dear Sisters & Brothers of St. Peter’s, For my Parenthesis of Wonder for December, let me share with you a breathtaking definition of “wonder,” and also a poem by Valerie Foster [a mother, freelance writer, and realtor, who has served on mission trips to Nicaragua and is active in her church] that can inspire you and me to love all God’s children as if it was God’s child. — Pastor Hope PARENTHESIS OF WONDER: “On the seismograph of the soul, wonder registers any experience that immeasurably transcends commonsense expectations. Usually this signifies that God is nearby. Indeed, when the mystery and glory of God become visible to us, we tumble into wonder.” —John S. Mogabgab Who Is Your Child? by Valerie A. Foster Who is your child, Lord? The young boy with fresh-scrubbed cheeks, who sits in the pew beside his parents or the dirty, barefoot girl who digs through piles of garbage for a scrap of discarded food? Who is your child, Lord? The Sunday-school teacher who gives of his time to teach a class of squirming six year olds or the man sitting in a jail cell, reading and rereading letters from loved ones who no longer write? Who is your child, Lord? The young couple who prays along with their children, before tucking them into bed each night or the pregnant teenager who cries herself to sleep, with no one to give her hope for the future? Who is your child, Lord? The grandmother who shares cookies and bits of wisdom with her grandchildren or the old woman who sits alone in her empty apartment, no longer waiting for the doorbell to ring? Is your child the soldier fighting for our freedom or the one he is fighting? Is it possible, Lord Jesus, that we are all your children? That you came to show your love for each one — just as you came to show your love for me? Gracious God, as we await the birth of your son, Jesus Christ, may you be born anew in our hearts, that we might love all your children, just as you love us. Amen 
JOYONYA!
"Joyonya!" is a phase given to us by Pastor Hope. It is a special word that in seven letters can describe something that would otherwise take an entire phrase or sentence to express. It is a word that originated in youth ministry work and has spread by word of mouth from shore to shore.
"Joyonya!" was created as a contraction of the phrase, "Joy on you." It can be written as "Joy-on-ya!" to aid those who have never encountered it, but the correct form is "Joyonya!"
What do we say when we are leaving someone's company and want to wish them well? Often it is, "Take care." What do we say when we want the best to happen to someone? Either the secular "good luck" or the pious "God bless you." "Joyonya!" offers a word of blessing and benediction, a prayer that God will "dump good stuff on our head." It is a word at once brighter and more fun than any alternative.
"Joyonya!" can be pictured. You can almost see delightfulness pouring over and through you. It is an exclamation and a promise. It is a word whose mirth cannot be contained. "Joyonya!" bursts all over.
We are called to be the people of joy, the people who are "filled with gladness," whose "words are full of joy" (Acts 2:26, TEV), a peole who live and radiate joy in such a way that it becomes contagious.
Perhaps someday all Christians will be known as "those people who say 'Joyonya!'"
WOULD YOU LIKE MORE MEDITATIONS TO HELP IN YOUR JOURNEY? DO YOU HAVE SOME MEDITATIONS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?
Send an e-mail to stpetersws@verizon.net and let us know how we can help you!
