My first experience away from home was moving to King's College at Wester U.  The Orientation Leaders gave me a welcome I'll never forget.  At the time I was so scared and nervous and missing home, and their welcome for me was a sign of God's grace. What can today's church learn from how they provided welcome to me almost 20 years ago?
This was my own story of transition - Listen and be blessed to hear Carol McLeod and Kay Calvin share their stories of Life Transition and how they live through, and thrive beyond the sad loss of a beloved spouse.  Their stories are filled with courage and are humbling to listen to.  God's blessings be with you all in your journeys to be touch by God's grace in worship.

Did you see what happened in yesterday's #WomensMarch?  Power to witness. So much positivity grown out of the darkness.  Jesus' ministry had a similar beginning.  A message of light born out of the darkness of John's imprisonment.  (Lectionary readings: Isaiah 9:1–4 - The people have seen a great light.;  Psalm 27:1, 4–9 - God is my light and my salvation.; 1 Corinthians 1:10–18 - Overcome divisions and find unity.; Matthew 4:12–23 - Jesus begins his ministry.)  Many thanks to Dan Irvine for providing his testimony in our Life Transitions Epiphany Speaker Series on his retirement.

Are you searching for something more but just can't place what it is?  What if you discovered the thing you were searching for has been searching for you too!  To kick of the New Year and the Season of Epiphany (the season where we celebrate the Christ-Light being found by the Gentiles/Magi) we've asked a series of speakers to speak to Life Transitions they've recently lived through.  Today we have Bob and Barb Howlett who have recently moved from a fifty acre farm to a reitrement residence in Happy Hills, and also Ally Graham who recently graduated from school and completed a search to beginning her career.  Following Ally's talk, Rev. Doug has a sermon entitled, I Was Looking For You!  A reflection on John 1:29-42, an Epiphany reading where Peter is named by Jesus.

Do you believe in a God that strikes people down with lightning?  Likely not.  Not many people of faith do, and yet many have drifted from church to reject such a God, not knowing none of us really believe in such a God. It seems many in our world believe we worhsip a character more like Herod?  How do we as church reconnect the world with the God we've come to know in our scriputre readings of this New Year's Sunday?