Trinity-St. Stephen's United Church

09/07/2026

Thank you to all who labour in God’s name at TSSUC.

Loving God,
On this Labour Day, we give thanks for all who work to provide the things we need to live, and for the many ways that our labour contributes to the life of our communities and our world.

We give thanks for the witness of organized labour and unions, who remind us of the power of solidarity and our shared responsibility to safeguard fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity for every worker.

Bless workers with strength, safety and dignity. Bless employers and leaders with wisdom, fairness, and care. May all who have power use it to create workplaces and communities where everyone can flourish.

May our shared labour, and our commitment to justice, help bring about your vision of peace, dignity, and abundant life for all.

And remind us, O God, that in you, our labour is not in vain.

Amen

09/07/2026

Thank you to every single Firefighter who is always ready to respond on behalf of those of us fortunate enough to live in Amherst. Your dedication is a blessing.

We would like to wish Assistant Deputy Chief Stephen Landry a happy birthday! 🎂

Have a great day, Stephen!

09/06/2026

Pope Leo XIV’s September prayer intention is “for the care of water” as Christians celebrate the Season of Creation.

In his prayer for the month of September, Pope Leo asked the Holy Spirit to guide Christians to denounce waste and pollution and to defend “the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without inequality.”

Learn more about Pope Leo's September prayer intention: https://catholiccourier.com/articles/popes-prayer-intention-for-september-is-for-the-care-of-water/

09/06/2026

I spoke of Wendell in my message today. What a loss!

Wendell Berry passed away from us this past week. I gasped when I read the news and grieved for the world’s loss of him.

He was an exceptionally fine writer and poet, a man who lived every value he espoused. A man who spoke so clearly of his gratitude for life, for its blessings and disappointments. A good neighbor and citizen. A good man. An irreplaceable man. That is who we have lost.

A man who now waits patiently for us to join him, because we are the absent ones.

Two of my favorite poems by Wendell Berry:

The Loved Ones

The loved ones we call the dead
depart from us and for a while are absent. And then as if
called back by our love, they come
near us again. They enter our dreams.
We feel they have been near us
when we have not thought of them.
They are simply here, simply waiting
while we are distracted among
our obligations. At last
it comes to us: They live now
in the permanent world.
We are the absent ones.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

photo credit: Guy Mendes

09/06/2026

As we celebrate the Festival of Creation in Christ, pray with us. 🙏

Today's prayer is available in plain text and audio formats at cofe.io/TodaysPrayer.

09/06/2026

As we begin 6 weeks of Creation Time, we learn about how connected humans are to the Earth. And we sing!

Another song from Sing For Earth Day available from www.auntielitte...