Oakbank United Church

Oakbank United Church Rooted in community, grounded in compassion, growing in faith, reaching out in generosity. Worship with us each Sunday 10.45 AM

I know it's hard to believe, but August is almost over, and summer is nearly at a close. Labour Day is late this year, s...
08/28/2026

I know it's hard to believe, but August is almost over, and summer is nearly at a close. Labour Day is late this year, so we don't have in-person and livestreamed worship until September 13, so you can still worship using our Summer Services for use at home this weekend and next. You can find all the services on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
The end of summer is bittersweet at best, so this week's theme of "Lament" is very fitting. The scripture reading is Psalm 137:1-4, and the Mary Oliver poem to go with it is "Wild Geese".
Old certainties waver. Life feels raw. Events haunt us. Tragedies overwhelm. We feel disorientated; we lose our bearings, fall into depression, our hearts harden, our faith thins. God seems to vanish. This is the world of lament. Many of the Psalms are laments, either personal or community laments. We tend to make our prayers grateful and respectful, but it is a well-established Biblical practice to cry out to God in despair, doubt, or anger in the midst of hardship! God can handle all our prayers of lament, and the very act of praying draws us closer to God, even if we feel alone. In Psalm 137, the author is in exile, looking back at how things were, and wondering how they could possibly “sing the Lord’s songs” in this new reality. And yet the lament they offer is itself a song and prayer handed down to us in scripture! What laments do you have to offer to God today?
Picture:
Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890. Wheatfield with Crows, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://act.library.vanderbilt.edu/artworks/59343 [retrieved August 6, 2026].
Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Wheatfield_with_crows_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.

This week's theme for our summer series is Gratitude, using Colossians 3:12-17, and "Beans" by Mary Oliver. You can find...
08/21/2026

This week's theme for our summer series is Gratitude, using Colossians 3:12-17, and "Beans" by Mary Oliver. You can find the entire "summer services at home" on our website- in has the readings as well as prayer and music suggestions!
Paul reminds the Colossians, and us, to be thankful. The practice of gratitude reminds us that there are so many gifts in the world. Big gifts and small. Oliver reminds us that when we are picking beans we rarely think about “their willingness for the pot, for the fire” and “the gift of their lives to assist ours.”
If you have a garden, what have you been able to pick and enjoy already? Do you have a favourite vegetable to eat fresh from the ground?
We honour the gifts we receive when we say thanks. But gratitude does not end with the expression of our thanks. What comes after thanksgiving? We have a responsibility to keep gifts in motion by giving back when we have received. Take a moment to imagine all the gifts in circulation in all of Creation. What gifts do you want to give thanks to God for today? And how can you offer some of your own gifts back?
(Picture: from Canva)

With all the excitement of following our Youth Group's activities at the Collective Youth Conference, I missed posting t...
08/18/2026

With all the excitement of following our Youth Group's activities at the Collective Youth Conference, I missed posting this past Sunday's "summer worship at home"- although I hope many of you worshipped online with Islington United Church, where our Youth Group attended!
This past weekend's theme for our summer worship series was Praise, using the scripture reading Psalm 113:1-4 and Mary Oliver's poem "The Sunflowers”
The authors of the Psalms often compare God’s glory to the glory of the heavens- the sun, moon, and stars. Psalm 113 encourages us to praise God from sunrise to sunset- like sunflowers who turn their faces to follow the sun! Do you have a daily rhythm or routine? Are there times of the day when you find it easiest to pray and talk to God- as you wake, or before you sleep? If you don’t already, try adding prayer or spiritual practice to your daily rhythm. As you set your face to the sun today, how many ways will you find to praise the Maker?
Picture:
Monet, Claude, 1840-1926. Sunflowers, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://act.library.vanderbilt.edu/artworks/46702 [retrieved August 6, 2026].
Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet_052.jpg.

This week’s theme for our summer "at home" worship reflection is “Justice”, with a scripture reading from Ephesians 6:10...
08/07/2026

This week’s theme for our summer "at home" worship reflection is “Justice”, with a scripture reading from Ephesians 6:10-18, and the poem “Egrets” by Mary Oliver.
You can find these readings, as well as gathering and closing prayers in the summer worship booklet, available on our website, and there are still a couple of hardcopies left at the church. Feel free to share with friends!
It can be hard to live out our faith in a troubled world- as if we are struggling down an overgrown path, attacked by thorns and mosquitoes. The letter to the Ephesians uses the image of enclothed warriors to encourage beleaguered Christians to live faithfully in a hard world. We hear the bad news in the world today: violence, unrest, hatred, the crumbling of beloved institutions, the cost of food, the threats to community, the culture of loneliness. This teaching calls us to embodied action- to wake up and join the struggle against the powers of this world that deny justice for all. And just like sturdy shoes and protective clothing would make it easier to travel down an overgrown, mosquito-y path, this passage calls us to clothe ourselves with justice, faith, and truth, to help us “keep going” and follow in Jesus’ Way. What areas of justice are you most concerned with? How do you “clothe” and protect yourself while living in a world that is often opposed to the values of our faith?
Picture:
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906. Forest Scene (Path from Mas Jolie to Château noir), from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://act.library.vanderbilt.edu/artworks/57978 [retrieved August 6, 2026].
Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_C%C3%A9zanne_-_Forest_Scene_(Path_from_Mas_Jolie_to_Ch%C3%A2teau_noir)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.

It's August- we're midway through the summer! Hopefully it's been good for everyone so far! We still don’t have church i...
08/01/2026

It's August- we're midway through the summer! Hopefully it's been good for everyone so far! We still don’t have church in person until after Labour Day, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by using our Summer Services for use at home, wherever you happen to be! Even if you haven't use any of them yet, you can anytime, they are all stand-alone reflections. You can find them on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
The theme for this long weekend is “Transformation”. Read Romans 12:1-2, and then read Mary Oliver’s “The Swan”
Mary Oliver describes the beautiful transformation of a swan taking flight- from quietly drifting on the river at night, to the commotion of takeoff, to the grace of it streaming across the sky like “a white cross”. And then she asks if witnessing this beauty causes change and transformation in us as well. In the letter to the Romans, Paul also encourages transformation- a renewal of our minds to be in line with God’s will, instead of the patterns of the world. However, not all of us are comfortable with change, even positive change. How do you feel about the transformation Paul speaks about- anxious, hopeful, unsure? Practice seeing the world through God’s eyes today- look for what God would find “good and pleasing and mature”.
Picture:
Skeat, Francis W., 1909-. St Francis with Bird, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56688 [retrieved June 25, 2026]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/10081428036 - Fr Lawrence Lew. O.P..

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by ...
07/25/2026

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by using our Summer Services for use at home, wherever you happen to be! You can find the services on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
This week, the theme is “Praying for Others”. Read Mark 2:1-6, and then read “Fireflies” by Mary Oliver.
Fireflies speak a language of love. They communicate with each other through flash patterns of yellowish light, the result of a chemical reaction in their lower abdomen. Each one has a unique flash and they find each other through their twinkling conversation. When we say: “I’ll pray for you,” it is also a language of love. This is the offering of the gift of carrying the other, of interceding for them. The gospel story in Mark tells of four people who were literally carrying their friend and placing him before Jesus. Isn’t that a great image of praying for others with body and soul? Sometimes praying for others, placing our concerns before God, is the only thing we can do, the only way we can cope with our own fear or anger or sense of uselessness in the face of pain. Other times, we are called to embody our prayers with prayer-filled action. Who are you praying for today? Listen and see if you are invited to simply leave your concern with God, or if God is calling you to act in some way.
Picture:
Swanson, John August. Festival of Lights, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56546 [retrieved June 25, 2026]. Original source: Estate of John August Swanson, https://www.johnaugustswanson.com/.

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by ...
07/17/2026

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by using our Summer Services for use at home, wherever you happen to be! You can find the services on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
This week, the theme is “Kindness”! Read Matthew 5:43-48, and then Mary Oliver’s poem “Why I Wake Early”.
Mary Oliver calls the sun the “best preacher that ever was”; its warmth and light help her start the day in happiness and kindness. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he tells us to love not only our neighbours but also our enemies; and he points out that God causes the sun to rise and shine on all people. Whether today is a bright sunny day, or one where the clouds are covering the clouds, give thanks for this gift of light and warmth, and commit to starting the day in happiness and kindness. What ways can you find to treat even those who you don’t like all that much with love and kindness?
Picture:
Munch, Edvard, 1863-1944. Sun, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56306 [retrieved June 25, 2026]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edvard_Munch_-_The_Sun_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by ...
07/10/2026

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by using our Summer Services for use at home, wherever you happen to be! You can find the services on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
This week’s theme is “Wisdom”. Read the beautiful words found at 1 Corinthians 13: 8-13, and then read Mary Oliver’s poem “Daisies”.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul admits something that can be hard for us humans- he doesn’t know everything! There is actually great wisdom in knowing how much we don’t know. We should be open-minded, and keep learning and growing throughout our lives, but we also need to get comfortable knowing there are some mysteries which we will not have the answers to in this lifetime. And yet, what we do know is significant: that the love of God is eternal- it never fails, and ever will, even when the things of this world pass away. What heavenly wisdom does “the sun light up willingly” for you in the world today? What new things do you want to learn?
Picture:
Jesus Christ, the light of the world, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55795 [retrieved June 25, 2026]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aulendorf_-_Blumenteppich_zu_Fronleichnam.jpg.

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by ...
07/03/2026

We don’t have church in person this Sunday, but you can still worship and stay connected with our community of faith by using our Summer Services for use at home, wherever you happen to be! You can find the services on our website, and feel free to share with friends!
This week's theme is "Assurance", and you’re invited to read Matthew 6:28-33, and then read “This Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. Jesus assures us of God’s love and care for us, without us needing to work for it or earn it. Of course, we do need to concern ourselves somewhat with what we eat, drink, and wear. But Jesus cautions against being overly anxious and spending too much of what Oliver calls our “wild and precious life” worrying about what we don’t have. Instead we are to pay attention to God’s kingdom. What blessings do you notice around you on this summer day? Can you find some time to be “idle and blessed”?
Picture:
Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890. Field with Flowers Near Arles, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59753 [retrieved June 25, 2026]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Veld_met_bloemen_bij_Arles_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.

We'll be taking a break from Sunday morning services in-person over the summer, but there is still a way to worship and ...
06/26/2026

We'll be taking a break from Sunday morning services in-person over the summer, but there is still a way to worship and to be connected as a community of faith this summer!
Kristin has adapted a series of services and reflections called "The Inventions of Summer", and you can use them at home, or wherever you happen to be over the summer! For every week July 5-Sept 6, there are prayers, a piece of scripture paired with reflection questions and a poem by Mary Oliver, inviting us to see God present in the beauty of creation.
A link to the series was sent out in our weekly email, you can also find it on our website, or, if you'd prefer a paper copy, just contact the church office!
Happy summer!

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582 Balsam Crescent
Oakbank, MB
R0E1J0

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+12044442815

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