Passing the Peace
Dear beloved Glen Morris United and friends,
I am so thrilled to share with you some really beautiful and exciting moments I experienced through ministry this past week. The first was the opportunity to preside at a friend’s wedding. Having grown up together sharing a love of highland dance, I was really honoured to have been invited to preside and have my often separate worlds of ministry and highland dance come together. I love that weddings provide me an opportunity to preach about the promise of God’s love to many new faces and that people can learn more about The United Church as a justice-seeking, love celebrating church who ordains ministers that look like me.
The second opportunity I had was time spent at Conrad Grebel University on Wednesday. I offered reflection of the climate crisis and grief during their on-campus worship service and shared thoughts about the Trans Day of Remembrance during the community dinner held afterwards. This wonderful day ended with an opportunity to meet with the QuAQ (Queer, Allies, and Questioning) student group. It’s always such a joy to spend time talking about spirituality, faith, and queerness with youth.
This Sunday evening, I will be participating in Grand River Pride’s Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil. It’s a sombre occasion to gather but I’m always grateful to have the opportunity to be present in these spaces as a way of letting the LGBTQ+ community know that the church does care. To learn more about the Trans Day of Remembrance click here.
I also just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the many ways you have been generous in supporting the life & work of the church lately. I hope you will share my joy in reading the rest of today’s newsletter about some of our recent fundraiser successes!
As we welcome the beauty of snow and the darkness of winter, may the Peace of Christ be with you,
In all the ways you are living out your faith, may the Peace of Christ be with you,
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Michiko