Dear beloved Glen Morris United Church, 

Yesterday afternoon I had the chance to join a webinar hosted by our sibling church The United Church of Christ (based in the US). It was a wonderful conversation about being a justice-seeking church and I was so grateful to feel grounded and inspired by what was shared. 

At the start of the gathering, the host took a moment to note that it was the eve of January 6th. While I remember the news about the United States capitol attack on January 6 of 2021, I hadn’t realized how heavily the event still weighed on many Americans all this time later. It was a helpful reminder to me that we all have events, stories, experiences that we are carrying with us that even when we know about them, unless we make space for others to share, we might not know how heavy it is weighing on their hearts. 

I love Prayers of the People during worship because it gives us a chance to be together and share our lives with one another. If you are someone who finds it hard to speak on the spot, or publicly, but still want to share during worship - you are always welcome to call, email, text me before worship and ask that I share on your behalf. Your stories are so important and I’m always amazed that what we might feel most afraid or nervous about sharing is often what someone else is needing to hear; that bravery is always meaningful. 

If you are someone who reads this newsletter but doesn’t join us for worship, please know your prayer requests are always welcome as well!

Looking forward to breaking bread and praying with you this Sunday,

May the Peace of Christ be with you, inviting you to bring your whole self and your full story to community,

 

Yours in Christ,

Rev Michiko