Dear Glen Morris United Church,  

Peace be with you!  

The peonies are blooming and I am delighted! I am also very delighted to be joining you in worship this Sunday. It is such a true honour to welcome several new members into our community through worship and to be celebrating Pride.  

This week I’m thinking about the pandemic. Yes, still. I’m wondering, what does it mean for us to say “the pandemic is over”? Have we found “the new normal”? Are we ready to move forward and how do we make sure we’re taking time to heal from all of the stress and loss? These are some of the questions I am asking myself these days as my mind and heart are trying to figure out new ways to balance risk, care for others, the need for connection, and so much more. The pandemic has produced a need for all of us to find a new language to respond to such an unprecedented experience. Check out this article to learn more about concepts like prolonged uncertainty, anticipatory grief, and ambiguous loss. I hope that it will be a helpful resource as we find ways to let go of early pandemic lockdown anxiety and grief and step into the uncertainty and possibility of now.   

A further offering for you to explore this idea of prolonged uncertainty - NAVIGATING THE MYSTERIES by Martin Shaw (an essay with audio option included in the link)  

“What if we reframed “living with uncertainty” to “navigating mystery”? There’s more energy in that phrase. The hum of imaginative voltage. And is our life not a mystery school, a seat of earthy instruction?” 

 

This Pride Season:

As we celebrate the beauty of our God-given diversity, may the Peace of Christ be with you. 

As the Holy Spirit moves through community gatherings, picnics, and parades, may the peace of Christ be with each and every one of us.  

 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko