Dear Glen Morris United Church,
Peace be with you. On March 16, 2020 we published the first edition of Passing the Peace which means within the upcoming week we will be marking the 2 year anniversary of this weekly newsletter. What started as an offering into a very uncertain future has now become a weekly fixture of this community of faith and I’m grateful that in the midst of so much chaos and change, we have continued to “pass the peace” each week.
With church reopening and our province moving towards lifting even more covid19 protocols we venture once again into a 'new normal'. I join you in the shared sense of hesitation and anticipation this may bring.
Shifting to online worship during the pandemic has been a challenge that has come with many blessings. We are so grateful for the ways online worship has enabled people to join us from afar, for people to join us when they were unable to leave their homes, and for people to be able to experience worship that could adjust to all the ways life can be unpredictable. Worshipping during covid has taught us how full and diverse the Body of Christ truly is and inspired us to do the work that enables all who are members of the Body to join even when they are unable to leave home for a variety of reasons. The Body of Christ includes those who live far away, those who are immunocompromised, those who are at home acting as primary caregivers, those who are struggling with illness, and all those who join us in spirit through virtual worship.
Moving forward, we will continue to offer a hybrid worship experience (in-person and online) so that our community can continue to receive the blessings of a more accessible way of worshipping. We understand that each of you need to make your own decisions on the ways to join us for worship that feel best and safest for you and look forward to welcoming you to Glen Morris however you decide to worship with us moving forward.
Please know that at Glen Morris you are invited to come as you are, come when you can, and to come when you are ready.
May the peace of Christ fill your heart as you hear the sounds of birds chirping.
May the peace of Christ sustain you in the times when we feel the heartbreak of the absence of peace all over the world.
May the peace of Christ inspire you to offer grace to someone in need this week: a friend, or perhaps yourself.
Yours in Christ,
Rev Michiko