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Dear Passing the Peace Readers, 

Our amazing music ministry was in full swing on Sunday morning as Margaret Fleury accompanied a pick up choir for our Grand River Collaboration service that was led by Lynn McCruer. Approximately 160 people came together at St Paul’s United Church for World Communion Sunday to fill the sanctuary with song and prayer. Thank you choir members for welcoming members of neighbouring churches to your practice on Thursday evening! 

As we prepared to receive communion, we reflected on the theme of ‘welcome’. Although we all know what it means to welcome others or be welcomed ourselves - it’s amazing how much this topic calls on us to reflect on what forms of radical hospitality we are called to offer for the sake of following Jesus. It reminded me of how easy it is once we feel at home somewhere to forget what it’s like to be a newcomer. I also thought about how often when we feel unwelcome we don’t really know where or how to share that experience. It’s important for us to see welcome as an ongoing project or reflection and care!

We ended our gathering sharing food and fellowship where participants were invited to share their own wisdom about welcome. I asked: What does welcome look like to you? Where have you experienced it? What did it look like? What did it sound like? And invited people to write their thoughts on a “Tablecloth of Welcome.” 

It’s wonderful to see these tapestries of welcome coming together but I would love to continue to add to this conversation. Do you have something to add? Please feel free to hit “Reply” on this email and let me know. 

 

When you take action to ensure someone in your midst feels welcome, may the Peace of Christ be with you

In the moments when you struggle to find your place and wonder how welcomed you are, may the Peace of Christ remind you that you always belong to God, 

 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko