Dear Glen Morris United Church,

Peace be with you!

Wherever you are, whatever you are feeling, whatever battles you may be facing, whatever you haven’t got done today, may you feel the peace of Christ in your heart.

If you are stepping into this present moment with Love, then you are doing enough and you were and are always good enough.

May the peace of Christ remind you that we do not journey through this world alone, but are always accompanied by a loving God who blesses us with abundant beauty, nourishment, and opportunity.

As someone who sees the big picture and thinks long term, I have known for a while that this pandemic would be mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausting. I remember sharing articles at the beginning of this pandemic that warned about the ways in which novelty would not sustain us through such intense isolation and yet - living this truth is still so difficult. I want to express my continued thanks for all of you who are continuing to make sacrifices in order to keep others (especially the most vulnerable) as healthy and safe as possible. As a church, I’m particularly aware of how large a sacrifice it can be to give-up  in-person worship for the time being and I grieve that loss with you.

To be honest, I struggle finding the right balance between affirming the seriousness of this covid19 pandemic while not causing unnecessary fear and alarm while we are all struggling to process a lot of new information and live lives with new health and safety protocols. Just this week I read this article which reminded me how quickly covid19 can go from something we have no personal connection to, to a life-changing experience. There are no easy or perfect answers for how to live through a pandemic but I do believe that church is a perfect place to gather as a community and search for answers together.

Visioning A New Future

This week for worship we will be reflecting on the role of honouring ancestors and what it means to carry our ancestors with us. Intimately tied to this practice of honoring our ancestors, is the work of dreaming a new future. We are all in the process of becoming ancestors. The choices we make today will impact the future generations to come. Check out this video and see if you notice any wisdom from your ancestors present in this video. What story would you like future generations to share about you? 

The Missing Year

This blog post I read earlier this week had left me wondering: what are some of the events in your life you have missed out on this year because of the pandemic? Feel free to hit reply to this email and let me know about the postponements and cancellations you’ve had to deal with this year.

Today, as you pass people in traffic, as you see them getting their mail, as you encounter them on your timeline, as you sit across from them at the dining room table: remember that you’re looking at someone who’s lost something and is grieving that as deeply as you are. - John Pavlovitz

 

A Call to Prayer

Please join myself, and members of The United Church across Canada as we pray on Friday October 22 as a way of honouring the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752 as Mi’kmaq lobster fishers exercising their treaty right to a fishery are confronted with racism and violence. To learn more about The United Church of Canada’s response and to learn more about Indigenous justice click here. 

 

Prayer for Peace and Healing: Mi’kmaq Fishing Dispute

Prepared by Regional Council 15 of The United Church of Canada

For use on Friday, October 23, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. AT, 2:30 p.m. NL, 1:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. CT, 11:00 a.m. MT, 10:00 a.m.

As you pray, you might pause and light a candle, or simply step outside for a moment and find a symbol of connection that speaks to you.

Using words, song, silence, or whatever form your prayers take, join hearts from afar in Peace and Friendship.

Creator God, Holy Mystery, Source of Life and Love

Thank you for the gift of life, all life. Thank you for the endless ways we are reminded that we are connected―all peoples, all the creatures, all plants, all lands, all waters, and the air around us. When one part suffers, the pain ripples out.

Our hearts ache today with the pain felt by our Mi’kmaq relatives, who have suffered violence, vandalism, threats, racial discrimination, and broken trusts as they try  peacefully to exercise their right to fish. May they be surrounded with healing and strength. May they feel solidarity and support. May they be kept safe from further harm.

We pray for our non-Mi’kmaq relatives. May there be healing for the pain, fear, or anger that has driven some to harmful words and actions, and others to silence. We pray for openness to the righting of relationships.We pray for our leaders at every level. May they be guided by wisdom and humility. May they use their voices and their power to build systems that uphold safety, dignity, and respect for all.

Finally, we pray for ourselves, that our hearts and our minds remain open to understanding our responsibilities toward living into Peace and Friendship, knowing that we are all still Treaty people.

“Knowing that you are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in all the holy names of God.”

Amen.

 

Yours in Christ,

Rev Michiko