Dear Glen Morris United Church,  

On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (also referred to as Orange Shirt Day), it feels particularly appropriate to be sharing the peace of Christ with you. The peace of the One who came to show us how we might serve God by walking humbly, seeking justice, and loving tenderly. The peace of the One who asked questions, made friends with outcasts, invited children closer, and returned from death to accompany his grieving disciples.  

I hope that today you will find the time to honour the survivors, families, and communities who have experienced so much loss due to the Indian Residential School system. Not because we think a moment of silence, or one prayer, or one event can solve or heal everything that has happened but because we believe in a God who can make all things new, whose Loving Justice can be made known here on Earth, and we are called to be a part of that. 

 If you want to know more about the ways you can connect your faith to the work of Indigenous justice click here. 

Please join with me in sharing a prayer prepared by The United Church of Canada:  

Powerful Christ,

we are grateful that you came to us as a child,

who grew out of a community that nurtured, supported, and taught you the way of your ancestors.

You have asked us to do the same:  

to treat every child as we would treat you,  

to love every person as you have loved us.

We are grateful that  

your power is rooted in love, not force;  

your strength is displayed through community, not might.

You have taught us to work toward a better world where all of creation thrives,  

and where every child matters.

 

On this Orange Shirt Day,

we remember Phyllis Webstad as a child,

and the stolen childhood of all the children forcibly raised by church-run institutions, known as residential schools.

We lament how these institutions  

stole from children the opportunity to grow in a safe and loving environment,  

stole from Elders the opportunity to share their teachings and wisdom with younger generations; and  

stole from communities the opportunity to live intergenerationally.

We mourn the children who never made it home,      

the communities that were destroyed,  

the broken hearts,  

the stories never shared, and  

the shattered relationships.

We ask that you provide  

comfort to all who are seeking healing and who daily wrestle with the ongoing harmful legacy of these colonial institutions,  

strength to all who name how colonial powers have harmed us as peoples and as a nation;        

often at great personal cost, and  

courage to all who are working toward reconciliation.

 

Christ Child,

As you grew, you reminded us to always welcome and care for children.

We remember your children today.

We lament and acknowledge the sinful ways that colonial powers tried to eradicate Indigenous cultures within Canada,  

breaking Indigenous families,  

removing children from their homes while destroying communities.

And we pray for healing,

so that we who live together in this country  

can also work together to build a better future  

where all children are cherished, beloved, and given what they need to thrive.

So that we may treat all children as we would treat you, our Beloved.

May it be so.

Amen.

 

 

May the Peace of Christ be with you,

May it sound like a child’s laughter,

May it feel like child-like joy, wonder, and curiosity,

May it inspire you to protect all that is sacred.  

 

Yours in Christ,  

Rev Michiko  

 

PS. As of this week, I’m officially your full-time minister. How amazing is that!? I know I’m excited.