Ministry

Blog: Embracing Love

There is probably nothing that changes your life more than the death of a loved one, even a pet.

As I write the blog for this week, the call has already been placed and the appointment made. I have put it off more than once since Christmas, hoping against all hope that the good days in between the bad ones would prevail.

He came in the late fall of 2009.  He appeared in the back yard, where so many had appeared before him.  Living on a Cul de Sac beside the Douglas Hospital Grounds saw many abandoned or homeless animals appear.

We already had taken in so many over the years we lived there.  We really did not need just one more cat….and we tried to dissuade him from hanging around.  But he was adamant so we opened up the pool shed and put down warm blankets and food, hoping to at least get him through the coming winter.  An early freezing rain in late November changed all of that.

In he came, relegated to the empty apartment upstairs as both my mom and aunt had moved into cared living by then.  He was pure grey and infested with fleas.  And he was not neutered.  At first, I believed him to be on the autistic scale as he would not make eye contact.  But he was regal in posture and highly intelligent.  So, we named him Charles.

For so many, the isolation of the past two years has been made bearable by the companionship of pets.  The blessing of animal companionship and their unconditional love and loyalty is something which has to be experienced to be understood.

For those whose childhood has been filled with animal friends, it is hard to imagine a house without the presence of such life; the chair not claimed, the bed with so much space, the newspaper spread out on the table without a face staring up at you, the key board not being walked over as you work……

Having experienced the loss of parents and friends over the years, I have come to realize that grief is not something we can shun or pass through.  It is something that is a part of you and longs to be embraced.  You see, grief numbs your body, breaks you heart and drains you tears, but grief is also another form of love.

The reason grief is isolating is because talking about death in our society is off-limits. Death is inevitable and touches each one of us, but talking about it is a complete taboo. But, the only way through it is to face it head on.

For all those of you yearning for your loved one, nothing can justify your suffering, and there is no end of grief, but I hope you can see the beauty in grief at the time. We grieve because we love. How lucky we are to have experienced that love.

 And, when all is said and done, love is how we keep them alive, even after they have gone.

In peace

Pastor Beryl, DLM

Blog: February is Black History Month

With so many other things screaming out for our attention over the past week, we may not realize that other things are equally deserving of awareness and care.

 Below is the letter sent out by our own United Church of Canada Foundation:

-Beryl 


Black history is Canadian history! Black History Month seeks to be inclusive of the many historical experiences in the Black community in Canada, and the rich contributions the community has made to the foundation of our country. The United Church of Canada Foundation proudly celebrates the history of Black Canadians, including those in our United Church. 

The United Church of Canada has an abundance of Black History Month resources on their website. Whether you are leading your congregation in worship, engaging in study and discussion with a small group, or simply want to learn more for yourself about the strong and vibrant history of Black peoples in Canada and The United Church, I encourage you to check out the collection. These prayers, testimonies, stories, songs, worship services, pictures, videos and essays can be found here: united-church.ca/worship-special-days 
 

It is also a time of lament, as we mourn the injustices of the past, and those that continue today. As a Church, we believe in forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation and the potential to learn from stories and experiences. The Foundation is committed to listening deeply to these stories and working to remove the inequity and injustices created by racism to create a more just planet where everyone can share and celebrate God’s abundance.
 

In June of 2020, Rev. Dr. Paul Douglas Walfall, member of the United Church of Canada Foundation Board, called on White people in the Church to put their love into action to counteract racism. You can read his words here: unitedchurchfoundation.ca/dear-white-people/


I hope that this Black History Month is meaningful and transformative for you.

With blessings and solidarity,
 
Sarah Charters
President

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The Winter Hymn Project, Week 3

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As winter wends its way to closing the door on January, the light becomes brighter and the days ever longer... very, very soon our thoughts will turn to spring and yellow daffodils!

Once more, we have hymns from close by and far away. And once more I say: open your books and send me a message, please!

Sarah: saromica@yahoo.ca

 

Marco Ste Marie

Mes deux hymnes préférés en ce moment sont :

These days, my two favourite hymns are:

VU701 What Does the Lord Require of Me

MV 209 Go Make a Difference

Dis un gros bonjour à tout le monde à SouthWest. Vous me manquez tous beaucoup !

A big hello to everyone at SouthWest. I miss you all a lot!

 

 

Allan Bevand: VU 642 Be Thou My Vision

One of my favorites is "Be Thou My Vision." It relaxes me and seems to take a lot of my stress away, calming me down inside. It warms my soul and makes me feel I am not alone.

I know there are always friends and family but often I think we feel alone in this world, when I hear this song that feeling goes away for a while.

 

Blog: My Heart is Looking for Signs of Hope

Ah, January is fast fleeing and things seem to be looking brighter in this last Newsletter of the month.

As I write, I remember the words of Anna Quindlen in One True Thing:  "February is a suitable month for dying.  Everything around is dead, the trees black and frozen so that the appearance of green shoots two months hence seems preposterous, the ground hard and cold, the snow dirty, the winter hateful, hanging on too long."

Yes, to most of us things indeed seem lifeless at the beginning of February.  But only on the surface. Below the snow-covered ground, things are stirring; roots are stretching, seeds are plumping, chipmunks are turning over in their slumber – even bears are beginning to stir in their winter dens.

The month of February brings with it longer days and this increase in daylight sets off a chain reaction in the forests.  Life-giving sap begins to flow in the trees and nowhere is this a more welcomed sign of spring than in the majestic Maples.

Maple trees make me think of sweet maple syrup.  And maple syrup makes me think of pancakes.  And pancakes, of course, bring thoughts of Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent.

Yes, it will not be long before the migrating birds begin their journey homeward.

And, of course, the crocuses, tulips and hyacinths will have already poked their furtive heads above the ground.

I for one am looking forward to February.  Tentative thoughts of putting those winter boots and scarfs to bed for yet another season.  Storing the shovels and bags of salt back in the garage. Shedding the heaviness which has weighed us down through the past winter, especially this year as yet again we have been faced with restrictions, masks, hand sanitizers, and daily reports of Covid deaths and infections.

I am ready to dance the dance of new life, the dance of resurrection and change for spring is a metaphor for change. Some changes we eagerly await, some changes we plan and others arrive uninvited.

In all these changes we ask the gift of God’s perspective beckoning us to expectation, hope, and rebirth.  And we pray:

God, thank you for Spring and the hope of warmer, longer, brighter days.
Thank you for the coming of growth and life and birth.
Thank you that things are coming awake in the world.
This is what our calendar says, and we do see some signs that it is real.
But we also still struggle with the residual layover of winter.
Now we ask that you bring into reality all that belongs in this season.

Your word says that we will have provision, and hope, and joy, and health and loving relationships here and now in this life.
We ask that what belongs in this season would become actual in our practical lives.
We hope in you and in your promises.

We hope in your gift of Spring.  Amen - Author Unknown

In hope and deep peace

Pastor Beryl, DLM

 

Blog: Candles of Hope

Since the global pandemic began almost two years ago, religious leaders have sought different ways to support the larger community while providing for the needs of members of their congregations. Many have turned to the evening ritual lighting of Candles of Hope.

One of the most important features of a ritual is that it not only marks time; it creates time. By defining beginnings and ends, rituals structure our social worlds and how we understand time, relationships, and cope with change and uncertainty.

Lockdown, quarantine, isolation. These words are now part of our every day conversations.  People are unable to gather in their places of worship and for many, the world has become a much darker place. 

So, what have people done in times of darkness?  Well, they have created light, through ritual fires or candle lighting; all symbols of the light of Christ, a man who brought hope to a nation struggling under the darkness of oppression.

Each day, as darkness begins to descend on the land, I am joining this collective witness and leaving a light in the window, with these words:

“A single drop of water may seem insignificant, but many drops of water can fill an ocean. One Candle may not seem sufficient but, as we light candles together, may their light shine through the darkness, bringing us closer to the true light, the light of Christ in these times of uncertainty.  Amen

I am inviting each of you to join me in this empowering, collective ritual.  As you begin to feel comfortable with the daily practice, you might want to lift the name or names of  people you know to be in particular need.  Each day, you might feel the need  to add a photo of someone or something that has deep meaning to you.  The personal touch has endless possibilities.  In fact, you might even wish to share a photo of your ritual with our office at southwestunited@gmail.com and perhaps Amy can post them in our weekly news letter.

How long should this ritual last?  I have no concrete plan as to when it should end.  For so many of us, we seem to be stuck in a state of prolonged liminality and life “as normal” is distinctly over. Yet we have not returned to whatever our “new normal might be.

So, we wait in this in-between state, betwixt and between, neither here nor there, suspended.  Time has lost so much of its structure, its rhythm.  So many of us feel the need to do “something” as we are told to do as little as possible.

For me, the ritual of candle lighting and prayer seems the most comfortable path forward until we arrive at a place as yet unknown.

Shine your light so that all who pass by your window might feel a sense of hope and the presence of Christ.

Amen

Pastor Beryl, DLM 

Blog: Who Will You Invite Into the Jesus Story?

Matthew 2:1-12 The Message

2 1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

3-4 When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5-6 They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,
    no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
    who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

7-8 Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

9-10 Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

11 They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

12 In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So, they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.

As we read the Matthew story for Epiphany, I am reminded of the night of Jesus birth, specifically the Gospel of Luke 2: 1-19: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them….  

I continue to be amazed that those who were “invited” to see Jesus came from very different worlds.  The first were shepherds which we are encouraged to believe were the poorest of the poor, set part from society economically and socially.

The second invitees were the wisest of the wise, astrologers and seers, yet foreigners and gentiles (non-Jews) from a distant land.

As we ponder the Jesus story on the celebration of Epiphany, I would ask you to think about who we, as Christians, invite into the Jesus Story?  Are we open and welcoming to all who come to us?  Do we let down barriers so all are included?  Are we able to see as God sees?

As we enter this new year, 2022, may our guiding light be one of kindness, welcome and, above all, unconditional love.

Blessed New Year to all

Pastor Beryl, DLM 

 

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