Hello friends!
It’s ANOTHER glorious Fall day and taking Poppie (the bernedoodle) out for a walk in this changing season is just glorious! I do hope you are all getting opportunities to get out and about - don’t miss this beautiful Autumn! Our hiking group is always happy to accept new members - why not join us sometime?
Times of change can hit us in so many ways. Remember the change to pandemic life, which felt so sudden and scary and abrupt? Looking back over these last six months, recalling all the immediate emotions we felt in March, and then thinking through all the adjustments that we’ve made to the ways we live our individual and corporate lives since then - how far we’ve come! How much change we’ve seen.
One change is on our Vestry. Every October members of our vestry transition off, and we give such thanks for the diligent and enthusiastic service Jeff has given to the Vestry over this last year. THANK YOU, Jeff for being on our first ever Vestry. Thank you for the wisdom you have brought and the ways you think so broadly and helpfully about the Church. And indeed, thank you for your enthusiasm and love for all things snack-like. We are so grateful.
This Fall, week by week on Sundays, we’re thinking about God’s power and the ways God’s power is manifest - and then mimicked by the world around us. Musing on power - good and bad - often then leads, by necessity, to thoughts on change. As we consider God’s power, we often have to make adjustments to the ways we think, feel or behave.
Are you someone who thrives on change? Or who flees at the very thought of it? I guess most of us are somewhere in between - although we may love the change of seasons, there is a certain melancholy as we look back over the summer, and as we imagine what could feel like a long winter ahead of us. Change can be deeply unsettling and stir up ALL the emotions!
So as you consider this changing season, perhaps you could also take some time this week to think about where you see change in yourself, and where you would like to see more change. Changing can be hard - but we all need to change, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is that God knows we need an instructor, a change-agent. And the wonderful news is that the Paraclete, the Helper, the Holy Spirit is at work in and with us to help us change and flex.
This Sunday, we are talking about the habits and rhythms of our lives in terms of rest and Sabbath. As you prepare for Sunday, why not ask God to help you think through some of your beliefs and hopes about sabbath rest? Where would you like to change? Pray about it and come ready to flex!
And now… What a lovely weekend this last one was! Glorious weather and so much to celebrate!
Katie was ordained a Deacon on Saturday!
The hiking group headed out into the hills: friends and dogs glorying in the Fall weather
Seventeen kids were joined by a bunch of adults for Wild Wonder on Sunday morning
We worshipped as a community at 9.30am in the Chapel and then at 5pm on zoom and in garden churches
We learned the Jerusalema dance in our ‘movement break’ (here’s the song - not sure what we’re talking about? Google it! Here’s my personal fav version of the dance from an animal rescue centre)
We reflected on God’s goodness as we looked back at our last few months as a community and as we gave thanks for God’s generous provision for our needs
And we looked forward to the next few months with anticipation
AND we voted for our two new vestry members - Nancy Sung and Patrick Sahm - hoorah!
We also heard that I’m going to take an extended trip to the UK in Jan/Feb as a sabbatical: to recharge and refresh, and to see family, cuddle grandbabies and re-calibrate! Maybe I’ll start my book :)
And we began to dream about Advent! Won’t be the same this year as it was last … but it WILL be glorious as we anticipate celebrating the birth of Christ. Interested in helping think it through? Chat to Amy!
So what’s coming up next? THIS IS IMPORTANT!
In NOVEMBER we will be making some adjustments to our service times to accommodate our garden churches during the winter.
We have not completely worked through all the kinks but our current plan is to move our main service time to 11am until Easter. We are hoping to ‘live zoom’ from the Chapel at that time - to people in their homes, in garden churches and in small gatherings in backyards, front decks and more! There are so many varieties possible for ‘garden church’. Some new ideas we are kicking about include ‘firepit church’ (ask Jenni!), ‘Coffee shop church’ (ask Emily D!), front deck church (ask Eva-Elizabeth!)... I love the creative ideas people are having about how to worship in community while we are still not worshipping ALL together indoors. But do remember every week there ARE slots in the Chapel as well, and we DO the whole service now in the morning as well! And if you haven’t yet been to a garden church - sign up today!
Got questions? Write me an email! I'd love to hear from you!!
Your pastor,
Liz
Postscript:
I've been asked to give my book of the week! Here's this week's: Mark Buchanan “The rest of God”