May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!
Spring is in the air! Today is garbage day in my neighbourhood so I was taking the can to the end of my driveway at 7am - I couldn't believe how many birds I could see and hear at that hour (especially the red wing blackbirds around where I live). And since the weekend, when I've had my windows open in the evening, I can hear the peepers now.
This is the season when we can see God's abundance in creation unfolding around us. Life is returning, and new life is springing up around us, everywhere we turn. Here in the northern hemisphere, we celebrate Easter in the spring season and Easter is the season of hope - because of the empty tomb, we know that new life is not only possible but is coming.
In the wider world, hope seems to be a theme too - each day, more and more people are receiving the Covid vaccine. Even though we aren't finished with this pandemic yet, and even though we are experiencing another wave of infections here in New Brunswick, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are starting to have concrete anchors to ground our hope on.
And while we wait in hope, let's continue to be kind, loving (all of) our neigbours; let's continue to celebrate God's presence with us, no matter whether things are tough or things are good; and let's get vaccinated (as long as you are medically able to be vaccinated) as soon as each one of us is eligible, so that we can be part of this movement of hope!
I had a good study leave week - in addition to doing some work for the course that I have been auditing since January, I also attended a Festival of Biblical Storytelling - it was a week that was both restful and spiritually nourishing.
A huge thank you to Ida and to Bertis for leading worship on Sunday. It was a pleasure to be "in the pew" (online!) worshipping with our Pastoral Charge this week.
I don't have many announcements for the upcoming week. Worship on Sunday will be at Long Reach (9:15) and Westfield (11:15) with the Westfield service being streamed on Facebook Live. We are in the season of Easter, so this week we will be reading one of the stories of the resurrected Jesus meeting with his disciples. (Long Reachers - don't forget that we are having a very brief meeting after the service, for an update on the roof and steeple work, as well as entertaining a motion around accepting banking e-transfers.)
And other than that, I think that we just have the usual things going on - Bible Study is on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30 in the Westfield parlour (as long as our zone stays yellow), and our Facebook Live Check-ins are Monday through Thursday at 1pm (we are reading 1 Corinthians in this season of Easter).
I hope that you are all having a chance to enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures, and I look forward to seeing you around - either in-person or online!
Blessings to you and yours, today and always!
Kate.
Rev. Kate Jones Two Rivers Pastoral Charge (506) 757-2201 (office) (506) 343-1307 (mobile) www.tworiverspastoralcharge.com Pronouns: she/her/hers "Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "You must love your neighbour as you love yourself."
(Matthew 22:36-39)