Mid-Week Message - April 29

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!

Today is day 3 back in the office after being away for two weeks. Despite catching a cold that knocked the stuffing out of me for most of my vacation, it was a good couple of weeks. I rested, I read a couple of books, I got my taxes filed (something that my brain generally doesn't have space to think about until after Easter each year!), and I traveled to Ontario for a couple of days. While I was there, I got to visit family (both my immediate family and a cousin and her family), and I also attended a 1-day orientation for the doctoral program I am beginning next month.

(In that program, there are going to be 11 of us in my cohort. I will be the only United Church of Canada students - my classmates will range from Anglican to Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Buddhist. It was fascinating to meet everyone, and to hear about the topics that they are all interested in researching!)

One news story that I was following both before my vacation and through the first week I was off was the Artemis II mission that took four astronauts from earth to the far side of the moon and back again - the furthest from earth that any human has ever travelled.  One of the things that many of us back on earth observed about the mission is the camaraderie that the four of them shared with one another, and the absolute delight that they seemed to find in what they were doing.

When I was at my father's house, I watched an interview with Jeremy Hanson, the Canadian astronaut who was on board, and the interviewer asked him about the speech that he had made the day after they landed.  I don't have a TV myself, and had missed seeing the original speech, so I had to look it up.  I'm glad that I did, because it was powerful.  If you haven't seen it, you can watch it by clicking here (it's only 45 seconds long); but I'll transcribe his words for you here.

"What you saw was a group of people who loved contributing have a meaningful contribution, and extracting joy out of that. And what we've been hearing is that was something special for you to witness. And the reason I had them form up here with me is because I would suggest to you that when you look up here, you're not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you." (Followed by a standing ovation as the 4 astronauts on stage shared a group hug with each other.)

I thought that this was a profound statement. The world responded to the delight and joy that these astronauts had on their mission, because this is something that we are seeking for, longing for, within ourselves.  And this joy that they had - it came from not only doing something meaningful, but also by doing it together.

And I see this as something that we, as the church, can learn from.

Joy is a gift from God. It is named as one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

And just as we witnessed the astronauts finding joy in doing something meaningful, we as the church can find joy in serving our purpose... which is serving God's purpose.  When we are worshipping, when we are making sandwiches for Romero House, when we are praying together, when we are getting to know the Guides and Scouts who meet in our building, when we are fixing the ramp in front of the church so that no one injures themselves, when we are figuring out the budget for the next year so that the church can keep doing all of these things... there is joy to be found in all of these things, because we know that we are doing something that is deeply meaningful.

And the other half of the joy is that, like those astronauts, we aren't doing any of it alone.  As I type this email, there is a group in the basement here at Westfield having a "bologna-slicing party" as they get ready to make their sandwiches for Romero House, and I'm hearing chatter and laughter drifting up from the basement. This morning, a group of us gathered in the parlour for bible study, and among the reading and sharing and prayers, joy was found in each other's company. Tomorrow morning, I'll be meeting with the Long Reach Cemetery Committee, and as they go about the work of caring for those who came before us (and the families of those buried there), there will be a quiet joy in doing this work together.

I'm fairly certain that I will never get to fly to the far side of the moon; but I know that I can find that joy and delight that those astronauts had earlier this month by, as Jeremy Hanson suggested, looking within myself and looking at the people who are around me (ie all of you!).

Moving on to announcements for this week (lots of announcements this week!):

• Worship on Sunday - the United Church of Canada designates the first Sunday in May as Mental Health Sunday. Last fall, Natalie Parish approached me with an idea, and I said, "That sounds great, and would probably fit well into a mental-health themed worship service." So the time is here, and Natalie and I will be collaborating to offer worship for Mental Health Sunday! 9:15 at Summerville, and 11:15 at Westfield and Facebook Live.

• Staffing Changes - You may have already heard that there were some changes around the church while I was on vacation. Elaine Elkin retired as our office administrator at the end of last week and is now enjoying the Mexican sunshine; and Daniel Wheaton has started as our new Financial and Office Administrator! (This is an expanded role that will encompass both the office administration and the bookkeeping/financial administration for the Pastoral Charge.) Daniel is still in the process of retiring from his previous role with the Canadian Armed Forces, so for the next month or so, his office hours will be a bit unpredictable, but once the dust settles, I'll let you know when the best times to reach him in the office are. Once Elaine is back from Mexico, we will be celebrating all of her contributions to the life of our church; and next time you are in the Westfield building, be sure to pop your head into the office to say hi to Daniel and welcome him to the role!

• Sandwiches for Romero House - a reminder that this Friday (May 1) is the day we are making Sandwiches for Romero House to give out this weekend. Here is the breakdown for the three churches:

  Summerville - ham and cheese; pick-up at 9am at the church

  Long Reach - egg salad (no onions); pick-up at 9:20 at Fullerton's Store

  Westfield - bologna (no condiments); pick-up at 10am at the church

  As always, please package each individual sandwich in a baggie, then stack the bagged sandwiches back into the bread bag.

• Long Reach Cemetery Clean-up - we will gather any time after 4pm on Friday to rake gravel off the lawn, clean up any downed branches, and do any other tidying or repairs that are necessary after the winter; then share in a pizza party together. Many hands (of every age) make for light work!

• Bible Study - we're back at it, every Wednesday at 10am in the parlour at Westfield United Church. Everyone is welcome!

• Queerly Beloved - after missing our April gathering due to Easter, we will be gathering this Sunday, May 3, at 7pm in the parlour at Westfield United Church. This is a queer-centered spiritual gathering that is open to everyone. Please help spread the word! You can see the poster by clicking here.

• Watercolour Workshop - this is a fundraiser for the Harvest Garden, and will be led by renowned watercolour artist Christopher Marson. Saturday May 16 from 10-12, with a cost of $35. For more details, you can click here.

• Needs Assessment - a reminder that if you haven't already, please complete our needs assessment survey as soon as possible. Paper copies are available at each church (Summerville folks - I learned yesterday that your paper copies didn't reach you - they will be there on Sunday), or you can easily complete the same survey online by clicking here. We want to get as many responses as possible, so whether you are currently active at one (or more) of our churches, whether you were formerly active, whether you have only a passing connection with Two Rivers Pastoral Charge - we want to hear from you!

• Youth At Region - there is going to be a Regional Youth Gathering on June 5-7 in Sackville NB. This is an opportunity for youth from grades 6-12 to get together to build their faith, to build friendships, and get to know United Church youth from New Brunswick and PEI. To Register, you can click here. (In previous years, and I assume again this year, funding has been available through the Home Mission Council to help cover the cost of participation.) Leaders are also required for this event - if you are interested in volunteering, you can click here!

• Collective 2026: (em)brace for impact - this is a national gathering for youth and young adults (ages 14-25) from both the United Church of Canada and the Presbyterian Church in Canada, that will be held in St. Catharines, ON from August 12-15. For more information and to register, you can click here. (Natalie Parish attended this gathering 2 years ago, so if you are curious about it, you can ask her on Sunday!) A bus will be going to St. Catharines from the Maritimes to help participants with travel to the event - if you (or your young people) register, let me know and I'll connect you with the bus!

• Asking the Big Questions - our next gathering will be on Tuesday May 12 (a week earlier than our usual schedule) at 4:30 in the parlour at Westfield United Church. This month's question will be:  "Why does the church exist... or should it?" As always, there will be activities and prompts to dive into the big question (a bit like Sunday School for all ages), and we'll end with pizza.
  

Thank You Corner - this week, the thank you has to go out to members of our Two Rivers Ministry and Personnel (M&P) Committee - Ticket, Trisha, Mary, Joan, and Bette - for the phenomenal work that they did in the past month and a half navigating Elaine's retirement, developing a new position description, and hiring Daniel. Much of M&P's work happens behind the scenes, and this is the one church committee the the minister is not allowed to be a part of (for obvious reasons, since they function a bit like a "HR Committee with Heart"), but I caught glimpses of the work that they did, and all of us owe them our thanks for this work.  Adding to this thanks, I will add Roxanne Tarjan, chair of the Official Board, the three congregational treasurers (Joe Brooks, Beth Quigley, and Debbie Touchie), as well as all members of the Official Board, for ensuring that all of the appropriate motions were made and passed.

For a closing thought this week, I want to share a webcomic that has been delighting me this winter/spring. It is the story of a feral outdoor cat named Pilgrim who slowly learned to trust the humans who were feeding her. You can find the comics on The Touring Test facebook page by clicking here - you have to scroll all the way back to May 12, 2025 for the start of the story. The main story ended on February 13, 2026, but for the past month, the artist has been doing "a day in the life of Pilgrim" hourly comics (we are currently at 7pm). If you choose to read the story, be sure to click on the comments for each comic, as there are pictures of the real Pilgrim there! (Pilgrim's story is being turned into an actual book, and I plan on buying a copy for myself once it is released. It is a story of unconditional love that is beautifully told through art and words.)

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)