May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!
I'm sitting in the River Room at Long Reach United Church as I write this. There is a chill in the air which tells me that, even though the calendar still says August, autumn is just around the corner. The leaves are still (mostly) green, but they are framing a river that is a September-blue. And I can hear the geese honking up-river (because it's not chilly enough to close the window yet!).
September often feels like a mini-New Year's day - a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. Even if your last back-to-school was several decades ago, September is still a regrouping sort of month. What do you want this year to look like? Are you going to start a new activity or hobby this fall/winter? Have you started making travel plans yet for this year? (It's the same in the church - when you get to the announcements in this e-mail, you'll find some re-starts and new beginnings there too!)
God is also a God of new beginnings and transformations and new life. The Easter story is at the heart of who we are as the church, and this is a story of a new beginning, a new way of being. In Isaiah, God says, "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19) And the end of Revelation brings us a new beginning too, after all of the troubles of the world are over, "And the one who was seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new.'" (Revelation 21:5)
What fresh start are you looking for in your life? Know that with God, new beginnings are not only possible, but are waiting for you just around the corner!
On to the announcements for this week:
Worship on Sunday will be at 9:15 at Long Reach and 11:15 at Westfield and on Facebook Live. Our movie tie-in this week will be Field of Dreams and the scripture will be Genesis 32:22-32. I wasn't able to find Field of Dreams on any of the usual streaming platforms. I borrowed the DVD from the library, and I believe it can be rented wherever you rent movies (e.g. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube). Note that this will be our last movie of the summer - after the picnic we'll be back on the Revised Common Lectionary for our readings through the fall.
Bible Study - we will resume our weekly gatherings next Wednesday, September 4, in the parlour at Westfield United Church from 10-11:30. Everyone is welcome - no prior bible study experience or bible knowledge is necessary! You can BYOB (Bring Your Own Bible) or use one of the church's. We always have good discussions at these gatherings.
Church Picnic - as in the past several years, the Sunday after Labour Day will be our Two Rivers Pastoral Charge church picnic; with thanks again to Lois and Milt who will be hosting us at their cottage, 100 Admiral Lane (Long Reach). We'll gather at 11am for a worship service that will include a baptism this year in the river, and this will be followed by a potluck lunch. There will be games and activities set up for all of the children in attendance too! Please bring: lawn chair, water bottle, a dish to share at the potluck, your own plate/cutlery. This is always a Holy-Spirit-filled time when we gather with our church family across our three congregations.
Sunday School - We will resume Sunday School the following week, September 15, at both Long Reach and Westfield. Ken is busy making plans for the fall! In order to leave the sanctuary, he needs a second adult with him, so if you might be interested in helping out from time to time, please get in touch with Ken (kennethfury@gmail.com). You wouldn't need to plan anything (unless you want to!); but just bring a desire to engage with the younger members of our congregation.
Discussing the Big Questions - in our day-to-day lives, we don't have many opportunities to talk about the big questions in life. Who is God? What is the meaning of life? What happens after we die? Ken and I were talking about this, and we have decided to offer a monthly gathering that opens up a space to do just that. Each month would have a theme, and there would be different activities and prompts throughout the gathering to engage with the theme. (This is the format we used a couple of years ago when we had an inter-generational confirmation class, and we had great discussions each week - that class was the inspiration for this gathering.) We want this gathering to be open and accessible to all ages and stages, so we are tentatively planning the third Tuesday of each month from 4:30-6pm (ie after school/work but before hockey or dance practice!). The Westfield UCW has generously offered to provide pizza each month, so you won't need to worry about making supper when you got home. All ages/stages/generations are invited to attend. (And just think of the conversations you would be able to have in the car driving home if you attend alongside your children and/or grandchildren!)
Thank You to everyone who helped at Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Long Reach on Monday! We had 31 kids come out, and everyone had a great day. We read the story about how Jesus fed a crowd of thousands with just a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread; as well as the story about God providing manna in the wilderness to feed the people. We even had a recipe and made "manna" (or something like what manna might have been) then ate it with jam and honey. We had a lifeguard for a couple of hours so swam at the wharf. And we sang songs and played games and learned dances. And extra-special thank you to Sarah Quigley and Gwen Quigley for planning the day and getting word out to all of the families on the peninsula that it was happening.
Upcoming Meetings - a reminder to Session and Official Board members that our September meeting will be on Sept. 18 at Long Reach United Church (6:30 for Session; 7:30 for Official Board). I'm sure that your chairs will be in touch in the next couple of weeks looking for reports and circulating agendas!
And that's all that I have for today! Like I said at the beginning of this e-mail, September often feels like a new beginning, even around the church.
For a closing thought this week, while I often share something a bit "lighter" here, I want to share a YouTube video that I watched yesterday that is a bit more serious. Many of us in New Brunswick received a transphobic leaflet in our mailbox in the past week, filled with mis-information about people who are transgender. (If you received one and would like to do something in response, I shared some ideas in a Facebook post yesterday - you can access it by clicking here; and if you look in the comments, there is an excellent example of a letter sent by one of our church members.)
Anyways, on to the video. Jammidodger (aka Jamie when he's not on YouTube) is a trans man in the UK, and just yesterday he posted a video that digs into the mis-information and lies that are often spread about trans people. In this video, he is reacting to an anti-trans documentary, but much of the mis-information in that documentary to is the same as the mis-information shared in the leaflet we all received in the mail. If you are unsure about why the information on the leaflet was wrong; or if you are curious to hear the perspective of someone who is transgender on the mis-information that circulates, I highly encourage you to watch Jammidodger's video. You can watch it by clicking here.
"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."
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you! Monday was not just groundhog day - there are a couple of celebrations that happen on
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you! I was just saying to someone yesterday that I am enjoying a "proper" winter this year!
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