Mid-Week Message - July 15

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

Because I used to live in northwestern Ontario (Thunder Bay), my Facebook feed is currently full of pictures of the wildfires that are burning there, including a large fire that is burning out of control in one of my favourite places - Quetico Provincial Park.

I have so many memories of that park. Memories of a canoe trip that my sister and I did with two friends a month after our mother died in 2003. (I have a couple of great fish stories from that trip - the laughter of those moments was much-needed medicine in a time of deep sorrow.) Memories of a rainy day spent in friends' tent-trailer curled up with a book listening to the rain pour down. Memories of a full-day paddle by myself down the Pickerel River with wildlife encounters that included a bald eagle staying just one curve ahead of me down the river, and a fox that swam across the river in front of my canoe.

And now the places of all of these memories has been reduced to smouldering ashes. And my heart weeps for the beauty that has been lost.

But at times like this, I remember that resurrection isn't just a story that we read at Easter. Resurrection is a reality for all of God's creation.

The fire will eventually go out - either burn itself out, or be extinguished by the rain.  And as the rain falls on the scorched earth, it will be amazing to see how quickly it begins to green up again. The grass will be the first to appear, but tree seedlings won't be too far behind. The jack pines require the heat of a wildfire to open up their cones and release the seeds, so they are often the first trees to appear, followed by the birch trees.  The conditions after a fire are also ideal for wild blueberries to grow - the ash adds nutrients to the soil, and the underground root system is mostly protected from the fires, so new shoots can pop up and flourish in the abundant sunshine that is no longer blocked by trees.

Is the forest after a fire the same as it was before the fire?  No. The old pines on the sandy beach at the mouth of the Pickerel River are likely gone now, and even when new trees grow up, they will have a different shape and be in a different place. The old-growth forest has burned, and it is new growth that will spring up in its place. Resurrection doesn't mean preserving the old - resuscitation it and keeping it on life support. Resurrection means new life - something completely new - springing up from the ashes of the old.

And resurrection will happen after a wildfire. Some day there will be new forest in the place where the old forest is burning.

And so while I am currently grieving the loss of that beautiful wild place, I can find comfort in knowing that the fire is not the end of the story for that place.

And if resurrection is not only possible, but is inevitable after the devastation of a wildfire, then surely resurrection is possible after any loss. What resurrection can God work in your life?

My Happy Place

Moving on to announcements for this week:

• Worship on Sunday - this week is a hybrid week, with different things happening on the Peninsula vs. Westfield.  At Long Reach, we will have our Flower Service at 11:00am, followed by a reception in the River Room.  At Westfield (and Facebook Live), the service will be at the regular time of 11:15am. The scripture readings will be Psalm 86:11-17 and Romans 8:12-25, and the service will be an exploration of hope.

• Bette's Beach Party - A reminder that Bette has invited all of us to a beach party this evening at 7pm (1770 NB-845 in Summerville). The burn ban means that we won't be able to have a bonfire, but Bette is going to fire up her grill for the hotdogs! Bring a chair to sit on, as well as your swimsuit and towel if you want to have a dip in the river. This will be a great opportunity for us to gather and hang out as one big church family!

• Summer Movie Nights - Next Tuesday, we will be watching the 2021 Pixar movie Luca - this one didn't get much buzz, likely because of the pandemic restrictions on theatre-going at the time it was released, but it is a lovely story of friendship and overcoming prejudice. You can read more and watch the trailer by clicking here. 7pm in the parlour at Westfield - the popcorn will be popped!

• Pride Worship Service - On Sunday July 26, we will be joining together with the other Affirming Churches in the Saint John area and we will be hosting a worship service to round off Pride Week! 11am at Westfield United Church (note the change in the start time for this week). Our guest preacher will be Daniel Wheaton (yes, the same Daniel who is working in the church office - if you haven't read his recent blog post yet, I encourage you to do so by clicking here). Folks from Harmony United Church and Quispamsis United Church will be joining us (both in the congregation and in worship leadership). And as of today, this service is now listed on the Saint John Fundy Pride website!

• Pride Parade - the day before the service, Saturday July 25, we will be joining the other Affirming churches to walk in the Saint John Pride Parade. Here are the details you need to know:

  Arrival Time: Between 12:15 and 12:45. We are entry #17 in the parade

  Muster Location:  Parking Lot below the Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal

  Parking:  Parking lot between the Marco Polo and Diamond Jubilee Cruise terminals

  Parade Route:  See map! (also shows parking and muster location)

  Bring:  Water bottle, comfortable shoes, any affirming signs or rainbow gear (I will bring all of our rainbow flags from the church for us to carry), and your energy/enthusiasm!

  (This year, there will be a pickup truck as part of the Affirming United Churches, so if anyone would like to participate in the parade but is worried about the walk, you can ride in the back of the truck.)

• Pride Parade Sign Making - The Harmony United Church Youth Group invites all of us to join them tomorrow, July 16, to make signs for the Pride Parade. 6:30pm at Harmony United Church (8 Upland Road).

• Job Posting (sharing for our neighbours): The Anglican Church of The Resurrection is seeking a mature, self-motivated, independent worker to ensure the building is kept clean, sanitary, ready for worship services and all other activities.  This role also involves light maintenance, security duties and event set ups as well as other tasks. 

  Duties will include but not be limited to sweeping, vacuuming, mopping of floors and entryways (X2 Weekly), washroom cleaning, garbage collection, and Play Park cleaning. A more detailed job description will be discussed during the interview process. This is a 20-25 hour per week opportunity at the rate of $16 per hour. 

  A criminal record check, a vulnerable sector check and a confidentiality agreement will be required for the successful candidate.

  Please send a resume to the Church at therezadm@gmail.com.

Thank You Corner - this week's thank you has to go out to everyone who made last week's Strawberrry Drive-Through Dinner such a success! Thank you to the organizers; thank you to everyone who helped out in any way, from hulling strawberries to dishing out potato salad; and thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, making this a sold-out event! My own dinner was delicious, and I've only heard positive feedback from everyone I've spoken to in the past week.

For a closing thought, this week I've started reading Prophets of Love: The Unlikely Kinship of Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul by Matthew R. Anderson. I know that I've shared Leonard Cohen's music here before, but here is a link to one of his songs that has been ringing in my mind this week:  "Born in Chains." Ever since I first heard this song, shortly after it was released in 2014, I've thought that this song sounds like a Psalm. What do you think?

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)