May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!
This week, it certainly feels like summer is here! Summer is a time for relaxation and recreation and re-creation; a season when we often have opportunities to spend time enjoying the overflowing abundance of God's creation; a season when many of us have the opportunity to take vacation time, sabbath time, time to simply BE. And that is my prayer for you this summer. That you find the time and the space to simply BE - to BE with God, to BE with your family and loved ones, to BE with creation, and to BE with yourself and your own thoughts and feelings.
This week, my e-mail is going to be mostly announcements:
I am going to be on vacation beginning tomorrow until almost the end of the month (June 10-28 inclusive). Thank you to Session who have arranged pulpit supply for each of the next 3 Sundays, so our worship services will continue with their regular schedule. And in case of any pastoral emergencies, there are a couple of local ministers available to offer coverage - if you need to reach a minister, you can call Margaret at 721-4307 and she will connect you.
Session has scheduled our annual Flower Services - you can mark your calendars now, and there will be more details in early July. They will be: Westfield (July 11 at 11:15am), Long Reach (July 11 at 2pm), and Bayswater-Summerville (July 18 at 11am).
Ross Sherwood and a team of artists are gearing up for a Mission and Service Fundraiser! They are wondering if anyone has any latex paint that they would be willing to donate to this project - the colours that they are looking for are black, white, red, yellow, and blue; in shades similar to what is in our stained glass windows in the sanctuary. If you have any paint that you would like to donate, you can contact Ross at 654-1444.
Don't forget to get your Strawberry Non-Social tickets at the Home Hardware before the end of the month! We expect them to sell-out early, the same way the turkey dinner tickets sell out. Click here to see the poster for more details.
We are currently searching for our next Youth and Young Families Ministry Coordinator, since Gaby has moved to PEI with her family. If you are interested in this position, or if you know someone who might be interested, you can find all of the details on our website by clicking here. Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested! Applications are due by June 30.
In July and August, we are going to be going off-lectionary (ie we won't be using the assigned scripture readings from the 3-year cycle that we follow), and instead we are going to be exploring Things Jesus Didn't Say (e.g. on the first Sunday in July, we will look at the expression "God helps those who help themselves."), and see what the bible says instead! We should be able to have some fun with this over the summer months!
And that's it for today. There won't be a mid-week message for the next couple of weeks when I'm off; but I'll see you at the end of June (either online or in-person)!
Remember to drink lots of water as the weather warms up, wear your sunscreen, wear your masks, and if you are able, get your Covid vaccine so that our province can move to Green as soon as possible! This is how we love our neighbours and love ourselves these days.
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)