October 4,
2013
Dear Friends,
It has been a month since the summer break ended and the fall round of work and meetings started up again at the General Council Office and everywhere else in the church. I don’t know about you, but I was surprised to find myself turning the calendar this week to October. Where did September go?
Looking at the calendar, I realize it went to meetings—meetings of senior staff of the General Council Office and Conferences; meetings of the General Council Planning Committee, the Permanent Committee on Governance and Agenda, and the Indigenous Justice and Residential Schools Committee; and, of course, the Comprehensive Review Task Group I visited briefly with other committees, too, and in between met with a range of smaller groups and held one-on-one meetings with staff members and others. At some meetings I do more listening, and at others more talking. I’m frequently inspired by the gifts that so many people—staff, elected, and volunteers—offer to the work of the church.
On Thursday and Friday this week, I am attending a meeting of the executive of Manitou Conference. I haven’t been travelling as much in the past couple of years as I did in the past since my arrangements at home got a little more complicated, and I’m looking forward to it.
In chapel this week, the Rev. Joe Ramsay reminded us of the importance of experiencing the presence of God. It made me reflect that we can think and talk and meet all we like, but there are certain moments in each of our lives that touch us in a deeper place. When we talk about those moments years later, there is a catch in our voice.
I think those are the moments that prompt us all to want to be church, even when it means going to the meetings and doing the work that is sometimes, but by no means always, inspirational. It’s those deeper moments that we share to offer hope and purpose in our communities of faith.
In times of deep connection with God, and in times when you are buried in meetings and work, peace be with you.
Nora
Dear Friends,
It has been a month since the summer break ended and the fall round of work and meetings started up again at the General Council Office and everywhere else in the church. I don’t know about you, but I was surprised to find myself turning the calendar this week to October. Where did September go?
Looking at the calendar, I realize it went to meetings—meetings of senior staff of the General Council Office and Conferences; meetings of the General Council Planning Committee, the Permanent Committee on Governance and Agenda, and the Indigenous Justice and Residential Schools Committee; and, of course, the Comprehensive Review Task Group I visited briefly with other committees, too, and in between met with a range of smaller groups and held one-on-one meetings with staff members and others. At some meetings I do more listening, and at others more talking. I’m frequently inspired by the gifts that so many people—staff, elected, and volunteers—offer to the work of the church.
On Thursday and Friday this week, I am attending a meeting of the executive of Manitou Conference. I haven’t been travelling as much in the past couple of years as I did in the past since my arrangements at home got a little more complicated, and I’m looking forward to it.
In chapel this week, the Rev. Joe Ramsay reminded us of the importance of experiencing the presence of God. It made me reflect that we can think and talk and meet all we like, but there are certain moments in each of our lives that touch us in a deeper place. When we talk about those moments years later, there is a catch in our voice.
I think those are the moments that prompt us all to want to be church, even when it means going to the meetings and doing the work that is sometimes, but by no means always, inspirational. It’s those deeper moments that we share to offer hope and purpose in our communities of faith.
In times of deep connection with God, and in times when you are buried in meetings and work, peace be with you.
Nora
