March 23, 2022

Hello everyone:

Maybe some of you know Garrison Keillor, an American author similar to Stuart MacLean – both are great storytellers.  Years ago I remember Garrison Keillor saying that spring at this time of the year is like spring painted on a brick wall.  You see all the beauty, the sunshine, the flowers, but just when you think its real you reach it to touch the flowers and smash your hand against the brick.

 Every time spring rolls around and we experience a few warm and sunny days and then go back to cold days with either freezing rain or snow, I am reminded of this quote.  The good news, as my dad used to say, is that we are on the right side of winter.  Regardless of what happens spring will come.  For the people in Ukraine spring is also a sign of hope – war can kill and destroy, but nothing can stop the coming of spring.  I find those words comforting today.  Please continue to hold the Ukrainian people and all who are suffering in this war in your prayers.

Some good news – Human Resources has hired a new office co-ordinator and today is Melissa (Mel) Seguin’s official start date.  Melissa is a people person, very approachable, very kind – she will and already is fitting in beautifully.  She has had some contact with staff and the people of St. Andrew’s during several days of orientation which began last Friday.  Melissa is also very skilled in what she does – and is willing to and has a capacity to learn – all things that are important for the role of Office Co-ordinator.  So, welcome about Melissa – we are so pleased to have you as part of the team here at St. Andrew’s.

Here are some of the things I am working on presently

1. Holy Week and Easter services – with our Full to the Brim theme during Lent we are working hard to develop a strong connection from one service to the next culminating in what will hopefully be a deep spiritual experience for all during Holy Week and Easter. Here are some of the components

   1. Palm Sunday will have leadership – a beautiful statement by Jesus that when there is suffering and agony and people dismiss it, even the stones will cry out – creation groans at the injustices in the world – church is not the place to be silent

   2. Maundy Thursday – up to 40 people will participate in an Agape Meal either in the sanctuary or in the Elizabeth room. Come for a worship service mixed with a bit of drama, songs and conversations as if you were at a dinner table, culminating with a communion service. Come to eat, to converse, to deepen your relationships with God and with each other

   3. Good Friday – the choir will present the cantata ‘It is Finished’ by Mary McDonald. And we will focus on the reality that death and grief does not diminish our capacity to Love because God is Love.

   4. Easter Sunday – an intergenerational service of deep celebration. During Lent we have had meaningful symbols added to the communion table each week calling on us to be in solidarity with those who suffer and recognizing that solidarity is possible because we are filled to the brim with God’s grace. On Easter Sunday people will be encouraged to bring symbols of hope and resurrection from their own home – a picture, a statue, a piece of art – anything that makes your heart sing and allows hope and resurrection to be rooted within. We thank Karen Cook for this wonderful idea.

2. Again this year St. Andrew’s will have an Easter Financial Drive with the goal being $40,000. I am working on a draft letter to that end to submit to the Finance committee that meets Thursday night.

3. I enjoy working with Andrew Hight in leading the youth group right now. Andrew does all the organization for which I am deeply grateful. I do the teaching and this Thursday we are beginning a series on spirituality and how our spirituality affects the decisions we make each day. The youth will also be invited to participate fully in the Maundy Thursday service on April 14

4. We have received an invitation from Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Burnaby B.C. to join with them in a project or writing and testing new songs with a more progressive theology. There are two aspects to this – supporting Brentwood in this project but also the collaboration with local composers in the creation of new songs. We talked briefly about this at the worship committee last night and will be looking at it more closely.

5. Again some great news – in a meeting with the Working Centre last Friday, we were advised that all of our costs incurred for the Emergency Warming Centre, including the costs incurred when our own maintenance staff had to do work in relation to the EWC would be covered. There was some anxiety about this due to the costs particularly with respect to necessary snow removal that otherwise would not have been done because the parking lot is not rented out very much. So that was great news.

6. And a surprising twist to that meeting. The Working Centre had just found out that the Region is requesting an extension on the time the Emergency Warming Center operates here at St. Andrew’s. Initially the contract ended April 29 and as things are right now, that is when it will end. But the request has come to extend it. A small group including two members of the WA will be meeting later today to talk about this and to consider what to present to the session. A few things to keep in mind

   1. No is an appropriate answer

   2. If we say yes, we have the opportunity to ensure further needs the congregation has are met more fully – we are in the drivers seat so to speak

   3. There is no doubt but that St. Andrew’s needs full access to the kitchen, so whatever happens needs to take that into consideration

This is a difficult ask.  Please keep this group in your prayers later today and also keep the session in your prayers.  I truly doubt the session will make a decision quickly so there will be time to hear from the people of the congregation themselves.  If you have strong feelings one way or another, please respond to this email.

1. In preparation for the finance meeting tomorrow night I have been reviewing the statements from January and February. There is some good news in those statements. Congregational givings are up from this time last year. A warm thank you to the very generous people who make up St. Andrew’s. Your contributions are so deeply appreciated and enable us to continue to strive to be an outpost in the kin-dom of God, experiencing God in worship and encountering Jesus in the world.