May 18, 2022
Good afternoon, everyone
It is another beautiful day full of possibility and opportunity to be who we are called to be - God's people with love to share into a world that is hurting. I heard Otis Moss III, a preacher I listen to sometimes talk about the situation in Buffalo over the weekend. It was hard and he was trying to find ways to express what he was thinking. He feel asleep late at night but then was awakened to some noise in his young daughter’s room. She was wide awake and dancing in the dark. He said to her that it was time for bed and why was she dancing? She said, its okay Daddy, sometimes I just need to dance in the dark. Come and dance with me. He began to say something to her, but the Spirit moved and he realized that she was absolutely right – sometimes we need to just learn to dance in the dark.
Being God's people is never easy. It is hard to be Christian, to stand up for love and care and compassion and justice. It is hard to go against the flow at times yet that is what we are called to be and to do. And to do so we need to learn to dance in the dark.
Over the last six months our church has tried to do that by opening an emergency warming centre for those living in the rough in partnership with the region of Waterloo and the KW Working Centre. Now it is time to shift focus a little - to move from active involvement to advocacy and working with those directly involved to help our society created possible solutions to this very complex situation. We need to change the dance. The emergency warming centre will close June 22. But our efforts to help address the struggles of those living on the streets will continue. Our partnerships with the Working Centre, Ray of Hope and the House of Friendship will last. I wonder as well, and this is just me wondering, whether we might have a final BBQ with our guests on the church property - a way of celebrating an ending and a new beginning where those in the congregation who are able can serve a final meal to our guests. Let me know if any of you are interested in this and we can make arrangements
After June 22 the temporary walls separating Iona hall and the kitchen from the rest of the building will be removed and the region has promised that everything will be restored to the way it was before.
It is now a time of rebuilding, reconnecting, and renewing our life together at St. Andrews. The pandemic has made it hard for us to be connected in ways that we were familiar - gathering for coffee, for small group discussions, for fun activities, for the myriad of programs St. Andrews has offered in the past. It is time to encourage people to come back to church still practicing health guidelines that will keep us safe. How do you envision us dancing?
We had hoped to have a large service to remember and mark the death of those connected to the congregation whose family members were not able to have a funeral service. I still think this is a really good idea. Once Iona Hall is opened up again perhaps we can plan for such an event. All of this is still conditional on COVID but it is time to think and plan and be church together again.
Perhaps you have some ideas in terms of how we could re-connect as a congregation. Please let us know.
A couple of other things I am working with others on include:
Conversations with Yolanda Grant trying to connect with a family’s son and daughter in Turkey and hoping, praying and working that they may not be deported back to Iran
Conversations scheduled with Jan Blackburn to talk about next steps with respect to the congregation’s involvement with Faith, Climate, Justice
Conversations with Knox Presbyterian Church Waterloo about working together on projects like Faith, Justice, Climate and indigenous reconciliation. We are hoping to have a meeting later this week.
Creating a new weekly resource / podcast that would begin in early June – it will be a shortened meditation highlighting the sermon from the week before and offering a prayer and some music. This is to be offered weekly with the taping to be on Wednesdays and the publication of the podcast to be later in the week. Details are still being worked out. It will involve opportunities for discussion online at a scheduled time or times. This is part of our enhanced hybrid worship and ministry initiatives.
I have had my initial interview with Credence Consulting who have been hired by the congregation to help us in our decision making process. Please click here to see the attached letter from Credence to learn more about this important initiative.
All of that gives you as taste of what is happening in and around St. Andrew’s.
My prayer for you today is that you might be inspired to think about how you might be involved in helping us as a congregation to reconnect and rebuild after COVID. St. Andrew’s is a beautiful church with beautiful people and lots of opportunities for engagement with each other. In the words of the beautiful easter hymn – Dance then, wherever you may be. I am the Lord of the Dance said he. And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be. And I’ll lead you all in the dance said he.
Take good care and God bless
Marty