Last Sunday afternoon, Debra Keays-White, a friend of hers, and I participated in the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage sponsored by Kairos Canada at the Halifax Commons. There were 49 of us who walked in prayerful solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Thanks to Bill Chambre’s calculations, the estimated total distance walked by our entire group was 159 km. It was more than the length of Gaza; it was equal to the circumference of Gaza. A letter has been sent to the MP of Halifax urging our federal government to support and take action for our calls:
- An enduring and Sustained Ceasefire.
- The immediate flow of life saving food, water, aid, fuel and humanitarian assistance.
- The release of all hostages – both the Israeli hostages held by Hamas – and the Palestinian hostages held in the Israeli prison system.
- The end of occupation so a just-peace can begin.
We continue with the Thriving Churches series; this time our focus is on being open-hearted and humble. Scripture passages are: Galatians 5 – Selected Verses and Philippians 2: 1-5. Here are a few questions I am pondering, especially as it related to reconciliation with and marking Red Dress Day.
- How does humility contribute to being open-hearted towards others? In what ways can pride hinder our ability to truly connect with and understand others?
- How does having an open heart towards others contribute to building unity within the body of Christ, as emphasized in Philippians 2:2?
- What are some practical ways we can we can cultivate humility in our daily lives in order to be more open-hearted towards those around us?
This week is a bit like a game of spiritual pinball!
Monday was bulletin prep, website updating, grief session preparation and meeting with Joan Clark and Debra Keays-White about an idea that we are calling Wellness Wednesday (at least for now) and then I went to see Jann Arden and Rick Mercer at the Scotiabank Centre in the evening! Two hours of wonderful storytelling!
Tuesday was Food Bank, although I didn’t spend a lot of time there this week, getting a start on the PP, my bi-monthly gathering of UCC Intentional Interim Ministers, helping Joan navigate the Community Health Board on-line grant application, and then a webinar in the evening to get ready for the Annual Meeting.
Wednesday was a Zoom call first thing in the morning, for those who were presenting at the Annual Meeting, then the Grief Group, then I headed out to La Cuisine de Brigitte in Head of Chezzetcook to have lunch with the Wednesday Craft Group, tonight I, along with Debra Keays-White, am headed to St. Andrew’s UC in Halifax to experience their contemplative service and speak with their minister and musician about it as we are thinking of adding a monthly contemplative gathering next fall.
Thursday, I will be at the Atlantic School of Theology for an Adaptive Leadership event all day, then in the evening there is a Property Committee meeting.
Somewhere between Thursday evening and Sunday morning, I have to write a reflection and prayers…
St. James United Church Dartmouth 