We are marking Baden Powell Sunday this week with participation from the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. I’m working on a campfire, tenting theme using Exodus 33: 7-11 & Deuteronomy 6: 4-9. Joyce and I will share a dialogue, we’ll have communion that reminds us that Jesus shared meals outside at times. Since we had such fun with the song ‘Over My Head’ last week, I wrote new words to match a camping theme!
Last Sunday we gathered over a soup lunch for a workshop entitled What Does Your Minister Do All Day? Folks were invited to name all the things that they expect a minister to do in the run of a week, how many hours they think it takes and then they got six sticky dots (which wound up not being so sticky) to place on the things that they thought were the most important. I’ll get that report out to folks by the end of the week. I also uploaded my reflection to the website, posted it to our Facebook page, sent it out via email, and created daily Facebook posts from my reflection and scheduled them to go live each morning at 10:00 am.
Monday – I put together the bulletin, wrote a communion liturgy, participated in a United Church Zoom call about my upcoming trip. The the national church gave each UCC participant a small bursary, so wanted to connect with us and remind us that they expected some writing from us in return for the bursary.
Tuesday – I updated the website, created a couple of posters, and wrote a first draft of a dialogue for Sunday.
Wednesday – The morning was taken up with a meeting of the Sales Team with our Real Estate Consultants to review the Purchase and Sale agreement. A planned in person gathering of HRM Clergy turned into a Zoom gathering over lunch. Conferred with Cathy several times about bulletin and PowerPoint. Having our offices so close together is a definite bonus; it’s easy to have a quick word. Downside, they’re further away from the bathrooms! 😉 I worked on the report from the Workshop on Sunday and called it a day.
Thursday – I will finish off the dialogue, write the prayers, and all the other bits and pieces of the service.
It’s been a lighter week than normal. Of course, there were phone calls, emails etc. including another request for a wedding! I haven’t done a wedding since Alison Hudson’s in September 2022 and I’ve had two requests in the last two weeks.
St. James United Church Dartmouth 