01/20/2022
January 15, 2022
To the Members and Friends of St. Paul’s Amherst Island
From Rev. Lynne Donovan, Interim-Moderator
Greetings-
I wanted to speak to you words of encouragement and congratulations as we enter yet another year facing the challenges of Covid. Yes, it was, to quote Queen Elizabeth, another “annus horribilis” in many respects but it was also a year when you put your best foot forward as you got “creative about connecting”. And, friends, in this era, in every era, that is what the gospel calls us to do. I have been doing some significant reading to remind myself of the context in which Jesus taught. It was a context that made our context look like a walk in the park. Rome and its Caesar ruled with brutality and injustice. The Jewish community was a further target of the Empire because the Jewish community refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord of the world and so the Jewish community was always vulnerable to Roman cruelty.
In this context where the average peasant consumed 700 calories a day (if they were lucky), the only hope for survival was friendship and community. However, in a context of scarcity and brutality, relationships between families and tribes were often driven by mistrust and scarcity. The ancient theological, cultural and gender divides made everyone vulnerable. Jesus spoke to this world providing a vision of community and belonging so as to address this profound vulnerability. His disciples and members of the early church were not driven by creeds or religious demands but by an invitation to be generous with one another and to include everyone at the table—in their lives and their relationships to be a parable for the love of God. It was a vision for friendship and belonging that gave people hope. It was a vision for being the Beloved community that gave people an anchor.
Last year you included so many in your circle of friends with your gifts of soup, cookies, etc. The work of the Pastoral Care Committee and the Community Outreach Committee will continue to be important as we move into 2022. If you wish to participate in the work of these committees which has to do with facilitating “creative connecting”, please speak to Nathan.
The Session in partnership with other folk on the Island, will determine how best to move forward to become a more inclusive worshipping community in 2022. Nathan will launch online Zoom Sunday services until you return to in person worship. This will give you all an opportunity to be in the room together, visit, make prayer requests, be strengthened by the encouragement of one another.
The church at its best is a sanctuary, a light, a model for generosity, a voice for justice. We have not always been our best. Sometimes it takes hard times to nurture and release the best teachings of Jesus.
With deep respect and admiration as you more and more shape your life around the ministry of Jesus.
Rev. Lynne Donovan ([email protected])
