MESSAGE FROM REVEREND MARY WHITE
Celtic spirituality presents us with a deeper understanding of our literal and spiritual connection to creation. Being raised in this modern western culture, we lose sight of the fact that we are of nature. Nature is part of us but living in an artificially made environment, the connection to our natural existence is broken. And we tend to dominate the earth to the point of destruction. We arrogantly believe that we know best how to control our world to the point of having to be reactive rather than being proactive in our treatment of the Earth. It is time for us to listen to the wisdom of our young people who are advocating for corrected lifestyles that will improve their future.
Annual General Meeting • Sunday October 17th, 11am
The Annual General Meeting for 2020 will be held in the sanctuary during the worship service of October 17th.
Congregants planning to attend are invited to bring their own snacks or lunch (there will be no shared food).
The annual report has already been circulated; the meeting will allow time for questions about the reports, approve the reports, and affirm additions to the Navigation Team and M&P.
To review the Annual Report please click button below:
Reading Excerpt from “Anam Cara: a book of Celtic Wisdom” by John O'Donohue
All through Celtic poetry you find the color, power, and intensity of nature. How beautifully it recognizes the wind, the flowers, the breaking of the waves on the land. Celtic spirituality hallows the moon and adores the life force of the sun. Many of the ancient Celtic gods were close to the sources of fertility and belonging. Since the Celts were a nature people, the world of nature was both a presence and a companion. Nature nourished them; it was here that they felt their deepest belonging and affinity. Celtic nature poetry is suffused with this warmth, wonder, and belonging. One of the oldest Celtic prayers is a prayer called “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”; its deeper name is “The Deer’s Cry.” There is no separation between devotion and the elements. Indeed, it is the very elemental forces that inform and elevate faithfulness:
I arise today through the strength of heaven,
Light of sun, Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea,
Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.
Poem: I do not know God
by Joy Mead (from “Glimpsed in Passing”)
I do not know God
but I do know:
wind in the treetops
and the sound of the sea
as it reaches the shore;
I do know:
leaf mould and lichen,
wood rot and fungi,
new shoots and unfurling leaves,
soil and soul,
death and renewal.
I do know:
ripening wheat,
rising dough,
and sharing bread;
I do not know God
but I do know:
worms, bees and butterflies,
pattern, change and movement,
fragility and vulnerability;
I do know:
the surprise of strawberries,
the wonder of apples,
and that there is beauty
in a cancer cell magnified.
I do know:
morning sunlight
as it touches
each blade of grass;
the flicker of the smallest flame
and the furthest star.
I do not know God
but I do know
that the teachings of Jesus
are being lived out,
if not by the church,
then by grassroots movements
everywhere.
I do know
of small groups of people
making and mending,
working and wondering,
growing and sharing,
meeting and striving,
questioning and protesting,
living and loving
together.
PRAYER
Mysterious Creator
we are grateful for the changing seasons and the beauty the changes gift us. Open our spirit to the rich tones of autumn and the splendour of the transforming land. Give us courage to slow down as we observe Earth relax allowing her soil to rest in silent, idle space. May we be present to our own small space of life, while stretching to serve with Love the wider community. And may we live with respect for the natural world around us. We pray this in the Spirit of Love.
Amen
