This Week at Trinity, Beamsville Friday, April 5, 2019
Dear Friends,
April already.
As many of you are aware, I am coming to the end of my time at Trinity. I think of that mostly because my last day is May 5th, which is exactly 30 days from now. Which puts things in perspective. But there are many things occurring between now and then. This Saturday I’ll be at the church participating in the conflict transformation workshop and staying for the trivia night. Beyond that there is still Holy Week and Easter and everything else. I’ll be kept busy for sure. This past Monday I co-lead the first of the Lenten study sessions, “Journeying Through Lent.” We talked about the idea of wilderness and the ways that it appears in Scripture and in our own lives. I’m already looking forward to the next two weeks, and I came away with a few things to think about, some of which are informing how I am approaching the sermon this week. In particular, I found myself thinking about how we move through the world, and through the periods of wilderness in our lives. We have our own journeys, even though it is often helpful to look over at other people who are or have been in a similar place. We have to know and care for ourselves as best we can, and know how and when to rely on others to help. And all of this is incredibly confusing at times, because we simply can’t always know the “right thing” that will bring us peace. As we continue to listen, learn, and grow together some strategies might start to develop. I know myself a lot better than I did even a year or two ago, and that helps me to negotiate the new things that appear in life and drag me down. But I always stay ready to improvise, and deal with the things I’m not expecting with grace and a sense of humor. But when I get stuck, I try to remember the compassion that God has for every person in this world, and I try to emulate that compassion for myself. And in terms of walking out of a dark and stress-filled place, it is a start.
With love, Scott
“ We the storytellers would be the sick this time, fleeing a healthy world. And we would be telling each other stories not to forget the world, but to remember it, to re – create it.” (Yann Martel)