Riverside Reflections

Rev. Millie Rochester

It’s spring. Here in Winnipeg, the changing seasons are more obvious than in many places; the landscape changes dramatically from winter to spring. Wherever I am, though, I find this season special. My mood noticeably shifts as I am touched by the optimism spring represents.

Like nature, church life is affected by perceptible seasons: the anticipation of re-gathering as a community in the early fall after what for some of us is a summer lull; a build-up of excitement and busy-ness during the winter holidays; and the new-ness of rebirth in spring. This is a time for looking forward.

After a successful Stewardship Campaign, in which we engaged in conversation about the meaning of church – and what our church means to us – we look forward by continuing the conversations we began, listening as much as talking with one another. We do this one-on-one, in committee meetings, in groups of committee leaders who confer with one another, and at the Board level.

We look forward by engaging one another at the deepest level of our faith, which is a life-changing and world-changing call to action, participating in the events and activities of Sunday mornings that carry our values into the rest of the world during the rest of the week. We do this through reaching out to the wider community, hosting information forums and conversations on environmental issues; and through individual involvement in electoral campaigns.

We look forward as we welcome newcomers into our midst and our membership, honouring one another’s spiritual journeys and supporting one another’s spiritual, as well as intellectual growth. We do this on Sunday mornings, mentoring our youngest generation and learning at least as much from them as we hope they do from us; and in a wide variety of adult groupings throughout the weeks.

The ancients remind us that “to every thing there is a season.” It is spring now, a time to look forward; but any season of the year is a time to be together. We are blessed, all of us, by this community. I am blessed by your presence.

Warmest blessings,

Millie