January 27th, 2011

There is something for everyone this week! Bright blue skies for those who crave sunshine, mild afternoons for dog walkers, rainy sit-by-the-hearth mornings for the homebound, and enough snow to bring your delighted eight-year old self to mind: something for everyone.

There is something for every mood, too: wonder, excitement, contentment and of course grumbling.  A friend from the South observed to me that Canadians talk a lot about the weather: I guess it defines us.    

What defines us as a people of faith is the capacity for prayer. During a rough time we call on God for courage; in a moment of irritation we ask for compassion.

What would happen if while we are doing what we northern people do, which is to say wondering or grumbling about the weather, we paused in a moment of prayer? Noticing the sun over the river valley, we could pause with gratitude for beauty. Grumbling about the snow on the roof, we could offer a word of thanks for a home. Or: observing an anxious driver, we might offer a prayer for patience!

A habit of occasional prayer lifts the spirit. A moment of gratitude opens the spirit. A prayer for others connects us through the Holy Spirit, and that is blessing for all.

Peace to you on this wonder-filled day,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

January 13, 2011

Dixon Carmichael passed away on New Year’s Day. His death was unexpected – complications from surgery – and the shock in the church at his memorial service Saturday was palpable.

You may have known Dixon. We will miss him.

Dixon loved the old hymns. He had friends, some of whom are very old and others are teenagers. He cared deeply about people, about the way things are done, about taking sufficient care for the future as well as the day at hand. He held several responsible positions here at St. Paul’s. I believe his leadership came from the relationships he had with us, and the trust that engendered.

I want you to know that at St. Paul’s we expect there to be many ideas about death and the afterlife. We expect lively conversations and openness to different opinions. And I believe that these days we share are part of an everlasting and ongoing life, a wonder beyond imagining. These words from Revelation 21 give me hope for the present and faith in the future: See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,  for the first things have passed away.’

It is bitterly sad to lose friends. It is challenging and realistic to consider our own deaths. It is part and parcel of the wonder of living that we can hold these things in our souls. And it is the nature of the church that we can offer a spiritual home to collect and sit with these realities.  

Refreshing blessings to you in this wondrous life,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

January 5th, 2011

2011! Here we are at a fresh point in our journey. Do you feel

refreshed? Sometimes these deep dark nights can bring us rest, but sometimes they intensify our anxieties. One way to look at the dark of the new year is a passage in a journey: and certainly a journey has a destination. Our destination is the wholeness promised to us by God, the personal wholeness and the wholeness of creation. Whew!

Yet here we are, plodding along or galloping through the days or feeling dragged into tomorrow – but in any case, we are traveling into the future, a future that is God’s promise.

For more than 1000 years, pilgrims have been walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St James. It is a collection of old pilgrimage routes in Europe; some of our St. Paul’s friends tell

personal stories of it. The symbol for the pilgrim is a scallop shell.

Innkeepers could recognize religious travelers, and they in turn could identify safe welcoming places for rest and nourishment.

At St. Paul’s this Sunday, people received scallop shells after communion – bread for the journey, and a shell to put in pocket or purse as a reminder of God’s constant presence. I have one waiting for you, too.

I won’t mail it, but it is here waiting for you.

Refreshing blessings in this journey we make together,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

December 14, 2010

Ah … a day of -8 seems balmy as I look forward to -17! So much of the reflective life is drawing a breath and living in the moment. It brings a sense of peace, I find. 

This month at church we are engaging a spiritual practice for Advent. Two weeks ago I invited you to think about the threshold of your home, and then last week, your living room: the place where you relax. I suggested you pray for yourself, and then bring to mind another household, blessing them at their doorway one week, and then where they relax the next.

This week, please visualize your kitchen: the place you nourish yourself, body and soul. It may be the kitchen where you currently fill a particular teacup out of habit and stick photos to the fridge. Or maybe it is a memorable kitchen from a favourite home in the past. Pray for the heartbeat of your day, the ordinary sustaining moments. May your routine tasks bring you joy and stability.

Then please bring to mind someone from church and imagine his or her kitchen – and pray for the everyday moments in that person’s life.

Praying for one another, I trust this practice will remind you of God’s presence. I hope you will feel connected here in your church.

Holy Peace of this season of anticipation to you,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

December 7, 2010

We are well into winter and Advent now: the cold glow of the midday is breathtaking, as is the warm dark of the evening, safe at home.

Last week we began a spiritual practice for Advent. I invited you to think about the threshold of your home, and to pray for yourself and others in your coming out and going in. Then I asked you to bring to mind another household, and bless them: may their passages through their doorway be steps of hope, too.

This week, please visualize your living room: the place in your home where you relax and come to yourself. Ask God’s blessing on the essence of who you are. Draw breath in God’s peace. Then pray for those who share your living room: your household, family and friends. May they know that God loves them in the very core of their being.

Please bring to mind someone from church. Ask God to bring them the tranquility they need, and God’s peace that surpasses understanding.

Praying for one another, I trust this practice will connect you with God’s presence. I hope you will feel connected here in your church.

Holy Peace of this season of anticipation to you,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

November 30, 2010

Sunday was the first day of Advent. Our lovely standing Advent Candle Wreath has been placed front and centre of the church. Moira Glerum chairs the Worship Committee, and her family lit the Advent Candle of Hope. Her daughter Thea read lines about having fun in the snow: don’t you think God wants us to enjoy this life? Beyond our trials and travails, there is God’s hope for us that we find pleasure. And we hope that for one another, too.

With that in mind, we began a spiritual practice for the season. It is a blessing on our homes, and a prayer for one another. You will find it in the bulletin insert. Please take the time to read it. 

I trust that you know you are indeed an essential part of St. Paul’s. I pray for you, and the prayer you will find on the insert is a prayer for your home. It centers on your doorway. You in turn can picture someone from the congregation and pray for them.

In the next three weeks of Advent, we’ll offer prayers picturing our living rooms, kitchens, and dining tables. These give us a visual image to offer blessings in our everyday lives. I trust this practice will remind you of God’s presence, and bring you a sense of being connected here in your church.

Holy Hope of this season of anticipation to you,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

November 26, 2010

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in Lamont County. Have you driven the roads there? In November you see russet fields and grey hardwoods. Off the road there are churches: Lamont County has 47 – more churches per capita than anywhere else in North America.
 There are Ukrainian Catholic, Roman Catholic, United, Ukrainian Orthodox, Orthodox Church of America, and Russo-Greek Orthodox, as well as a Lutheran building, a Moravian, an Alliance and a Full Gospel.

We drove along for about an hour, and enjoyed the profile of each church against the clear sky and the grey trees. When we reached our destination, the sun began to set and we watched the dusk progress out of the trees and up across the sky. Have you noticed how the dark seems to seep out of the earth in the evening?

In the quiet of the morning, as the darkness was absorbed back into the earth, I saw a dusting of snow on the fields. The words of Psalm 19 came to mind:

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

I know that people in every one of those 47 churches see the wonders of God’s world all around them. And we all share awe. Despite the troubles of the world, natural beauty still moves us – and unites us.

Deep peace to you,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean