Congregational E-mails
Congregational Email March 25, 2021
Dear Congregants, We are approaching Holy Week and this year, all of our Holy Week services will be joint services with St. Andrew’s River Heights United Church. We begin with Palm Sunday when we tell the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and being greeted by crowds waving palm branches. Rev. Karen Lumley, …Read more
Congregational Email March 18, 2021
Dear Congregants, Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “Human beings may separate things into as many piles as we wish—separating spirit from flesh, sacred from secular, church from world. But we should not be surprised when God does not recognize the distinctions we make between the two. Earth is so thick with divine possibility that it is …Read more
Congregational Email March 11, 2021
Dear Congregants, Loraine is sending blessings of hope as she takes a one week break. She will return next week. BECAUSE THERE IS HOPE HERE: LENT 2021 WORSHIP SERVICES This year’s Lenten services will feature congregational reflections on hope. March 14: Loraine will be on holiday March 8-14 and Rev. Earl Gould will be leading …Read more
Congregational Email March 5, 2021
Dear Congregants, Our Lenten focus on hope is aligning with growing hope within our province as more vaccines are being offered and our numbers continue to decline. It is a cautious hope, as variants continue to be detected and many unknowns still lie before us. Westworth is therefore continuing to be cautious in its reopening …Read more
Congregational Email – February 19, 2021
Dear Congregants, We have now entered the season of Lent—or did we ever leave it from last year? Diana Butler Bass writes that this has been the longest Lent ever—it began last year and hasn’t ended! But this Lent we will be doing something different. Instead of giving up something for Lent, we will be …Read more
Congregational Email February 12, 2021
Dear Congregants, This has been a heavy week with the death of two of our members, Jeff F. and Anita S. At the same time, it has been a week of celebration with the birth of Amanda and Luc’s daughter. The cycle of life takes us on highs and lows that can sometimes spin together …Read more
Congregational Email February 5, 2021
Dear Congregants, This past week I’ve had the privilege of being part of two webinars. One was the first of three webinars which Ron Bailey organized on Estate Planning. It was so good to see about 23 “Westworthians”—I can attest that we’re still alive and kicking! It was good to have some serious conversation and …Read more
Congregational Email, January 29 2021
Dear Congregants, At a recent planning meeting for our Lenten services, I was struggling to find creative energy. For the first time, I did not have any ideas to bring to the virtual table. Debbie M., our beloved music director, took up the torch and poured through material to offer a number of ideas. Her …Read more
Congregational Email January 22 2021
Congregational Email Jan. 22, 2021 Dear Congregants, I was part of a national info-session for clergy with our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tam on Jan. 20. She acknowledged the important role that communities of faith play in helping our communities through this pandemic. She asked for our help in disseminating government facts about COVID and …Read more
Congregational Email Jan. 15, 2021
Congregational Email Jan. 15, 2021 Dear Congregants, With thanks to the gracious offer of Rev. Earl Gould to voluntarily lead last Sunday’s worship and be on call for emergency pastoral care, Nancy & I were able to have a 4-day retreat reading and hiking in Manitoba’s snow-covered forests—forest-bathing, as they call it in Japan! Our …Read more
