Homily by Shawn Newton.
Come home to the refuge of worship,
Where rivers of tears may be shed,
Where dry souls are watered,
Where your joy bubbles,
Where your life cup overflows,
Where deep in your spirit
you have found in this place a home.
This Sunday, we begin a new year in the life of our congregation with our annual celebration of Water Communion. Typically, we would be bringing water gathered in meaningful moments over the course of our summer, whether that source of water was from half a world away or from some place much closer to home. This year will be different—as so many things are different now. Yet, our service will still be deeply meaningful in both new and enduring ways. Our worship team has put together an array of music and reflections that will touch the heart and launch us, together as a congregation, into the year ahead.
We have also created a brief home-based Water Communion ritual for the children of our congregation and their families. In truth, this ritual could be used by anyone wanting to honour the meaning of water in our lives and to deepen connections with the earth. The ritual can be found here.
Before the service begins, please have a glass of water for drinking nearby to the device you’ll be using to participate in the service.
Finally, I hope you had a chance to read the letter from our Board of Trustees this week, which provides a number of updates about our plans for the coming months and the longer-term. If you haven’t seen the letter, it can be found here.
In faith and love,
Shawn
