Dear Ones,

Spring has arrived, and in it’s helpful way is trying to carry off our woes. Lest this sound overly poetic, I mean the birds of Spring, the birds who nest on our church roof, are thieving the slips of muslin on which we have written our sorrows, and are using them construct their nests. Remember a month or so ago, when the worship committee and I put up a long string of clothesline outside the church entrance, strung across the ramp? There we left muslin strips and pencils, so we all could write down our griefs on the fabric and then tie them to the line, like prayer flags, to flap in the breeze. The birds found this to be a tremendously good idea and are taking our griefs away to create cozy bedding for their babies. Human spies can confirm the birds’ crime. This makes the ritual even sweeter- we express our sorrows and off they are whisked, to make a soft place for new life to arrive. Come by and add your griefs to the line- we don’t want to neglect our feathered friends.

How is your spirit doing today? As more people are vaccinated and hope abounds that we may be together (in person!) again before too long, I find myself grieving the past year and all the joy that was canceled. I have heard from folks in our church family that they are feeling the same- now that the end is (hopefully) near it is safe to feel all the sadness that built up over the past twelve or thirteen months. When we were in the midst of lock-down we had to focus on necessities- how to get groceries safely, how to manage caring for children while working, trying to keep everyone healthy mentally and physically. All the grief and anger and frustration was pushed aside, there just wasn’t time to manage unwieldy feelings. But those feelings didn’t disappear. Don’t be too surprised or hard on yourself if unexpected tears arise over the next few weeks. We have gone through an enormous period of difficulty. Be gentle with yourselves. Be gentle with the people in your life. Keep expectations manageable because your spirit is making a huge adjustment, preparing for Real Life again. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me for a supportive conversation.

As Spring flies off with our woes may we hold each other with compassion. The end is near, in the best possible way.

Love,
Rev Kate