Grace & Peace,
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One of the interesting parts of moving into a new home in the spring is that each day the garden reveals something new; a sprout breaks free of its earthly cocoon, a plant develops enough that it can be identified, new flowers blossom.
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Each of these plants are part of the heritage of this home, until a few weeks ago this house has had only one owner and now we are seeing the heritage of the previous owner’s plantings come to life.
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We all have a heritage that colors who we are and is a part of our life. That heritage may be very distinct and identifiable, or it may be more of a melting pot with blurred lines. As we celebrate Pentecost we will also celebrate our countries of origin, our heritages.
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Sunday, 20 May is the celebration of Pentecost. This is a celebration of the Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles, it has also become the celebration of the birth of the Church. We choose this day to celebrate our heritages. There will be a single worship service on that day, at 9am; following the service we will enjoy the fellowship of an International Pot-Luck Brunch that will feature dishes from our different countries of origin.
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Last year we had 36 countries represented and I would expect as many, or more, this year. There will be a sign up to indicate what country your dish represents; please do sign up so we can have a flag prepared for that country.
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There is something special about having so many countries, cultures, and customs represented in this parish. That diversity breeds ideas and creates new ways forward. The past informs us, our heritage shapes us, all so we can move forward and bring to life God’s Kingdom.
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At one time all the people of the earth spoke a common language, God scattered the people across the earth and made them to speak different languages so they no longer understood each other (Gen 11:1-9). Our call is to listen so that even with differing languages, cultures, or heritages we may hear what the other person is saying. We listen so that we may understand; our church and our world will be so much the better for this.
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Given the same blank canvas that would become a garden it is unlikely that I would have planted in the same way that the previous owner of this garden chose; however as her choices emerge from their winter slumber and ultimately are shaped by my own gardening preferences the resulting canvas is likely to be more beautiful than either one of our individual attempts; the results will showcase the beauty and diversity of God’s creation.
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Peace
Henry+
