Friday Message
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What's Coming!
January 27, 2023
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“Beneath your mantle gather us.”– Saint Brigid Prayer
Ten years ago, as I was preparing for my sabbatical in Ireland, I discovered Celtic Spirituality and found that those beliefs and practices profoundly expressed the way I felt about my faith. The Celtic church is in every way a Christian denomination, but compared to other churches that arose during the middles ages, is more spiritual, more connected to creation, and more women-friendly. Here is a story from the Celtic tradition:
Legend has it that Brigid wanted to build a convent. She found the perfect place, but the land belonged to the King of Leinster and he refused her request. She and the sisters prayed his heart would soften. Later, she met him on the road and asked for as much land as her small mantle (cloak) covered. Bemused, he granted her request. She threw down her mantle and it grew and spread across many acres. He recognized her as a “holy woman” and granted her the land and she built her convent in Kildare.
Brigid was born on February 1. There is an ancient tradition, marked by some today, to leave a piece of cloth (the size of a handkerchief) outside the home on the night on January 31st. It was thought Brigid’s spirit travelled the land and blessed the cloth. The next day, the cloth would be brought indoors and kept safe. Throughout the year the cloth would be used for healing humans and animals and to offer protection from evil.
The stories of Brigid’s life occupy a space between myth and history, as do many of the stories of the lives of the saints. Rather than literal truth, they offer us metaphors helpful in guiding our spiritual journey.
What can we make of Brigid’s mantle?
From our baby “blankies” to our favourite cozy sweaters we know the power of fabrics to soothe and comfort. We offer those who are ill prayer shawls to let them know they are not alone. We know how the “fragrance” of a loved one lives in the shirt they once wore, and this fragrance brings them close. I like to wear a beautiful woven scarf, a special gift from someone I love, because it brings me close to the spirit of someone who I admire for her compassion, courage, and wisdom.
Blessings, Kathi
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Upcoming Week
The Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health recommends the wearing of masks in ALL indoor public spaces to help reduce the spread of respiratory illness across the province. Considering this recommendation, we are requesting masks be worn when in close contact (2 metres or less) with others while in the church.
Please do not come to church if you are ill with the a cold or flu or if you or someone in your household is symptomatic of Covid-19, even with one symptom or has tested positive on a rapid test or PCR.
Sunday January 29:
10:00 a.m.: Online and in-person Worship led by Rev. Kathi
----------------Affirming Ministry Celebratory Service
Monday January 30:
7:00 p.m.: Bible Study via Zoom
Wednesday February 1:
10:00 a.m.: Bible Study via Zoom
6:45 p.m.: Prayer Service via Zoom
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Upcoming Events & Announcements |
Upcoming Events Save the Dates! Mark your Calendars!
January 29 at 10 a.m. - Affirming Ministry Celebratory Service
February 5 at 11:30 a.m. - Home Visitation Training
February 19 after the service – Inspire Café Sunday
February 21 at 5:30 p.m. – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
March 5 after the service – Annual Congregational Meeting to approve the 2023 budget
More information about these events will be shared in the future.
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The final step in the process to become a fully affirming congregation is to celebrate. And who doesn’t love a celebration! Please plan to join us for our service on Sunday, Jan. 29, and the celebration reception that will follow. We will be joined by invited guests, guest speakers, and presenters. A highlight of the service will be the music, which will include a 24-voice chorus from the Singing Out choir from Toronto. They are the biggest 2SLGBTQQIA+ choir in the city and have agreed to share their gift of song with us. What a wonderful way to lift up our affirming message to the community.
Mark the date in your calendar and look for our announcement on the Affirm United website: affirmunited.ause.ca.
Many hands will be needed that day to welcome all our special guests. If you can help the Affirm working group with the reception, please contact Joanne Hines.
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Inspire Team Message
On Sunday, February 19th, we will be hosting a Café Sunday. More to come in upcoming Friday messages and in the next communiqué! Yours in fellowship, the Inspire committee
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CALLING ALL PEOPLE WHO LIKE PEOPLE…
Membership and Pastoral Care is creating a team of people to visit EMUC folks in their homes. The purpose of this team is to promote connections and offer fellowship to those who are isolated from active participation in life at EMUC, on either a short or long-term basis. Two training sessions will be held, led by Kathi Phillips, to introduce the role of home visitors and explain how the team will work.
Training sessions will be held on Sunday, January 22 and Sunday, February 5, at the church following worship from 11:30 until 12:30 or 1 p.m. Please feel free to attend these sessions to learn more about this new opportunity, even if you aren’t certain it’s for you, or if you are not able to attend both sessions. Feel free to bring a snack.
QUESTIONS? TO REGISTER? Please call Kathi Phillips at the church or Sandy Hayes (905-820-4437).
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Join the ‘Movie Night’ Team!
A new Inspire project has been approved by the Leadership Circle. There are plans to start a Movie Night, which will be open to the community and the congregation. People are looking for things to do with their families that don’t cost a lot of money. It is expensive to take a whole family to a movie theatre. We see this as an opportunity to reach out to our community.
EMUC is purchasing a licence that will give us access to a good selection of movies. We can show movies and charge a low price (e.g., $5.00) for people to attend. What is being considered is to show a different movie one or two times per month on a Friday or Saturday, advertise to the community, and host the movie night. Some snacks would be for sale. In this way we would recover the costs in a short time. There may be other times or groups such as Women for Women when a movie could be shown using the same licence.
This project is just in the planning stage. Cindy Young, who suggested this project, is the lead and Barb Jennings is involved from the communications point of view. Two other people have joined the group. If you would like to be part of this exciting initiative, please contact either Cindy at cynthia.young@rogers.com or Barb at barbara_jennings@sympatico.ca. We need a team of 5 or 6 people. You are invited to get involved! A planning meeting will be held in the very near future.
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Sunday, February 5, 2023 - 10 am
Eden United Church's Mission and Outreach Hub (EMOH) will commence an Indigenous Awareness series and would like to introduce Rev Lee Clause, an Indigenous minister who will lead worship. All welcome.
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Fundscrip is back in 2023!!
Our important fundraising program continues this month, after our Christmas break. There will be a gift card order placed on this Sunday, January 29, so please have all orders emailed to Joanne Hines or delivered to Tina in the office by Friday, January 27. You can also choose to complete a paper order and hand it in after the service on Sunday, January 29.
If you need an order form or information about the program, please contact Joanne Hines at twokids@rogers.com. Orders may be paid by e-transfer at emucdonation@outlook.com. Please indicate Fundscrip order in the message. Or cheques need to be made out to Erin Mills United Church and they can be left in the church mailbox or taken to Mike Ogilvie directly. Thank you for your support of this program.
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Office hours:
Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Tina works from home on Mondays.)
Tina takes a ½ hour lunch break sometime between 12:30-1:30 p.m.
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Erin Mills United Church | 905-820-9466 | emuc.ca |
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