Friday Message
&
What's Coming!
May 1, 2020
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My daughter-in-law is a very experienced traveler. I am in awe of her calm attitude when it comes to flying. Last year she flew to see her aunt in Houston with their 3 children and her elderly grandfather, a trip that included changing planes in Chicago.
When I asked how she was going to manage she told me:
“When you travel with babies, your only goal is to arrive. It is a whole different thing than traveling by yourself. You cannot nap, read a book, or check email. Your only job is to keep them safe and as comfortable and quiet as possible. If you show up with your children alive, you’ve succeeded.”
Last week, I read an article encouraging people to use the COVID-19 quarantine to achieve something “extraordinary” with their lives and Megan’s words came back to mind.
Today’s flight is very much delayed: not by hours, but months. Travel conditions are not optimal. Each of us should have in mind only one goal: to arrive on the other side in one piece.
Because our reality has changed, we also need to change the standards by which we judge our success. Expect delays. Expect crying babies. Expect to sit on the tarmac for most of the summer thinking, “Why aren’t we taking off?” The flight crew will run out of snacks, headphones, and our favourite drink.
Our job is to maintain sanity, stay healthy, and — where we can — offer kindness to our fellow flyers. Only a realistic clarity of mission will keep us above the fray. Our neighbors may freak out. Journalists will predict the end of the world. And the small children in our lives may force us to watch Frozen 2 over and over.
Perhaps most insidious of all, online wise guys will preach at us to
carpe
that
diem
and use this opportunity to write a novel, reclaim our beach body, or run a marathon in our living rooms. Granted, there are a small number of us who will, but for the rest of us, now is absolutely the
wrong time to take on unreasonably ambitious goals
. When you’re trying to hang onto a job or file for unemployment while homeschooling your kids, arranging care for an elderly parent, and bathing only occasionally, you are already operating at a very high level.
So, forgive yourself for the stress eating, the grey roots, and that bad home haircut. Forget the motivational nonsense and limit the amount of news you consume. Things are bad. They’re going to stay bad for quite a while. We will know when it’s over. In the meantime, let’s
relax
. If you need an occasional treat to get you through, go for it. Just make sure these remain a “treat” and not your baseline (or breakfast).
There are undeniable superheroes out there right now: everyone who is making sure the rest of us are ok. But for most of us, our role is to stay home and care for ourselves and those around us. We can do our best within the controllable elements of the experience: Get enough sleep. Meditate. Stretch. Take a walk (while keeping your distance). Secure your own mask before securing the mask of your child. Literally.
When this plane finally lands, no one around us is going to remember if we wrote a best-seller. All they’ll care about is whether we maintained our cool and kept those close to us from harm.
Take it from one who has, for far too long, equated self-worth with productivity: It’s not about what we get done right now. This journey is going to be tough. Anything we accomplish beyond making it through in one piece is a bonus.
You know what will be exceptional? Surviving and arriving.
Kathi
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EMUC Financial Update
One thing we all need these days is good news. Here is some for you! This week we signed a $1000 cheque for the Deacon’s Cupboard covering the donations received by us over the month of April. Likewise we have received $1200 for the Benevolent Fund over the months of March and April. This is fantastic support for our community from EMUC.
I would like to now give you a financial update following recent Finance Committees and Leadership Circle (LC) meetings.
PAR givings for operations and M&S have continued to come in. We are thankful that such a high percentage of our givers are part of this program. Thank-you for continuing your support during this very difficult time. Overall givings are down because of the lack of regular plate offerings especially during the Easter services. We are grateful to those that have donated through Canada Helps or by cheque.
Lack of rental and fundraising revenue is having an impact on our overall revenue.
As our building is closed our tenants are unable to access the spaces they have rented. The LC has decided not to charge rent during the closure. Closures, the financial consequences and the relief for tenants that may be available are all rapidly developing. We continue to monitor the situation and are in discussions with our tenants to see how we can support each other.
Fundraising activities have been cancelled resulting in approximately $10,000 of lost revenue. The mystery dinner has been postponed until next year. The garage sale scheduled for this weekend has been postponed until the fall with a date to be decided once the lock-down is loosened. The Ontario Male Chorus concert has also been cancelled. The LC will explore the possibility of rescheduling events as well as other ideas/events to help make up the shortfall in fundraising revenue.
There are steps being taken to compensate for these losses. Expenses are being reduced in several areas such as hydro, supplies and cleaning. The Finance Committee has been reviewing government support programs and is in the process of applying for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which covers 75% of wages for salaried employees.
We are also fortunate to have an operating reserve from previous years, which will allow us to meet our ongoing expenses. Some of you may question, in the light of these temporary difficult times, how this may impact the financial stability and long term future of EMUC. I want to reassure you that the LC strongly feels this is a much greater discussion for us all, separate from managing this temporary situation. We will return to the focus of congregational growth after this.
Our congregation has risen to the challenge in these difficult times and we are thankful for all those that are striving to have us emerge as a strong and vibrant community.
Paul Marot
Chair of the Leadership Circle
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As directed by Federal and Provincial health authorities with regard to COVID-19, EMUC is completely closed until further notice.
Sunday May 3:
10:00 a.m.:
Online Worship
led by Rev. Kathi
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What's Coming!
You are invited to join the Interfaith, Justice and Peace Group
in a
One Book Read
*
THE RIGHT TO BE COLD
.
.....
One woman
’
s story of protecting her culture, the Arctic and the whole planet
By: Sheila Watt-Cloutier
This is the story of a remarkable Inuit woman, a well-known environmental and human rights advocate, who has spent more than 25 years showing the impact climate change has on human rights, particularly in the Arctic. She has shared her knowledge in many venues around the world. In her book you will read about the devastating effect of climate change in the Arctic, environmentally and within Inuit culture. This book hits close to home - Canada - but affects the world. Ms. Watt-Cloutier has travelled the world to tell her story and is the recipient of many awards including being nominated for a Nobel prize. In her book she states,
“
Another way to fight for the protection of our planet is to recognize that the well-being of our environment is in itself a fundamental human right. For Inuit, as for all of us, this is what I call THE RIGHT TO BE COLD
”
, (p. xviii). This book deserves our attention, reflection, discussion and collective action.
To Participate:
Read the book between now and the end of May.
Join in the Zoom discussion in June, on a date to be announced.
The book is available from Amazon, Indigo and in electronic format through the Mississauga library system
.
The IFJP Group offers this activity to help us learn more about our Indigenous peoples in accordance with one of the recommendations of the “
Truth
and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action”, 2015.
Here are links to two short articles featuring Inuit leaders MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq and Sheila Watt-Cloutier. These articles are from “Broadview” magazine (once called “The United Church Observer”)
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Donations to EMUC
Some of you have asked how you can make donations to operations, mission and service, the benevolent fund, and the Deacon’s Cupboard. You can donate through Canada Helps by going to
www.emuc.ca
or by mailing a cheque to EMUC at 3010 The Collegeway, Mississauga, ON., L5L 4X9. Please mark the envelope "Attention Envelope Secretary".
Please note that Deacon's Cupboard would prefer to receive financial donations rather than actual food donations because the church remains closed so that managing food is difficult. The Cupboard is giving vouchers to its guests.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support.
EMUC Finance Committee
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Erin Mills United Church | 905-820-9466 | emuc.ca
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