HELLO!

If you missed the service today (people tell me, they were moved to tears) here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EIia8rrm14

Included in the service were: the tables and decorations from the “Lost in the 50’s” Dinner Theatre production held on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The cast wore parts of their costumes and sang both versions of “Amazing Grace”, a holdover from the musical. I could sense both relief and a giddy release of accomplishment. It was the first such effort by Woodlawn United Church. Obviously, Bethe deserves the lion’s share of the credit but as you have read in this blog for months this never would have happened without June, Fay and Barry. The fact shared by Barry in his intro all three nights that caught my attention was: over 100 people participated in some way in the offering of our three-course meal. The other WOW for me was the house band, their sound really made all three nights special. When I approached Alison about a drum roll, she never hesitated. Kevin’s (the talented one) guitar and Steve’s sax solos were fantastic. And June made our songs come to life, they were the highlight of the show for our audiences, all three nights. The last two songs were the crowd’s favorites, you would feel it from the stage, the spirit moved.

Today at coffee hour Emily Masse shared with me this wonderful story about her table. Here are Emily’s words, “Jamie proposed to me with this table. I had told him, I don't want a ring; I want something that we'll build our family around and he had this beautiful table made in Ottawa. We sang “Part of the Family" at our wedding. Our dear friend shared this poem at our wedding, Perhaps the World Ends Here (Written by Joy Harjo) “The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on. We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it. It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table. This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun. We have given birth on this table and have prepared our parents for burial here. At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks. Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.”

Peace, Kevin