HELLO!

We held an intimate Ash Wednesday gathering this evening. I believe in the Christian seasons, just as I find meaning in the seasons of the earth; Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter. I love them all (although one might argue we in Nova Scotia don’t get much of a Spring). I also love the Christian seasons: Advent-Christmas-Epiphany-Lent-Easter-Pentecost. In every season (the earth, the church) I experience something profound about life, in all its stages. Lent reminds of fall, we all know death is a part of life, things wither, but in this transition, we may come to wisdom and perspective, knowing what matters, what does not. We let go of what needs to die, we hold on to the substance of life, and in doing so we see the vibrancy and colours of something new. That is the hope we carry on…

In our service this evening we all took stock of what we have, what we wish to save, what we need to let go, and what remains, now and always. If you are interested in this service, here is the livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrg-5uEIoeY

I looked around my office as I waited for people to arrive. My mind went back to a colleague, who has since died. I remember the moving van that came to the door, that removed all his office belongings. He had no room for them in his home. They went to a storage locker. I asked him what he planned to do with these items. He confessed he was torn as he did not want to part with any of it, yet he knew there was no room. I asked myself this evening, what do I intend to take with me in 2028, when I walk out of this space? Almost all of it will go to the dun-gen, the Salvation Army Thrift Store, the Mission Mart. The books will go to whomever wants them. This letter opener is all that will remain. It was given to me by Victor Titus of Sandy Cove. Victor lives with PTSD, the result of what he witnessed in the war. He cried a lot. He was very self-conscious of this. In his retirement he learned to make wooden items. He also taught himself to play the harmonica and the accordion. Often, on Sunday afternoons, the 35 who gathered for worship did not have anyone to play the hymns on a keyboard, so Victor and his friend Tony Kokk, would accompany us on “the mother organ and squeeze box”.

When I was sent to Cape Breton, I said goodbye to Digby and Sandy Cove, but first Kim and I would be married. To offset the high church Anglican ceremony, I chose Tony and Victor to play as we signed the documents. They played the old-old-old hymns, like “Showers of Blessing”. I loved the look on the Bishop’s face as the lads played. It was their largest audience ever, 350 people. Victor told me it was one of the highlights of his life. That made me cry. I will always remember that day, and how Victor and Tony made it so special. This letter opener is a reminder. It will stay with me until I die. It will be the only thing I take with me when I leave here.

Of course, I will take so many stories with me, stories like the ones I am experiencing here. Stories are what I carry with me. Everything else is worthy to look at, until it isn’t, and then I let go. This Lent I pray we all learn what we need to save and what is getting in the way. Peace, Kevin