HELLO!

Wow! What a crowd today. For the last three Sundays we have been experiencing “summertime worship” as regulars head to the cottage, or go on a trip, or decide to sleep in on a beautiful Sunday morning. I joked that over the last three weeks I saw every face. I knew who to call, if someone was missing for weeks, to check in and find out if they were OK. But today, there is no chance I could I see every face, we ran out of bulletins. I don’t know the reasons you came, but your presence inspired me. The AV team had issues with the livestream but resolved them. Here is the service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDOGqhS1H04

I often received kind words by way of feedback after a service. Now that I don’t wear the stole anymore, there are remarks about it being crooked or unbalanced. Today’s sermon seemed to resonate with many, and not just in the “you said what I believe”, confirmation bias. These two responses, used with their permission, really touched me, because it said to me the text itself spoke, and my words helped. From Nancy Schultz who read the Gospel for the first time today: “Your sermon this morning made me think of the many ways God gets the soil ready for the seeds.  Just like the farmer who tills the soil and makes it soft and pliable we are molded by hard times, grief, loss of one kind or another. God picks us up and remolds us and turns us into fertile ground. Those of us who have hit a bottom have our hearts open to comfort those we see going through those same pains and will go to any length to support. I guess the soil is ready”. And Dorothy resonated with the part of my sermon where I spoke about the only negative feedback I ever received for a funeral. I spoke at length about the two caregivers, Angel and Grace, and forgot to mention the loving husband. I apologized to the family for my oversight, but I am proud to have included the caregivers. From Dorothy Oyetunji, one of our new ushers: “I was deeply touched and truly blessed today by both Frank’s song and your sermon. As a former healthcare assistant, your message spoke to me. I loved my job and genuinely cared for the people I looked after. I gave my best with love and compassion but often felt unappreciated. Instead of being acknowledged, I felt pushed aside because of my race, and over time, I lost my passion for the job. I’ve always been someone who loves being around people, showing kindness. Sadly, I’ve found that some people take that kindness for granted or mistake it for weakness. Even with all of that, today’s sermon reminded me to keep being the person God created me to be, regardless of how others respond. I’ll keep praying for the strength to remain loving and true to myself. Thank you, Kevin”. These responses made my day.

Keep spreading your seed of love. The world is waiting. Peace, Kevin

PS If you know someone from our congregation who typically watches the service live, on Facebook, please send the link (see above) to them.