HELLO!

All churches exist because many, many hands build community, and because we are a church, a community of faith. One of my pet peeves about church histories, and why I don’t learn a lot about churches when I read their histories, is the focus is almost always on…the ministers. In fact, most church histories have chapters and the chapters are titled? You guessed it, by the minister’s names. And when it comes to photos in churches, whose pictures do you see on the walls? Ministers. And yet, who makes these faith communities come to life? Lots and lots of hands.

That is why I organized several sessions titled “Cloud of Witnesses”, inspired by the bricks I see whenever I use the washroom, bricks with the names of the living and the dead. As I read the names, several were familiar, people I had know, whose faith and discipleship I had witnessed. As the new minister, I wanted to hear more of these names, more of these stories, about their hands, and the hands that brought the church to life. And those sessions did not disappoint, so many names, so many stories. I learned more about the culture of Woodlawn United Church in those gatherings than any history, focused exclusively on the clergy.

I am not comfortable with my photo being in a gallery of former ministers. In one former church I refused to give them a picture. The leadership found the ugliest photo ever taken of me, from a monthly newsletter, and threated to use it if I did not go to a photographer in Scotia Square and get my picture taken. I did. I am told my photo now appears in the entry way of that church, though I have never returned to see for myself. When churches close, when buildings are torn down or sold, as I walk by the former faith community, my mind goes to all the hands of lay people who worked together to serve and be church.

One of the volunteers who I swear lives here at Woodlawn United Church is Jim Allen. Every day Jim is here, there is nothing this man cannot do. Recently we have engaged a company that restores stained glass windows. Jim was there to do his part. As the window was being restored to its original glory someone’s hand appeared as the work was being done. Jim took this photo with his phone. Jim could not wait to show me the photo, he said, “Look, it’s the hand of God.” I told him, and I tell you, the hands God gave us are many, and the work is faith-filled. I am so grateful to all of you, like Jim, who do this work, humbly, for God’s glory.

Peace, Kevin