Some of you will be following the deliberations of General Council as they are live streamed. Others will not have the time or the technology. I thought that, as part of my journey, I would take a moment each day to write some of my reflections on what is happening and share them with you.
And The Journey Begins
On Saturday we arrived from across the country bringing together the many parts of the body to this place that will be home for us over the next week. I look around the room and there really is an amazing array of people whose stories are waiting to be shared. We are people who come from all across this country, many of the faces I see are not familiar and yet I am taken a little by surprise by the faces that I recognize! In true Newfoundland style we have been welcomed and made to feel very much at home.
Worship – This Sets The Stage
The band begins “ And On This Path”. Members of our First Nations brothers and sisters lead the processional; followed by the youth pilgrims; our global partners; the General Council staff and the groups of volunteers who have been working tirelessly over the past number of months. This visual sign brought us into a space that celebrates the diversity and giftedness among us.
We ground our time in worship that includes song and praise; proclamation and welcome. This sets the stage for the coming days. We are reminded of the journey of our ancestors marked by courage and risk and we are called to step out in the same way.
And so we begin this journey and set our energies to do the work that has been entrusted to us!
Blessings
Valerie