Today is Jennifer and I’s seventh wedding anniversary. It kind of snuck up on me. Seven years ago, we were married on a beautiful autumn Saturday afternoon, surrounded by family and friends and a riot of colour and textures in Waterfowl Park where we went for pictures following the ceremony.
That Saturday, and every anniversary since, in fact, every day, has been grounded in gratitude – that we have each other and a blended family of six amazing children, a family that grows and grows as they find partners and add to their circle of love and care.
I’ve always associated our anniversary with thanksgiving weekend – just before or just after – but this year it’s a whole week before! This year it snuck up on me. Even on Saturday night when we were out with friends, laughing and sharing stories together, happy in the company of one another, I was thinking it was next weekend…
David Steindl-Rast offered a lovely TED Talk a few years about how it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us happy. He says, "if you are grateful, you are not fearful; and if you are not fearful, you are not violent. If you are grateful, you act out of a sense of enough, and not of a sense of scarcity, and you are willing to share. If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people and you are respectful to everybody, and this changes this power pyramid under which we live... Grateful people are joyful people, and the more and more joyful people there are, the more that we will have a joyful world.”
I am so very grateful – and joy filled and I look forward to gathering with you on Sunday as we mark thanksgiving together in community.
Happy Thanksgiving, from our family to yours!
Lloyd
Looking Ahead
Today I am in Moncton. At 9AM Julia and I will meet at Visions United for our weekly staff meeting. At 10AM we will meet with the Trustees of Visions United Church to look at lease renewal options. After lunch I have two pastoral visits booked, and in between those visits, I will attend the Reconnect Meeting at St. Georges Anglican Church and a final meeting for the day at 4:30PM in Sackville.
Tuesday morning will be devoted to preparing and facilitating the lectionary study group at 10:30AM. There is always room for one more on the Zoom screen. Drop me a note if you would like to participate. The afternoon is open at the moment and in the evening I will gather with the Central United Church Council for their regular monthly meeting.
Pastoral visits will be the order of the day on Wednesday. I have three visits booked for the afternoon and on Wednesday evening I will be offering leadership at the QS4A (Queer Space for Adults) group in Sackville.
On Thursday morning the Sackville Pastoral Care Committee will meet at 9AM by Zoom. At 11AM I have a medical appointment (regular 6 month check up with the ENT), at 2PM there will be a meeting of all the Worship Committees of the Collaborative to do some big picture planning for Advent and Christmas – yes you did read the words Advent and Christmas in October! The day will end with a final pastoral visit in Sackville.
I have a meeting booked for Friday morning, but the rest of the weekend will be devoted to rest, family and turkey as we are doing our thanksgiving family dinner on Saturday evening!
On Sunday, I look forward to gathering with the collaborative community from Visions United Church where I will offer the reflections from. Julia will be in Sackville presiding at the liturgy. Central will join online and host the Zoom gathering.
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