Rev. Bob’s Weekly Message, April 9

Dear Grace and St Peter’s,

I pray you and your family and friends all are keeping well.

Again, I’d like to thank Gretchen, Sue and Aldon for leading our Holy Week Evening Prayer services and for having the patience and determination to overcome any technological impediments that may have threatened to derail the broadcasting of those services. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by all!

I hope that your first days of Holy Week have been a rich as mine. I have delighted in meeting with you all on Zoom, Zooming a Passover seder with my family, gathering (I’ll stop saying “on Zoom”) with over a hundred ECCT clergy for the renewal of our ordination vows, ramping up my video and audio recording skills, and more.

As we begin our Triduum (the three days before Easter Sunday), I am feeling inspired—inspired by new ways that we have found to gather together as God’s faithful people, inspired by the ways that we have continued essential ministries to our own parish and to the wider community, inspired by the evident presence of God’s Spirit among us, inspired by the gifts and talents of our members that ever more fully reveal themselves, inspired by creative possibilities for our future that are springing up even from amidst these challenging days.

Please do join us for our upcoming services of prayer and worship. Our Maundy Thursday service begins at 7: 00 pm this evening and attached are the Zoom login instructions. Tomorrow, we will be filming Good Friday readings, prayers and songs from a variety of outdoor locations. This video should be on our Facebook page by 3:00 pm. And, on Sunday we will be live-streaming our Easter celebration from Grace and St Peter’s sanctuary at 9:00 am. As well, please have a look at the impressive Holy Week prayer and worship resources that Gretchen has put together for us, which are provided in your eNews and the Grace and St Peter’s website.

May God’s blessing and peace be with you all, Bob+