For those following this blog you may have noticed it has been 4 years since my last post. As I reflect on this there are many reasons. The one quote that rings true to answer this question, "The teacher shows up when the student is ready". While I have continued to pursue my spiritual path these past 4 years it has felt more subtle and less dramatic. Maybe I am moving the cornerstones from the quarry to the final building site.
I have been following the Lutheran's Church's journey over the past several years through several friends of mine. Most of this has been from an outside observer, although I have attended a few services there. I was encouraged to attend the All Saint's service last week to light a candle for Baxter. My friend was speaking so how could I say no to the strong magnetic pull of the Spirit's breath. As it was post COVID, the attendance was small. My friend had not arrived as she was commuting over 2 hours away on icy roads. I was met by two open and communicative women, one of whom I spent the pre-service margins hearing about the Church's journey. She shared with me the story of an indigenous wake that was held in the Church. Initially the family had made the assumption they would use the space in the basement as a place of gathering. When they were invited past the big heavy wooden doors and the energy and light of the Sanctuary filled their soul, they asked if this space was available. When they heard the affirmative answer it was settled, the family and friends who have an invited space to gather in order to send their loved one off to be embraced by the Creator. As she was telling me the story, tears were rolling off my cheeks, as I knew the importance of a saying good-bye ritual.
The service started and I was struck by the fact that it was all led by women. Now I know in this day and age it should come as no surprise, however in my previous experience this was unique. The other thing I knew to be true is their view on the 2SLGBT+ community. One just has to drive past their building to see the rainbow heart lite up out front and the mural on the side of the building. One of the leaders of the Church has stated that 95% of the Church's in Prince George do not have a welcoming position to the 2SLGBT+ community so they proposed that it was their calling to have the doors open wide. As I previous shared in this blogging thread, the purpose of this blog is to give a positive assessment of each Church community and see how they are living out Christ's teachings. Each Church has their strengths and if one does not feel called to belong to a certain circle of believers, there are countless other choices to explore.
This service for me was very moving and emotional. I found the teachings to be spot on and personalized to a grieving Church community. If one gives themselves the opportunity to reflect it does not take long to realize that death has cast its shadow on almost every threshold. Again I do not remember any service that I had previously attended in which the loved ones deaths were the focus on the service, another inclusive perspective this Church offers the community
After the service they served cookies, coffee, and tea. The chocolate chip cookies I might add were out of this world. One of the parishioners' baked Eckles cookies as they heard that this was one of the speakers favourite flavour. After Church everyone was invited to participate in an experience called explorative journey. On this day participants were asked to engage in a abstract painting process with pouring acrylic paint in a cup and then allowing it to spontaneously spread itself over a canvas. This brought me back to my mystical journey of a book study of the amazing book, "an artist way". The chaplain of the hospital had introduced it to the staff as a way of unblocking everyone's creative potential. (I may have a separate post of this experience)
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