A Peaceful Place

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

This week Rev. Irwin is at General Assembly in Toronto. Please remember this highest court of our denomination in your prayers. To tune in to the Assembly, you can use this link.

We were happy to welcome the Rev. G. Grant Wilson to our pulpit. His theme was transformation.

Last week we held a small interment service in the Garden of Remembrance at the north-west corner of the church. As we witnessed the placing of the ashes of our brother in Christ, sang a hymn and listened to scripture and a few memories, it struck me that this little corner of our property is a very special place. 

It moves between the built structure of our church and the natural beauty of the forest. A few cultivated plants mark the front edge while the back merges into the woods. 

Benches on both sides invite the visitor - or mourner- to rest. A gazebo adds a note of whimsy.

    

Because this little corner of our property is a "Garden of Remembrance" and not a cemetery it is intended for the interment of members and adherents of the congregation. There are no markers in the garden itself. Instead, a plaque on the wall of the church records the names and dates of the deceased. Flowers may be placed in the containers against the church wall.

Family and loved ones often come here to rest and meditate and remember. 

There are times when I think the world is too much with us. We are bombarded on every side by news of disaster or outrage, or misinformation, or demands for our attention and our time.  I consider our Garden of Remembrance a refuge, a place of calm, where we can sit quietly, listen to birdsong, hear the wind in the trees and seek peace for our souls. 

To echo the Sunday sermon, here is a quiet place, a place to listen for the still, small voice, a place for transformation.