Winter slowly turned into spring

 

March turned into April and then we headed into May and our first Mother’s Day during Covid had to be celebrated from a distance.  Now for me it was an easy one!  I was in Winnipeg my family was in Newfoundland so distancing? No problem!  However, while it is easy to joke now, well beyond the fact, at the time it was also emotionally trying to be so near and yet to have to be so far apart.

Hello everyone
DC, RC and I have once again recorded a service for you.  There are some beautiful additions and it is nice to see a few of the faces from the congregation.  I hope that you enjoy our offering. 

Yes, Yes,Yes...to all who requested it the words to the hymns are in the blog for you. So sing proudly and loudly as you make a joyful noise to the Lord!!

If you missed or forgot to send along a picture then be sure to snap one and send it off to Doug and we will add a few more next time around.

A very Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunties and women who have been influential in our lives and who lead by strong example.  Our thanks to all of you for all that you do each and every day.

I discovered that a catchy opening sentences made people laugh or at least smile and was often told how much they looked forward to the monkey mail, didn’t take long for the title to stick!

Hello everyone

First let me confess!  I cheated!!!  I took a sneak peek at the finished service for this week.  Doug has put together a fabulous piece and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.


The blog with the written service and hopefully a link that connects (blogger has made changes with its updates and is not inserting links as easily) can be found at kjlaldin.blogspot.com

I know many people are watching this from former parishes and some of you have shared the links with friends so as usual feel free to share it so that others may enjoy the service.

And again the church season changed as we marked Pentecost and I kept reminding people that Hope is not cancelled!  And we entered into the realm of the controversial with our online communion and asking people to join us at home.  Now you must understand my honorary assistants and I were more than ready to defend our stance.  Our argument was simple

Do you believe that when you offer the blessing it goes beyond the room that we are recording in?  That the airwaves, via the video, the blessing touches each person who is ready to receive it?  If you said yes then the question is how is the blessing of the bread and wine not equally powerful when the words are said and sent in the same manner?  Were we pushing the limits? Without a doubt but we were more concerned about connecting people in time honoured and meaningful ways.

Hello everyone
This week, Pentecost Sunday, one of the honorary assistants gave me a break and took over to do the service. This is an offering of a communion service and if you want to participate encourages you to have bread and a bit of wine on hand to share in the meal at home.

I am also sure that you are wondering about services now that 25 people are allowed to gather inside. Suffice it to say we are at the moment still not having services. The wardens and I will be looking at protocol to see how this might look but for that we still need a bit of time to get it all in place.

In the mean time I am toying with a parish picnic and service that we can hold outside and by next week I hope to have some details available for you.

In the meantime, stay well and stay safe

Good Morning
Imagine, two days in a row hearing from me!

I understand from DC that many are looking for the information about the video that the National Church is airing today and some are not sure where to find it. So here is the information for you
The broadcast will be today 3:00 local time, and will also be available on Youtube if you miss it. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/M2MYyTQEyds


Attachments area
Preview YouTube video One Family in Mission. A Pentecost event


One Family in Mission. A Pentecost event


Now, I'm not sure it the attachment will open from this forum so I apologize if it does not. Funny thing about technology I have to send it to myself to see if it works and as I want to get it out ASAP my test email is going to be when I send it to everyone

Have a blessed Sunday! It is beautiful out there and I have had one walk so far today

And we gently enter July

 

Hello everyone

Welcome back!  We had a beautiful Agape Feast Picnic last Sunday.  The weather held and the frog bounced back and forth from there will be rain to it will be sunny, back to 50% chance of rain to 80% chance.  It would begin at 10 am to it would begin at 4pm!  We persevered and the rain held off.  We still nearly melted, just not from the water but from the heat and humidity.  

This week we recorded the service,  in what is fast becoming our recording studio, the beautiful sanctuary of St. Paul's.  We are conscious of the fact that not all are ready to be out and about yet or gathering in groups so for now we have elected to record one week and do an outside service the other (weather permitting of course).  This is a recorded week  and here are your links:

So now you ask, what's up next week!  Well, we will be back outside, no I haven't checked what my frog is telling me yet!  A most unusual occurrence! But I'm afraid of another week of hopping around from rain to sun to goodness knows what!

Next week we will have an outside Eucharist in the style of Dr. Seuss.  It is for the young and the young at heart.  Hang on did you ask what that style is????  Well we will rhyme the whole time (hang on...not the sermon!) so if you're up for some fun this just might be the one!  Unfortunately I can not post this service on the blog as I am unable to give appropriate credit for publishing in the public domain, I will endeavour to have some prayers available but can not make any promises.

Now for the details to gather outside: 

1. As per usual masks are not required outdoors but are recommended 
2. We are doing pre-registration.  The incumbents warden. has graciously agreed to take this on again this week 
3.  Eucharist will be only in one kind (bread)
4. Service is back to our regular slot of 10 am on the lawn of the church, by the sign

Please note that if you have symptoms of any kind please refrain from attending, we want people to feel comfortable and safe.  

And last but not least, there are a goodly number that have not sent a picture, and we want you to be as famous as the rest of us so snap those pictures, it is a good time to practice selfies!  Send it off to Doug and voila!  you are in the movies.

As Buck Owens sang...

They're gonna put me in the movies

They're gonna make a big star out of me

We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely

And all I got to do is act naturally

In the meantime stay well and stay safe and Happy Sunday to you all

Hello everyone

Here is a brief update for this week.  The service for tomorrow has a 50% chance of rain so it could go either way.  I'm not sure why the planned outdoor services seem to strike on days when the weather seems more questionable!

Assuming that we go ahead because the rain holds off, or changes direction or some such thing!!  We are endeavouring to have the service live for you from my Facebook account.  I assume if we make it public that means you can see it whether we are friends or not on Facebook.  It is thanks to Rachel, who knows how to do these things, that we are going to give it a try and I'm gong to learn a new little piece of technology.  Who knew I needed a pandemic to learn all these new things.  

In the meantime, just in case we don't get it to work or record or anything like that I have a back up plan for you and have posted a short form of prayer on the blog for you.  (No Sermon as of yet)

As well we need to give you an update on where the congregation is financially.  Our treasurer said in the meeting that he is very proud of the response of the people and the pledges have held steady.  Please don't get too complacent with that bit of good news and it is  good news and speaks of your dedication and commitment.  Unfortunately, we have lost a lot of revenue because of the inability to rent the space and being unable to host the usual functions SOOOO, here is the bad news, the deficit is getting larger and that is not a good place to be in.  To date we have not qualified for any of the subsidies.  We have put a Stewardship team in place to deal with some of the immediate financial issues, they have their mandate and terms of reference to proceed.

July 19, 2020

The rental income will be less than budgeted
Brushworks has been cancelled and the Bazaar has yet to be determined

There is a lot of work going on.  The roof repairs start in August, the squirrels have been evicted, Services (after a fashion) are ongoing and we are endeavouring to have the building ready for a mid-September return so it remains quite busy

And before I go, the blog address, though I am sure you have it memorized by now, is kjlaldin.blogspot.com
I will not be with you for the next two Sundays.  One of our honorary assistants is recording the service for next week so be sure to tune in! and We are giving you the first Sunday of August off.  Enjoy the little holiday!!

Take care, stay well and hopefully I'll see some of you tomorrow for the Eucharist Dr. Seuss style!

Karen

And as our sign says this week:

 

Expect Delays was our constant theme June 2020

Expect delays became a regular occurrence and something we all got used to.  We were constantly rolling with the regulations.  We are good to meet outside, we have had policy changes, we are on hold ---wait we are back on!  It was hard to know if we were going or coming and then sending information to people sometimes at the very last moment and fortunately people were patient (for the most part).  It was a difficult time and there were those who thought we were too cautious, challenged and challenged the calls that were being made.  I think in hindsight that it was easy to complain and challenge when you were not the one that would be held responsible if it all went sideways.  So despite the difficulties and the stress the leadership team and I held fast to the convictions to keep people as safe as we possibility could and basically ignored the negative noise 

 

June 10, 2020

Hello everyone
The heading to expect delays is accurate, we had hoped to have a picnic service (Agape feast) ready to go for this week outside but there have been delays in getting the protocol approved and that leaves us too rushed to get everything in place.  So we are delaying it for the time being, rest assured though we are working hard to get something set up

In the meantime we are readjusting and putting things in a slightly different order.  We will be at the church to record tomorrow and have it ready to send to you this weekend.  That brings me to another point, pictures, pictures, pictures!!  You know what to do, snap a pic, email it to Doug and voila, you become a YouTube celebrity!  So get snapping those pictures and selfies.

Have an enjoyable, beautiful  day! Stay well and safe

June 14, 2020

Hello everyone
As promised, we scrambled and got a service together for you for virtual worship this Sunday.  (The written service was posted on the blog and we recorded a service for the YouTube channel)

Permission for an outdoor service came late Wednesday night and we had made an executive decision to do a recording.  Sooooo, next week we will have details for you (after I check the 10 day forecast) and plan to have a service of Eucharist outside.  It's Fathers Day so we are putting the picnic off for the time being.  However, keep watching for another email with protocol and who you will need to register with so we keep count of who is attending the service.  A little more complicated than usual but the good news is we have figured out where the seating outside will be best!  For those not yet ready to venture out please do not feel pressured to do so.  The hope is that we will still have online services available. 

Have a great weekend and weather permitting we will see you next week outside in the meantime stay well and stay safe!

and that very same day a mistake was pointed out and a quick updated needed to be sent

Hi Everyone
My apologies for the late email to you but there was a big boo boo in the former email.  There was a typo in the blog address so here is the correction in case you haven't bookmarked it.  kjlaldin.blogspot.com
I probably should have done the work in the office and not my sunroom with the sun streaming in making it hard to see the screen.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday
Karen

Finally, we had everything in place to hold services outside.  Open air services, not uncommon in many denominations but Anglicans less so.  I told them it reminded me of my childhood when the Pentecostal church arrived in town and held open air services.  As a child, my friends and I found a great spot to 
watch and listen. Yeah I may have been a little casual outside but we sure woke up the neighbourhood!

June 21, 2020

Hello everyone
As of this morning there were just over 30 that had pre-registerd for the out door service. I appreciate that many are not yet feeling safe or comfortable enough to gather so we would like you to feel like you are with us in spirit. The printed version of the service is available to you on the blog,  it is the Anniversary Service. We commemorate 100 years of faithful ministry at St. Paul

Have a blessed Sunday

We alternated gathering outside with a pre-recorded service. Unlike many we never used the zoom forum for worship time.

June 27,2020

Hello everyone
We were back in the beautiful recording studio of St. Paul Fort Garry this week and have another show for you!!  Actually we laboured and did a worship service instead.

 The links were included here for people to just be able to click

Next Sunday, July 5 we have planned An Agape Feast the liturgy will centre around us having a picnic together.  PLEASE NOTE THE TIME OF THE SERVICE WILL BE AT 11AM
You will need to provide your picnic
You will need your chair or blanket
You will need to social distance
Masks are recommended but not obligatory
You will need to pre-register
The incumbents warden has graciously agreed to take names and information again.Please make sure that you have no symptoms of any kind, if you have any please refrain from attending.

If you are not yet ready to attend in person at a public gathering the words of the service will be available on the blog

A few of you asked for the sermon from last week, unfortunately only the last 3 minutes of it was captured at the service itself (of course that might be just enough)  and I did not have a text.  So apologies to those who were looking for the sermon, I will endeavour to do better...unless three minutes is enough and I'd be happy to send that to you ; )

                                  
Yes I have checked the 10 day forecast and at the moment, for July 5, it says there is a 50% chance that we will have rain.  So in the event of rain we will not have the service.  I promise I will continue to check the weather and I won't let any of us dissolve...like sugar cause we're all so sweet!

Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy the worship and see you soon!!
Karen

Covid taught the importance of communication

 

As more time passed we were determined to get creative in worship so sometimes the monkey mail was simple with a request of the people

Happy Monday to you all

We have had great feed back on the service and that it is uplifting BUT we have  not included the words for the hymns.  Never fear that will be rectified for this weeks service, (not a recorded service this week though) and we will endeavour to include the words for the recorded pieces as well.

Doug has a request.  If you are willing please submit a picture of you sitting, eating doing and activity (your choice) and submit it for inclusion at the end of the service that we record.  By submitting a picture you are agreeing to a media release for its inclusion.  If you have concerns we simply ask that you not send anything in.

The pictures need to be submitted to Doug by Friday May 1, by email. We are looking forward to "seeing you at the service"  as we continue to get creative in the ways we connect with one another.

Have a wonderful day and lets get those pictures emailed!!!

Then I realized that the mailings had become much more chatty in style and people enjoyed hearing about my somewhat boring daily events! Yes they included practical information about the service for that Sunday (occasionally) but for the most part it was a reminder of the “regular” bits of life too.

Hi Everyone
I had expected to have the news letter to you but I am still awaiting reports, so this is a not so gentle nudge to the Parish executive to get those reports done and emailed.

It is Saturday May 2, and 27 years ago it was a very different kind of day as my ordination to the diaconate took place with 7 others. We were lined up like we were on an assembly line and three bishops hovering over us, staffs in hand ready to hook us back if we decided to make a run for it! And yes I am sure I have pictures of the event somewhere!!

This was not a week that we recorded at the church but we do have a few treats in the service for you.
The Reverend Tim Sale created a beautiful reflective offering for all of us and the link is right at the beginning of the service for you to enjoy and let set the tone for you, or you can use it separately.

Our Sermon this week is by the Reverend Canon Mary Lysecki and I do hope you enjoy Mary's words to all of us.
The blog has been published so you can now access this week's service kjlaldin.blogspot.com

An Invitation to all of you as well, if someone would like to contribute to the service with the prayers or a reflection I am happy to use the material. There are an incredible number of creative and thoughtful people in the congregation and I am happy to have you share your gifts  with all of us. Your prayers etc have to be typed and emailed to me though so there is a catch!

And to our young people, I realize in the midst of all of this you may very well feel overlooked and ignored and for that I apologize. I would like you to write me either by email or snail mail and let me know how you are doing. If you would like to include a drawing, something you have written or just a picture of you then I would love to have it and "see"you. If it is artwork of some kind I will use them to jazz up these boring old emails from me. If you plan to use snail mail you have the option of using the office address or you can let me know and I will send you my home address.

I hope you are all well, thank you to those who have called to check how I am doing, I thought that was so sweet. If you haven't thought of it don't feel bad, we are doing fine.

And today's artwork above was by children in a neighbourhood driveway that Aslan and I saw on one of our many walks

Enjoy your weekend, stay safe

Karen

The Birth of our Monkey Mail

 

In 2020 with the advent of Covid, I foolishly thought that within a few weeks it would all be over.  I was newly arrived at my current congregation of St. Paul Fort Garry.  Little did any of us know just how long the pandemic would last, how the shutdown would affect everyone and how we would get through the whole thing with a community still intact and connected during that time.

A conversation with a friend introduced me to the mail chimp.  It would import the parish contact list from an excel file, bonus to not have to type in every name and address.  This made working from home easier to bear. Now add to the dimension that I could never remember the name of the forum, jokingly referred to it as the monkey mail and the moniker stuck.  The monkey mail continues long after the relative safety and return to some semblance of normal life.

During this period my blog did not get added to on a regular basis, in fact it was rarely added to at all.  A period when many people thought, especially clergy, would have lots of time on their hands became a period of being even busier.  So I am now going to attempt to compile the pieces that I wrote to the parish during that time and hopefully you will be as entertained as they were on occasion.

My first few mailings were pretty dismal.  They were very basic to let people know that we were going to use this forum and where people could find services to utilize at home in the comfort and safety of their bubble.  Remember I thought this would be ending quickly.  But the days turned into weeks, months and years! 

That first Holy week the music director, her father and I safely distanced and pre recorded a service for the people of the congregation to share in at home, the message they received:

Happy Easter!
In Newfoundland we'd say "We t'ree be'n at it ag'in"  so here is the link to the Easter Sunday Service, don't forget if you want to prepare a paschal candle (1 Candle, 5 Nails or push pins) then we sort of show you  how in  the service but it is definitely explained in the blog.  

We included a video link here and I am not sure if it is still working

Again the video has been embedded in the blog so that you can also participate in the service but if you just want to sit and listen that is perfectly fine too.  Oh, the address just in case you have forgotten where to find said blog is kjlaldin.blogspot.com.  (Before all this started I had to look that address up every time, but now my fingers just go to the keys!)

And in case you are interested in knowing there really has been only the three of us in the building, Rachel is not just musically talented but shoots all the video and then Doug compiles it into what you receive.  They both do an awesome job with the finished product.

So, with no further a do, have a blessed Easter renewed with the hope and the joy of the Resurrection, and let your candles shine so that they reflect that hope in the world.

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Some of the weekly mailings were simply items about finances, the kitchen renovation (yes we did a campaign to renovate the kitchen at this time), the constant care calling committee updates, tree pruning and such practical things that continued because apparently trees and lawns still needed care and did not get a covid memo to stop growing.

And then other weeks the mailing opened up to this:

It's been two weeks since my... last email, almost seems like the beginning of a confession.  Yes. it has indeed been that long. 

Doug, Rachel and I have made a kind of commitment to have a service recorded for you every two weeks. The bishop offers a live service every Sunday Morning.  (The information for the link was included in the news to know.)  As with previous services you have the option of going on to the blog that I write and having the written service in front of you as you watch from home in a comfy chair.  So without further ado everything can be found on the blog at kjlaldin.blogspot.com or it you prefer just the youtube link it is
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp_WZ2BbTk8&feature=youtu.be

Happy Watching and "WE T' REE" hope that you enjoy this worship experience
and a word of caution the executive of the parish plan to use this medium to send you an update later this week about the parish, so you won't go so long in hearing from me (and missing me too much)

And before I forget, a big thank you to those who send us notes about the services. We are happy to hear from you and know that not only are you doing ok but that this is helping you with your worship time.

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And so the monkey mail was born and definitely grew in the congregation as we learned to be creative in worship, learned new ways in how we did worship, and learned how to  keep people connected to community.

A matter of perspective

 

Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”

The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.

— Alan Watts

I happened upon a parable this morning that I had never heard before and I was quite intrigued by it and certainly by the point of the story.  One never knows if what happens will be good fortune or not.  I am sure that everyone of us have had something take place in our lives that with the passage of time we reflect upon it differently and how our lives would have been changed or impacted had we experienced the opposite outcome.  This parable was a timely reminder for me today that with a little passage of time an experience, positive or negative, can take a whole new perspective.  And as I try to revive my blog I hope this story brings you some comfort with a new perspective as well.