Well … after a bit of soul searching I am posting 2 pictures … from 47 years ago. Pat and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. I posted the picture on Facebook (which I have posted before) and I was astounded by the response … I got nearly 100 “likes” … which is a lot for me. And many comments. But I know many of you aren’t on Facebook. I felt compelled to share it today … wondering if it might lead to a reflection. And, it did.
My own comment when I posted the picture was “how did that happen?” Seems like a minute ago … and yet also an eternity since it happened. My brother-in-law, our best man, posted “Happy Anniversary, you wild and crazy kids.”
The picture below is when I sang what was then “my signature song” with a couple of the folks that made up the band at the reception. That’s my dad in the back playing his gut bucket. Oh my …
The song, as I remember was “Some Day Soon” … by Ian Tyson, made popular by Judy Collins. (“there’s a young man that I know, his age is 21 …”) It was especially meaningful that day …
I have been thinking a lot about that day this past month – the folks that are no longer with us, the joys, the challenges, the changes, the life that we created. Who knew what awaited us over the course of the next many decades.
Donnie Moore from McGinty sang Stan Rogers’ “45 Years From Now” at our wedding ceremony at my home church, Islington United Church, where I would return 7 years later for the funeral of my dad, and 39 years later when I saw my daughter, who was working at Islington with the GO Project, preach a sermon one summer. That was definitely high on the “feelings” chart!
(1131) Stan Rogers - 45 Years - YouTube
Over the past couple of weeks I have been reflecting a lot about those two young adults in the wedding picture. Pat was only 21. And I was 25. Yup, we were wild and crazy kids. And yes, I am an “older woman.”
We had no business getting married. Neither one of us had a permanent job … we barely knew each other – we hadn’t even been together for a year yet. And within another 14 months we would be parents. It boggles my mind. But we had a lot of love around us, and a lot of people as part of our community.
Yes … wild and crazy kids indeed. It was several more years after Christopher was born before I would step foot in a church as (what was called then I think) “a seeker” … looking for a spiritual home. I started “church shopping” with what I knew … the United Church of Canada. Other than my wedding and my dad’s funeral, I hadn’t darkened the doors of a church (other than weddings and funerals in my husband’s Roman Catholic family) in almost 16 years. I found a church home at Fairview United Church, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What brought me back? Well … I think it was a hunger for meaning. The feeling that there was something bigger than myself in the world that I couldn’t quite explain or understand that I wanted to explore. I was a new parent trying to find a way. And I found a church home that welcomed me and eventually – certainly not right away, but it didn’t take long – I found places, and a strong leader who encouraged me, to offer my gifts to the community.
I was interested to see this news item last Friday which I found fascinating.
Why Gen Z is Leading a Religious Resurgence | Your Morning
One of my named priorities during my time here is to “reach out to younger generations”, and Louisa, Ann, Dana and I have been talking and brainstorming about ways to do this. It appears there may be a ready made crowd out there if we can find ways to reach out, be relevant, and offer a listening ear to what younger generations might really be looking for. I live in hope. Goodness knows we need to provide an alternative voice to some of the other more divisive, judgemental and even hateful voices in the world today.
This Sunday we will celebrate World Wide Communion Sunday … always celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Christians all over the world will be celebrating this special moment when we remember the teachings of Jesus and how he lived his life. Despite what some voices might claim, Jesus taught that there is enough for all, that diversity is a blessing, and that no one is excluded from the love of God. Nobody.
Not even two wild and crazy kids who don’t go to church anymore.
And that’s what we celebrate on World Wide Communion Sunday. Hope to see you there!
