When I came to James Bay United Church in July, 2011, it was with a vision of renewal. What form that would take was unclear, but the how of it was obvious. This would be a Spirit-led, Spirit-inspired journey asking of me and the congregation an attentiveness and willing responsiveness to what the Spirit is up to in our lives and in the world around us.
My call to what was a dying congregation came soon after my own life-altering and ultimately life-giving experience of burnout in which I was met, in the face of fear and a deep sense of impossibility, by the mystery of God’s power for life.
This journey of renewal is still unfolding. At the heart of it is our growth … growing in our connection, in our awareness, and in our affection for God. AND growing in our trust of God’s connection, awareness and affection for us. It’s about going somewhere we don’t quite know, keeping company with the One who knows and loves us, who asks us to come and love the world all the more.