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Last Updated on Friday, 28 May 2021 13:25

“A time of (more) Sabbath rest: for our own good,

for the good of others, for the good of God’s creation!”

Dear Friends in Christ,

The time has come for me to leave once again for a time of Sabbath rest. I am gone as of

May 31 and will return August 31 for a week of study leave to prepare an outline of weekly

worship during the fall. I then plan to be out and about the pastoral charge for porch visits the

week of September 6 and back in the virtual pulpit on September 12.

I am hopeful that the ongoing vaccination campaigns will have us return to a semblance of

normal later this year. What that might look like I do not know. But I am certain that life will be

better than it has been over the last fifteen months. I also know this, while our buildings are

closed, God has not abandoned us and we have continued to be a loving and vital Christian

presence in our communities and beyond.

In my absence, your Joint Worship Committee has secured worship leaders to cover each

Sunday. There will be virtual worship and you can also expect to see “Worship at Home”

materials emailed or hand delivered to you each week. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our

summer worship leaders: Joan Wyatt, the St. James UCW, Amber Ward, Deanna Barkley and

Jeff and Ronda Griesbach. There will be music each Sunday offered by our much-loved music

team: Rowena Pearl and Paul Arnold. In addition to offering worship services, your churches,

through our Pastoral Connections Team, will continue their ministry of presence, care and

compassion. Their names and phone numbers appear on page 2. I encourage you to hang on to

this letter so you might stay in touch with them or call upon them if the need arises. To all who

are sharing their gifts with our wider community and living out ministry in the world, thank you.

I do not yet know how my summer will go but look forward to whatever adventures and

discoveries await. We have one trip planned to the Grimsby area so that I may preside at the

wedding of one of my nieces in late June and we are hopeful of getting to Newfoundland if

possible. There are several house projects to work on and a few books to read. I will also do my

best to avoid hospital stays and visits this summer.

Until we are together again in whatever form that might be, have a healthy and safe summer.

May you rest in ways that bring you peace as you give God your thanks.

Rev. Grant McNeil

Osgoode-Kars Pastoral Charge

The United Church of Canada

“Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”