Paul's Ponderings

Blessings as we move into 2020. We are in the season of Epiphany – a time when we reflect on how the light of God offers new understanding and insight. During worship on January 12, “star words” were given out.  A star word is an invitation for reflection. It offers a lens for paying attention to how the Spirit of God is at work in

“Blessed are those who remember for through them light will shine from the past into the future.”

Autumn is … an in-between season …

… and one of the categories would need to be “gathered at table”.

A few weeks ago, the Council of Riverside and the Ministry Team Leads had a retreat to continue to live our way into the new model of leadership and governance. It was a good discussion of our current reality and goals moving forward. One of the realizations is that in this time of transition and change there are varying levels of understanding what is happening

The season of Easter carries through the month of May. Easter is not so much a date on the calendar, but experiences of wonder, assurance and hope. One of the ways that Riverside will continue to experience the wonder of Easter is through Project Easter Butterfly. Thanks to the generosity of a donor, $2000 has been donated and divided into 100 envelopes. With each $20,

At the annual meeting in February, Riverside voted to be an Affirming Ministry of The United Church of Canada.  This has been a process of exploration and discernment for 5-6 years within the congregation.  Our new mission statement includes this vision: “We embrace the rainbow as a promise of God’s affirming love for all and include people of all ages, races, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations

In mid February, there was a gathering after worship to talk about the season of Lent and to share ideas about how we could nourish our faith in this season. Lent begins March 6th and is the 40 days (not including Sundays) until Easter – April 21st. The dates of the season of Lent vary each year depending on the date of Easter. This year

“In the cold and snow of winter, there is a spring that waits to be …” This line from the hymn “In the Bulb, There is a Flower” comes to mind as we live in the midst of winter. It also comes to mind because I am spending time thinking about gardens. As a legacy to the life and faithfulness of Ted Thexton, his children