CONNECT - SPIRIT - ENGAGE

 REVCATHY’s BLOG Post  January 1, 2021

You might wonder why is Rev Cathy writing on

New Year’s Day 2021 about the good things of 2020 when most of us would rather forget the year which changed the world.

Yes, I did watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square, the pre-recorded fireworks over different Ontario cities and the Live portion of “Ontario with Love” broadcast from Windsor.  All of these people were striving to usher in the New Year with the hope of lifting us up with music and hearing stories of front-line workers. But what does it all mean if, we don’t reflect on where we’ve been to know where we are headed?

So many people have commented in these last days that they would be glad to see 2020 fade into history but we must realize that 2020 has changed the world and there have been some good things to emerge during these 12 months.  

Glenwood United Church celebrated its 65^th anniversary in 2020. The theme I chose was “Vision 2020” reflecting on the way in which optometrists measure visual acuity.

20/20 vision is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet.

Having 20/20 vision does not necessarily mean you have perfect vision. 20/20 vision only indicates the sharpness or clarity of vision at a distance. Other important vision skills, including peripheral awareness or side vision, eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability and color vision, contribute to your overall visual ability.

“VISION 2020” was to spark congregation members to think about the future church and what it might mean to engage others beyond coffee hour. The idea was to think about doing church in a different and new way.  Well by March 22, 2020 we were definitely doing church differently!

From the regular in person worship service where people were engaging and sharing with others through music, reflection and talking to not being allowed in the building- church changed quickly!

Immediately we planned to do something online live in order that congregational members could connect with me the pastor and not be afraid of what as truly uncertain outside and all around them. Preparing something was key- but what to do? Using resources in my home including my family we quickly shared music and prayers and messages of hope to lead us to the cross of Christ. But was this enough?

My response was no! I needed to engage with people as this is from where I receive energy and of course hear and listen to those who are in need of care. Ministry changed from setting up appointments to picking up the phone, and then of course learning and relearning the use of technology and applying it to our use!

So 2020 is now in the past and where are we headed? We begin 2021 with a new vision—a new hope with the mission of REACHING OUT TO OTHERS to engage in love.  Though our SPIRIT, FAITH and OUTREACH focus worked the past few years we now need to engage others in a different way...

CONNECT -  SPIRIT - ENGAGE   We need to CONNECT to OTHER PEOPLE by different means available to us. We need to experience and share GOD’S SPIRIT as we have known the Spirit to walk with us.  We need to ENGAGE people with and through love as we make further connections and strive to have others live in Christ’s light!