 Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter The world has been a challenging thing to make sense of over the past year. So many things and events have caused turmoil, confusion, consternation, debate (both civil and not-so-civil), and even violence. We are now into at least month number 14 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the physical health implications and the social restrictions of the pandemic, we have experienced debate over various conspiracy theories that question the reality of the pandemic. The presidential election in the United States provided many flashpoints of political and social division that resonated for many people here in Canada – on both ends of the political spectrum. And, not the least but just the last I will mention in this list, is the renewed racial upheaval that originated in the U.S. but spilled over into Canada and other parts of the world. Perhaps the most significant incident of that racial upheaval in the last year was the death of George Floyd as he was being taken into police custody in Minneapolis. The trial of the police officer involved has just concluded this week with a guilty verdict on three different charges of murder. The positive public response to that verdict is in stark contrast to the demonstrations in response to his death that often devolved into violence in the streets of many American cities. For this week I have brought back the banner at the top of this letter that I had used for these messages through most of last year and into the first few weeks of this year. This is a reminder that, regardless of that verdict, there is still much work to be done by all of us on the racial reconciliation front. Over the last year I have been disturbed by the stories told by Black persons, Indigenous persons, and other Persons of Colour, of the discrimination that they face regularly, if not daily, in just going about the normal activities of a life in Canada. This should be disturbing to all of us and all of us should be evaluating our own actions and reactions when in any kind of interactions with persons who have a different appearance than us. I feel it is also important to say that I have been equally disturbed by the threatening disrespect that has been experienced by members of police organizations across North America. This has been in response to the high-profile situations of interactions – often violent and sometimes fatal – between the police and persons of colour. There are undoubtedly aspects of police work and police culture that need review and reform. Meanwhile, those responsible for the negative interactions are a small proportion of the total police community. Most police officers want to do the right thing for all members of the communities they serve. Just as all of us as “civilians” need to do better in our interracial interactions, we need to support our police as they strive to do better too. The curse of systemic racism that exists in many of society’s structures, systems, and organizations cannot be eradicated overnight. It is up to all of us to recognize it when we see it and to do what we can to work for positive reform. The last year, indeed, has been a challenging time in the world. Historically, the world often has only gotten better when it has come through such challenging times. Typically, the world has gotten better when its citizens have insisted that their leaders do better and then demonstrate by example the changes they wish to have happen. May we all work towards, and look forward to, our future better world. In closing let me add that I am sensitive that some readers may not be happy to have worldly or political situations highlighted in a Community of Christ newsletter or blog. I believe that the teachings of Jesus as recorded in scripture insist that we: bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, and let the oppressed go free. (see Luke 4: 18, 19). To me, these characteristics describe the experiences and life situations of many persons in the Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Colour communities. Surely, we are called to help remedy them. I will leave it at that lest I get into a much longer sermon. Please contact me if you have concerns or questions. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca
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 Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Blessings of Community
Has your definition of “community” changed in the last year?
I am going to go out on a bit of a limb here and make an unresearched assumption that before March of last year we had not given too much broad-based consideration to what an online community might look like. Over the last five or six years, I had participated occasionally with the weekly “Community Place” youth and young adult group based in Ontario, with off-shoots in a number of places around the church. Despite the name, and despite the expressed intention of keeping a “camp community” together between annual senior high camps, I had not really given serious consideration to the concept that this was an “online community.” After all, it was “just” online. Well – we know now what a pre-cursor Community Place has been to what so many of us have experienced during the pandemic. All of us look forward to the time when we can once again gather in-person without distancing or mask protocols. However, our online communities (and there certainly are more than one for many of us) have enabled us to retain connection with many of our own congregation members. They have also enabled us to become part of communities constituted by persons separated geographically by hundreds or even thousands of kilometers and yet who appear to be right next door in the squares on our Zoom video screens. We have enjoyed retreats, participated in camps and reunions, and held our mission conference online. We have worshipped online. We have even participated in sacraments online. And we have Community Place to thank for starting the “lobby” (if that is not too political a word for church governance processes) to enable authorized sharing of the sacrament of communion online. From that, as the pandemic progressed, church leadership also provided processes to perform all sacraments (except baptism) in an environment where participants were not able to be in the same physical location. The ability to celebrate the sacraments of the church online in the past several months has only reinforced the concept of community present in our online associations. These events have been sources of true blessing for the participants and for the church at large. There are likely a few more months in front of us of using our online tools to gather for all of our church purposes and events. We all look forward to gathering in-person as soon as possible so we can truly “see” each other and share in the handshakes and hugs that go with gathering in our communities. Undoubtedly, however, we will take some of our lessons of online community with us into the future. Many people will continue to depend on those tools because of their distance from their “local” congregation. Most congregations will want to provide those electronic participation tools to ensure the participation of as many members and friends as possible can continue. The “Blessings of Community” outlined above to provide detail to this Enduring Principle have not been ignored in the past year. We have experienced them in different ways. We have managed to honour most, if not all, of them to the best of our abilities in our online communities. May we always be thankful for the insights and learning that have occurred for us despite dealing with an unprecedented pandemic situation. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Unity in Diversity
One year ago today I wrote to you the sixth weekly “COVID Statement.” At the time we did not know how much longer we would need to be concerned about the pandemic. The first “statement” was dated March 4 and the last “statement” was dated April 22. As of April 29 these columns became “A Moment with the Mission Centre President” and we have tried to deal with many topics since then.
Most of the message from April 8, 2020, seems strangely relevant today. Here is the heart of that message again: The common first question after “Hello” has become much more heartfelt and honestly intended than had been traditional before our COVID-19 social distancing: “How are you doing?” We are truly interested in the answer to that question. We want assurance that our friends and family are, in fact, staying safe and being well. They wish to know the same of us. Yet we also want to be able to express our support if the answer to the question is the expression of some kind of health issue or personal concern that has arisen in the lives of those we love. There are families and individuals in Canada West Mission Centre, and elsewhere in the church, who have been directly touched by COVID-19 in the form of illness or job loss. I know of people who continue to struggle with various medical, physical, and personal issues not at all related to the pandemic. And in the unstoppable cycle of life, there are families among us who mourn the loss of loved ones. All of these persons and families are worthy of our prayers of love and support. So: What have you done to keep your outlook positive in recent weeks? What good news do you seek out to assure yourself that humanity is good and that we will all get through this together? What miracle or beauty in the natural world around you gives you hope and assurance and perhaps even inspiration? What books have you read? What friends have you reached out to by phone or electronically? And, yes, what social media connections have been beneficial for you? What images, stories, or anecdotes have kept you smiling, if not outright laughing? Please email some answers to me (steve@communityofchrist.ca), and I may share them in the future. That last sentence remains an open invitation. Many provinces are moving, or have moved, back into tighter lock-down situations due to recent increases in COVID-19 cases, and especially increases in the “Variants of Concern.” In-person church services remain restricted and difficult to hold or justify in most areas. Family gatherings remain small, outdoors, and still physically distanced for most of us. We are facing another summer of cancelled church-sponsored in-person camps and reunions. And yet – and yet – we optimistically look forward to the easing of the pandemic over the next few months. We hope we can return to something resembling “normal” by late summer or early fall. May you feel God’s presence and blessings as we continue on this journey, now extended to well beyond a year in length. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Pursuit of Peace (Shalom)
You may be familiar with the Christmas song “Mary’s Boy Child / O My Lord” by Boney M that plays somewhat incessantly over the Christmas radio music period each year. A recurring line in the song is personal pet peeve of mine: “And man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day.” From the perspective, I suppose, that Jesus had to be born in order to eventually die and be resurrected, there may be some validity to the line. But, my friends, if there is any such attribution to be made, “All of us will live for evermore because of Easter Day.”
Then, not to put too much of a fine point on it, it is not “the Day” that is important – it is the event of the day. Let’s back up briefly. The scriptural records tell us that Jesus and his disciples spent the week celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, beginning with his entry into the city on Palm Sunday (see last week’s MCP Message). On Thursday evening Jesus celebrated the feast of the Passover with his friends in “the Upper Room” and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was instituted. They moved from there to the Mount of Olives to engage in prayer. It was here that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and Jesus was arrested by the Romans. On Friday, after a series of appearances before the Jewish and Roman authorities Jesus was whipped and then was sentenced to death by crucifixion. He died on a cross between two thieves nailed to their own crosses. He was buried in a tomb at the beginning of the Sabbath with no time to properly prepare his body as required by Jewish tradition. On Sunday morning, under slightly different circumstances according to each of the Gospels, the women discovered the empty tomb and became aware that Jesus has been resurrected – he had risen from the dead. And THIS, my friends, is the event that solidifies the promise of eternal life into Christian faith. In Jesus’ subsequent appearances to his disciples and friends he reinforces that this is what his earthly ministry has been about – bring about the immortality and eternal life of all humans. I invite you to participate in any of the many online opportunities this weekend to celebrate the events of all of Easter weekend. References and links can be found elsewhere in this “Weekly Wire” as well as on the World Church website at www.cofchrist.org. Take a few moments to remind yourself, along with your brothers and sisters in faith from around the world, that because JESUS IS RISEN on Easter, you have been given the promise and opportunity of eternal life through Jesus Christ. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight Responsible Choices
The 11th chapter of the Book of Mark in the New Testament records the “triumphant entry” of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. This is the focus of Palm Sunday in the Christian calendar, which will be celebrated this Sunday, March 28.
As Mark describes it, the entry into Jerusalem was a colourful affair. Jesus’ disciples first retrieve a donkey or colt for Jesus to ride, then other followers put their cloaks on the back of the donkey to make it more comfortable for him. Finally other followers even put their cloaks on the ground in front of the donkey for it to walk on. These are all signs of respect and honour for Jesus. Mark also says “others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the field” on the path of the donkey carrying Jesus. The similar account in the Gospel of John is the only specific mention of “branches of palm leaves,” but it is from that account that we get the name “Palm Sunday.” As colourful as this event is, we all know “the rest of the story” – and, for the most part, it is not nearly so triumphant or celebratory. Some of you may remember the movie of the rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In the scene that represents this triumphant entry the crowd around Jesus sings the song, “Hosanna, Heysanna.” At various points the crowd directs some rather poignant words to Jesus, namely:
As the crowd asks for this potential ultimate sacrifice, the camera freezes on Jesus’ face as he momentarily seems to offer a panicked look. The scene continues, the crowd moves on and Jesus proceeds to the next scene. This question, “would you die for me?”, of course is true foreshadowing of the next few days. Although Jesus is recorded as warning his disciples about his pending doom in Jerusalem, his friends seem to brush aside the warnings and really do not understand or accept what Jesus has been telling them. In this particular scene I think the intent was to show Jesus’ reaction to his words being shouted back to him by the crowd when his closest friends and confidants had refused to accept them as real. What would YOU say to Jesus if you had the chance to walk along beside him as he rode the donkey? What would YOU ask him at that highly emotional time if you could? Perhaps most importantly, let me ask: What are YOU doing after the parade?* Do you think you will just go home for supper and maybe tell the family what an interesting afternoon you just had? Will you stick with Jesus and his followers and maybe find out where he will be preaching tomorrow? Will you go with them to find out more about what he is all about so that you can share that with friends and bring them all with you the next time you hear that Jesus will be in town? Now let’s ask the really difficult questions: Where will you be on Thursday evening when Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested? Where will you be on Friday morning when Jesus is being tried and tortured? Where will you be on Friday afternoon when he sentenced to death and then taken to the edge of the city and crucified by the Romans? Where will you be on Sunday morning when the women discover the empty tomb? Will you believe them when they tell you about it? And then… And then… What will you do? Just a few “easy” questions for your consideration on Palm Sunday. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca *This question shamelessly stolen from a sermon by Danny Belrose in Edmonton more years ago than either of us will admit to.  I am sure that for many of you, particularly those who might be of a certain more generous age (such as me), sometimes five years goes by really fast! Well, that is what has happened for Parker Johnson and the Canada West Mission Centre.
Five years ago in February, Parker came to the mission centre on a five-year contract. He was primarily assigned to work with the Calgary congregation and a bit with the mission centre at-large. The mission centre portion eventually was amended to allow him to take on communications responsibilities for Community of Christ across Canada. It has been a positive and exciting time for everyone involved. Parker brings enthusiasm, personal and professional skills, and a commitment to the church and to his faith that has enabled him to have real impact in his various responsibilities. If you are following the numbers you may have figured out that that five-year contract is coming to an end. At the end of March, Parker will leave his position with the Canada West Mission Centre having most honorably completed the terms of that contract. Parker is not physically going anywhere. He and Preston are still excited to be building their home in Calgary. Parker will still be around and, we trust, involved with the Calgary congregation as are other members and volunteers. You may still see him at church events. He is continuing in his volunteer role as president of Harmony, so you will almost certainly still hear from him in that capacity. Please join me in thanking Parker for his contributions to the church in Calgary, in Canada West, and, indeed, in the Canadian church, over the past five years. Also join me in wishing him nothing but the best in the future. Thank you, Parker! Best wishes! And God bless you! Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  All Are Called
Here we are, my friends: we are officially one year into our “COVID world.” It was one year ago this week that the world truly did begin to change significantly. One year ago this week, with the announcement of various types of shut-downs in response to the pandemic, we began to feel impacts as individuals, as communities, and as the church.
Many people suddenly found themselves working from home. Many others found themselves with jobs that suddenly were ended. We were encouraged to “just stay home.” Most of us did. Streets were quiet. Even main highways were comparatively quiet. Businesses lost customers and had to close at least temporarily. For some as yet unknown reason, panicked shoppers hoarded toilet paper! One year ago this past Sunday, most of us enjoyed our normal Sunday routine of an in-person worship service with no restrictions. Then one year ago this week our international church leadership issued the direction to congregations around the world to close for the next Sunday and to await further instructions before re-opening again. Suddenly we found ourselves in an unanticipated world of online services which quickly grew to include online classes, youth camps, retreats of all kinds, family camps, and even mission conferences. An initial expectation of short-term closures for a few weeks or maybe a couple of months, extended into several months. Here we are a year later and many/most congregations have yet to re-start in-person meetings and nearly everyone has become accustomed to our online meeting environments. Everyone is eagerly anticipating being able to meet again in-person, share handshakes and hugs, enjoy sitting together, and break bread together in pot-luck lunches as well at restaurants. Some of us were affected directly by the virus, falling ill with symptoms that varied person-to-person from minor and short-lived to serious and long-lasting. A few of us died. If we were not directly affected by the virus in these ways, most of know someone who was. And those impacts continue though hopefully with decreasing frequency now. In well under a year the medical and scientific community has produced and tested and begun distribution of vaccines to protect against the virus. Hope and optimism is growing. Throughout this past year most congregations have done their best to reach out to members and friends in attempting to maintain a sense of connection to one another. Besides the online gatherings of many kinds there have been telephone visiting campaigns. In good weather there were outdoor, physically distanced, informal gatherings such as ice cream socials and just general visiting. Other creative ways of bringing people together – if only in spirit rather than in person – were implemented and were greatly appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has come through this past year. Thank you to everyone who provided new kinds of leadership and programming this past year. Thank you to everyone who did their best to maintain some sense of connection among the members and friends of your congregation. May we all look forward to a return to some semblance of “normal” in the next few months, even if it does not look exactly like the “normal” we left behind one year ago. God’s spirit was leading us then. God’s spirit is leading us now. And God’s spirit will continue to lead us in the future. May we always be aware of God’s leadership in our lives and look to God’s love and comfort in all situations. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Worth of All Persons
Stop! Go back up and re-read that “Worth of All Persons” stuff before you keep reading. Read ALL of it, please!
Do you ever feel personally challenged by “official” statements from Community of Christ? In response to most official statements I will often pause and recognize good thoughts or words or intentions. I may or may not recognize a role that I, personally, must take up in response to such statements. I have to confess that I do not often feel “personally challenged.” For the last three weeks I have been highlighting the church’s Enduring Principles in the “header” of this column. This is week four. There are five more to come. As important as I believe all of our Enduring Principles are, this is the first one that has demanded my attention as I copied it onto this page. “Worth of All Persons.” With these four words the church proclaims that, with Christ, we believe all persons are human, all persons are created in the image of God, and all persons are of inestimable worth in the sight of their God – and in OUR sight, and in MY sight! NONE of these phrases should be taken for granted. Not everyone in the world believes that all other men and women in the world are truly “human” in their worldview. Even if some people believe in a creating God, some people will reject that some “others” are actually creations of the same God that created them. And “inestimable worth”? It is but folly to consider that all humans have anything close to “equal,” let alone “inestimable,” worth to other humans of particular characteristics in the eyes and minds and opinions of way too many people in this world. Jesus uplifted the poor, the prostitute, the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector, the woman at the well, and even “Samaritans” (just to name a few) as persons as worth, even though they were considered on the lowest rungs of society in his time. Who do we have to uplift today? The last year has shed light on too many societal situations to mention in which the principle of “worth of all persons” is not only not recognized, but also essentially ignored and denied. For just a few examples consider: the continued abuse of persons who are Black, Indigenous, and persons of colour across North America; the dithering of local and provincial governments about how best to respond to the related issues of homelessness, mental health, and drug abuse in pretty much all communities across the country; and internationally consider situations where democracies and human rights are being trampled by governments (those in today’s news: Myanmar, Hong Kong). The four bullet-points that follow the main statement each are challenging as well. The first two begin with “God views…” and “God wants…” Does that mean that we just leave those statements up to God? What role do we have in making those two statements reality in today’s society? The last two, though, begin with “We seek…” and “We join with Jesus Christ…” Not to put too fine a point on it, but “We” means “you and I!” So – what are “you and I” going to do about “uphold(ing) and restore(ing) the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth?” What are “you and I” doing about “bringing good news to the poor, sick, captive, and oppressed?” Are you bored yet? Or just intimidated? This is only the fifth of nine Enduring Principles. We are already way behind, my friends. What are “we” going to do about it? As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Continuing Revelation
https://www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles On Sunday afternoon, February 28, an online service was held to bid farewell to the Meadow Ridge Congregation. It is generally a sad occasion for a mission centre president to preside over the sale of property and the dis-organization of a congregation. Sunday’s service, however, was truly a celebration instead. It was a celebration of almost 40 years of mission and ministry to members and friends of the congregation. It was a celebration of contributing to the surrounding community. It was a celebration of many happy and significant events that happened in the life of the congregation since its organization in December 1982.
Current Pastor, Gary McDonald, led the service. Greetings and congratulatory remarks recognizing the work of the congregation came from the Apostle for Canada, Art Smith, the Bishop of Canada, Dar Shepherdson, and the Canada West Mission Centre President, Steve Thompson. Founding Pastor, Ed Salahub, provided a wonderful history of the congregation from its beginnings to its conclusion. Ed was Pastor, in two separate terms, for a total of 21 years of Meadow Ridge’s existence. He recognized the leadership and support of others who served as Pastor and of the gifts of many other members and friends of the congregation over the years. Darrell Belrose, former Canada West Mission Centre President and most recently a Congregation Missionary with Meadow Ridge as one of his assigned congregations, spoke lovingly of his experiences with the congregation and of the way the members supported each other and any person who happened to walk through the doors of the church. A letter from the First Presidency of Community of Christ was read that also recognized the legacy of the congregation and thanked all those who had served as Pastors and leaders and members over the years. There were at least 54 different “screens” logged on to the Zoom service, representing approximately 79 persons. When given the opportunity to offer individual thoughts many remembered fondly their time as a member of the congregation or as a guest minister or visiting for any reason. There were many wonderful and meaningful memories shared of how much Meadow Ridge had meant in the lives of so many people. The place of the Meadow Ridge Congregation in the hearts of members of other nearby congregations was effectively symbolized by the beautiful recordings of two hymns for use in the service – piano and solo voice – by two members of the Vancouver congregation. (Thank you, Leah Christensen and Kat Goheen!) It is tempting to mourn the loss of a congregation, and emotionally it is probably necessary to do so. But rather than mourn the loss of what might have been (after all, who can predict an uncertain future), it was best on this day to celebrate what is known to have been: a small congregation with dedicated, visionary leadership, and enthusiastic members who provided a safe and welcoming space for anyone who came under their influence. The Holy Spirit was most certainly a part of our service on Sunday. May God’s blessings follow all the members of the Meadow Ridge Congregation as they move on to continue to represent the mission of Jesus Christ wherever they choose to serve. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca PS: In case you missed the service and are interested, here is a link to the recording of the service: Meadow Ridge Farewell Service. The main service is almost 90 minutes in length. This is followed by about half an hour of additional visiting and sharing of memories about Meadow Ridge Congregation. Note: you should be able to just click on the link and the video will load in your default browser. You will need to click on the “play” button that will probably appear at the bottom of your browser window.  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight Sacredness of Creation
https://www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles Elsewhere in the news and updates section on this website you will see my announcement about the cancellation of Canada West Mission Centre in-person events until at least the end of August. This provides an opportunity for some reflections on the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Community of Christ. I will offer a bit more of a retrospective on the whole year of COVID in the third week of March when we are at the one-year anniversary of the shut-down of local church services.
We find ourselves at a promising time in the pandemic. The vaccine roll-out, after a discouragingly slow and inconsistent start, now appears to be on track. All four provinces in Canada West Mission Centre are now reporting significant numbers of vaccinations, particularly among residents of long-term care facilities and now moving to some health care workers, senior citizens outside of facilities and some first responders. In Alberta (where I live) it is being projected that all persons of any age or occupation who desires a vaccination will be able to receive it by about the end of July. A recent article in the Edmonton Journal described the very positive and promising effect of vaccinations in long-term care facilities in Alberta. Meanwhile we are all still dealing with at least some level of the restrictions which have become common in recent months. Travel is discouraged, except for necessary purposes. Indoor and outdoor gatherings are still restricted. The basic measures of masks, distancing and hand washing/sanitizing now seem ever-present and almost just a natural part of what we do each day. The continuing impact of the pandemic on Community of Christ operations is obvious. Most congregations in Canada West are still not gathering in-person in any way. Many congregations are encouraging participation in some kind of regular online gatherings to maintain some sense of connection among members. These gatherings may be for worship purposes, “Sunday School” purposes, or just plain social visiting purposes. Some have instituted or increased telephone ministry. Only one congregation has returned to in-person services since October. They report significant efforts to abide by health authority requirements but report positive impacts of gathering together – despite masks and distancing – after the previous months of no services. In the fall of 2020 Community of Christ leadership released procedures for conducting the sacraments of the church in situations where personal contact was not possible. Procedures for all sacraments except baptism were provided. On February 6 over 130 members and friends were able to join in a service of ordination for two individuals where the ordinands were in different cities and the person offering the ordination prayers was in another country (the U.S.A.). It was an excellent worship experience in which the significance of the sacrament was truly felt and the presence of the Holy Spirit was evident. I am aware of inquiries concerning offering the sacrament of laying on of hands for the sick (“administration”) using electronic means. I have yet to hear of such prayers actually being offered. It feels like we may be at a turning point in the pandemic. The authorities continue to warn us to not let our guard down lest the virus re-emerge, or its new variants take on a greater hold. Still, it seems that there is hope that we may see the end of the pandemic by late summer or sometime in the fall. We have come this far, we can deal with it for another few months. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca |
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