Spring reflections and the shape of what’s ahead

By Vonda DenBoer, Canada East Mission Centre Co-President
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Living in southwestern Ontario, I might be catching spring fever a little earlier than some—but I’m not complaining! The redbud trees, Chanticleer pear, and cherry blossoms are in full, glorious bloom. Their colours brighten the landscape like nature’s own celebration. Bullfrogs are calling again, and the air is alive with a chorus of birdsong—Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cardinals, Finches, Mourning Doves, and Starlings, all contributing their unique voices to this spring symphony. Overhead, a majestic eagle soars, reminding me of the wonder all around.

On the ground, life is stirring too. Coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and deer are busy raising their young. (Hopefully, no deer decides to burst through my house again—but that’s a story for another day!) Spring is more than just a season—it’s a resurrection of the world around us, a reminder of renewal, growth, and wild, abundant life. Hallelujah, indeed!

Outside my kitchen window, a purple finch has made a nest in the cedar tree. I watch it daily—this small, tireless bird, fiercely protective, instinctively trying to create a safe space for life to grow. But there’s something else. The finch has taken issue with my car. Or rather, with the reflection it sees in the car window. For hours at a time, it pecks, flutters, and fights at the side mirror and glass, convinced there’s an intruder threatening its territory. It doesn’t know it’s fighting itself.

Watching this, I began to wonder: how often do I do the same?

How often am I battling perceived threats, externalizing struggles that are really internal? How often do I exhaust myself trying to defeat something that lives within me—fear, doubt, self-judgment—without stepping back to ask what’s really happening?

Am I making space in the silence to listen for the still, small voice of God? The voice that doesn’t fight or accuse but invites me into joy, hope, love, and peace?

That little finch has given me something to reflect on far beyond its mirror-bound dance. Perhaps the next time I find myself in a flurry of reaction, I’ll pause, breathe, and ask: Is this a battle worth fighting? Or is God inviting me to see myself more clearly—and more compassionately—in the reflection?

Recently, I was moved by Claudio Carvalhaes’ Praying with Every Heart, particularly his reflection on the nests we build in our lifetime. He reminds us that no nest is permanent—that each one, no matter how carefully constructed, is temporary. As I sit and watch that small finch tirelessly struggle, I’m struck by how tightly I have held onto my own “nests.” Like that little bird, I’ve sometimes expended great energy maintaining what once served me well, perhaps at the cost of new growth or possibilities.

Over the past five months, Shannon McAdam and I have had the privilege of working alongside dedicated volunteers in committee meetings focused on shaping the future of Community of Christ in Canada. These volunteers—coming from both east and west—have offered their wisdom, their questions, and their passionate desire to see our church flourish. I am humbled by their witness.

This process feels very much like leaving one nest and beginning the construction of another. Just as a bird gathers twigs, leaves, feathers, and mud to shape its home, we are gathering vision, faith, hope, wisdom, patience, and understanding to build a new future. Some materials will work better than others. We may discover we need more "twigs" of courage or more "feathers" of compassion. But we build on the foundation of deep faith and the accumulated love, labour, and legacy of years past.

I’m filled with hope for what’s ahead. As a church committed to peace and justice, we have a sacred opportunity to shape a mission that resonates throughout our communities. As one mission centre, we will be able to share more deeply, collaborate more effectively, and support each other more fully. We will learn from one another as we teach others the way of peace.

We may not know exactly what this new nest will look like. But we know why we build—and with whom we build. And that makes all the difference.

Learn more
All the committees have submitted their recommendations. Have you read them? You can find them here: https://www.communityofchrist.ca/mcdt.html

Discuss them with others in your congregation. Let us know what you think!