The movement from Advent to Christmas, from Lent to Easter, and the green growth of Ordinary Time—these liturgical seasons give rhythm and balance to the changing seasons of our spiritual life. Each liturgical season has its own particular giftedness, and as it arrives each year, our spirits are ready to receive its gifts. 

As we enter into the liturgical season of Advent, the church invites us to watch and wait for the coming of Christ. This practice of “watching and waiting” is foundational to living healthy spiritual lives. Christ not only came to us in history, and is not only going to come at the end of time, but most importantly Christ comes to us in every moment of our lives. Are we spiritually watching and waiting? Are we noticing and joining the new and divine life that is ever emerging in our personal and corporate lives? 

If we don’t have a deepening spiritual practice of watching and waiting for Christ or the emerging spirit in our lives, then we will miss the new opportunities to become a church relevant for today’s world. 

The Church has become smaller during this time of pandemic, and I don’t think there is any recovering of what we were. This is probably a good thing that will help open up new pathways. Consequently, what we “were” is not as important as what we are “becoming.” 

The Church has no monopoly on God. God is in God’s world doing what God is doing with or without the church. That being said, God is also in the church; but, do we have ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit is inviting? 

The liturgical season of Advent reminds us of what we should be doing every moment of our lives. We need to learn how to make space for Christ in our lives, and prepare for Christ’s coming in this moment. As a church we really need to recover the contemplative component of our approach to God. We need to learn to get out of our thinking head space, and lean into our open spiritual heart space. It is from this deep place of unitive love where Christ comes to us. When we can watch and wait from this place of spiritual depth, we can join the emerging Spirit and become the church that God needs in the world today. This is not easy. But if the Church, and indeed the human species, is to survive, we have to learn to open up to our spiritual depths, and live out of the ever emerging life that is Christ.

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In February of 2020 (just before the COVID-19 lockdown began), the facility was paid off, and, free of debt, was ready to be consecrated. On Sunday, the 26th of September, Bishop Cy (who turned the sod in 2004, and who dedicated the Oratory in 2006) was here, and consecrated the house for the Church of the Resurrection to the Glory of God.

Many people in many ways have made this possible, and we are grateful for their love and commitment to Christ. There continues to be much good and important ministry that happens under the roof of this house for the Church. We are grateful for this house where the Church, in all its different forms, gathers. And we are grateful for the love that we call Christ, that continues to emerge as our shared life.

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In fact, my granddaughter has become my new spiritual director! She is teaching and reminding me of the power and life-infused present moment. She notices every little thing, and every little thing to her is “wonder-full,” as it should be for me and for all of us. I am full of wonder as I get caught up in her being full of wonder. What a beautiful and life-giving exchange! Being caught up in this wonder draws me into a sense of “awe” in what I am witnessing: a sense of awe at this beautiful life that is new, always emerging, always becoming. The more I allow myself to be full of wonder, and the more I get caught up in the awesomeness of what I am noticing, the more I find myself “trusting” in the evolving of this little life, trusting in the “nature” of the divine life that we are all part of and share in. This wonder, awe, and trust opens me up to the reality of the love that I have for this little life in front of me, and that I am at one with her in this love. The 15th century English mystic Julian of Norwich calls this love process “oneing”— a conscious becoming at-one-with another, every other, and all of creation. “Oneing” is the purpose of our lives! 

What our little ones have to teach us in these uncertain times of global political polarization, global warming, global pandemic, global crisis, is to remain grounded in our now. This moment is full of God, full of life, full of love, and has everything we need to move into our next moment with trust and hope. The same is true of the church. The pandemic and its necessary societal restrictions has shaken the foundations of the church as we have known it. Our church is evolving and changing like everything else in the universe. We are not exempt. Yet the Christian community (and every community) is still full of wonder as the divine continues to emerge in the life of people and creation. This wonder should lead us to a renewed sense of awe in the Divine Presence amongst us and as us, inviting us to a whole hearted trust that we are lovingly at one with Christ in our emerging and uncertain tomorrow.

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Although still feeling COVID fatigued, as many or most of us are, I am filled with a hope that I did not have at this time last year. The reality of the vaccination rollout is lifting my spirit, with the hope of a further lessening of community restrictions, as we look forward to the fall. That hope, not there last year, is changing the energy within me heading into this summer season. There is a lighter energy, a hopeful energy, a life-giving energy. This spirit of hope is drawing me into the restful months of summer with a more open stance, that should allow me to lean into the more gentle and restorative nature of summer. 

For us Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, with such a short summer season, the May 24th weekend is when the collective provincial psyche shifts, and we get into summer mode. This year, more than any other year, we need to use these summer months—holding a vaccinated hope for the fall and lessening of restrictions—to get outdoors, to connect with the creation that we are a part of, and allow it to help heal us and restore us. 

Many parts of the world continue to struggle with the devastating spread of the virus, especially those densely populated and poorer regions. We hope that our governments will do what needs to be done in the sharing and distribution of vaccine resources around the world. In the meantime, we vaccinated and travel bound Newfoundlanders and Labradorians live in a sparsely populated land that is spacious and full of beauty. I, for one, am looking forward with hope to a summer in my garden, on the trails, and in the kayak on the water, with spaciousness and intent on restoring my COVID burdened soul. I hope something of the same for you.  

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Yet, living with the various levels of COVID-19 restrictions over the last year and into the foreseeable future has made living life even harder than normal for all of us. Of course there is the virus itself which, when contracted, has been making people very ill, and in too many cases has been fatal. There is the economic suffering that has been widespread, and that has negatively affected every form of business and employment. There is the community suffering. Even when in level 1, the restrictions—to be kept to physical distancing without being able to touch another and draw close in conversation—this is not normal, and we suffer because of it. There is the suffering of families living apart at greater distances and not being able to travel to visit and connect. And there is the collective societal suffering of not knowing what our future will be while not only still working through the pandemic, but also in the long reaching aftereffects. This is just to name some of the areas of our COVID-19 struggling. 

Thankfully, in the midst of all this suffering and uncertainty, there is light and hope. And you don’t have to go very far to find it. It is within you. The Easter hope of life in Christ, of life in love, is within you waiting to be discovered or rediscovered, and then lived out of. This larger life of love is your deepest truth and reality—it is your deepest identity. It alone will set you free from your suffering and bring you into the light of a new day filled with new love and hope. 

Realizing this hope is best done with the company of others. My friends in the Parish of the Resurrection’s Addictions Recovery Groups regularly refer to the importance of “people, places, and things.” If the company we are keeping, or the places we are going, or the things we are doing are not deepening loving connection and hope, then we need to hang around with new people, in new places, doing new things—whether virtually or in person. A healthy church (and there are healthy churches out there!) that is open to, and is leaning into a deeper love and hope would be worth finding and participating in. It could help bring you more hope and deeper love in a COVID-19 restricted world.

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