Submitted by Brad Inglis
Well it feels like this third wave has come and bit us on the bee-hind. Stay at home orders, illnesses ramping up and Jesus didn’t even see his shadow this year!
It was another Easter in a virtually empty church but somehow spring waits for no one. The daffodils continue to push their heads through the earth, the primrose blooms are starting to unfold their colours and sooner rather than later, the blackflies will be here. One good thing about wearing a mask is that I don’t have to pull blackflies out of my teeth. If we really look hard, we can always find the silver lining in anything – another word for that is, hope.
Hope springs eternal. Hope is what will carry us through. That and the fact that vaccines have started to flow here on the peninsula and folks at the Golden Dawn have even had the two required shots. This means that we are one step closer to finding our new normal. But having said that, we still can be carriers of the virus, so we aren’t out of the woods yet. Vigilance continues to be the word of the day, even when it feels like hugs are in high demand.
I believe that we are looking more intently at each other’s faces these days. Really looking to the messages that our eyes are sending, the nod of the head and yes the wrinkles around the eyes from squinting smiles. Not focusing so much on what someone is wearing, the colour of their skin or whether their hair has been cut, but looking to see the story behind the mask. While sales in lipstick have gone down, we are learning to better read the expressions of one another and seeing our own humanity reflected in the face of those we meet, knowing that the playing field has been evened and we are all in this together.
And that is why we look forward to anything that is out of routine. Penny Hellyer even went and got her other hip replaced because she was tired of looking at Fred all winter. She was glad for a change of scenery.
Chicken BBQ Postponed
I’m sorry to report that we have had to postpone the spring Chicken Barbecue. The new date is Wednesday May 26th. We have sold well over 200 tickets already and anyone who turned down Vi Adams the first time she called, be ready with another excuse because she will be calling again. There are still lots of tickets available and it will be a lovely treat when the Stay at Home Order is lifted. You can order and pay for your tickets online by e-transfer treasurer.tobermoryunitedchurch@eastlink.com or call 519-596-2227.
Free Community Dinner Coming Soon
Keep your eyes open for news about an upcoming Free Community Dinner hosted by the four local churches in Tobermory. Usually we host this event that we like to call To The Tub With Love in January, but this year it will be in May.
It will be a drive thru event with the help of a food truck. Folks from Miller Lake to Tobermory will be issued tickets so that you can come out and have a free meal as a way of the churches saying thank you! Thank you for your patience over the past year, for being kind, for reaching out to one another, thank you to those who have worked front line even when we have been locked down, thank you for your support. Keep your eyes open for date so you can join us and pick up dinner.
…and yes, the Thrift Shop will open Friday May 21st – all being well!
Brad Inglis is the minister at Tobermory United Church. He can be reached at binglis2@me.com
www.tobermoryunited.ca
519-596-2821 (Home)
519-824-0268 (Cell)
