Submitted by Rev. Sheryl Spencer
I’ve decided that moving is like giving birth: excruciating when you’re in the midst of it, but worth it in the end. At the beginning of November, I moved from Mount Forest, where I have been the minister at Mount Forest and Woodland United churches for almost a decade, to the peninsula. About twelve hours before the moving truck was to arrive, I was Done – not as in finished and prepared, but as in Capital D – I cannot do any more sorting and packing. I have had enough. Done. But somehow, everything got on the truck and off it – except my iron, which I can’t find anywhere, and maybe that’s a sign…
And though the learning curve has been steep – new home, new geography, new position – yes, it has been worth it. Like the night I got out of my car and looked up and was enveloped by a black sky filled with the most stars I’ve ever seen. Like when I went for a little hike after work one day and found myself staring out on Georgian Bay, just as flat and calm and silent as anything. I live here, I said to myself. How did that happen?
I’ve been coming up here for thirty years – to camp and hike at Cyprus Lake and Neyaashiinigmiing; to spend holiday and retreat time at my friend’s cottage at Dyers Bay; and to visit my friend, Brad Inglis, the former minister at Tobermory United. The peninsula has been a treasured and sacred place for me and my family to visit. Now, with humility and gratitude, I seek to make it my home and feel called to help uphold the sacredness of this unique part of the world.
With every transition, however, even when it’s to a good thing, there is grief. There are things I left behind in Mount Forest – dear friends, beloved congregants, knowing how to do things and access information (and, I guess, my iron) — and there are moments when that grief comes to the surface, and I just have to sit with it for a bit, say hello, acknowledge it and be gentle with myself. For grief, I have learned, is not something to set aside till later. Grief has its own terms, and we must abide by them, not the other way around.
Longest Night Service Dec 21
This is why I am so glad that Tobermory United will be offering a Longest Night service on December 21, a service that seeks to hold and comfort those who are grieving or weary. On this special night, the Solstice, the longest night of the year, all are invited to light candles and to find peace in the quiet accompaniment of music, prayer and other souls. The service is at 7:00pm, but the outdoor labyrinth will be lit with luminaries, and you are welcome to walk it starting at 6:30pm.
Just thinking about this service, I find myself taking a big, deep breath. And that’s a good thing…
Rev. Sheryl Spencer is the minister at Tobermory United Church.
