Hey folks – I’m sending this out earlier than usual because it contains an important and timely personal note from a member of our community, and I wanted you to be aware of it as soon as possible.

For most of the folks receiving this email, Kathy Francis is someone you know. For many, she is much more than that – a friend, a confidant, an indefatigable encourager, a “pastor without portfolio”, an integral part of the “family” of The Table. Kathy sent me the following email yesterday afternoon, and asked me to share it with the community.

As follows:

Please do take a moment today to hold Kathy and her family in your prayers, and continue to do so over the coming days.

Other details:

We are meeting at Pantages this week. For those of you that were at our gathering at HepCat Studios last week, your feedback about that venue as a possible alternative when we can’t get Pantages is welcome. You can respond by replying to this email, or (of course) in person when we are together.

Talky Bit – this coming weekend is when the Canadian calendar marks Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is, of course, not just an event. It’s an attitude, a frame of mind, and also a focal point for action. It’s the action apart I want to explore a bit this Sunday. The news cycle this week has been overwhelmed with the violent events in Las Vegas and Edmonton, as well as the wider world. We need to have those in mind. The wounds of these sort of events are literal as well as existential – they bring us up short and prompt us to wonder what sort of beings we are, that both beauty and terror could issue from us. They might also give us cause to wonder how we should act in a world where these sorts of things happen. Thanksgiving (of all things!) can provide us with a helpful entry point for exploring that question.

Peace,

Tim Plett