Hey folks – sorry I had to miss the movie last week. Frankly, the thought of having to follow A Charlie Brown Christmas is daunting. Plus there was popcorn. I know, because I saw the photos of someone vacuuming. But sometimes, truth is every bit as intriguing as fiction. This week in the Talky Bit (which will be more of a “listen-y bit”), we’re going to finish off our community conversation about our own transformative journeys. If you’ve been tracking along at all, we’re down to the final two questions – What have your transformative experiences given you, and what do you now have to share with others? To put it into seasonal vernacular, what gift(s) do you carry with you all the time that might be just what someone else needs? That’s all I’ll say about that – the rest can be said by the gathered community.

Money first. We’ve received a generous donation from outside of the community which means we will end the year “in the black”. That’s very good news, as the last few month have been somewhat tenuous in this regard. However, (and this might sound a bit odd if it’s not something you usually think about), as goes year-end giving, so goes summer finances. The reality of money matters at The Table is that in the summer, donations tend to dwindle to a trickle. Climate change, perhaps. In any case, our operating costs don’t change when the weather warms up so that’s a problem. Your kind and generous gifts now, at year end, are what will help us meet our obligations in the dry times. Thanks for keeping that in mind, and to all of you that give regularly a huge THANK YOU! from the Leadership Team, and from me personally. I love what we get to make together…

Christmas party – This year’s Christmas gathering will take place on the evening of Sunday, December 23rd. We will NOT be gathering that morning…only in evening. We’ll share a meal together at 6:00 p.m. and then get the program underway around 7:00 (more about that shortly). The meal will be potluck, with The Table providing a couple of hams (actual ones, to eat) and perogies. I’m not sure how that got started, but now it’s “tradition”, and goodness knows the trouble we’ll get in if we mess with tradition!  🙂  If you want to prepare one of the hams (The Table will buy them) just let me know and I’ll make arrangements to get the ham to you.

The Christmas Program – this year we’re going to hear from one another. A poem, a story, a reading, a drawing, a song, a picture / video clip…what comes to mind when you think about what Christmas means or evokes for you? It doesn’t have to have any particular emotional “tone”. Christmas isn’t tinsel and giggles for everyone. Sometimes it’s wondrous and joyful, sometimes it’s complicated or sad. My hope is that we can share those things with one another and experience a “fuller orb” of the meaning of Christmas together. We’ll also sing some carols, of course. Not singing some carols would be up there with not having ham and perogies. Riots might ensue. If you’ve got something you would be willing to share, let me know and I’ll put the pieces together.

Location – I’m going to stop announcing our location unless there is a change. Creative Manitoba is looking reasonably stable at the moment, and the weeks when we are NOT there are the exception. We should know about those kind of situations at least two weeks in advance, in which case I’ll keep everyone posted.

I think that’s it for now. Thanks for keeping your inbox open to these updates, and for showing up in person to keep your mind and heart open. Exploring what we believe is an important aspect of a life well-lived, and I’m so glad to share that journey with all of you.

I’ll see you on Sunday.

Peace,

Tim Plett