This Spring at The Table…

Today is the first day of spring, and this year that feels believable! It’s also, according to Google, the International Day of Happiness.  (Who comes up with this stuff?!) For my part, I’ve found it easy to enjoy the early warmth, and the idea of everyone being happy for a day…well, that one I’m a bit stuck on.

I’m stuck because although it sounds lovely, I know too many people for whom it’s not going to happen. For them, the chance of a whole day of happiness is more remote than a total eclipse (which also happened today, in some places). So how do we live well in world that is a “mixed bag”, a sometimes ad hoc collection of happiness and sadness, of things that make us smile and things that make us weep, all stirred in together?

If I thought that question had a singular answer, I would broadcast it to the world. That said, I believe there are things we can learn and things we can do to live as better human beings day by day, whether we find ourselves in joyful circumstances or challenging ones. At the top of that list is caring for one another. And I think close behind that comes making things. Yep…I believe that we’re “made to be makers”. What we make is as unique as we are, but in order to make the world a better place we need to share whatever it is we’re making.

This week, as a part of our continued commitment to Lent=not in a rut, Jaymie Friesen is going to share some of her songs with us, punctuated by a bit of a conversation with me about the genesis of those songs. Jaymie’s music, as you’ll discover if you don’t already know, is part of what she makes and shares with the world. It draws deeply on the complex mixture of joy and sadness I’ve just been talking about. I’m looking forward to this!

Things to tell your phone to remind you about:

Easter Sunday – (April 5th): We’ll meet at 9:30 for to have breakfast together (more details to follow), then gather for a celebration that will include a parent/child dedication.

May 24th – our last Sunday morning gathering before we switch to Wednesday evenings for the summer. This will also be a “Souper Sunday”, and a parent/child dedication.

September 13th – our first Sunday back to a.m. gatherings, and a picnic! Details will follow.

And it’s a Kid’s Table Sunday! Upcoming Kid’s Table dates are April 19th, and May 3rd, 17th and 24th.

See you Sunday!

Peace,

Tim Plett