To the people of St. Margaret in-the-Pines,
We are now fully into the third wave of the pandemic and I must admit I have been caught completely off-guard by it. I naively thought we were through the worst and with only a little more patience we would soon be through it. Sadly, I was wrong. Instead of looking at things slowly opening up we have strict stay-at-home orders. This is hard.
To pretend things aren’t hard though, isn’t the answer. We are called to love one another by staying apart, but even though we must remain apart doesn’t mean that we are alone.
This Sunday we celebrate the reality of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. We celebrate and give thanks that the God revealed in Jesus does not abandon us to deal with the cares and concerns we carry with us all by ourself, but comes to us to “shepherd” us, to lead us through whatever valley of shadow we find ourselves in. To say God is our shepherd in Jesus does not mean we will not encounter hardship and pain, but is to remember that the risen Jesus shows up time and again in the midst of our time of need, to accompany us, and to lead us with His rod and His staff through these valleys into new life.
I need a good shepherd. I need Jesus to hear my need for Him and to lead me through this valley. Maybe you do as well. One of the ways Jesus shepherds us is by letting us bring our needs to Him. And so I encourage you to submit to me priest@stmargaretinthepines.ca any prayer concerns you may have and as a church we will pray for you. We will do this by naming you (first name only) in the prayers of the people every Sunday. We also have a prayer team who will pray for you daily. Whatever you share with me will remain confidential and your name will only be added to the Sunday prayers with your consent, but I encourage you to cast your cares upon our God in public worship, allowing the church to uphold you in prayer and the Good Shepherd to lead you through these difficult times.
Easter Blessings,
Andrew Kaye+