Minister's Message for Monday, July 7th
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Rev Alison Mock
Jul 7, 2025, 8:02:03 AMJul 7
to ykuc...@googlegroups.com
Dear YKUC Friends:
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I hope you are all enjoying July in the north! In Ontario, we have been enduring yet another heat wave. Karen Wilford and Peter Harte were in town this past weekend, and we showed them a true Toronto good time, broiling away in the Rogers Centre watching the Blue Jays. The downside: it felt like 38C. The upside: the Jays continued their win streak! I'll be tuned in watching the game tonight, for sure!
Things in my life continue to be busy as I care for my mother and work to get some support in place for both my parents in advance of my father's homecoming. It looks like my dad will be discharged from the rehab hospital on Wednesday, but his mobility is still quite limited and he'll need help at home. If you have any questions about the Ontario Health at Home system, I think I have a PhD in the lingo! Living with my mother for a month has been tiring, and certainly hard on the emotions, but it's an honour to care for her, and I'm grateful to have had this time with her.
I have to say that I've been loving video-preaching. Having spent the COVID pandemic working in funeral services rather than the church, I am one of the only ministers I know who didn't have to learn virtual worship until now, and I wasn't sure how it would feel to talk into a camera - but the results have been pretty good. I love feeling connected to you in this way. Here are the sermons from the last two weeks:
Thank you to Karen W and Suzanne N.L for leading these two services!
This Sunday, we're going to have the first of two "Wassail" services (where the focus is hymn-singing rather than talking), happening on July 13th and 20th. Marie Wilson will be our worship leader, along with the ivory-tickling talents of Peter Workman. Why are we having two wassail services, you ask? We are going to celebrate both the old and the new, when it comes to favourite hymns:
July 13th: "Gimme That Old Time Religion" - this is a chance to sing some of the really old hymns that we do not really sing at all, anymore. Depending on where and when you grew up, these might be hymns from your childhood or your parents' childhoods, hymns that are in "the old blue book" or hymns you know from bluegrass or gospel traditions. The words reflect a theology that many of us have left behind, but does that mean we should abandon them? I know these hymns from singing them at seniors' homes, and I've come to understand how much value there is in the words and music that transcends memory. We're going to sing and reflect on these meaningful golden oldies. Do you have one you love? Send it my way!
July 20th: "Raves and Faves" - this will be a more traditional wassail service, where you are encouraged to bring along a current favourite, and share a few words about why you love it. I'm going to send my all-time fave, and we are also going to learn a couple of soon-to-be favourites from the new United Church hymn supplement, Then Let us Sing. These times are always special, please join us.
Finally, let's catch up live on Wednesday, at a Virtual Manse. If you are near an internet source at 5:30 Mountain Time, join me online to visit and check in with one another. Bring a cup of tea or a glass of wine, along with whatever's going on in your life these days. Here's the link:
I hope to see you, virtually or in person, sooner than later. Thinking of you all.
Cheers,
Alison
Rev. Alison Mock
Minister, Yellowknife United Church
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