Dear Friends,

Welcome to worship for Sunday, August 28, 2022.

The greeting for this week’s service was taken at the back of the sanctuary in front of the table where school supplies have been accumulating throughout the summer. Our Mission and Social Action Committee has been inviting us to share in this effort for several years. While we are always at the ready to help families in Charleswood who require support of this nature through our Benevolent Fund, the school supply drive has always been targeted specifically for students at Westgrove School. The reason for this has to do with the present and the past. Westgrove is located at the north end of Westdale, just down from the community pool (or the 7/11 if Slurpee’s is a better reference)

It is a large elementary school and differs from the other schools in our neighbourhood in that it is adjacent to a large Manitoba Housing Development. As a consequence, it has a higher proportion of new Canadian and English as a second language students. Our small effort makes a huge difference to the education of these students who are our neighbours in every sense of the word. Our history with Westgrove School is a long one. Members of our church community have long been supporters of this unique learning environment. And of course, no small number of children from our church programs have been students there.

There was a big push about 25 years ago to start a breakfast program at Westgrove and while the church had often been a provider of food, the late Marg Williams thought we could do better. A long-time reading volunteer, she was instrumental in telling the school that the church could do more and led the charge for us to buy a commercial dishwasher which we did in short order. Listening to Marg was always a good idea.

It has been interesting to see how many people who are not from the church, hear about and support the school supply drive. The other day a woman came in with a large bag of supplies that were clearly from the list we provide to church members. She wanted to share in the effort of helping children get a jump start on a new school year and wanted nothing in return. We are thankful for the kindness of strangers who are also our sisters and brothers in Christ.

The start of a new school year seems significant for so many of us even if it has been years or decades since we had a vested interest in the institution itself. It is a time of inestimable hope. Young people are drawn back to a community of learning in the company of educators. All things seem possible for many reasons not the least of which must be that a season of rest and re-creation precede it. Rest as a recipe for hope – good idea! What are the ‘supplies’ we need for hope to be reborn in us? Scripture provides the ‘shopping list’. Humility, patience, understanding. Respect, devotion, kindness. Generosity, mercy, acceptance. And of course, love.

May God bless all those who are set to begin a new year of learning. To students, teachers, aides, administrators, caretakers, and parents.

May all your needs be supplied.

Grace and peace,

Michael