 Walter reflects on being continually reminded of how important it is for our healing and wholeness to have the courage to ‘bear honest witness to our experience’ – which, as Jesus says, ‘sets us free.’ He also tells barely relevant stories of his trip with a few irrelevant pictures.
Walter shares how it’s possible to settle our troubled hearts if we find our refuge – and how one of his has been the Celtic Liturgy service. But there are so many more possible!
This morning, after a windy cold weekend, Walter shared a talk on the homelessness of Jesus and the type of vulnerability and willingness to leave home that is a part of being his follower.
On New Year’s Day, we had a “combined service”: we used the Celtic liturgy from the early service and added a beautiful song by Ray Funk during communion followed by a short homily by Walter Thiessen in which he invited us to consider “compassionate curiosity” as a phrase for the year.
Walter used the painting that arrived recently from Krista Heide to talk about our commitment to being “rooted in the way of Jesus.” The powerpoint shows some pictures from the SSU week at Camp Chiputneticook, which Walter used as an example of the importance of rootedness and commitment.
After Peter’s talk last week about “Seeking first the kingdom,” Walter explored another of the simple, foundational understandings of our faith in affirming the “fruit of the Spirit.” He talked about how slowing down and being reminded of our human mortality can help us make room for the Spirit.
Walter Thiessen explores the role that the church has played in
helping people to make a new start and hit a re-set button, including
the need to let go of things that can be like a death.
Walter begins with how his work
on the Reconciliation Studies program has centred “truth-telling” and
then reflects on how the church can be an example of truth-telling.
Walter Thiessen explores the response of the elder brother in the Prodigal Son story, as well as the father’s invitation. If everything is ours, including relationships with the father, why don’t we celebrate? (It was pretty interactive, and so apologies for all the bits you can’t hear on the recording…)
Walter Thiessen recalls how important it is for us to find meaningful, familiar and emotionally rich things to hold onto even as we need to keep using our heads about “letting go” of the systemic problems that get in the way of institutions and traditions being compassionate and just. He ended with a loose paraphrase of the “armour of God” that you can download.