The Unitarian minister A. Powell Davies once said, “life is a chance to grow a soul.” He didn’t mean something out-of-this-world, but rather an experience rooted in the reality of the here-and-now.
The work of growing our souls, with intention and care, is the high calling of our faith and the purpose of our congregation. It is the work we undertake, together, when we gather on Sundays, when we engage in meaningful dialogue, when we tend the sacred bonds that knit our lives with others and the great web of being. It happens at potluck dinners and committee meetings, while tending the grounds of our campus, and while marching together for justice.
And it is work we undertake whenever we choose to be generous with our resources in support of those things we most cherish. It is by such transformative acts that a soul is grown. It is through such dedication that “we build the common good and make our own days glad,” to quote one of my favourite hymns.
On April 14th, we will launch our annual campaign to seek financial and volunteer support for the future well-being of our congregation. I would ask, between now and then, that you consider what it would mean for you to make a principled commitment to VanU for the coming year.
To ask what it would take for your giving—of your money, your time, yourself—to be truly transformative? To wonder and to respond to this chance to grow your soul by investing in this community of memory and hope.
With excitement for our future,
Shawn
Sunday services coming up in April
April 7th – Kiersten Moore: “Growing Up and Growing Whole”
Kiersten Moore, our Director of Lifespan Faith Development, will reflect on the stages of faith development as we move through the seasons of life.
April 14th – Rev. Shawn Gauthier: “Investing in Our Future”
Over the past few years, the congregation has focussed a great deal on who it is and who it aspires to become. In this service, Rev. Shawn will invite us to consider how much of ourselves—through the work of our hearts and hands (and our resources)—we are willing to invest in our congregation to make those dreams come true.
April 21st – Councillor Christine Boyle: “A Celebration of Earth Day”
Vancouver City Councillor Christine Boyle and the Environment Team come together to reflect on the challenges we face and the hopes we carry, as we celebrate the earth and the interdependent web of life, of which we are a part.
April 28th – Rev. Shawn Gauthier: “The Wheels on the Bus”
In this service, Rev. Gauthier will reflect on the possibility of finding deep joy and enduring meaning, even in the mundane stuff of life.