Happy Easter! The birds are chirping once again, a joyful sign of the Easter season being upon us. A time of resurrection, renewal and new life, Easter always inspires me to embrace the unexpected and welcome in newness, however it may manifest in my life. While winter has me leaning into notions of hibernation and rest, this time of year energizes me; the longer days and warmer weather envokes a more restless desire to act, to pursue.
Lately, I’ve been contemplating how I can perhaps direct this energy constructively. What are some actions I can take, or habits I can pick up, to renew my commitment to care for creation as the earth continues to wake up? How can I renew and strengthen my relationship with others and further foster those connections? What are some new ways in which I can show up for my community?
This issue, our feature explores some of the ways in which our congregations and members are showing up for their community, in the way of addressing barriers to full participation that some people in our church face. Across the ELCIC, people are creatively working to ensure the inclusion of all abilities in various facets of church life. Perhaps these stories will serve as inspiration to you and your congregations to consider the barriers to participation that exist in your church communities, big and small, and prompt reflection on ways in which these barriers can be addressed.
“When we cultivate such attention and intention, accessibility becomes less about accommodation and more about communion, a practical, creative and shared expression of life together in God’s grace, where people of all abilities feel they matter and belong,” Rev. Dr. Daranne Harris reflects in the feature.
We may have varying abilities, yet still we are all one Body, in Christ. Rev. Nadine Schroeder-Kranz explores Jesus’ call for inclusion further in this issue’s Bible Study, which compliments the feature and further inspires reflection on the topic.
As we approach the ELCIC Day of Action, on May 31, I’m sure many of you are also contemplating ways in which you and your congregations can engage in service to your communities. I encourage you all to participate in the Day of Action, and I am excited to see all the wonderful works of service and outreach that emerges from this day.
With service to all of our communities in mind, one small way you can serve your church community is by gifting your congregation a congregational subscription, if your congregation does not already have one! Giving the gift of access to Canada Lutheran allows individuals to engage further with the church on a national level, and works to foster a sense of community across the entire ELCIC. The stories we shareenable individuals and congregations to feel connected with, and inspired by, other individuals and congregations—hundreds or thousands of kilometeres away. We are all in ministry together, and sharing the gift of connection is such a valuable gift. The more we are connected, the more we can learn from each other, and the more we can grow together!
If you would like to learn more about congregational subscriptions, please visit: https://canadalutheran.ca/subscribe/ .
I encourage you all to participate in the Day of Action, and my prayers of encouragement are with all of you who are working hard to organize and facilitate the Day within your own congregations. I am excited to see all the wonderful work that emerges from this initiative!
Sarah Malina
Editor
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