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 Dear Friends;
Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island is a forest of Douglas Fir trees. Some of these trees are over 800 years old and grow to great heights. This forest is a protected one, having escaped the relentless logging that has scarred much of the west coast of Canada. A walk through Cathedral Grove is a walk through contrasts of light and shade, old and new, gigantic and small, which altogether creates a natural sense of awe and wonder. It really did feel like a sacred space.
Creating a new sacred space is what we as a congregation are planning to do. Reflecting on our visit to Cathedral Grove, I am reminded of how simplicity can generate such wonder, and of how God can speak to us through the everyday elements of the natural world. Much lies ahead for the Epsom URC before we can begin building, yet I am very excited by the plans that have been put before us. We have an opportunity to use some of the elements that make Cathedral Grove so beautiful to create a new sacred space for ourselves and for Epsom and for the future. As a congregation you have taken a courageous decision to carry on with the process that we hope will lead to just such a space. I know that the decision has come about with much discussion and some pain, and we can't see very far down the road just now, which can be hard to bear. Please hang in there, and keep encouraging and supporting and praying, any way you can.
Peace
Pat
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