The Washington Post asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.  Some winners are: 
 -Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
   -Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
   - Karmageddon (n): It's like, when everybody is sending off all these Really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
   - Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.   
 
 Would any of you in St Aidan’s Blogland like to have a go at this?  Send new definitions to the office!
  
Here are some really bad examples:
 Garglantuan  (adj)     a huge trill in the throat that tenors do before the Big Sing.
 Litterall   (adj)    true garbage you might find everywhere

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There are so many uncertainties, Lord.
So many things to worry about.
People don't seem to get much better
in the way they run things,
but I believe that one day
-- although I don't want to waste my time
trying to work out when --
one day
I shall see your power and glory,
​when all things are made new.

1. Neighbourhood Prayer Walk.  A guide for going on a prayer walk was posted on this website during the week of “God’s Story Our Story” and is still available for downloading. That guide is particularly meant for people going on a planned walk—in a group. The purpose of a prayer walk is to pray for the people in the neighbourhood. It is important to conduct this walk with at least one other person both for encouragement and for protection. 

2. Walking and Praying. It is, of course, possible to pray any time and anyplace. If you are out walking simply for enjoyment or for the exercise, it is a wonderful time to pray. Rhythmic short prayers are especially good for maintaining your breathing while you’re walking. 
I especially appreciate praying the Jesus prayer while walking. For Example:
Breathe in, step, step__Lord Jesus Christ,
Breathe out, step step…Son of God, son of Mary
Breathe in, step step…Have mercy on me
Breathe out, step, step…A Sinner.
 
Some of the Celtic prayers lend themselves well to a walking rhythm:
Be above me
As high as the noonday sun
Be below me
The rock I set my feet upon
Be behind me
The wind on my left and right
Be below me
Oh circle me with your grace and light.
Na na na na na na Na na na na na na na (repeat)
(from the Lorica by Steve Bell)
 
I also pray through lists of names of my family as I walk. As I have many siblings and grandnieces and nephews, this often takes the full 45 minute walk.
I lift to you Peter and Sharon
And their children Heather & Ed, Colleen & Mike, and Owen
And their grandchildren-Nathan, Jon, Trinity
Storrie and Arlo
Et cetera, et cetera…
               
Another source of prayers is the Book of Common Prayer:
Oh Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us
Oh Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us
Oh Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world, grant us thy peace.
 
Or the Gloria:
Glory to God in the highest,
And peace to his people on earth
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Well, we're taking notes from this church who made a video to share their new protocols with the congregation post-Covid19....

View the Video on YouTube by Clicking Here

Hi!  I’m your soon-to-be garden spot in the SE corner of 274 Campbell St, but I’ll look much better than the picture! I want to give glory to the One who made me, and to give joy to people passing by, as well as St Aidan’s. Make me a Glory Corner!

But first, I need some donating, preparing and nudging.

Preparing:
*  I need a yard of black topsoil.  Some nice ladies named Jan and Margaret gave me 2 bags of garden/potting soil.  Sand or river stones might be nice too.
*  I need some strong men to dig out the weeds. (Weeds are not my friends so you’ll make me happy.)
*  A wonderful person named Carol spent hours, energy, and stamina around the lilac bush, digging up weed roots to prepare the rock garden.  Your shovels are welcome to dig up more!
*  I’d love it if you could move the little library closer to the sidewalk. It wants a post hole digger and a person digger.
*  A compost bin…. (sigh).
*  I need the lilac bush pruned and trimmed.  A great guy named Chris has started.
*  Nice people named Winston and Kathie brought rocks for my beautiful rock garden!
*  I need some creeping thyme, lemon thyme, or woolly thyme for ground cover.
*  A couple of hanging flower baskets would be pretty for the arbour, hm?

Nudging:
* When I’m all planted, I need some watering during the dry time.
​* My herbs will need water, too. (Ben made the boxes.  Isn’t he kind?)

Slowly, I will grow so everyone can enjoy me, but I’m a work in progress!
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I really want to be yours, so we can all enjoy a bit of God’s glory at St Aidan’s, along with the lovely flowers and prayer garden.  Join in!  Let Lory or Lynne know what you want to do. I’m thrilled with your offers to help!

The Celts knew “thin” spaces, where ‘the space between heaven and earth grows thin’ and where God’s presence is close enough to touch.

Christian Celts believed thin spaces were geographical locations where they felt God's presence intensely. Iona, Lindisfarne, or Santiago de Compostela were thin places for early pilgrims setting out to meet God. Today, they remain thin places for encountering God and becoming aware of His creation.

A garden, a street, a chapel, a bench in a park, a ‘prayer closet’ of any description might become a thin place where, for a nanosecond, a jolt of His grace, His lavish mercy and love become joyfully, deeply real.

Awareness of thin space is one of those “surprised by joy” encounters that God gives us at rare times. The sudden unlooked-for shot of recognition doesn’t last, nor is it meant to on this side of the membrane. Beyond the senses, thinness is promise and hope in our times of panic, trying to make sense of what’s happening around us. His Presence is the peace we cannot understand; we only gratefully receive.

“Those that look to Him are radiant/ and their faces are never ashamed [or depressed, or discouraged,  or …]” Ps. 34:5

If God is in thin places, then definitely He’s with us in “thick” places where there’s only a long grey road ahead, uncertainty, loss, fear, one foot in front of the other. What can we do? 

More than the banal “we’ll get through this”, His Holy Spirit comes alongside us, groaning our thick-space anguish. Then – ah! He makes us aware of the indescribably real Presence of God. He gives gifts without measure to share, to build up. Can we not, if privileged to inhabit His thin space, offer His kindness to others in patient prayer, live in His truth by His Gospel, unashamedly His?

We thus live out the second great commandment, bringing God due glory, determinedly committed to Him and His Body, becoming one in Him. It’s a wonderful thin space; it’s His work, and our joy.

“I’ll be with you through thick and thin” says the old promise that Jesus made, though not in those words.  His are: “ I will be with you to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20).
​
What are your thin spaces?

George Herbert, (1593-1633), was an Anglican priest and poet. Nobly born, with a brilliant mind, highly educated and musical, he chose the life of a priest. Appointed in 1629 to St Andrew’s Chapel, Bemerton, Wiltshire, he and his wife Jane cared for his parishioners. He taught, held services and wrote poetry and hymns.  Never strong, he died of consumption (TB) after only three years as a priest.

His poetry expresses his devotion to God, His Word and His Church. His principal poetic work, The Temple, moves through the church year. This is Trinity Sunday; his poem praises this mystery. Look for the “threes” throughout!
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“How do you explain a doctrine that the Christian God is one yet is also three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Here, Herbert doesn’t try to explain – he simply illustrates...”  http://www.georgeherbert.org.uk/archives/selected_work_12.html
 
'Trinity Sunday'
Lord, who hast formed me out of mud,
And hast redeemed me through thy blood
And sanctified me to do good;

Purge all my sins done heretofore:
For I confess my heavy score,
And I will strive to sin no more.

Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charity;
That I may run, rise, rest with thee.

Battir, Palestine:  a “trinity” flower?

The little SE corner of the church, where the arbour/bench, library and cupboard live, wants something new to best reflect God’s glory. Friday June 5 is World Environment Day -- what about amending that little part of our environment  to glorify and reflect God our Creator?  What about getting our hands a bit dirty and making this part of an offering of beauty and welcome for those passing by?

There are some small beginnings:  a few thyme plants, for example; the overgrown lilac pruned. But the entire area needs a new cover, and much prep.  To that end, I’m asking for a little help from my friends/sisters/brothers.

The idea is to put down creeping/wooly thyme ground cover, or at least a thyme tapestry.  A small rock garden in front of that sad, overgrown lilac at the back-lane corner.  A ‘sniff and snip’ herb garden in the corner at the junction of lane and sidewalk. (a friend is going to build some growing boxes). A vine – clematis? – for the side of the arbour – which will mean removing 4 of the bricks on the S side. Watering to establish the new plantings. Digging the weeds in the flower beds lining the church walls.

And of course the prep is all – digging out the weeds that have taken over; taking out the grass, turning it over so it eventually composts; amending the soil around the arbour and general area; lending the tools, donating some soil, etc. 

I have a complete list of needs! It won’t get done all at once, but like Creation, will be completed over time. Square foot by square foot!
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I want to thank these friends who so far have contributed:  Chris Chypyha (and his lopping tool), Kathie Smith (rocks to get the garden rolling), Margaret Friesen (chauffeuse extraordinaire), Jan Jones (soil).  Bless them, bless you, praise God for His new beauty!

If you are interested in helping, please get in touch with Lynne by emailing: [email protected].