ACW members enjoy Quiet Day
The Diocesan ACW annual Quiet Day was a chance for about two dozen members to gather, share, read, pray, sing, worship and enjoy each other’s company.
It was held Sept. 4 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in the Parish of Wicklow, Wilmot, Peel and Aberdeen in Florenceville-Bristol. The day’s theme was God’s Glory Portrayed In Nature. The Rev. Bob LeBlanc led the service of Holy Eucharist, which began the day and provided the music.
Bob based his homily on Matthew 6:25-34, which begins: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?...”
“So much is going on in the world — hurricanes, mass shootings, protests in Hong Kong. How can we not be affected by what’s going on in the world?” he asked. “But God says ‘don’t worry. I am in control. I still call the shots.’”
But there are big questions, ‘why’ being the biggest, he said, and they are difficult to answer.
“What’s God going to do about it? But God asks us, ‘what are you going to do about it?’”
Bob listed the many ways worry affects health: productivity, mood, behaviour, and the level of trust we put in God.
“The same Creator of the universe can be trusted with the details of your life,” he said.
At the end of the service, Bob led a sing-song, which was much enjoyed by the members.
The day’s events include a quiet time for members to choose a devotional book from the large selection available and spend about 30 minutes reading, meditating and praying.
Lunch was a delicious affair of corn chowder, chicken soup, biscuits and cakes, put on by ladies of the parish.
After lunch, the group walked a few blocks to the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery to view exhibitions by Maria Doering and Dawn Steeves. Members enjoyed the gallery tour and admired the many pieces of art on display.
The day wrapped up with a devotional meditation by the Rev. Canon Bonnie LeBlanc of the Parish of Stanley.
She described herself as an extrovert on the extreme end of the scale, but “even extroverts retreat,” she said. “There are times to ‘be still and know that I am God.’”
She led the group through a reflection on the morning homily, through nature and God’s care of it, encouraging members, with eyes closed, to be in the moment — to feel, smell, see and experience God’s glory in nature.
Everyone thanked the parish organizers Lois Bramley and Wilma Inman and helpers for hosting. The morning’s collection of $195 was earmarked for Christmas outreach in the parish.
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
1. ACW members check the label on a work of art at the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery.
2. Lois Bramley does a reading during the service.
3. ACW members used the large array of devotional books available to spend some quiet time in prayer and meditation.
4. The Rev. Canon Bonnie LeBlanc, standing, was a guest speaker. The Rev. Bob LeBlanc, sitting, led the service.