"Are you the one to come,
or should we look for someone else?" Luke 7:20
We are overwhelmed by climate anxiety,
saddened by wars and drought,
by illnesses and lack of medicine,
by a shortage of homes and shelters,
by a lack of welcome to those who are different.
Are you the one?
Can you really save us from all of this? 
 
We are tired from our own efforts,
our attempts to make a difference in the world,
our efforts to change people's minds,
to advocate for safety in bike lanes and public transit,
for compassion for those who are different,
for affordable food and housing.
Are you the one?
Do our efforts really matter?

"And these are the things you have seen with your own eyes
and heard with your own ears: 
The blind can see again, the lame can walk,
the ones with skin disease have been healed and ceremonially cleansed!
Ears that cannot hear have been opened
and the poor have been told the good story!
Even the dead have come back to life again!” Luke 7:22

But have we really seen or heard it?
And is what we have seen and heard, really you,
or are we trying to put a quick fix on complex situations?

How often are we not guilty of thinking of healing as a magic trick, 
looking for quick cures that will make us feel more comfortable?
How much do we not have yet to learn from people, like Amy Kenny?
"Instead of desperately trying to cure all disabilities,
the church should do the slow 
and difficult work of healing the surrounding society
by tearing down spaces, practices, and mindsets,
that are inaccessible to disabled people,
even when those spaces are inside the church itself." 
My Body is not a Prayer Request, pages 13-14

“Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who do not stumble
and leave the path because of me.” Luke 7:23
Perhaps it is only in learning how to walk with a limp,
like Jacob once had to learn (Genesis 32:22-32),
that we learn to walk the path that leads to you,
and that we recognize that you are the one, Jesus, 
the one who can save us and the world.


Join us on Tuesday as we continue our season of looking at how we understand God. We will spend some time in silence and read the texts mentioned above, Isaiah 61 and Luke 7:18-23. 

As always, we have a great group of people participating in the service:
Robert is writing our prayers, 
Deb is leading the music,
Alicia is bringing bread,
and I'm leading us in the Eucharist.
If you'd like to help out by reading the Scripture, please let Brenda know by replying to this email.

The service is on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at Trinity College Chapel. (Enter using the main doors of Trinity College and then turn left down the hallway to the Chapel. We'll be in the side chapel).

I hope to see you there.

Living with hope,
Brenda Kronemeijer-Heyink
CRC Chaplain at the University of Toronto 


Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We've been posting weekly highlights from our services there as well as on our website. 

Sign up by January 11! Silent Retreat on Saturday, January 21: Looking for some calm, quiet space in the midst of your busy life? Interested in a time of listening to God in a beautiful and holy place? Join members of the GCF and WBB communities at a one-day silent retreat at the Anglican Convent, a short bus ride/walk from Finch Station. The cost is $55 which includes two coffee breaks and a hot lunch. Bursaries available. Want more information or to register? Connect with Carol or Brenda/

Reading Group on My Body is not a Prayer Request: We're hosting a book group on Amy Kenny's book on disability justice in the church. We'll meet 2-3 times over the semester, choosing a time that works for all those who'd like to participate. Let Brenda know if you're interested in joining us and would like a copy of the book.

Ecumenical Reading Group: Resisting Extractives Thursday Evenings in January Organizers from the Student Christian Movement, KAIROS, and Development and Peace are looking at Joan Kuyek’s Unearthing Justice: How to Protect Your Community from the Mining Industry. The reading group will focus on chapter 4, “Mining and Colonialism on Turtle Island”, and chapters 18-21 in the “How to Put Mining in Its Place” section. Meetings are 7-8 p.m. on Thursday evenings at the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Toronto. Follow up activities include a webinar on February 16 featuring partners from the Global South with first-hand experience with Canadian-based mining companies, and two planning sessions on February 23 and March 2 to prepare for a demonstration at the Prospectors and Developers of Canada (PDAC) conference. There is no cost for the reading group. Snacks will be provided. All students and young adults welcome. Invite your friends! Sign up here: bit.ly/ERG2023

Graduate Christian Fellowship on Thursdays at 7 p.m.: If you are a grad student or post-doc at UofT, you are invited to join other grad students, post-docs, and recent grads to have deep conversations about faith and scholarship, the Bible and society, relationships and calling. For more information, contact Brenda.