I've been a member of Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) all my life, but yesterday was a first for me. Before yesterday, I'd never attended an ordination service for a young adult, and it wasn't until I was in the midst of live-streaming it and leading the congregational support portion of the service that I realized it was happening. 

There's something deeply moving about anyone accepting a call...whatever that call may be. It could be deciding to move closer to home to help an ill parent or loved one. It could be the fulfillment of a dream that you've worked so hard to achieve. It could be a lot of things, and in this single case...it is a lot of things. Accepting a call to the priesthood is like asking for daily - perhaps even hourly - disturbances to your everyday life rhythm as a true servant to others. It isn't a status that suddenly denotes respect, and it certainly isn't going to get you a raise.

Watching someone in their twenties accept a call was moving, because it is probably one of the most selfless things a person can do..and let's face it, when we're in our twenties...we aren't always terribly selfless, am I right? The community came together to celebrate this call as well with lots of cake, singing, laughter, tears, and testimonies of support for this call. Family members drove in, secular friends made a point to attend, and the congregation smiled. This call has been a long time coming - we heard that several times from several different people. I'm very grateful that Caitlin said 'yes' when she was ready. She is going to be an incredible priest. 

Caitlin saying 'yes' will be one of those moments in my "Community of Christ life" that I'll likely never forget.

​If you missed the service, I've uploaded the live broadcast to YouTube and included it below. ​

One of my favourite things about Community of Christ is our connection as a worldwide community. This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to participate in Generation Now's* first monthly get together. Being from Ontario, I was nervous to come all the way out west only knowing a few people. My friends Caitlin and Parker invited me to the trail ride. I had never been on a horse before but I jumped on the opportunity to meet other members of the church and those within the Calgary community. Generation now focuses on developing friendships throughout the community and gives those friendships the opportunity to bloom into the church community. I am very grateful for the time that I was able to share with so many new friends through this program. I am excited to see how it evolves.

*For more information on Generation Now, click here.

​Canada West Mission Conference was remarkably eye opening for me. As someone from another faith, coming into this gathering was a challenge, and even more so as the partner of the newly ordained priest, Dylan. However, it was a joy and a privilege to partake and be accepted. From the classes, the singalongs, and the youth activities, to simply sharing meals together, it was a touching weekend.

Particularly striking to me was the atmosphere. It wasn't truly a conference, but a retreat, filled with spirituality, music and laughter. I loved every song with Jan, in and out of her classes, and continue to find myself singing prouder since her teaching techniques and encouragement. Her concert with Edith Wallace (www.edithwallacemusic.com) was magical as well, as was the outdoor show with Vancouver's own Seabillys (www.theseabillys.com)! The musical talent in that building was breathtaking.

​My only regret for the weekend is that we couldn't have stayed longer. I'd like to genuinely thank everyone involved in the conference from the bottom of my heart, because I feel like we truly all drew that circle wider. Hope to be able to see you all next year.

​I experienced the feeling that many Community of Christ members describe upon arriving in a new congregation. Some describe it as a sense of belonging, or an instant family connection, or even as if they’d been there before. I like to describe it as the way the world should be. Roaming the world is hard enough alone, but knowing that you can walk through the doors of our church’s buildings in a foreign city/country and be immediately welcomed is invaluable. Before I knew it, I was enveloped by seemingly familiar people – laughing, talking, and sharing around food (my favourite). It was only the next day that I realized I never even knew their names…we just knew one another.

Has this ever happened to you in Community of Christ? In all my travels, I’ve never encountered another community like this one…and I, for one, am incredibly grateful to be a part of it.

This has happened to me in countries around the globe, in neighbouring cities, and in this case, a neighbouring province. I walked through the door and familiar iconography greeted me: the church sign out front sparked an immediate sense of calm, the smell was homey, and the faces oddly familiar.

Only my second Canada West Mission (CWM) Conference, I was blown away by the diversity of the congregational representatives (delegates) in attendance. We had members from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, as well as church leaders from Ontario and Independence, Missouri, USA. What stood out to me this year was the music…it was electrifying! The Vancouver congregation is known for its musical abilities, and now having visited personally, I can attest to this!

I spent a great deal of time with young adults from the area throughout the weekend – sharing meals together on-site, visiting the nearby Richmond Night Market, and singing and voting alongside them in the sanctuary during legislative sessions and services. As usual, I was impressed by their decorum, their interest in the process, and the energy and gifts they bring to this diverse community.
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Jan Kraybill was our guest minister and she shared her wonderful musical skill with us throughout the weekend and during a one-day workshop on how to incorporate music into worship. ​

I hope to see you at our next Canada West Mission Centre Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan!

Admittedly, as I drove out into the foothills to view the solar eclipse today it became evident that I had not done my homework. While en route, I asked, “Eclipses don’t last that long, right? Like what…half an hour, maybe?” Jahnelle laughed and said, “Two and a half hours from start to finish…beginning at 10:20 a.m.” “Oh,” I said. “That’s substantial.” Rewind to last night when I asked what time at night the eclipse started. Obviously, science and space are not my forte, but more importantly, today's eclipse was a reminder that I am not always able to see things in their entirety through my own eyes. 

9:45 a.m.
We positioned our lawn chairs facing opposite the sun on the bank of the Elbow River in Kananaskis Provincial Park, complete with a 20-pack of assorted Tim Bits, coffee, and water…and we waited. We were early, but prepared. Jahnelle put together two pinhole cameras for us the night before, and we were eager to test them out. Likely operator error, they didn’t end up helping much at all. While we waited for whatever was about to happen, we talked about just how big it was going to be. We both expected that the local news, by stating 80% coverage, meant 80% darkness, and, while absolutely oblivious to any science or space-related information, we most certainly knew not to look directly at the sun, because that would clearly result in a SciFi-inspired zombie experience resulting in 100% blindness and lots of blood. We figured we knew enough.

10:45 a.m.
As we waited, we skipped rocks, sang some hymns and campfire songs, and commented on how clear the water in the river was. We used Snapchat to try to look at the sun over our shoulders, but ultimately grumbling each time because the sun still looked like a perfect circle. Couples and young families, complete with their dogs, began showing up and setting up viewing areas near the same bend in the river. Facing away from the sun with faulty pinhole cameras…we really had no clue what was happening behind us, but we were certainly not going to look. Time ticked by, and the colour of the light surrounding us was noticeably different. It wasn’t quite sepia tone, but I’d equate it to maybe buying a cheap pair of blue sunglasses at WalMart. We noticed that much.

We continued to skip rocks and began commenting on just how chilly it was getting. Jahnelle put on another jacket, and I started jumping up and down to warm up. “Weird,” we said. “Didn’t think about how the sun being blocked out might impact the air temperature.” Aside from the blue sunglasses filter and the cooler temperatures, I really wasn’t impressed.

11:30 a.m. (remember…the eclipse has now reached 80%)
A man’s dog approached us – Abby was her name…a standard poodle – and while we pet her, I safely stored the Tim Bits out of reach. Busily tending to Abby, the owner handed Jahnelle a pair of eclipse glasses and said that he’d noticed we were without. We thanked him and asked, “Can you see anything yet?” (idiotic, I know) “Oh, yes!” he replied, as if to insinuate that he knew something we didn’t. And he did. We put the glasses on and saw a sliver of the sun…blotted out (apparently 80%) by the moon. It was happening, and we weren’t even aware! But seeing it through the filter gave us a new lens to see the event, and it changed everything. The moon…the sun…they were nearly in sync with one another millions of miles away…and I could feel it. The goosebumps I’d been complaining about were my body telling me that the sun was no longer sending all of its powerful rays hurdling towards the Earth. The blue sunglasses filter was my eyes telling me that the majority of the sun’s light was being blocked by a large mass orbiting Earth.

HOW IN THE WORLD COULD I HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED?!

We stared in awe (with the filter obviously) and carefully took photos of what we could see, and then packed the car up and headed back into the city. As I reflect on what happened this morning, I am reminded of the Chris Rice song, “Hallelujah.” My aunt used to sing this song sometimes on Sunday at church, and it always gave me goosebumps. Its words are filled with detailed imagery that I can’t quite get out of my head…just like the connection I finally made when I saw the eclipse through the viewing glasses.
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I hope I can hold the image of the sun and moon in my mind for years to come as I continue to seek perspective and understanding in our world.

After watching a video (below) about the similarities in gardening and one’s life, the scripture above resonated with us all. In order to have a holistic life you need to tend to the many needs in one’s life. The same as when you plant a garden. Our soil needs to be open to awakening the life within the seed. We are the soil that needs to be open and receptive to new life in our midst.