This Is Your Church

In 1997 a certain fast-food restaurant used the slogan, “My McDonalds.” Whenever I drove past one I would say, “that’s my McDonalds!” Often, the kids and I would get into a fun debate about whose it was. Interestingly, my kids used to notice the churches we passed when traveling as easily as they noticed their favorite restaurant chains. The same fun debate ensued, “that’s my church,” “no, that’s my church.” And so St. Paul’s Church is my Church and your Church.

We will hold a Parish Festival on April 26, 27 and 28 entitled “This is Your Church!” The festival will give us an opportunity to celebrate the ways in which the Spirit’s gifts have empowered us. It will also be an opportunity for us to discern the Spirit’s gifts amongst us now – not only our own gifts as individuals, but what we have collectively.

This is, as I have said before - a must-see event. I don’t mean that you have to attend; I just mean that when you hear about it afterwards you will be disappointed that you missed it. So, if you play poker with the boys every Friday night, this would be a good time to skip that in favor of an event at Church. If you never miss the PEI Rocket or the Summerside Storm or the UPEI Panthers, this is the day to put Your Church first, this is the day that is a must see event…

My word processor has spell-check and in the last line of the first paragraph it suggests that the word “your” ought to be “you’re.” Obviously, my spell-check is wrong; I intend that sentence to mean that St. Paul’s Church belongs to you. However, I like that my spell-check wants to say “you are Church.” Be assured that I never mean a building when I write or say church, I always mean the people; I always mean that you’re Church.