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Dear Glen Morris United Church,

As I am currently writing this letter to you, I am grateful to no longer be still preoccupied by the many blackfly bites I got while camping last weekend! Despite the bugs and the rain, I had the most wonderful time at the Fulcrum Skillshare in Bancroft, Ontario. This gathering brings people together from all over Ontario to spend time building community, sharing the love of craft, and connecting to the land. Yours truly took this opportunity to explore several new crafts including sourdough bread baking, spoon carving, and squirrel tanning. I’ve been drawn to learning more about the world of crafting for several reasons. First, I love the ways crafting of all kinds introduces you to communities of creative and caring people who are passionate about the intimate connection that comes from making something.

Whether it is a sourdough loaf that has spent hours being cared for as it rises or a spoon whittled into being with deep observation of the smallest details - it’s not just the flour and wood that’s transformed, the maker changes too. There are so many ways our fast paced lives today can feel fragmented, disconnected from the earth, disconnected from one another. For me, crafting is an invitation to slow down and be present to what is in front of you which is such an important part of a thriving healthy spiritual life.

I would love to know more about the crafting practices you have in your own lives! What are you carving, weaving, knitting, whittling into being these days? What inspires you?

Hope to see you gathered around the fire this Sunday as we celebrate Pentecost!

 

Peace be with you,

Rev Michiko