Being the Church Mouse


Hi Everyone!  I’m so glad you dropped by and welcome to my first blog: the Church Mouse.  I set this up (well, no, not me, the amazing Gary Petro at Terrautopia set this up) to replace my daily reflections that I had been doing for the church I serve since we were quarantined because of Covid-19.  We are now ramping up to our 7th month of dealing with the pandemic, and it is clear that the ‘sprint’ I was running to manage communication is no longer sustainable and I need to, instead, pace myself and plan to run a ‘marathon’.  Gary, my web designer, calls this blog ‘whimsical’.  I love that; I think it’s a better word than ones I can think of.  Whatever it is, it is fully and completely me; a  flawed, somewhat neurotic and sometimes terrible writer with ideas and changes that can change depending on which way the wind blows or which book I happen to be reading.  I sometimes verge on heresy, and really don’t have any new thoughts in my head but love a good discussion and will change my mind if I need to.

So let me start by introducing myself. I’m a middle aged wife to Hugh; the kindest and most supportive spouse anyone could ever wish for.  I’m often amazed that Hugh and I got married and stayed married; he has shown remarkable resilience!

Hugh and I are parents to two grown children.  In my head, the two of them still look like this:

But they are all grown up and moved on, and so this is much more of who they are now (although this picture is still a year old):

But then again, in my head, I still look like this:  (I’m the one on the right.  Gotta love the big 80s hair.  I’m about 19 in this picture )

As I said in my first paragraph, I’m the minister in a lovely rural church in Lanark County; Bethel United Church.  I think I have a huge gift in being called to this Community of Faith.  I have only been here since last October and the Pandemic hit by the following March; so I have been ministering in this Community virtually for longer than I have been meeting in-person for worship.  Yet they have continued to be a consistent beacon of hope in a world that has been shut down.  They care for each other and they care for me, and still find time reach out into the world and serve.  I can only hope that I can continue to live into my call of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care during these unusual times.  This blog is to help fulfill my covenant with this community, and I hope, truly, to use it to bring hope, inspiration and healing at a time when life seems so strange and restricted.

I will use this blog to reflect on the weekly readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. If you’re interested in following along with me on these readings, the schedule is available here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/lections.php?year=A&season=Season%20after%20Pentecost

I will often reflect on the ideas or themes that I see emerging in the readings, and tie them as much as I can into our lives of faith in my context.  That is a note of caution for all of you fearless readers!  I know that my scope is narrow: I live and work in Eastern Ontario and mostly rural Eastern Ontario.  The issues that I face aren’t particularly global; I do work at being globally minded but fall miserably short much of the time.

And I write like I speak.  Which means that I start my sentences with ‘and’ and often use colloquialisms (such as ‘peeps’), I often don’t complete my thoughts, and sometimes expect that you, my readers, will follow a crazy-disjointed line of thinking that will make no sense at all.  But bear with me, and we can engage with our faith stories and our world and somehow consider what it means to be a Follow of Jesus.

And now, I will sign off on this first post the same way I have signed off all of my posts for the past 7 months:

Blessings today, and remember you are Loved,

Rev. Lynne


4 thoughts on “Being the Church Mouse”

  1. [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
    This is wonderful. Love the pictures, the easy reading. Looking forward to many more. Blessings to you as well Rev Lynne, you are loved and kept in my prayers. ???

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  2. [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (checkbox) *]
    Thank you Lynne. I am able to connect to this. I believe that this will be a great way too connect to people near & far.A great start.Blessings Barb

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  3. [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
    Wonderful Lynne!! I really enjoy that fact you can write as you speak. A talent I’ve never achieved!
    Looking forward to more ??

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  4. [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
    Thank you for seeing the scripture from a human questioning viewpoint, Lynne. You always give me a new perspective on old familiar readings. As my Grandfather used to say ”familiarity breeds contempt” or we just stop listening or questioning.
    Looking forward to more!!
    Many blessings, Heather

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