Back Through the Years

Photo from our front garden

This week has been a time of living out Dolly Parton’s words, “Back through the years I go wandering once again.”

On Sunday June 25, I was delighted to celebrate with the congregation of Winsloe United Church, PEI; to offer a reflection on the occasion of their 25th Anniversary of being one congregation in a new building.

It is a remarkable story. In the mid 1990s, after many, many conversations, five small congregations agreed to amalgamate and become one congregation. They let go of the five buildings and constructed a new accessible church building which was officially dedicated in June, 1998. 

Personally, the day was a bit of a home coming as my childhood church home was one of the five. Friends I have not seen for many years joined the celebration sharing stories I had long forgotten, recalling the season of our youth. Tales of teenage years. Parenting years. Working at the lab bench years. Funny how none of us aged!

When the new church building was constructed, significant pieces of furniture from the five churches were brought to the new location - a communion table from one, a stained glass window from another, a lectern from another, the pulpit from my childhood church. 

Which meant that while preaching on Sunday I was able to lean on the same pulpit that I hid behind as a child. How special is that!

On Wednesday, I had the privilege to preside at the graveside service for one who came "back to the river St. John... the only place I belong" as Janet Kidd wrote in Back to the River St. John.

Our friend left New Brunswick in 1952 to explore the world. Each year since that time of departure, they made their annual summer pilgrimage back to the home that they loved. 

This week they made the final trip back to that home. To their final resting place. 

Children, grandchildren and cousins gathered to give thanks for a life well lived.

Acknowledging the homecoming, words from Janet Kidd’s song were shared. 

“I stand at the end of the lane

of the home that I love…“

As people have done for centuries to seek comfort and understanding, we also shared familiar words from scripture.

After the urn was lowered into the good Earth to become one with Nature, each took a turn with the shovel to complete the burial while offering a silent thank you for life. 

“Earth to earth, ashes to ashes. 

Into the hands of the Starmaker we let their Spirit go.”

On this Canada Day weekend, you may find yourself going back through the years, back to the seasons of your youth. 

And if you happen to have youngsters or well aged friends in your midst, let’s do our part to give them joy filled memories, so that when they go wandering through the seasons of their youth, memories of this weekend with us will bring a smile. May we be remembered as ancestors who made a life giving difference.

May it be so.