Sunday, August 09, 2009
Rev. Curtis McDonald welcomed back on return visit
The congregation of Pictou United was so very pleased to welcome back the Rev. Curtis McDonald.
Curtis was the minister of this congregation from 1982-1992.
His return visit to our pulpit this morning was a joy to all but especially so I believe to those of us who shared the journey with him in this church through that earlier decade. Curtis this morning was just "so Curtis!" and each of his characteristic moves evoked a flood of good memories from the past.
In this picture, with parents Ryan and Val looking on, Rev. Curtis blessed their sleeping new baby, 'Beck' and welcomed him on behalf of the congregation with a very well sung first two verses of Brahms' Lullaby.
His sermon this morning, “Living Outside the Lines: Jesus Does!”, Curtis brought a fresh and modern multicultural aspect into our reading and understanding of Gospel Lesson, Luke 10: 25-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the question, "Who is my neighbour?"
A little idea of what Curtis does now:
Currently he is one of our United Church Chaplains serving the QEII Health Sciences Centre and the IWK Health Centre.
The IWK offers spiritual, religious and emotional care during and after hospitalization. Included in this would be visiting patients and families while in the Health Centre, connecting families with local and regional religious faith communities, sacraments and life crisis care.
They provide support groups, individual and family counselling for such things as pregnancy loss, bereavement, relationship issues, life adjustment to illness and many other life concerns that patients, families and staff may encounter.
The Spiritual Health Team is comprised of Chaplains who work within the IWK from different faith traditions. The IWK Spiritual Health Team is able to connect patients, families and staff with caregivers from numerous faith groups in the Halifax area. These include: Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish faiths. Chaplains offer regular worship services in the IWK Chapel.
The other point of note about this morning’s service at Pictou United which requires comment was the Ministry of Music.
This began with the piano stylings of our own David Henderson which included a spectacular immitation of church chimes. How could he do that on a piano?
That was followed through the service with music that one congregant referred to as offered by "the Pos Quartet". Jennifer Pos, of course is our Church Musician this summer but she was joined this morning by her sister Melanie who sang two solos, “Hear My Cry, O God” and “Climbing Up the Mountain” accompanied in turn by parents Shelley and David. Rev. Curtis spoke in his sermon of the need to display your faith through your deeds and this musical family certainly did that this morning.
