To the members and adherents of Grace United Church, Dunnville,
Greetings to all of you. It is my hope and prayer that all of you are finding the peace, joy and love that God wishes for all of us. Christmas is a time when we rejoice at the knowledge God comes to us in times of celebration as well as in times of crisis. When we cry out to God in pain, in loneliness or in anger, we are reminded that God hears us and responds with love and compassion.
I also believe we experience, or witness, God’s response in the presence of our friends, our families or our community. The compassion, the strength and the love we find in the people who gather around us is a sign of God’s love. And I certainly find that in this community of faith, here in Dunnville.
I am so grateful to be a part of this community and I want to take time to thank you for our care, for your work and for your generosity. This past year has been a busy and eventful for one for Grace. I had the opportunity to take a three-month sabbatical this past summer. Ellie and I did some traveling, and I also took time for reflection and to gather the some of the stories of Grace United’s history and some of its people. It was a privilege and a pleasure to hear those stories and to record them.
I look forward to sharing those videos with the congregation in the new year.
This community of faith has provided so much over the years to the larger community of Dunnville and it has so much more to give. I believe we are an example of how we can witness God’s love in the world through the work of the church. So, I thank you for your love, your work for peace, and the hope you offer and live out every day. And I rejoice that I can be a part of this community. So, thank you.
May you have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.
With love and blessings, Rev. Warner Bloomfield