I particularly want to thank the congregation for the lovely gifts of a stole and new alb.  The alb is on order from Belgium and the stole is my new favourite.  It has fourteen medallions that are connected by a Tree of Life which represent the various ministries of the church.  The stole for me, represents the ministries not the minister of church, to which we are called to participate given our gifts and abilities.  Represented on the stole are: the five different hands reaching toward one another from the five different continents, which make up the universal community of the World Wide Church; Next to it is a medallion for Missions.  These two hold up the work of Beads of Hope, Penny Fund, Mission & Service, Dix Mille Villages, UCW.and the West Montreal Readaptation Centre.  The Sacraments and the church gathered for worship are all the people who participate in making worship occur: the sextons, greeters, ushers, worship committee, chancel committee, choir, baptismal sponsors, communion servers, coffee people, counters, etc.  The medallion for the ill and infirm is about the work we do through out Pastoral Care team, preparing meals, driving to medical appointments, keeping in touch, etc.  The medallion for the Abbeys, this is one of my favourite scenes; the little Irish monks copying the sacred text and transmitting human learning as we witness in our Sunday School, Adult Studies, Bible Studies.  The Baptism of Clovis, who was the first of the Christian French Kings to be baptized.  The medallion for the Martyrs is not only the Martyrs of the early church but also our present days martyrs who give or gave their lives in the service of a higher call; Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonnhoffer, Martin Luther King...  The medallion for Pentecost depicts the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit that unites each and all of us.  The Ascension is about the glory of God who lives through the world and beyond it.  The Crucifixion which is the story of a God who suffers with creation, who understands our sorrow and pain.  The Last Supper which commemorates Our Lord’s instructions that when two or three are gathered together that He is in the midst of us.  Jesus hands Peter the Keys to the Kingdom and says upon this rock I will build my church, that Jesus enables human beings to extend his work.  The multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes is the story about there is plenty and enough for everyone when we share the world's resources.  The Nativity is of course of God taking on human form to be one with us. 

       There are over 100 human beings depicted in the stole - it is absolutely full of life and people.  And in each area I see our church community participating in the Ministry which Christ gives us.  Ministry is about relationships, holistic, healthy, purposeful relationships. I thank you again for your good wishes, the gifts, and our continued Pastoral Relationship here at Beaconsfield United Church.

                                        In Christ, 

                                      Shaun E. Fryday