“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom should I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me”. Isaiah 6:8
April was National Volunteer Month in Canada and I’ve been thinking about what a wonderful gift volunteers are to our society and to our church. Many people of all ages volunteer their time and talent to help out in some way. I wonder when it was that you volunteered your services for the first time?
While we may offer to help just because help is needed, sometimes what we do is very meaningful and can even be lifechanging. Isaiah was responding to what he heard as a call from God. Some of us respond because we want to serve God by caring for our neighbour. There are different motivations for and interests in volunteering. I am personally grateful for
the generosity of the people of our
diocese in serving one another and God in the church and in the communities around us in so many ways. Without you we could not accomplish our mission of love and hope and compassion in Christ’s name.
Not everyone is called to do what Isaiah was called to do, but I believe that all of us are called to offer our gifts and talents to the service of God and the needs of God’s world. Each of us will need to ask God what that looks like and give our time as generously and faithfully as we can.
We have recently put up some new images on the walls of the foyer in Fulford Hall. They show people from our Diocese in various situations: serving in worship, in a home for seniors, in ministries of prayer, in outreach, welcome and hospitality, music ministry, fellowship, stewardship of the environment. You can see those images on the front cover of this issue.
Bless you for all you do,
