Summer Happenings at Qu’Appelle House of Prayer

 

In a picture taken today by Chantelle, we were reminded of the past three months at the House of Prayer, and more so as the weeks go by:  busy as a bee among our flowers!  We remained essentially closed during March to June, with but three overnight guests for short periods of time during May, and rarely anyone else at daily Eucharist.  Gradually the number of people coming here began to increase from a very few in June to this time in August.  In all during these three months, 37 persons came as overnight guests for a total 115 days;  20 persons were here for the day only;   and our Volunteer Associates began returning beginning in June –three persons in all for varying lengths of service and community life totaling 102 days.  Semblances of some return to what used to be, but cautiously, hesitantly and carefully so (there are hand sanitizers, masks and cleaning products everywhere!!).  Over this same period of time, usual numbers of people returned to Eucharist, though never more than 11 or 12, and usually 5 – 8 persons.

Some things have changed, at least for the time being.  There are more pastoral requests than ever – two COVID- shaped weddings (one in our chapel), four graveside services and so many more people asking to speak with one of us, or just dropping by to “have a visit on the deck!”  Almost daily.  Special moments included a Sister of the Presentation of Mary (Chantelle’s community) recently renewing her annual vows here, complete with a wiener roast banquet!  And the two local Ursulines, Sisters Theresa and Bernadette Feist here for a Zoom Prayer Service vitually with others in the community followed by a special lunch celebrating their 60^th and 55^th anniversaries of first vows.  Memorable and treasured moment. Gardening, lawn care and extensive flower gardens take up much time, perhaps more than previous years – and how can we resist the abundant crops of Saskatoon and chokecherry berries!!  Even with that, Chantelle managed a few days away, part of annual vacation, to a favorite camp site.

As for many others these days, Zoom meetings abound!!  Weekly gatherings of the QHP core community, Sask Multi-Faith AGM, Lutheran Anglican Ukrainian Roman Catholic Covenant (LAURC) plus one in-person multi-faith afternoon gathering with several local people from the various churches.  The local Ministerial was able to gather for coffee once, with further times in the works.  Some of the richness of life during these times.

We also have been struck by a noticeably changing guest profile coming here, at least for the time being.  Most obvious are that there are so many first-time persons – close to half of our total guests.  Secondly, we are happy to welcome people who usually don’t come here – Anglican priests and their wives, Roman Catholic clergy, guests who would likely be much more comfortably “conservative” than we are.  And so on.

                                                             A House of Prayer for All  … 

Sunday, August 16, 20^th Sunday in Ordinary time called us back to our roots once again, particularly the Scripture of Isaiah 56: 6 – 7.  This is the foundational text the House of Prayer for the past nearly 25 years.  “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  The second photograph, also taken by Chantelle at the Cross one night, visually expresses being part of something so much bigger than ourselves – whether our Roman Catholic backgrounds, our preference for ways of worship, our vision of Church, our ways of seeing things, our theology and spirituality, all so much more than the proverbial “our.”  From time to time we perceive this in a new way.  The past several days challenge, call and encourage us to this new way.  Coincidentally at least, hopefully even providentially, this comes at a time as we look to a significant anniversary, and ponder, the past 25 years of the House of Prayer:  September 3, 1995 – 2020.

 Some Reflections from Glenn Zimmer, OMI

Qu’Appelle House of Prayer

August 18, 2020