Jesus the Good Shepherd, Toronto Canada, Women’s Recollection Day
– By Michelle Clarence
Jesus the Good Shepherd Covenant Community in Toronto, Canada organized their annual Women’s Recollection day on Saturday, September 22, 2018.
The theme for the day was Discipleship, and our journey with the Lord as members of covenant community. It was open to community women as well as invitees and 47 women attended. We were privileged to have two outside guest speakers from the People of God Covenant Community in Pittsburgh, Joanne Milburn and Joanie Nath.
The day began with an uplifting Praise and Worship by the music ministry. We then had an icebreaker game that brought in a few good laughs and smiles!
Choosing Discipleship
An inspiring message on Choosing Discipleship was given by Joanie Nath that posed questions such as ‘Why are we here?’ ‘What is our Call?’ ‘What does the heart of a disciple look like?’ ‘What are the aspects of discipleship in the light of being covenant community members?’ ‘Is community “our way of life” or just one slice of our pie?’
We were encouraged to take the elements of community membership seriously and to committing ourselves to be all in.
Set Your Hearts on Pilgrimage
The next talk, Set Your Hearts on Pilgrimage, was given by Joanne Milburn. With profound wisdom she explained how God is calling us to a unique way of life: The pilgrim life, and our mission as pilgrims in the Sword of the Spirit.
“A pilgrim is a resident foreigner and it also means ‘an alien alongside’. We’re alongside the residents here: we establish our lives, we try to make life better out of love for those around us, but we don’t fully integrate, we’re in this world but not of it.’ Our citizenship is in heaven and we’re going back to our homeland!”
Spiritual and relational nourishment
Our spiritual fervor was nourished and fueled by these talks and testimonies given by some of the community women. The service ministry also nourished and met our physical needs with tea/coffee, snacks and delicious pizzas for lunch!
Truly, it was a blessed time with our sisters and everyone felt empowered to go out to being true disciples of the Lord. Our invitees were also very inspired and left with a feeling of wanting more.
We thank God for having called us to this way of life, for the way he continues to form us, for the pastoral care we receive and for the abundant life that we live in covenant community.
_____
Michelle Clarence is a member of the Jesus the Good Shepherd Covenant Community in Toronto, Canada.
