We begin taking stock of our losses ... to the right is the detail of one of our many, now lost stained glass windows. This came in an email from one of our vast family (thanks Chris) who have, over the last 105 years, called our building home ...

The windows of our sanctuary were beautiful ... the whole sanctuary was beautiful - it was, as one of the many emails I've recieved noted so eloquently - a refuge and a place of peace.

Over the last few days I've heard from people all over Canada telling me about what this building meant to them and their families. Hundreds of marriages, baptism and funerals, socials, suppers, showers ... the transitions of life in our community have been marked within the walls of our sanctuary. But more then that, over her 105 yer history, the building has recreated itself with renovations, renewals and additions ...

The building of today is not the building of yesterday - but they are intrinsically connected ...

Today has been a day of little steps - phone calls, visits in the teeth of a very bitter prairie wing (wind chill equivilent to minus 50C - the range where C&F meet !!!), moving supplies to our temporary home, and beginning to watch the rebuilding fund grow ...

It has been a long week, and I feel a weariness and see it in the eyes of those who I have travelled with since Sunday morning. We've accomplished much, yet it feels like we've achieve soooo little. The ruins still stand - the smouldering smoke has finally gone, the office is still a jumble of boxes and bins and piles (mine always was - but now, all the office is messy), and the feelings in the community are slowly, inexorably turning to anger as the realization sets in that we and the people of Brandon Hills may have been victimized by the same people ...

It's been a hard week ... today the small accomplishments continued:
- the memorial book listing donated items turned up in the office stuff
- the new Bibles to replace those sitting on the pulpit arrived (their not the same, but they will do)
- the hymn books were stamped and prepared for dedication
- one of the choir members came with a bag of musical pieces he had tucked away at home - it's a start in rebuilding a collection of THOUSANDS of pieces of music that was much cherished by the choir
- we began (not me, but others) assessing what we have lost by compiling an inventory of every room
- we sent letters of appreciation to the local paper, for all the gestures and comments of help we've recieved

Tomorrow, we host Ron Klusmeier and his ensemble in a series of workshops and a choir concert. It was to be in the church, but it will instead be in the elementary school ... It will be a hard day. It will be our first doing what we've always done well - "holding a special event as a congregation." Even tonight, the conversation turned to what we've lost ... "where will we get coffee urns??"

The mundane bring tears and laugher simultaneously ... a good sign of healing ...

The journey continues ... one tiny step at a time ...
More tomorrow ...
Dayenu,