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The millennium had just entered its fifth year when I landed fresh from retirement into your outstretched arms. It was difficult enough for you to say goodbye to Tracy and then to come to terms with yet another vacancy, so I tried to make the transition as seamless as possible. It is what I had hoped the year under review would be – seamless. Legend has it that the robe He wore was seamless, the robe that the soldiers gambled for as Jesus hung naked from the cross. Can a year like a robe be seamless? Ask a seamstress or a tailor, ask the people who plan and attend meetings, who make decisions every week so that in the wake of fifty two, we can don the robe of gratitude and with confidence walk into the future. Robinson should have no fear of the future. You are gifted with excellent people who serve faithfully at every level. Members of Council under the able guidance of Dave Taylor are never far from the realities that undergird us as the demands of congregational life, the Mission and Service Fund and the North East Cluster of Churches are kept constantly within the scope of our vision. To all the Chairs who were imbued with that spirit – to those in Property, Pastoral Care, Finance and Membership, to the untiring Steve cleaning and maintaining and to the ladies of the U.C.W. who continue to give more than their fair share, we say, “Enter into the joy of your Creator”. These are the people with whom I have interacted most with and have come to the end of the year suffused with their confident spirit. I have experienced a liveliness at worship on Sunday mornings as the Choir and Music Director Glen make good on their promise to fill us with good things. There are always good things to be eaten at the Hospitality meal on Tuesday evenings as Joanne and her willing helpers reach out to those who seek sustenance and community. I have come away with a deep sense of community from Worship and Christian Education Committee meetings, not to mention the Men’s Irish dinner, the Auction Sale, Bazaar and other seasonal gatherings. We remember with thanksgiving the lives of those who have gone before us in the year 2005. They are like beacons for us as we make our way into the darkness of this year’s uncertainty. We believe that God is better and safer than all the values this world espouses. As you peruse these reports that have been carefully put together by people who said yes a year ago, be assured that the journey continues and like geese in flight you may be the next one out front – all you need is the courage and the willingness to navigate the liquid ether. I had no idea that when I came back ‘home’ to Robinson, that as others dropped back, I would be out front. It has been an exhilarating experience. I am encouraged that another soon to be named will take my place. We all have our places and in the final analysis it is not the credentials of the many that matter, but the faith of the few. As numbers decline, faith should increase – a dynamic faith, the kind that never shrinks from moving forward to take the place of one who needs to rest. In a meaningful symbiosis of rest and action, I see Robinson continuing its present flight pattern for many more seasons. With Kim at the radar screen of the office giving regular notice of incoming flights, when and how they cross our path, our safety will not be in jeopardy. The course has been charted. The forecast is for clear skies and a safe landing. Peace Rev Keith
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