Hi, I’m Rev. Dr. Deb Foster.

 

I came here to St. Andrew’s United in the March of 2023. I was very much looking forward to coming to Markham, to join with this church family, and begin our new journey together. I said to them then, and still, it would prove to be, and is, an exciting and rejuvenating adventure! And it has also been our journey in faith together.

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I’m mostly called Rev. Deb here unless it is something pretty official. And the rest of us generally go by our first names too.

 

This church family is very caring, and very casual, as they need to be. We wear what we wear according to our events, our activities, our moods even, and the weather. It really is a place to just come as you are and make yourself at home in your church home.

 

Depending on my day, I may be dressed formally, quite reserved, in clergy collar and suit, like for formal occasions, end of life services, or Sundays. But I come from a professional background working with government and small businesses, so some days I come in business casual clothes for the daily work of the church. And then there are the days of just being casual, where jeans and sweatshirts might be in order for group gatherings, bible studies or times to explore those big faith questions – and have coffee. In my office, you’ll find lots of flowers, aliens, dinosaurs and a toy Mustang and bibles of all sorts and languages. These reflect pretty much the things I like. I also have in my office, my Sunday Treasure Chest, that has a surprise inside for each Sunday’s service.

 

I’m in the church Sunday mornings, of course, and then most full days Monday through Wednesday. I work from home Thursdays. And then…I spend most Fridays in the forests and lakes. I hike. And for that, as you can imagine, regular hiking attire is a must with hiking boots, jacket, hat, bug spray and sun screen. My church family is accustomed to my weekly pictures on Facebook where I share my forest adventures. For me, the forests ground me, free me from the stresses of the week, just as nature has the gift that can ground all of us. Taking time to hug trees, feel their warmth and strength for the week ahead, even sense their hearts beating and leaves breathing, while gently walking barefoot on the path, is a way of mellowing our worries and reconnecting with the world. The forests are also a place where we can sense and reconnect with God’s presence. And so is the church. In our

sanctuary, or in any of the places we gather to be together, work together, and yes share food together, we sense the presence of Love. For us here, God is Love. It is all about loving relationships as we are made in God’s relational, loving image.

 

Early each week I send out my Monday Musings which provide food for faith-thoughts, a prayer for the week, a bit of scripture and questions for us all to contemplate. These Monday Musings will tie in somehow with Sunday’s service so they’re worth reading to get a glimpse of what’s to come – and what’s going on in my heart, mind, and soul.

 

For those who will maybe only see me on Sundays, you can know that it is a time for bringing us together to celebrate God’s presence, and our life and work as a church family with and within the Christ of our faith.

 

For our Sunday services, I work with those of the Worship Committee drafting out plans for much of the year well in advance. I begin with the scriptures, build onto them our prayers, and weave then the music and the lyrics of our songs so that our words sung and spoken might speak to our hearts and our minds.

 

I believe that following the Christ through the Christian year is important for our own lives. Sunday services are also a great time to learn in ways other than through traditional liturgies now and then. I believe we need to balance the practices and rituals of our scriptural tradition with new ideas of the ever-changing world in which we live, including the discoveries of science. Learning about our world, and our Creator God, is to weave science and faith together. It is to be a part of God’s creative power in this world, as by the Spirit, God is present among us, creatively and redemptively at work in all humanity, in all of us, always.

 

Together, my hopes are that we ground ourselves in our faith and our belief that God calls us, gathers us, upholds us through all sorts of things, and then God sends us out in faith, hope and love to do the work of the church we’re called to be.

 

Thanks for stopping by our website. We hope you might stop by the church during the week or visit us on a Sunday. Services are at 10 a.m. followed by refreshments and time to just casually get to know each other. And on Sundays, anything goes! Suits, jeans, comfy clothes. This is your church home. With us, you’re invited to make yourselves at home.

 

Till then,

Peace to your hearts and peace for the world,

Rev. Dr. Deb Foster in ministry with the church family

of St. Andrew’s United Church in Markham