The first time I saw a weaver working at her loom, I was awestruck. Those many-coloured threads were being moved in a mysterious, synchronistic way. Slowly, the design was revealed.  As I looked back and remembered the weaving of the Mid-Island faith community, I saw the beginnings of the first tapestry.

  The second tapestry is the Sacred Circle of Women. From 1995 to 2001 I have been weaver and woven in both, as have been my spiritual brothers and sisters.   The Mid-Island community began after the 1995 National Corpus Conference. From that time to now we gather about 18 to 20 times a year. In the skein from the year 2000, we met for liturgy, pot-luck dinners, prayer, wine tasting and themed conversations. Interwoven among our faith-filled gatherings, we participated in the Journal community, sponsored an Enneagram workshop, welcomed Jack and Jean Shea from Ottawa, kept contact with the Oleksyn and Little families, and gathered with the larger Island community.  In a pastoral skein, Chris, editor of The Journal, is in his 17th year as leader of an ecumenical Bible Study community; Gordon continues to serve as pastor of St. Paul's in Nanaimo; and François has been called to form a house church and support group for some families who have no local parish priest. Michael, our resident Scripture scholar and web master of the Corpus Canada web site, soon away to Malta for a family visit, tells us that after months of health concerns, the specialists have pronounced: "there is nothing in his head (!?) and he is a good-hearted man." He is a treasure and shares generously.  As we women do so well, we are multi-tasking in our careers, our families, our friends, and, of course, exercise! We are the hearth, heart and support of our families. We carry burdens on our backs; we can cry with each other or laugh ourselves silly. We are community all the time, not just when we gather.

  This leads me to the second tapestry - the Sacred Circle of Women: four of us steadfast in our intention to begin our sixth year. We gather twice a month, in search of deep spirituality. The skein may appear more primitive like the first circle in time, around the fire, mending our hearts and healing the planet. We draw on many sources for prayer, healing and sharing. Our personal histories are Christian and we hold that Tradition with respect and treasure old rituals. We continue to co-create new ceremony.  One of our sisters writes in the Circle book: "The circle is a holy time, a time of growth, prayer and sharing. This has enabled me to grow in other areas of my life. And our prayers and energy are needed in the universe." Our circle time can be stressful, agitating, reflective, enlightening and courageous. This reminds me of Scott Peck's "The Different Drummer," where he talks about "the struggles of a community in growth and in achieving authentic community." He says you know you're there because "the signs lead you to agape, which gives joy and glory."  I hope we are all weaving these threads. Henry Nouwen once said in "The Wounded Healer" - "the greatest gift we can give each other is our woundedness." Then we can weave many tapestries of communities, living in "love, harmony and peace-making."   

  The weaver works the loom and the tapestries of whole, living communities are revealed. And the tapestries are suffused with the Light. Bless us all!