Church News: July

Summer often brings travel to new places, where we learn about different customs and languages. On June 22, Trinity Church welcomed Richard and Barbara Vedan to our monthly interfaith-friendly service for Indigenous Sunday.

Richard is a retired social worker who continues serving the Vancouver community. On his paternal side, he belongs to the Shushap Tribe, part of the Interior Salish of British Columbia. Here on the Point, we know the Coast Salish Lummi Nation tribe, which is also among the First Nations of this beautiful land. Both the Coast Salish Lummi and Interior Salish Shushap belong to the greater Salish family of tribes.

To honor their customs, we might say “Hy’shqe” (the equivalent of “thank you” in the Lummi/First Nations language) while raising our hands to mid-torso level with palms extended upward as a sign of respect.

Why does this matter? One path to peace and justice – qualities that Christ, Buddha, and other spiritual teachers call humanity toward – is through practicing respect for both diversity and unity. While humans have changed significantly over the past 2,000 years, we still need to evolve as we address worldwide challenges and the needs of all life on Earth. This involves simple steps like learning about the people in our community and building relationships that foster cooperation and right relations.

“Right Relations” appears frequently in modern religious practices and spiritual discussions. Many religions and spiritual traditions are evolving toward greater inclusiveness, diversity, and unity – concepts that were unknown even decades ago and sometimes seem unthinkable today as we experience pushback that tests our resolve and direction.

The First Nations phrase “All my relations” captures the interconnectedness of all living beings and the universe. It reminds us that everything is related and has purpose, calling us to greater respect, harmony and responsibility that extends beyond human relationships to include animals, plants, the earth, and spiritual entities. This ancient wisdom remains vital today, reminding us to practice broader respect.

Join us at Trinity this summer. All people of goodwill are welcome as we explore our common values amid our diversity, taking steps toward respect through different beliefs and customs. We stretch toward “loving our neighbor as ourselves.” Our elders tell us this church has served the community for over 110 years. We hope to honor that legacy through music, worship and community service as we work together toward greater harmony, transforming our scars, past errors, foibles and challenges.