A New Space for Contemplation and Creative Community
MUSKOKA DEANERY — A new ecumenical community, gathering both online and in person, is inviting people from across the Muskoka Deanery to slow down, reflect, and explore the spiritual life together.
Peace and Presence is a growing Facebook community created by members of Christ Church, Port Sydney and the Church of the Redeemer, Rosseau. The group serves as a hub for upcoming contemplative gatherings—including book discussions, labyrinth walks, and other opportunities for prayer, conversation, and reflection—while also encouraging creative engagement through a monthly reflection project.
People are invited to participate in an ongoing conversation about spirituality by responding to a monthly question. Reflections can be shared publicly within the Facebook group or submitted privately to the organizers, who compile responses into a printed community zine distributed at gatherings. Contributors receive a copy of the finished publication.
The July reflection explores the Celtic Christian idea of a “thin place”—those moments or experiences where the presence of God seems especially near.
July Reflection Question: Can you remember a time when you had an experience of being in a “thin place”?
The organizers describe a thin place as more than a physical location. It may be a landscape that evokes wonder, a profound moment of connection, or a season of life in which “the veil” between the ordinary and the sacred feels unusually transparent.
The initiative is being nurtured by the Rev. Owen Ash—known to many simply as “O”—Incumbent of Christ Church, Port Sydney, and Pam Heighway Moorhouse, who has found a spiritual home at the Church of the Redeemer, Rosseau while serving regularly in United Church congregations. Together with others who have participated in contemplative gatherings over the past several years, they hope to create a welcoming space where people from across the deanery can explore faith through silence, conversation, creativity, music, art, and shared hospitality.
Whether you are new to contemplative practice or have long valued moments of quiet reflection, Peace and Presence offers an opportunity to join a growing community seeking God through awe, gratitude, creativity, and conversation. To learn more or join the conversation, find Peace and Presence on Facebook here: (3) Peace and Presence | Facebook