Newsletter May2026
The Vicar’s Reflections
Have you, like me, ever sighed when opening your wardrobe? Thought there must be a better way to organize it? After several years of frustration, I’ve finally done something about it! The other day, with a bit of help from a practical person (no names mentioned Paul!), my wardrobe now looks the way a really good wardrobe should. But how long it took—and so many screws! Not to mention the instructions: how to assemble the different parts and how to interpret them… Sometimes I think life is a bit like one of those instruction manuals. You think you’re doing everything right, you look at the instructions, and yet it still feels uncertain.
We turn and twist the different parts of life, trying to make everything fit together. Sometimes it goes wrong; sometimes we have to take things apart and start again. And sometimes we stand there holding a piece, wondering: where does this actually belong?
Tomorrow, the first of May, we celebrate Walpurgis Night (Valborg) at the church—and you are warmly invited to join us. We gather around the fire that lights up the evening, a fire that not only warms but also becomes a symbol of what we can leave behind. Perhaps the things that didn’t quite fit, the things that were assembled incorrectly in life’s own “wardrobe.”
During the evening we will listen to a spring speech by the church’s volunteers, Alina and William. The Skutan Choir will offer beautiful spring songs—and yes, I dare promise that both “Winter Has Passed” and “All the Birds Have Returned” will be included. For the children, there will be the opportunity to grill marshmallows over the bonfire, and as always, there will be good food and fellowship to share.
At Valborg we are reminded of all the good that lies ahead. Of hope that grows, of life returning. Spring comes, no matter what the world looks like.
Perhaps that is what we can take with us: that we don’t need to have all the pieces in place. That it is enough to take the next step. So the next time you stand there—with a stubborn screw, an incomprehensible instruction, or perhaps in the middle of life’s own question marks—remember you are not alone in the building. And it is not meant for everything to be perfect all at once.
Sometimes it is enough to take the next step. And perhaps, just like with my wardrobe, to ask for help when needed. Because unlike a wardrobe manual, life is not meant to be followed to the letter. There is no perfect blueprint where everything always turns out right immediately. God Himself whispers: begin again. Not from zero, but from where you are. With your experiences, your mistakes, and everything you have learned along the way.
Welcome, beautiful month of May. And a warm welcome to celebrate Valborg together with us!
Spring greetings,
Katja Lin
Vicar
The Church of Sweden in Australia, Melbourne