Community Spotlight: Liz and Josh Ruberg

This week the spotlight has fallen upon the Ruberg family! Josh and Liz have been staple member at the abbey the last few years. Their beautiful baby Eden brings much joy to our weekly gatherings too. We are lucky to be able to highlight them and the values they bring to their time at abbeychurch. Please enjoy getting to know more about them!

Tell us a little about yourself/selves.

Josh is a clinical counsellor working in private practice and Liz is a research scientist who was most recently working in the non-profit sector. Josh has lived in a lot of places but spent the most time in Kamloops and Vancouver. Liz grew up in Victoria and met Josh at a church in Vancouver. We have been married for 11 years now and our daughter Eden just recently turned 7 months old. 

How did you find yourself at AbbeyChurch? What continues to draw you here?

When we moved from the lower mainland to Victoria a friend suggested that we might like AbbeyChurch. We were in various volunteer roles at a previous church, including setting up a painting station during the worship service, so we were looking for a place that also incorporates creative ways of worship into the service. We also wanted to find a church that was inclusive of all walks of life, as we have known people who experienced pain in non-inclusive church settings. We love AbbeyChurch because this little faith community values authenticity, welcomes imperfection, and incorporates elements of neo-monasticism into not only Sunday services but also practices such as weekday morning prayer and seasonal Taizé services.

Tell us a bit about your faith journey. Was there a spiritual background to your childhood?

Josh spent his childhood years attending a Lutheran church, teen years attending a Baptist church, and university years with Pentecostal communities. Liz spent her childhood years attending her grandfather's church, and teen years attending a Pentecostal church. We both experienced God's presence tangibly at the church we met at in Vancouver. This is where we both truly grew in our faith. We poured our time and service into that faith community, and watched as God honored our trust and answered prayer after prayer.   

How do you fill your time? What brings you joy?

Josh enjoys making tea, particularly in the slower style of gong-fu. He is partial to an aged Pu-erh and will steep it many times to enjoy the full flavor profile. He has a particular affinity for old growth trees, and prefers to drink tea in the forest.  

 Liz enjoys bird watching and spends all of her free time in local parks looking for warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, and owls.

We also spend lots of time hanging out with our adopted 27 year old Senegal parrot, and of course baby Eden brings us so much joy every day. 

What is a cause or concern that moves you deeply, or that you are passionate about?

Josh has a passion for mental and spiritual health in the community and in particular how to foster better emotional health for individuals in churches. He enjoys facilitating groups, spending time in nature, and walking prayer labyrinths. 

Liz's previous work analyzing environmental data has caused her to be deeply concerned about the health of the environment. She is particularly concerned about fauna vulnerable to pollutants from stormwater runoff and storm drain effluent. She is also passionate about protecting the birds she observes while birding, whether migratory or local.

We aim to fill Eden's childhood with bird walks and hope to teach her gratitude for the the beauty of birds and the wisdom of ancient trees. 

Where do you sense God is at work today - in yourself, in our community, in the world?

Josh senses God at work in contemplative practices and poetry which help bring out God's mysterious nature.

Liz feels God's presence and warmth in the birds she observes, whether admiring a tiny ruby crowned kinglet foraging or watching a barred owl sleep high in a tree. 

We both sense God at work at AbbeyChurch. It is a special place to be a part of and we are so grateful to be here!

Thank you to Josh and Liz for agreeing to fall under our spotlight this week!