Dr. Seuss Eucharist - Side Show - Potluck - Annual General Meeting

     We had a great service on Sunday morning past, Feb. 2nd at St. Luke's Hall.  Rev. Andrew used a new liturgy that some call "Seusscharist" - a Eucharist of simpler language and rhyme geared towards children in a Dr. Seuss theme and time.   Adults enjoy it too!

     In the past few years, in lieu of a sermon/message on the day of the Annual General Meeting Rev. Andrew turns it over to a wonderful slide presentation by Christine Batten - she collects photos all year long from parishioners showing the goings-on, services, suppers, fundraisers, etc. in the life our church and community.   

“This bread we share is my body you see
Take it and eat it in memory of me”
And after they ate, he picked up a drink
And said, “There’s more in here than you think
This is My Blood that I give for you
And for those who think their life is through
Because they sin, they should be living
And remember our God is always forgiving.”

     Here's a few links for further information and enjoyment...
http://www.livingchurch.org/cat-hat-nave
Theodor Seuss Geisel was, I am told, a lifelong member of a [Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod] parish in Springfield, Massachusetts.
http://creedalchristian.blogspot.ca/2010/11/liturgy-for-episcopal-churchs.html

     Following the service we had a wonderful potluck lunch.  Then it was down to business for our Annual General Meeting - we were finished within an hour.  

The view from the chair - Parishioners studying the 2013 Annual Report.

St. Luke's Church on AGM - a beautiful winter's day - Ground Hog Day!

Reflections on the Psalms Day

A note from Janet -

     A friend pointed out this Day of Reflection on the Psalms by Fr. Kennific:

Sat Feb 1, 2014 - 10 am to 3 pm at the Martha Spirituality Centre at SDU Place, 45 Great George Street Charlottetown. It is advertised in the Jan 24th Journal Pioneer.

     Fr. Kennific describes his theme this way: "The psalms are prayer-poems composed by ordinary people who caught glimpses of God in the ups and downs of their lives. Three thousand years later they continue to touch human hearts with the beauty, honesty, and relevance of their words."

     Perhaps some of you may be interested in going. If so, call 367-3103 or email srgemma@eastlink.ca. to register. Cost is $30 at the door. Please take a brown bag lunch.

     Sounds very interesting!

Image cf. http://biblicalpreaching.net/

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Guide to WCC Common Vision document published

Posted on: January 21st, 2014 by CEP Administrator No Comments

By Anglican Journal staff / Anglican Journal News, January 21, 2014

http://cep.anglican.ca/tag/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity/

The Rev. Canon John Gibault, director of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, (left) helped produce the WCC’s The Church: Toward a Common Vision document. The Rev. Canon Dr. Alyson Barnett-Cowan, director of Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion, (right) oversaw the production of the study guide. Both are priests in the Anglican Church of Canada. Photo: Bruce Myers 

     Aptly released for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Anglican Communion Office has produced a study guide to the World Council of Churches (WCC) document The Church: Towards a Common Vision, the result of 20 years of study and dialogue among the council’s member churches, who represent most of the world’s churches.

     The WCC published Towards a Common Vision in March 2013 and asked its members to study it and comment on it. According to the WCC’s introduction, the document asks and offers answers to the questions “What can we say together about the Church of the Triune God in order to grow in communion, to struggle together for justice and peace in the world, and to overcome together our past and present divisions?”  It begins by addressing “the Church’s mission, unity, and its being in the Trinitarian life of God” and then looks at ecumenical “growth in communion — in apostolic faith, sacramental life, and ministry — as churches called to live in and for the world.”

     The Anglican Consultative Council, which met in New Zealand in 2012, commended the document to all the churches of the Anglican Communion.

     In Canada, a resolution of the General Synod, which met in Ottawa in July 2013, received the document and also commended it for study. In a message for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, described Towards a Common Vision as “an extraordinary ecumenical achievement setting out an ecclesiology in which the church, serves the divine plan for the transformation of the world.”

     Announcing the release of the study guide, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order wrote that its members hoped the guide would help “stimulate discussion about The Church (the text) — and about the Church (as we seek to follow Christ together) — among Anglicans and between Anglicans and their ecumenical partners.”

     The full text of The Church: Toward a Common Vision is available for download from the WCC.

The Epiphany of the Lord

Image cf. www.epiphanyofthelord.com

Epiphany:  In Western Christian tradition January 6th is celebrated as the Epiphany. It is the climax of the Advent/Christmas season and the Twelve Days of Christmas. “The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King.” The importance of Epiphany is that God revealed himself and his love to the world through Jesus, the divine Son. In the Anglican Church tradition the season of Epiphany goes from January 6^th to Ash Wednesday which begins the season of Lent.
                                                        cf. Parish Bulletin.  Jan. 5, 2014

Merry Christmas

     We hold two services on Christmas Eve - the first at 7pm at St. Luke's O'Leary and the second at 9pm at St. Peter's Alberton.  It was great to see old friends and new friends and all excited children!
     On Christmas morning a Morning Prayer Service is held at St. Peters.  Below is Rev. Andrew and Janet Mortimer following the service - all ready to go enjoy Christmas Dinner.
     Thank-you Lord of all your blessings!!

Above is Rev. Andrew and Janet's Christmas Letter.

***********************

     Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to pubic disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1: 19,20)

     Just as Joseph was afraid to accept Mary as his wife "under circumstance", we can sometimes be afraid when our Faith leads us against the flow of the world we live in.  God spoke to Joseph in a dream, and Joseph listened.  Joseph's fear did not stop him from entering into his relationship with Christ.  Not everyone could look past who Jesus was, and where he came from, and how he lived.  These people rejected Jesus, rejected a relationship with Jesus, rejected His teachings, and the truths He spoke.

     I wonder, if I was living two thousand years ago would I have only seen a man who was not living as others said one should live, or would I have heard God in the words He spoke, and seen God in the things He did? Although I am not living two thousand years ago, the question is still relevant - Would I hear God in the words that others say, and would I see God in the things they do?  And then the next question is would they hear God in my words, and would they see God in my actions?  

    Joseph's fear did not stop him, may our own fears not stop us.

Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year.

Janet And Andrew

The Hanging of the Greens

     Last sunday our service was "The Hanging of the Greens" First sunday of Advent.  

Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawings near.

(Luke 21:28) 

     “The Hanging of the Greens is a service for the first Sunday in Advent. It is based on the English tradition of decorating the home with wreaths, garlands, a Christmas tree, and evergreens for Advent and Christmas. In a church setting, it readies the sanctuary (and church members) for the season. This service assumes a Protestant setting. It is adapted from an unknown source to reflect a process-relational theology.  Suggested hymns may be replaced by your favorites or appropriate anthems from a choir.”

Info cf. http://processandfaith.org/resources/liturgy/hanging-greens-first-sunday-advent

Above is a devotional calendar found at the back of the church - please take one.

* * * * * * * * * *

     Today's devotional starts with a reading from Mark 1:1-3 

"Look, I am sending my messenger before  you.  He will prepare your way."

- Mark :2b.   

     The Reading starts, "Do you think there was anyone in Jesus' day who was as busy as we are today?"  

     The Reading ends, "Prayer: God, guide my thoughts and help me spend time in your Word. Help me listen with more than my ears.  Prepare my heart to hear your melody of love, so that I can pass along the song of those who may need to hear it.  Amen"

A Women's Advent Program

Image cf. http://dccpres.org/news-posts/advent/

     A Women's Advent Program was held on Tuesday evening, November 26th at St. Peter's Hall.  
     The very successful evening was planned and organized by Janet Mortimer with many in attendance from the Parish and the community in general.