Happy Father's Day

FATHERS DAY
SUNDAY JUNE 21ST AT 1030 HERE
ALL WELCOME TO JOIN US AS WE GIVE THANKS FOR FATHERS AND COME TOGETHER IN WORSHIP OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
LIVE STREAMING SERVICE ON FACEBOOK HERE.
VIDEO OF SERVICE WILL BE PUT ON OUR ANGLICAN PARISH. FACEBOOK PAGE

SPECIAL LOVE AND PRAYERS ARE EXTENDED TO REV. ANDREW MORTIMER AND JANET THROUGH THIS TIME OF ILLNESS. YOU'RE IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS.

Mother's Day Sunday

MORNING SERVICE FOR ALL MOTHERHOOD AND THANKING MOTHERS

ALL WARMLY WELCOME TO ATTEND THE FACEBOOK LIVE SERVICE WITH REV. ANN BUSH,SUNDAY MAY 10TH AT 10:30AM

WE REMEMBER MOTHERS AT THE CENTRE OF OUR FAMILIES TODAY, THANKING GOD FOR EVERY ONE

PLEASE COME AND SHARE WORSHIP WITH US.

IF YOU CANNOT BE WITH US AT 10:30AM, CATCH UP WITH THE VIDEO SERVICE ON ST JOHN’S ANGLICAN PARISHFACEBOOK , LATER IN THE DAY.

LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING TOGETHER AGAIN,

LOVE IN CHRIST,

REV ANN BUSH

PRIEST IN CHARGE

Image cf. https://www.trinityfla.org/calendar/2020/5/4/happy-mothers-day

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From Rev Ann’s Blog www.authorkathleenbush.com

THE DANCE OF LOVE based on John 14:1-14

During this time of COVID19 shutdown we are spending our time differently, as families. We have no option but to remain at home and so our time together is more intimate because we cannot separate out too far. So time is spent playing games, talking more around the table about all imaginable subjects and topics maybe even religion?? In homes of young children, mothers are front and centre, thinking up fun games, finding dressing up clothes, baking etc alongside home schooling.

Close proximity is again being experienced within family groups. Love is being redefined as we spend each day relearning patience and grace with each other. Our human dance of love centred upon mother’s figure, has a new tune, a new rhythm is developing. Today we remember as we thank God for our mothers. The women who soothed us when we were sick or hurt; patiently helping us grow into the wider world, to be loving, caring, gentle and honest human beings.

My own mother died young and I was too young to lose her. She was ripped from my life, leaving me shattered and broken for a while. Grief became too familiar until with the help of loving family and friends, I could make adjustments and found a new way of normal living.

Jesus message today is for all of us, not only mothers. “Do not let your hearts be troubled! Trust only in God and trust in me”. I slowly had to learn this truth, that however the circumstances threaten us, trust in God and the Christ has the power to quiet troubled hearts and souls and bring peace.

Jesus calls Himself The Way, The Truth and the Life. In a way  motherhood at its best is a pale reflection of this- she teaches and guided her children towards the Godly Way, Truth and Life. At best mothers sow the seeds for this in their children’s hearts.

Two of the disciples, Thomas and Phillip, both asked Jesus to show them the Father as they struggled to understand. Jesus response is” anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father”. Jesus perfectly expresses the person of God in human form. This is why we call the Gospels the Good News. This is why we should become familiar with them and come to know the Son of God, who is in full harmony with the Father’s will.

Jesus then says “whatever you ask in my name, shall be done”. Friends if you have yet to experience the Christian power to do great things for God, then know that this power comes and is rooted in prayer. When we  pray intentionally to God through Jesus’ name, something opens within us and we receive a sense of God’s will for us. It is never that we perform miracles, but prayer allows Christ to work through us.

How then do we experience the presence of Jesus Christ when we cannot see Him with our eyes. We can and do sense Him in our hearts and souls as we love and obey Him. Jesus comes to us whenever and wherever we are, calling us by name.

Mothers call their children by name and they know her voice for it conveys her love and  willingness to share in their lives. So much more, God desires nothing more than we hear His voice and live an abundant life. Not a life of peril, danger and pain, but a life without fear, measured by endless Grace as you and God dance to the beat of His love. God after all is the parent of humanity.

THE ROAD TO GOD IS REALLY MARKED BY ONE WAY SIGNS.

Deedee Rayner, Obituary

     This week we lost our great friend, Deedee Rayner. She served our Parish family for near two decades as Lay Reader, and before that at St. John's St. Eleanors. Condolences to her family.

Easter Sunday, Apr. 24, 2011 - L-R: Judy, Deedee and Jan.

Obituary-

      The death occurred peacefully at the Prince County Hospital, Summerside, PE, on Thursday, April 30, 2020, of Lillian (DeeDee) Rayner,of the Rev. W.J.Phillips Residence Alberton in her 88th year. DeeDee was born in Doaktown, NB on May 21, 1932, to the late Baden and Irene (nee Carroll) O’Donnell. Beloved and devoted wife of 67 years to Seifert E. Rayner of the Rev. W.J. Phillips Residence, Alberton. 

     DeeDee was a loving mother of Dale (Julie) Rayner and Janet (Ed) Fredette, both of Alberton, Erroll (Juanita) Rayner of Wuduru, Australia, Melanie Rayner of Dartmouth and Marilynne (Scott) Hamilton of Calgary, and nine grandchildren, Michael Baillie, Lila Hough, Hannah Rayner, Daniel Arnold, Mark Arnold, Grant Arnold, Nicole Arnold, Alexandra Hamilton and Justin Hamilton. She is also survived by siblings, Winnifred Shaw of Meaford, Ontario, Malcolm (Mac) O’Donnell of Doaktown, NB, Boyd O’Donnell of Blissville, NB, and Marilyn Todd of Brunswick, Maine. Dear sister-in-law to Verna (Raigh) Callbeck of Alberton. 

     She is predeceased by brother, Baden (Junior) O’Donnell, and sisters, Moyra O’Donnell and Joyce Bruce, a granddaughter, Sarah Baillie, and a great-granddaughter, Taliyah Marsman. 

     DeeDee was a faithful member of St. Peter's Anglican Church, Alberton, and St. John's Anglican Church, St. Eleanors, where she served faithfully as a lay reader for many years. A private graveside service for family only will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery, Rev. Ned Henthorn officiating. 

     If so desired, memorial donations to the Diabetes Association or the St. Peter’s Anglican Cemetery Fund would be gratefully accepted. 

      For further information, to make a donation, or leave a condolence message, please visit the website or call Rooney Funeral Home at 902-853-2811.     

www.rooneyfh.ca

Invitation to all within the Parish of Alberton and O’Leary

     Rev. Ann Bush warmly invites you and your friends to join me this Sunday for a Worship of Praise Service at 10:30am.

     You find me on my Facebook page waiting there for you at about 10:20am and worship will begin at 10:30am. If you have someone or a situation you would like prayed for during our service please email me on blogs62@hotmail.com to ensure your privacy. Let me know if you are ok with names during the prayer otherwise I shall not use any names at all.

I shall be praying for Nova Scotia and those who died so violently anyway so you need not ask for that. Join our Virtual Church and enjoy praise music, old and new and scripture readings, prayers etc. My theme for the message is “Second Sight” based on the set Gospel Reading.

Looking forward to having with us,

Rev Ann Bush

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Readings

3^rd Sunday of Easter

Acts 2: 14, 36-41

Psalm 116: 1-3, 10-17 (pg 864)

 1 Peter 1: 17-23

The Holy Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35    

Collect

 O God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 

Prayer after Communion

 Author of life divine, in the breaking of bread we know the risen Lord. Feed us always in these mysteries, that we may show your glory to all the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The First Sunday after Easter

THE COLLECT

ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification: Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE EPISTLE

1 St. John 5.4-12

WHATSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.

THE GOSPEL

St. John 20.19-23

THE same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the rights in which are vested in the Crown,
is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Easter Blessings

Palm Sunday Service 2020

CAN WE WALK IN THE DARKNESS OF TODAY?


As we worship our Almighty God, let us remember that His Holy Spirit connects us all. Even though we cannot at this time touch each other or see each other we are all connected as the Body of Christ, with Christ as our Head. let us all worship at 10 am on Sundays using this Blog service, this way we can share in worship, if not as we usually do.

Imagine all the faces of your congregation and say The GRACE

There is a powerful hymn that speaks of our theme today:

Great is the darkness that covers the earth, oppression, injustice and pain,

Nations are slipping in hopeless despair, though many have come in Your name

Watching while sanity dies, touched by the madness and lies,

Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus, pour out Your Spirit we pray; Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus pour out Your Spirit on us today.

Scripture Readings for The Liturgy of the Passion: Psalm 31   and Gospel Matthew 26: 14-75 and 27: 1-54 MESSAGE: Today is the end of Lent for another year and Holy Week begins on Monday. This Lent has been like no other since the days of the World Wars when life for everyone became s strange and scary landscape almost overnight. We are all trying to find our way in this new darkness, carrying anxieties and fears of what will become of our lives, if this virus continues to spread. Many have had to confront their worst fears with being separated from loved ones as they are cared for in hospitals, too many have died alone without the comfort of loved ones or clergy beside them, although nurses and doctors do their best. There is not much to lighten the darkness as we read the Passion story of Christ. If you like me, gain strength from the sacrament of communion and daily prayer, our pillars of faith, yet on reading Matthew 26, gospel for this Sunday, we acknowledge how the first Lord’s Supper was shrouded in deception and abandonment. Judas had already sold out Jesus for a mere 30 pieces of silver, the first act of deception. Yetread again Matthew 26 verse 31, and discover Judas was not the only betrayer. Things do not improve as Jesus is left alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though he had asked the disciples to remain awake with him and to pray. Full of sorrow, Jesus prays alone in anguish, “take this cup of suffering from me; yet not what I want but what you want, Lord.” Yet God does not reply. How dark that night became for Jesus as he was left to confront his own fears.  When the disciples finally awoke, Jesus is ambushed, arrested and dragged away for trial. How dark it must have been as He hung on the Cross and His soul descended into hell in our place because of our sins. This is the darkest the world has ever known as Jesus calls out” My God, my God why have You forsaken me?” This was a time many were struggling with darkness and ever since that day we have all called out” where are you God, why won’t you answer me?” Even in the silence we are required to keep praying and taking strength from Communion and our fellowship with one another to keep walking forwards until we encounter God’s light again and then fully know He is always with us even in the silence.

God created the dark first and then said “Let there be light” Genesis 1:1-4. We need the dark to show up the light. To God, darkness is as the day. Look inwards see if you recognize anything you know should not be there; times of betrayal, times of not being honest or putting your needs before others’ ; or even acting like Pilate, knowing the right thing to do, yet doing the wrong thing because you fear losing your reputation and respect. maybe you are more like the Centurion and soldiers who crucified Jesus and the robbers, only doing their job after all or so they thought. Yet when darkness covered the land at 3 pm somehow they stood in their enlightened space amid the dark shadows, able to say with confidence” surely He was the Son of God”.

The gem at the heart of this gospel is that God never behaves as we do and for God night is as the day. God is at much at home saving, forgiving and healing in the dark as in the light. He will meet with any situation or person no matter where they have been. Sometimes He even calls His Church into a dark cloud. Maybe this is where we find ourselves today; what might motivate you to open your eyes to seeing God in this strange new landscape? Know this beloved, we all stand at the foot of the cross, the big question is, is Jesus still hanging there waiting for you to see Him? Or is the Cross empty now because you have seen Him and believed He died for YOU!

Take a time of reflection and prayer. Close with Lord’s Prayer.

BENEDICTION; Hosanna! let us welcome the shining face of the Jesus who came to save and accept the guidance of light into the most shadowy aspects of real life. may we align our minds with Christ and be humble witnesses to the Holy Spirit in the world. AMEN.