What joy I felt this past week when I found snow drops coming into bloom in the garden. Surrounded by the dried up leaves and remnants from last season is this sign of hope that new life in spring is coming upon us. That's good news. Even though there will be work to do in raking and tidying up from the winter, other plants and flowers will come to life too. I so look forward to the colors and scent of the trulips, daffodils, Iris' and all the other blossoms that will will soon be out.
A reminder that next week is Holy Week and the many different options there are to engage in these sacred days that are at the center of our faith. I encourage you to come out to whatever worship opportunities you can. I personally find that the more I engage with Holy Week the more Easter means to me. I invite you to observe a holy week where God can touch you and enliven your faith through Christ who suffered, died and rose from the dead.
Throughout Lent, the sermons will focus on the understanding and reflecting on the promises of our baptismal covenant. In particular, we will be asked how we hope to live them out faithfully.
This past Sunday, we were asked, "How will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the earth?”
try to use less plastic
pick up in parks I use
rake the lawn
clean garbage around the church
recycle whenever I can
donate reusable things to others
training myself and family to not use bottled water
using cloth bags for shopping
recycle every time
drive less
support environmental organizations like Greenpeace
reduce plastic use
pick up recyclables on my dog walks
more aware of what I purchase, what I waste and how I dispose of things
clean up trails & parks
join in "Earth Day"
minimize packaging
plant more trees on my property
protect all things natural
cut down on single use plastics
be mindful of leaving the earth better than we enjoyed it
be active in "stop paving paradise"
save our green space
not take creation and the environment for granted
properly dispose of waste and teach our children and grandchildren to do the same
garden responsibly
living sustainably, only taking what I need and replacing what I have used
produce less waste
buy only what I need
Please note the time change ...
The candlelight communion is at 7:30
& the series at 8:00
Please consider how you can support Faithworks.
Together we have the potential
to contribute to so much tood ministry
that meets various needs of people
across our diocese, country and further afield around the world.
And remember too
15% of donations we make
remain at St. Paul's for our own outreach ministry.
“Muffins for Pikangikum”
A reminder that each Sunday during Lent
the Outreach Committee is selling muffins
in support of clean water for Pikangikum.
As well, we have a jar for any donations
you'd like to make to this initiative.
Thank you for your support!
If you would like to make a donation
for memorial Easter flowers
there are envelopes available
at the back of the church.
Please have them in the office
by Sunday April 14.
Calling all volunteers
to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday
We gather at the church
on Friday April 12 at 1:30 pm.
It's a fun time of fellowship together!!
Speak to Joan for more details.
Wed Apr 10 ... ... 7:30 pm ... Lenten Candlelight Communion followed by "Becoming the Story we Tell" series
Thurs Apr 11 ... 10 am ... Communion followed by "Becoming the Story we Tell" series at Mae's
Thurs Apr 11 ... 1:30 pm ... TAB & ACW
Holy Week
Sun Apr 14 ... Palm Sunday ... 8:30 and 10:30 am Communion services with the blessing and distribution of palms
Mon Apr 15 ... 1 pm ... Coffee & Chat at "Tin Cup"
Mon Apr 15 ... 7:30 pm ... Candlelight Communion
Tues Apr 16 ... 7:30 pm ... Candlelight Communion with anointing for healing
Wed Apr 17 ... 7:30 pm ... Candlelight Communion with Stations of the Cross
Maundy Thursday ... note that there is no morning communion or bible study
... 7:30 pm ... Communion with symbolic hand washing and solemn stripping of the sanctuary
Fri Apr 19 ... Good Friday
9:15 am ... Family liturgy for Good Friday
11:00 am ... Solemn Service of the Passion of Jesus
1:30 pm ... Community Good Friday Walk ... stopping at strategic places to pray for the marginalized in our community and around the world who live in the midst of the stations of the cross thorughout their lives
4:00 pm ... Good Friday Concert ... Cantorei sine Nomine ... Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri'
Sat Apr 20 ... 2 to 4 pm ... Uxbridge Gay Straight Alliance
Sun Apr 21 ... Easter
8:30 am ... Communion celebrating the resurrection
10:30 am ... Festive Communion celebrating the resurrection with special music
Thurs Apr 25 ... 10 am ... Communion followed by "Becoming the Story we Tell" series at Mae's
Fri Apr 26 ... 7 to 9 pm ... Gaymes Night
Sun Apr 28 ... Foodbanks Sunday ... with the launching of "The Table" please note the change in service times
... 8:15 am ... quiet traditional communion
... 9:30 am ... "The Table" ... casual, comfortable communion ... with baptism
... 10:45 am ... Sung Communion service with choir
... 2 pm ... Douglas Crossing communion service
Mon Apr 29 ... 7 pm ... "holy spirits ... faith conversations over a pint" at Wixan's
Tues Apr 30 ... 6:30 pm ... Bishop Shaw's Town Hall Meeting ... St. George's, Pickering Village
Help is needed to distribute our posters around town.
These posters attract people to our services, Lunch & Learns, dinners, concerts and other events.
Each person would have no more
than 12 posters to distribute.
The town has been divided into 4 areas,
and should take no more than 30-40 minutes to complete. P
lease speak to Evelyn Pogue if you are able to help.
Volunteers are needed to help water
and weed the gardens at St. Paul’s.
If you could give a couple of hours twice a month,
please leave your name with Evelyn Pogue.
Saturday May 4 at 2 pm
we will welcome and host
the Trent Durham town hall meeting
with Bishop Andrew Asbil
here at St. Paul's
Bishop Andrew wants to hear from lay people in every episcopal area about their hopes, fears and dreams for their parishes and the diocese.
"Let's play ... follow the leader!"
I remember as a child playing the game "follow the leader". The idea of course was to mimic everything the leader did ... go where he/she went ... run when they ran ... walk when they walked ... raising a hand when they raised theirs ... stopping in our tracks when the stopped ... holding a pose when they held a pose, even when it was uncomfortable or left us unsteady on our feet. And of course, if you didn't do what the leader did, or if you did something that the leader didn't do, you were out of the game and sat on the sidelines.
We are called as faithful disciples of Jesus to live our lives not playing a game but faithfully following the one who leads us, Jesus Christ. That's what our discipleship is all about. We are to mimic Jesus in how we live out our lives, in the priorities we invest our energy in, the passions we have and every relationship we have with another person. We are called to be Christ for them!
Sometimes we're drawn into situations where remaining focused on our call to be Christ is challenging and even bordering on impossible. Dealing with difficult people in our lives in our families, our workplace, our church or our community can compromise our desire to truly follow Christ in that moment, with that particular person. And yet, faithfulness on our part would mean living our baptismal promises with integrity with every person we come in contact with.
This week, when we play follow the leader with Jesus, we are led down the road of pain, suffering, death and grief. And yet, we choose to make that journey with him to experience the fullness of God's love for us and all of creation, and to know in the depth of our beings the promise of new life in the hope of the resurrection.
Easter, a day of celebration and great joy, can't stand alone on its own and have the same impact on us and our faith. If we want to be truly impacted by the resurrection, we have to follow Jesus every step of the way through the coming week. And that includes following Jesus to the cross and witness the travesty of his death as He breathes His last breath.
Friends, we need to follow Jesus in difficult, challenging times as much as in the moments of joy and celebration. Easter and Good Friday go hand in hand ... one has no meaning without the other. So, let's indeed follow Jesus into this next week; let's walk every step as He walks them; let's shout our Hosanna's; let's sit at supper with Him; let's go and be Simon helping to carry His cross; let's hear his agonizing words from the cross; let's witness his dying and burial; and in the end encounter too the Risen Christ who calls us by name as He called Mary by name.
"Follow the leader" ... a good analogy for the faithful journey we take throughout our lives, and especially in this week ahead of us that we call holy!
I offer us this prayer of confession and commitment for our calling to follow Jesus ...
Merciful God, You call us to follow;
to turn away from our own selfish interests,
and to take up our cross and follow after You,
even if the path is difficult to see,
or is heading in a direction
we would never have chosen for ourselves.
Forgive us for being so quick to question
and so hesitant to follow.
Help us to see with the eyes of faith,
rather than from our own human point of view.
Teach us to follow without fear,
knowing that You are always with us, leading the way. Amen.
Remember, if you have a question, I encourage you to send it to me in an email and I will do my best to answer it either in a weekly update or in a sermon.
As always, my inbox is open, and so is my office door if you'd like to chat. I'm usually in my office most mornings Monday through Thursday unless otherwise announced due to a meeting. Stop by or make an appointment!
