NEWSLETTER. Weeks Commencing January 20, The Second Sunday after Epiphany with Holy Baptism

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1 NEWSLETTER Weeks Commencing January 20, 2019 The Second Sunday after Epiphany with Holy Baptism

2 Some Thoughts to Consider This coming Sunday we will be hearing a gospel passage from John s Gospel about Jesus changing water into wine at a wedding in Cana. It is a story of change and transformation. A story just as much about us being changed as the water being changed. Our faith in God is not something only to set aside in a stone water jar in hopes that it might be changed at some point if we stop peeking at it (like a kettle on a stove anticipating the boiling point). Instead our faith and hope in God is meant to be taken out, shared, enjoyed; it is meant to revive our soul, build community, foster newness of spirit, challenge old ideas and encourage new ones. We are to be new wine in this world, bearing God s hope and God s promise. We are called to be people of justice and peace, visionaries and wanderers. In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, it is perhaps vital that all Christians come to see that we are called to live the faith that is in us by being new wine and in that God sees hope in us. Too often our notion of faith is falsified by our emphasis on the statements about God which faith believes, and by our forgetfulness of the fact that faith is a communion with God s own light and truth. Actually, the statements, the propositions which faith accepts on the divine authority are simply media through which one passes in order to reach the divine Truth. Faith terminates not in a statement, not in a formula of words, but in God. If instead of resting in God by faith, we rest simply in the proposition or the formula, it is small wonder that faith does not lead to contemplation. On the contrary, it leads to anxious hair-splitting arguments, to controversy, to perplexity and ultimately to hatred and division. In this superconscious realm of mystery is hidden not only the summit of humanity s spiritual being (which remains a pure mystery to reason) but also the presence of God, Who dwells at this hidden summit, according to traditional metaphor. Faith then brings a person into contact with their own inmost spiritual depths and with God, Who is present within those same depths. (Thomas Merton)

3 May your spiritual journey include places where beauty is seen, music is heard, celebrations are carried out and in all this may you know that God is near; as God was at the wedding in Cana long ago: changing water into wine but just as importantly believers changed into followers. O God of wine and water, wheat and bread, you call us to be transformed by your love and your grace. Feed us and quench our thirst for you with a new wine that feeds not only our hearts but our souls drawn deeper into your connection with us. In the name of Jesus, the wedding guest and Word, we pray. Amen. (For the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the four presiding bishops of each of the churches: Archbishop Fred Hiltz of the ACC, Bishop Susan Johnson of the ELCIC, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the ELCA, and Bishop Michael Curry of the TEC have created devotions for each day. They have been created to reflect this year s international theme of justice. This is the one for Friday:) Friday, January 18 Let justice roll down like water Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? (Amos 5:22 25) Worship is worthless if it is not accompanied by earnest words and genuine acts of justice. Worship is worthless if we present our religious sacrifices week after week while allowing others around us to continue to be sacrificed on the altars of greed and power and prejudice. Worship is worthless if we close our eyes and ears and hearts to the poor, the oppressed, and the helpless. This is what the prophet Amos was talking about when he shared God s warning to the religious people of his time: Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. This is what the writer of First John 4:20 was talking about when he challenged some of the earliest members of the Jesus Movement: For those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen.

4 This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was talking about when he proclaimed, No, no, we are not satisfied, and will not be satisfied, until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. Worship our worship is only truly good, truly worthy, when we choose to do what Paul urged the Christians in Rome to do: to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. These hands we use to worship are heaven-sent. In the words attributed to Teresa of Avila: Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours; yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. This is true religion. This is worship worthy of our loving, liberating, and life-giving God. Let us pray: O God of justice and compassion, by your Spirit help us who dare to follow Jesus to see you in the faces of all those we meet, and to respond faithfully. Through Jesus Christ our Savior, who came not to be served, but to serve. Amen. Bishop Michael Curry Baptism on Sunday We are very excited that this coming Sunday, Ella Stockton will be baptized at the 10:00 service! We welcome Ella into the household of God, from darkness to light. Please pray for her and her parents, David and Kaitlin. Father John on Pilgrimage No, Father John is not going off on another pilgrimage walk but he will be speaking about it at Shaughnessy Heights United Church on February 5 at 7:00pm. If you missed his talk about walking pilgrimage routes in Northern England and the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, come and hear him this time! Lots of photographs and stories to go with them. All welcome. Our Caretaker/Verger Amy After over two years, Amy Thorogood will be leaving us as our Caretaker/Verger. We will miss her! Her pleasant smile and happy outlook to go along with her willingness to help at any task will be greatly missed. Amy is returning to her studies in Architecture and we pray God s continuing blessing upon her. Her last Sunday with us will be January 27.

5 Week of prayer for Christian Unity The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity runs from January 18 to 25. This is an annual week set aside by the World Council of Churches as we pray for Christian Unity among churches. The theme for the week of prayer in 2019, "Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue..." is inspired by Deuteronomy 16: The local Shaughnessy churches will be holding a service to pray for Christian unity on January 22 at Shaughnessy Heights United Church. They are inviting everyone to come and join them for dinner at 6:00pm (there are vegetarian and gluten-free options) and then the service at 7:00pm. Or if you can only make the service, that is OK but please come! Guest Preacher on January 27 On Sunday January 27, the Rev. Bryan Rivers will be our guest preacher. Bryan is the Anglican chaplain at Vancouver General Hospital. It will be great to have him here at St. John s! Do you have an old bike in your garage that you are not using that you would like to donate? We are helping a very nice man who is looking for a reasonably lightweight road bike or hybrid bike. Pick up is possible if you live nearby. He has funds to do some repairs and a tune-up, so don t worry if your bike is not in working order. Please contact the office for more information.

6 St John's is Sponsoring a Refugee Family Our parish has agreed to join with St. Philip's Dunbar in sponsoring a Syrian refugee couple with three young children. We anticipate that they will arrive in about 18 months but we have lots to do in preparation of their arrival. Please mark your donation Syrian Refugees to have your money go towards supporting this family. St. John's Refugee Committee is: Jane Dunlop (chair), Jennifer Clarke, John and Jane MacIntyre, Robyn Woodward and John Stephens. Any of them would be happy to talk to you about our sponsorship of this family. Coffee Hour - more helpers needed for clean-up Every Sunday there is a high need for more people to help with cleanup. You don t need to sign up for this, but please consider staying for five or ten minutes to help load and unload the dishwasher so that our regular volunteers do not have to stay so late. Also, if you have never volunteered during coffee hour and would like to bring grapes or sliced oranges or another healthy snack to share, please contact the office. Please label all donated food with a decription, date and your name. Thank you! Upcoming SJS Events Jan 21 Knitting Group 10am 23 Scrabble Group 1:30pm 23 Bible Study 10:10am

7 Free VSO Concert at the Orpheum with Michael Dirk! Jan 26 The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 100th Anniversary next Saturday Jan 26 by mounting 100 musical acts on 10 stages from 10am till 10pm. Our own organist Michael Dirk has been invited once again to showcase the Orpheum s historic mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ by accompanying the 1927 Laurel & Hardy silent film The Second Hundred Years at 4:30pm. All events are FREE. Full schedule:

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11 St John s Shaughnessy Anglican Church 1490 Nanton Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V6H 2E2 Telephone (604) (ex 11 for office) church@sjs.net web: Office Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 3:00pm CCLI License # Copyright 2004 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduced under license from ABC Publishing, Anglican Book Centre, a ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, from Anglican Liturgical Library. Rector The Venerable John Stephens john.stephens@sjs.net Deacon The Reverend Dr. Pitman Potter pbpotter@live.ca Pastoral Care Team Coordinator Helen Kline Rector s Warden Judith Downes People s Warden Maggie Sanders Treasurer Donald Wood Property Trustee Peter Kidd Vestry Clerk The Reverend Karin Fulcher Music Director Michael Dirk organist@sjs.net Choir Director Ann Chen Children s Ministry Annabelle Ip Parish Administrator Janet Hamilton PWRDF Rep Doug Symons Sacristan and MC Paul Bunnell (on sick leave) Verger/caretaker Amy Thorogood (vacant as of Feb 1) Sunday services 8:00am Holy Communion (BCP) 10:00am Sung Eucharist Wednesday service 9:30am Holy Communion Please the office if you would like the weekly newsletter sent to you. Cover image by John Stuart,