newsletter - st john's shaughnessy
TRANSCRIPT
NEWSLETTER Week Commencing July 22, 2018
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Father John on Sabbatical
Father John will be away until September 17. Mother Liz will be the
Priest in Charge while he is away.
Fr John’s Pilgrimage Reflection July 3
I just spent a week canoeing the Bowron
Lake circuit; a circular chain of lakes set well
away from urban life. The beauty of the area and
its pristine wilderness gave me ample
opportunity to reflect upon many things.
At one of the campsites along the way, one of our
travel companions asked us what one piece of
equipment that we had brought with us was the
most helpful. We each responded differently, for
you come to rely on different things in the
wilderness than you might in the city. Dried food,
clean water, safe shelter, sturdy paddle, dry
clothes are all extremely important. The basics of
life become more central.
As I reflected more carefully on this
question, I wondered what each of us
might need most importantly on our
own pilgrimage of life. I considered four
things:
1) We need to love others - offer
compassion, show tenderness, show that
we can be trusted, care for our families
and friends, never treat others as
‘objects,’ but as made in God’s image.
2) We need to accept the love of others: accept kindness, enjoy the company
of others, let them love us despite our flaws.
3) We need to lead: we need to lead the kind of lives that reflect our truest
selves. Do not hide our souls, but reveal them in our actions, lead by example
in how this world should be.
4) We need to be led: acknowledge our reliance on God’s guidance and
God’s calling. We are made in the image of God but we do not always reveal
God’s imagination for us. Let God lead us into life and hope.
This first pilgrimage gave me time to reflect a little more carefully
about what Jesus came to reveal to us: love, be loved, lead and be led.
Bless you on your journey.
John+
Fr John’s Pilgrimage Reflection July 5
I walked over to Lindisfarne (Holy
Island) at low tide today. There was
something quite moving about slowing
everything down to a walking pace and
going across the ocean deprived sand and
following the footprints of hundreds of
saints and pilgrims before me. I have
followed St Cuthbert’s Way to get here
and I feel blessed by his presence and
guidance. This was the path that his
faithful companions used to carry his
body to its final resting place in Durham.
The word companion refers to a
friend with whom we break bread. I like
that.
Each time we journey with others,
break bread with them and give thanks
for God’s gifts along the way; whether at church, a pilgrimage or place of
shelter for the night, the presence of Christ is known to us. As is
the presence of Cuthbert and thousands of saints who continue
to reveal God walking with us, in the breaking of bread, in food
for the journey and holiness amongst the ordinary.
Thanks be to God.
John+
John’s Pilgrimage Reflection July 10
From the pilgrimage island of Lindisfarne I have travelled to the
pilgrimage island of Tinos. Pilgrims come from all over Greece and around
the world to visit Tinos and in particular the icon at St Mary the Virgin
Church. St Mary’s Church has been a place of healing for many and is seen as
the Lourdes of the Greek Orthodox Church. A beautiful building that has
pilgrims crawling up the hill (or just walking) to touch the icon, light candles,
offer prayer and attend mass. There is a steady stream of pilgrims going in
the doors each day.
On Tinos (a small island!) there are about 700 churches! Indeed a holy
and blessed place. Following the footsteps of past and present saints and
pilgrims reminds me just how much our faith unites, guides and blesses us.
We need to be grounded in a faith that calls us to celebrate the holy in our
lives. Holiness that unites us to the love of God, love of neighbour and love
of ourselves.
I lit a candle for St John’s that we might continue to be guided by the
light of a patient, pressing and persistent Holy Spirit.
Blessings,
John+
Fr John’s Pilgrimage Reflection July 18
In Prague I discovered this pilgrimage site of a doll-like image of the
Infant Christ. Pilgrims come from all over the Czech Republic and around the
world to pay respects and offer prayer and receive the Eucharist near this
statue of Jesus. The Infant Jesus of Prague is a 16th-century wax-coated
wooden statue of Child Jesus, located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious
in Prague. Pious legends claim that the statue once belonged to Saint Teresa
of Avila. The image is routinely clothed by nuns in luxurious fabrics with
imperial regalia and a golden crown while his left hand holds a globus
cruciger and the right hand raised in a benedicting posture. Many blessings
and healings have been associated with this Infant Jesus of Prague.
The image below that is a street scene in Prague
as life carries on hardly noticing the presence of
this Infant Christ.
Below that is a pilgrimage site in Vienna, Austria
where “O5” has been scratched into the wall of
the Church of St Stephen, a central gathering
place in Vienna. To make a long story short O5
refers to an anti-Nazi resistance in Austria from
World War II. It is wonderful to see it on this
church. A stand against evil in this world.
Pilgrimage to seek out Christ and God’s presence
in the world is not the end of the journey. Our
faith in God’s love is not
just found at certain sites
in the world but in those
places where we awaken
our souls to make room
for God’s abundant grace.
But that grace must
transform and change us.
We cannot be the same
after our encounter. We
must be changed in how
we love God and love our
neighbour.
With all the turmoil in the world at the moment, consider how God is
calling us to be pilgrims who live out the compassion of Christ to neighbours
of all kinds. May we be guided to see that kindness is greater than greed,
caring more important than profits, humanizing so much of more value than
dehumanizing. May that Infant Child of Christ in Prague give us eyes to see
the world as he does.
Blessings on the way.
John+
You too can be a reader on Sunday mornings…
or just get a boost to your self-confidence when speaking in groups
Have you always wanted to do readings in church on Sunday mornings,
but you were way too terrified? Does your heart race with fear when you try
to speak in front of a group? Now is the time to join a small group of people
who feel the same way you do. Join members of your parish family to
conquer this fear and boost your self-confidence. Classes start in a few weeks.
Please contact Mother Liz or the office and let us know your schedule so we
can figure out the best dates and times to run these classes. We’ll have loads
of fun supporting each other in this new journey. Ages 14 to 114.
Annual Memorial Garden Service of Evensong Sept 23rd 3pm
Our Annual Memorial Garden Service of Evensong will be held on
September 23rd at 3pm. In May of this year, the ashes from the Memorial
Garden at St Mark's Kitsilano were laid to rest in the SJS Memorial Garden.
If you know anyone who used to attend St Mark's, please let them know
about this service. This is an important ministry for us. Everyone is welcome,
and there will be a reception in the Trendell Lounge following the service.
Calling all Gardeners! Mondays at 10am (and other days, too)
Please join a small group of us who work on tidying up the gardens at
St John’s. Weeding, pruning, raking, cleaning/filling the birdbaths, watering
planters and transplanting. No experience necessary! No heavy lifting
necessary! Stay for 30 minutes or 2 hours, it’s up to you. Please contact the
office for more information. You may also volunteer other days/times, or
maybe just come once a week for ten minutes to water the planters.
St John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church 1490 Nanton Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V6H 2E2
Telephone (604) 731-4966 (ex 11 for office)
email: [email protected] web: www.sjs.net Office Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 3:00pm
CCLI License # 143069. 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 (on Sabbatical)
[email protected] (returns Sept 17)
Priest in Charge The Reverend Liz Hamel)
Deacon The Reverend Dr. Pitman Potter
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 [email protected]
Choir Director Ann Chen
Children’s Ministry The Reverend Kathryn Ransdell
Parish Administrator Janet Hamilton
PWRDF Rep Doug Symons
Sacristan and MC Paul Bunnell
Verger/caretaker Amy Thorogood
Sunday services
8:00am Holy Communion (BCP)
10:00am Sung Eucharist
Wednesday service
9:30am Holy Communion
Cover: Harbour Scene with Christ preaching, Jan Bruegel the Elder, 1597
