Summer – June 2013
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The Presbyterian Church in Canada 82 Kent St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5N9 Office: 232-9042 Fax: 232-1379 www.StAndrewsOttawa.ca facebook.com/StAndrewsOttawa Summer – June 2013 GHOTI and the Christian Journey - Andrew Johnston In this issue: As a member of a household that includes a nearly-graduated From the Minister ...................................................... - 1 - speech pathologist, I was News from the Kirk Session ....................................... - 2 - offered the following Election of Elders ....................................................... - 3 - fascinating suggestion … PROVISIONARIES ........................................................ - 6 - If the ‘gh’ sound in ‘enough’ is A Bird’s-Eye View of the Presbytery of Ottawa ......... - 7 - pronounced ‘f’, and the ‘o’ in ‘women’ makes What is Invitations? ................................................... - 8 - the short ‘i’ sound, and the ‘ti’ in ‘nation’ is About St. Andrew’s in Action ..................................... - 8 - pronounced ‘sh’, then the word ‘ghoti’ is pronounced just like ‘fish’. Let’s celebrate our Choir! .......................................... - 9 - Update from the Children’s Choir ............................ - 10 - Welcome to the English language! Passages ................................................................... - 10 - The fish has been for long a symbol for the Anniversary Celebrations ......................................... - 11 - Christian faith, and it made me think that the Christian journey is as surprising as any Wednesday Prayer ................................................... - 11 - language. Congregational Retreat ............................................ - 12 - Gratitude for Ann Gillies Bequest ............................ - 15 - It is fairly typical of the life of faith that for long periods at a time things continue on their Gracefield Summer Camp ........................................ - 15 - course, and then suddenly, surprisingly, we Kingdom Rock – Be involved!................................... -15- are confronted with a decision. This has India Reflections ...................................................... - 16 - indeed been my case these past weeks. Concert of Hope for Haiti ......................................... - 21 - To make a short story very short, last Sunday The Christians in Syria today .................................... - 21 - the congregation of St. Andrew’s Church Thank you Letter of Rev. Mofid Karajaili .................. - 24 - Kingston agreed to extend a Call for me to The Ladies Aid Society, 1874-1913 .......................... - 26 - minister with them, one which will be considered by the Presbyteries of Kingston McKay and Booth: Historic St. Andrew’s Markers ... - 32 - and Ottawa later this month. Bold to Bless ............................................................. - 34 - Devotional for May Men's Fellowship ..................... - 35 - I will have much to share with you in the weeks to come as this transition is declared in KAIROS – ‘faithful action for justice’ ........................ - 38 - order, but be assured that this has everything World Council of Churches ...................................... - 40 - and only to do with a personal struggle and Daybreak Update ..................................................... - 40 - finally decision to accept a call from the One I Photo Gallery ........................................................... - 42 - serve. For now, I shall share a prayer that has recently come very much alive for me: St. Andrew’s In Action Church Updates ‘Eternal Father, life seems to be designed to be a mixture of continuity We also need to make plans about how we continue to and change; and the Bible presents just be a thriving congregation with a new minister. For this, such a story – of periodic crises, we are also just beginning to make plans but we will crossroads, moments for action. We have help from the Presbytery. Very soon, perhaps by thank you for the life and teaching of early next month, Presbytery will appoint an interim Jesus. We thank you especially for the moderator. That person will help us to both maintain the way he brought things to a head in ongoing activities of our congregation and to begin the process of searching for a new minister. people’s lives, enabling them to discover that they could put their whole trust in you alone. Two thousand years later, It is important for us to remember that we are a strong the possibility of believing still comes as congregation full of people with many gifts. Andrew has a crisis to us. Help us to face it, helped us be the kind of welcoming open congregation knowing that the decision whether or that continues to attract people at a time when many not to trust Jesus, and through him churches are losing people. But, much of what is you, is the greatest one of our lives.’ welcoming and open is who we are as a church community. (More Contemporary Prayers. Edited by Caryl Micklem) I believe that we are a strong congregation and that we will be fine. I won’t for a minute suggest that searching for a new minister and making the transition will be easy and fun. It won’t. For most of us, change is hard and we News from the Kirk Session don’t really like it all that much. In the end, though, change is frequently an opportunity to grow and become even stronger. I often struggle with what to say in the “News from the Kirk Session” but I think this one is the most difficult. - Judy D., Clerk of Session The focus of the elder’s attention right now is on the fact that Andrew is leaving us. I know some of us thought it would never happen and all of us knew we would never be ready for it. Andrew has been such an important part of our lives for such a long time it’s very difficult imagining what it will be like without him. We all have particular remembrances of a time when Andrew was a help to us. For some of us it was when we were inspired by a sermon or during a class or study when he helped us to understand something in a new way. For others of us, it was when someone close to us or we ourselves were suffering and Andrew was there to help us heal. The wonderful thing is that those times will always be a part of us, even when he is no longer our minister. When we think about Andrew’s departure, two opportunities immediately come to mind. First and foremost, we want to say farewell to Andrew in a way Recent photo of some of the Kirk Session, distracted that makes it clear how much we value the many years during a pose for the formal photograph he has been our minister and how much we appreciate all of the things he has done for us. As a group, we plan (the distraction thanks to Harold J., the photo to do that on Sunday, July 21 immediately following the thanks to Doug S.) worship service. We are just beginning to make plans so we will share more details with you in the coming weeks. Individually, we can thank him anytime with a kind word of appreciation. - 2 - St. Andrew’s In Action Church Updates On these travels, they became members of Election of Elders Wesley Knox United Church in London, Ontario The election for the calling of new elders is now and then Knox Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, drawing to a close. If you have not already done so, Ohio. In Cincinnati, Rebecca was involved as a lay please prayerfully consider who you feel is suitable leader with their church's prison ministry program, for the office of elder and complete your ballot visiting prisoners in both women's and men's accordingly. Please note that the deadline for facilities. submission of ballots is Sunday, June 9th at 1:00 Rebecca and family settled in Ottawa and pm. joined St. Andrews in 2009. Rebecca is actively Thank you for your attention to this matter. involved with St. Andrew’s as a regular attendee at Kids' Church and the Family Fun Nights and is Regards, Stuart M. representative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada Diana B. on the Church Council on Justice and Corrections. Diana is a wife and mother On Sundays, you will usually see her chasing her of three grown children. She is a children between the children's choir rehearsal, Registered nurse at the Ottawa Sunday school rooms and nursery. Heart Institute. Previous work experience includes nursing at the Jill C. Health Services Dept. of Carleton University, Ottawa Heart Health Jill C. is a retired teacher, Smoking Cessation program, and born and raised in the Baptist faith in the Cardiac Unit and The in Toronto. She met her husband, Emergency Dept. at The Hospital for Sick Children Terry, when they were both in Toronto for 5yrs. students at the University of Toronto. Married in 1973, Terry's She has been a member of St Andrew's since career took them on postings to 1986, with varied experiences in the Nursery, a Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sunday school teacher (part time), and children's Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Geneva interspersed choir assistant while her children younger. She has with time in Ottawa. Luckily, teaching was a very helped out in various capacities: birthday card portable career for Jill which included working in writing for 2 yrs. (under Zora Todd), Responsive International Schools, private tutoring, and teaching Psalms youth recruiter, Daybreak Housing Board for the OCDSB. member and Communications Chair, and Growth Committee liaison for the SLAM poetry event. Jill and Terry worshipped in various churches abroad, but first became members of the She continues to look for ways to grow and Presbyterian Church in Washington. Jill was expand in faith and life experience. ordained as an elder in 1998 at St. Timothy's in Ottawa. Upon returning to Ottawa from Geneva in Rebecca B. 2005, they joined St. Andrew's along with their son, Craig, and his family. Rebecca B. grew up in Calgary, Alberta, where she attended They also have a daughter, Christie, who Hillhurst United Church with her lives in Toronto. Jill is currently president of St. family. Andrew's Women's Guild, plays in St. Andrew's Ringers, the handbell choir, and is often seen with She moved with husband her grandchildren, John and Cecily.