People's Pulpit 2007-12
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Rector SAINT JHOMAS sets its heart toward being a The Reverend jane McCaig Christian home which welcomes, encourages and Honorary Assistant seeks to inspire all people. The Reverend Canon Baxter Park Youth Minister Chris Miller Secretary Elizabeth Norris Organist Don Gillen Parish Council Members Rector's Warden William Passmore People's Warden Pat Dalphy Treasurer Vacant Deputy Wardens Ann Piche, /an Witney lay Members of Synod Altar Guild Suzanne Grahame Mary Attwell, Pat Dalphy, Elizabeth Norris, Anglican Church Men Roger Stone /an Fraser (alternate) Members at large Anglican Church Women Pat Dalphy Brian Smith, Nash Smith Canadian Friends of Sudan Roger Stone Facilities Card Secretary Elizabeth Rooney Bob McCaig Cemetery Committee Gwelda O'Shaughnessy Fellowship & Fundraising Choir Don Gillen Diane Clement Church School Susan Dow, Deb Quintal Stewardship Officers Coffee Hour Coordinator Tanya Drew julie Clark, Linda Schumacher Coordinator of Sidespersons Outreach Chair Barbara Swann (8:30), Heather Sullivan (10:313) Robin Tilgner Coordinator of Prayers, Readers and Chalke Church School link Shirley Chennette Barbara Swann (8:30), Elizabeth Norris (10:30) Recording Clerk Cornerstone Mary Passmore Elizabeth Norris Counters Lyle Stevenson Cursillo Tanya Drew People's Pulpit Editor Envelope Secretary Anne Brown Pam Denesyk Gardening Commitee Heather Sullivan Advertising Grocery Certificates Susan Chapman, Sylvia Ferguson Ann Piche Long Range Planning john Bottrie/1 Church Office Hours Memorial Fund Doreen Bell Tuesday 9:00- 4:00 Newcomer's Visiting Team Sylvi Dawes Wednesday 9:00- 4:00 Nursery Naomi Watson~Laird Thursday 9:00-1:00 Pastoral Care Tanya Drew Prayer Ministry Gertrude Brown P.O. Box 1064 PWRDF Barb Bottriel/ 1619 Stittsville Main Street Refugee Working Group Nash Smith Stittsville, Ontario Telephone Team Susan Chapman K2S 1B2 Webmaster julia Williams Phone 836 ~ 5741 Fax 836~5739 [email protected] The phone numbers and e~mail addresses for parish contacts and www.magma.ca/ ~stthoms/home.html council members can be found on the back co ver. r;reet£n3sfrom the ?Gector's rnesk Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord, and all people will see the salvation of our God. ere we not singing that hymn just a few short months ago? I don't know what your experience W has been, but it seems that another year has flown by almost at a record rate. Time is moving so quickly. Yet, the last time I looked each hour still had sixty minutes, each day twenty-four hours and each year three hundred and sixty five days. Perhaps it is the fullness, the busyness of our lives that makes time seem to move so quickly. Nevertheless, here we are approaching Advent, the beginning of our Liturgical Year. In Advent, Chris tians take time to make ready for the celebration of Christmas, the celebration of the incarnation, of God's coming into the world as one of us. We prepare ourselves to meet yet again our Lord and Saviour. We pre pare to celebrate Love that came into the world. If Advent is a time of preparation, then it behoves us to prepare-to take time out of the busyness and get ready for Jesus in a more disciplined intentional way. So, how will you prepare for Jesus' coming? How will you prepare yourself to meet our Lord at Christmas? Will you read your Bible more faithfully, con templating the stories of our faith? Will you take more time in prayer, nurturing your relationship with God, readying your heart to receive the new born King? Will you prepare by generously offering your time or your finances to enable someone else to share in the joy of the season we celebrate? Centre 454 would appreciate your offering of food or your help as they serve dinner to so many people in our city. There are many ways to prepare for the coming of our Lord, and I urge you to take time to prepare, there is much to gain by doing so. At St. Thomas we will prepare in Advent by having an Adult Bible Study, beginning November 27th, en titled "The Light Will Shine." Our children will be invited to an Activity Day on December 1st, appropriate ly named "Advent" -ure, where through story, song and crafts the children will be introduced to the Advent theme of waiting and preparing. St. Nicholas will again visit our church on December 9th, collecting new unwrapped toys for distribution at Centre 454's Christmas Dinner. Karen Ann McKinna will be leading an Advent Quiet Morning on December 15th for the parish and all are invited to attend. I encourage each one of you to plan how you will prepare for Christ's coming this year; how you will make ready your heart. Part of my preparation is to give thanks to God for the ministry that I have been called to at St. Thomas. I also give thanks to God for the people with whom I am privileged to share my ministry; and that is all of you. What a blessing this community is! Bob and I thank you and pray for you every blessing this Advent and Christmas Season. We look for ward with delight for the future years we will share in ministry. May you know Christ's peace and joy this Christmas season and always. In Christ's Service, Jane+ n a recent Sunday morning, a friend who is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day. As an aside: we still 0 always wonderfully busy asked whether I had have the most fun creating interesting baskets to ob signed up for the Advent study beginning November serve December 6 and my grown-up children delight 27. I verbally hopped from foot to foot, pointing out in surprising their father with treats. This has always the busyness of the season, the number of meetings, been the preferred time to give seasonal music, books, etc. "Well", she said, "I find that taking part in a study movies and chocolates for enjoyment throughout De like this makes me slow down and concentrate on Ad cember. We had Advent tea every Sunday at 4.00 p.m. vent." - sometimes just cookies and hot chocolate - but we I know she's right and it made me think about the were all around the table and the collect was read statement I was making in pleading too much to do. for that Sunday and the Advent candle was lit. Some Often it's a knee-jerk reaction because we're all sup times there were giggles and pretend embarrassment posed to be busy. Even some retired people -especially but you can bet they told their friends that they had to retired people - will list their frantic activities, telling be home on Sunday afternoons and sometimes their you of meetings and classes to attend and conflicting friends came too. Guess what? My eldest son is now 40 schedules. Parents are made to feel that they must jus and there is still Advent tea at my house - although it tify their time at home by not being at home and driving now involves bottles of wine and much more elaborate their offspring to one enriching activity after another. food. Two years ago when Kurt, my eldest grandchild, So many of us have bought in to the 24/7 way of living read the collect for us on Advent I, we came full circle and the constant need to be in-touch and informed. and there were many tears. We have an Advent tree - Am I being judgemental? No! I am that semi-retired actually an arrangement of interesting branches. Years person and I have been that parent so I recognize the ago I found a series of 24 pottery star shapes imprinted oversubscribed life when I see it. with words like 'praise', 'patience', 'friends', 'peace', 'charity', 'Christ', etc. - all things to invite a pause and Making time for the small things that restore our perspective takes practice, and the conscious slowing a prayer of thanks. I suppose it's a grown-up Advent down and observation of Advent, and later Lent, helps calendar but it's a lovely thing that can be done as a with that exercise. Like any exercise programme, it personal observance. takes repetition and failing and trying again and being Several years ago I heard an interview on the CBC forgiving of self as we build a comfortable framework with a woman who was no longer giving her 20-some that works for each person. TI1ere are many resources thing children Christmas presents. I was shocked to to consult. Pick and choose from seasonal sugges say the least. Why - Christmas required the best and tions to tailor your observances and to build traditions the latest for my children and grandchildren - even as or make new ones. A visit to Canterbury Books, now I recognized that the ever-expanding extended family housed at the St. Paul's University Bookstore on Main and a full-time job and the need to be in charge of it Street- good parking available- will yield lots of books all were pushing me to the edge. Why was I never at and resources. It can't all be done at once - add a few Advent services and if I managed to get to a midnight customs each year and you will soon have built an en service who would be filling Christmas stockings at riched observance. 2.00 a.m? What had happened to time with the people When our five children were young, my husband I cared most about in the world? Why was I standing in and I realized early on that there was too much focus Toys R Us with an incomprehensible list of things I'd on Christmas Day - specifically the present-opening never heard of and filling a cart with more plastic? -so we began early to build in small celebrations dur Two years ago we turned off the tap.