Author: The Rector

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Last Sunday after Epiphany, 2021 – Sermon

St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Epiphany 6, Feb. 14, 2021. Canon Claude Schroeder

Rector’s Report to the Annual General Meeting

Sermon Audio

At a recent video conference, the clergy of the Diocese were asked to share in small groups their response to some questions, including “How have you been affected by the pandemic?” “How has your parish coped during this time?”

I shared that it has been a bit like the magician who attempted the trick of pulling the table cloth out from under the dishes and glasses on the table, without disturbing them. According to the laws of physics, it’s not much of a trick at all, because when you pull the cloth, the dishes stay put on account of what physicists call  “inertia”, which is the property of matter that describes its resistance to any change in its motion.  Only in this case, when the magician yanked the table-cloth, while some of the dishes and glassware, thanks to inertia, remained in place, others landed in broken pieces on the floor, which has required a certain amount of clean up and re-setting of the table.

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Last Sunday after Epiphany, 2021 – Bulletin

THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
February 14, 2021

GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY BE TO HIM FOREVER!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30  A.M. MORNING PRAYER WITH HYMNS AND SERMON. Claude Schroeder preaching.

Godly Play for children 3-6 years via Zoom. Today’s story the Parable of ‘The Great Banquet’ Luke 14:15-24.

Children’s Lenten Alms. For our Children’s Lenten Alms Family Ministries has chosen City Kidz. We will be collecting alms for City Kidz, an organization that exists to help children living in low-income communities by providing inspirational experiences and personal relationships.

3:00 P.M. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING via Zoom (see below).

PARISH LIFE NOTES

ANNUAL MEETING takes place today at 3:00 p.m. on Zoom. The purpose of this meeting is to receive ministry reports from 2020, review 2020 financial statements, receive proposed budget, and elect parish officers for 2021. Members of the congregation who have been baptized and attained the age of 18 years and regularly attend services at St. Mary’s are encouraged to attend and entitled to a vote on motions. To access the meeting, please go to:: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82611913486?pwd=YzVleGpXMGZ0NjZ1dGtIdE9XREhDQT09

KEEPING A HOLY LENT. Packages containing a pastoral letter from the Rector, prayer and study materials and information on Lenten offerings have been mailed out and hand delivered this week end. 

ASH WEDNESDAY devotions for the Home Church will be sent out this Tuesday, along with Zoom links and materials for small group studies.

FASTING FOR FEEDING. Next Sunday afternoon at 4.30 p.m. will be our first on- line Fasting for Feeding Community Kitchen, where will be cooking Sweet Potato Chick Pea Stew! Please see attached recipe for ingredient list.

PLEDGE FORMS FOR 2021. The churchwardens ask that parishioners fill out and return paper pledge form that was mailed out, or fill out the pledge form on the parish web-site. Financial commitment is not only part and parcel of our out discipleship of Jesus Christ as expressed in our Rule of Life (BCP, p. 555), but is vital for the health, and well being for our parish, and assists the Vestry in stewarding our parishes finances. 

THE PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY began in the early 1990’s in the USA and is now practiced beyond North America.  This ministry began in 2008 in the parish family of St. Mary’s Anglican in Regina.  Prayer shawls, knitted or crocheted, throw-size or scarf-size, are made by a group of knitters on a regular basis, as a way to provide tangible evidence of the loving, prayerful support of the congregation for someone in need.  Someone may be blessed with a prayer shawl when they are college-bound and leaving St. Mary’s, are in a crisis, facing surgery, critically ill or dying. They may also receive one when they are expecting a baby, recently bereaved or in a seniors’ residence.  The repetitive nature of knitting allows the knitter to meditate and pray with every stitch – every inch of the yarn passes through their fingers, knowing that it will eventually embrace another. Crafters choose soft yarn in order to provide comfort to the recipient and their work is blessed at a worship service before it is presented.

If you would like to be one of our knitters or wish to gift a prayer shawl, please contact Norma or Kate. 

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Epiphany 5, 2021 – Bulletin

THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
February 7, 2021

GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY BE TO HIM FOREVER!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30  A.M. MORNING PRAYER WITH HYMNS AND SERMON. Henry is preaching.

GODLY PLAY (for children 3-6 years via zoom.) Today’s story the Parable of ‘The Good Samaritan’ Luke 10:25-37. 

FAITHQUEST via zoom (for children 7-13 via zoom). Today we continue with the story of Jacob and Esau with a Pray  per View lesson – led by Clara.

PARISH LIFE NOTES

ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of the Whole Congregation will be held on Sunday, February 14  at 3:00 p.m. via video conference. The purpose of this meeting is to receive ministry reports from 2020, review 2020 financial statements, receive proposed budget, and elect parish officers for 2021. Members of the congregation who have been baptized and attained the age of 18 years and regularly attend services at St. Mary’s are encouraged to attend and entitled to a vote on motions. Annual Reports, Financial Statements, Agenda, and instructions for joining the meeting will be emailed out next week. 

RETIREMENT OF BISHOP. Please see the attached letter from Bishop Rob regarding his upcoming retirement from ministry as our Bishop.

LENT 2021. Plans are coming together to enable us to keep a Holy Lent. These include prayer and study materials as well as  “Fasting for Feeding” initiative in the home, Zoom study groups, and scheduled prayer walk.   Materials and further details will be included in a package  to the parish next week. 

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY. The prayer shawl ministry began in the early 1990’s in the USA and is now practiced beyond North America.  This ministry began in 2008 in the parish family of St. Mary’s Anglican in Regina.  Prayer shawls, knitted or crocheted, throw-size or scarf-size, are made by a group of knitters on a regular basis, as a way to provide tangible evidence of the loving, prayerful support of the congregation for someone in need.  Someone may be blessed with a prayer shawl when they are college-bound and leaving St. Mary’s, are in a crisis, facing surgery, critically ill or dying. They may also receive one when they are expecting a baby, recently bereaved or in a seniors’ residence.  The repetitive nature of knitting allows the knitter to meditate and pray with every stitch – every inch of the yarn passes through their fingers, knowing that it will eventually embrace another. Crafters choose soft yarn in order to provide comfort to the recipient and their work is blessed at a worship service before it is presented. If you would like to be one of our knitters or wish to gift a prayer shawl, please contact Norma or Kate. 

ST. CUTHBERT’S REGIONAL PRAYER MEETING – next month’s gathering is Monday, February 8 at 6:30 pm by Zoom. Newcomers are welcome. For the Zoom link, please contact Kate.

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Epiphany 4, 2021 – Bulletin

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, JANUARY 31, 2021

GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY BE TO HIM FOREVER!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30  A.M. MORNING PRAYER WITH HYMNS AND SERMON. Claude Schroeder preaching.

Godly Play  for children 3-6 years via zoom. Today’s story is ‘Jesus in the Wilderness’ Mark 1:12-13. 

Children’s Lenten Alms. For our Children’s Lenten Alms Family Ministries has chosen City Kidz. We will be collecting alms for City Kidz, an organization that exists to help children living in low-income communities by providing inspirational experiences and personal relationships.

FAITHQUEST (for children 7-13 via zoom). Today we continue with the story of Jacob and Esau 

PARISH LIFE NOTES

ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of the Whole Congregation will be held on Sunday, February 14 (St. Valentine’s Day!) at 3:00 p.m. By direction of Bishop Rob this will take place via video conference. The purpose of this meeting is to receive ministry reports from 2020, review 2020 financial statements, receive proposed budget, and elect parish officers for 2021. Members of the congregation who have been baptized and attained the age of 18 years and regularly attend services at St. Mary’s are encouraged to attend and entitled to a vote on motions. Instructions on how to participate will be sent to everyone well before the meeting.

EVENING PRAYER AND LECTURE. Join us next Saturday, Feb 6 at 7:00 p.m. for a Service of Evening Prayer for The Missionary Work of the Church Overseas with a lecture by Revd. Nathaniel Deng Mayen from St. Mary’s. Nathaniel will share ideas on the development of Christian faith among the Jieeng (Dinka), including the Jieeng worldviews, the spiritual terminologies and practices, the relationship between the believers with Nhialic (God) and the traditional deities (jak), and the mass conversion of Jieeng believers to Christianity during the civil war in South Sudan. All are welcome! Please join us at :https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82261325551?pwd=bmpkY3JRb3Y2aHN0YXFzb3d2NENLQT09

CONDOLENCES to Dennis and Eileen. Dennis’ mother, Elsie, passed away on January 26th in Regina. We remember Elsie and the family in our prayers. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

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Epiphany 4, 2021 – Sermon

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, January 31, 2021 The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Revd. Canon Claude Schroeder. Sermon on Mark 1. 21-28

Sermon Audio

In this season of Epiphany, we have been celebrating and considering the means by which Jesus Christ becomes visible and known in the world. In our Gospel lesson today from St. Mark, we have another wonderful and powerful “epiphany.” Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Holy One of God comes to release His people from the grip of the unclean spirits of the Evil One which has holds them captive! 

This manifestation of both the power and identity of Jesus Christ comes to us perhaps as a bit of challenge. In our modern world, we generally believe that evil is simply a personal and/ or systemic problem, that can we address by means of education and legislation, government programs and improved technologies, all of which require a lot of effort and a lot of money!  But the conception of reality that emerges from the pages of the New Testament suggests that this is inadequate. There are radically evil, demonic spiritual forces at work in the world which actively assault, enslave, corrupt and destroy the creatures of God, and from which we need to be protected and delivered. Jesus Christ has come to do precisely that.

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Epiphany 3 2021 Bulletin

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
JANUARY 24, 2021

GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY BE TO HIM FOREVER!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30  A.M. MORNING PRAYER WITH HYMNS AND SERMON. Beth preaching.

GODLY PLAY (for children 3-6 years via zoom.) Today’s story is ‘Jesus is Baptized’ Mark 1:9-11.

FAITHQUEST (for children 7-13 via zoom). Today we continue with the story of Jacob and Esau in The Daily Bread Bistro.

Parish Life Notes

HOUSEHOLD FINANCES. Tax receipts along with a financial update, letter from the Churchwardens and pledge forms for 20201 will be mailed out to all parishioners this coming week.

TAX RECEIPTS. Please be on the lookout for your 2020 tax receipts. Please review them and if you notice anything that is incorrect or if you have any questions please contact Blair.

IN MEMORIAM. At the end of our service this morning, we will take the opportunity to grieve the death of Allison in the hope of the Resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. We will give thanks for Allison’s  life and Christian witness, and commend her  soul to God’s gracious keeping. May she rest in peace and rise in glory! We pray for God to comfort her husband Rem, and extended family members. Private funeral service will be held at St. Mary’s on Tuesday at 1.30 p.m. Condolences may be sent to Rem at his home.

COVID UPDATE. Bishop Rob has directed that funeral services and food outreach programs may resume in churches throughout our Diocese, and anticipates that following further consultation with clergy and Diocesan Council at the end of January he will be able to provide further direction and a plan for 2021.

ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of the Whole Congregation will be held on Sunday, February 14 (St. Valentine’s Day!) at 3:00 p.m. By direction of Bishop Rob this will take place via video conference. The purpose of this meeting is to receive ministry reports from 2020, review 2020 financial statements, receive proposed budget, and elect parish officers for 2021. Members of the congregation who have been baptized and attained the age of 18 years and regularly attend services at St. Mary’s are encouraged to attend and entitled to a vote on motions. Instructions on how to participate will be sent to everyone well before the meeting.