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Advent 2, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-12-05: Revised sermon text. Added recording of this sermon.)

Second Advent Sunday December 5, 2021.
St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Regina

Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6.

Living God, increase your joy in us so that we may praise and worship you in truth and spirit. Amen. 

When you read about how Judah was overrun by the enemies and how Jerusalem was destroyed during the time of Jeremiah and Baruch, you may ask where is God in this situation? 

When you read how Paul was imprisoned and humiliated, you may ask where is God in all this? 

When you think of the ongoing coronavirus that has confined us into our houses and inflicted great pain and suffering in us, because we have lost friends, coworkers, family members, or someone we know personally, you may ask where is God in all this?

There are other countless examples that we may give on how we may think in human terms about situations where we expect the powerful hands of God, but all we see and find is darkness hovering over our lives and denying us the joy of life. There is no joy in these circumstances, is there?

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Advent 1, 2021 – Bulletin

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT – November 28, 2021.

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

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.00 A.M.

10.30 A.M.

MORNING PRAYER

HOLY COMMUNION. Paula is preaching

GODLY PLAY in the Worship Centre for children 3-6. Today’s story is ‘The Birth of John’ Luke 1:11-66.

LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.

ADVENT REFLECTION

We are beginning the season of Advent. Advent marks the beginning of the Church year.  It is an exciting time of year with its promises of hope, love, peace and joy.  It is a time of waiting and expectation. Advent gives us time to take a step back from the busy-ness that surrounds our lives and reflect on our journey with God.  During the season of Advent we are invited to pause and reflect on the fulfillment of the long awaited promise of a Messiah, one who will save us from our sins.  We await the advent or coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Advent is a season within the life of the church, when Christians are intentional about remembering something that happened a long time ago; the birth of a little baby, the Son of God.  Advent is about a memory of someone who entered history as one of us and changed the course of our lives forever. Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection, gave us a future with God.  

During this brief Advent season, we are invited to focus on the coming of Jesus into our world in human form. During its four Sundays we journey with scriptures which reveal vivid images of trust, promise, and obedience.  We hear the prophetic words of Isaiah announcing righteous judgment and restoration for those who follow the way of the Lord. The chaos we have created through our disobedience will be restored to the perfect harmony which God intended for creation. “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6)   

During Advent, we also hear the voice of John the Baptist, calling us from the wilderness of our lives, to repentance .  We are invited to examine our lives, repent our sins and return to God.  As the people of God, we are invited into a new way of living life….expectantly waiting, believing, and hoping for what we cannot yet see.  John the Baptist points us towards Jesus, the Christ Child, the Son of the Most High God and invites us to open our hearts and minds and embrace Him as our Saviour.  Jesus, too, awaits our response to his call.  

What does all this mean for us?  On one level, expecting the Christ child means offering ourselves as the place of Christ’s new birth.  We offer ourselves as the place in which He can live.  We can nurture our lives as his followers, confident in his guidance through the Holy Spirit.  As we encounter Him in all we do, we can help bring about His will for not only our lives, but for the world. In so doing, we can shine as light in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us.

Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given…..his name shall be Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.  May the coming of the Christ Child illuminate your mind, bless your soul and fill your hearts with the love of God.  

Blessings, 
Rev. Paula+

PARISH LIFE NOTES.

Condolences. Please pray for Barb and Glenn as Glenn’s brother died this week.

THE MITTEN TREE ON THE LANDING will be ready from December 5th to January 9th to be dressed with adults and children’s mittens, toques and socks. Please help keep out the cold. All donations go to Soul’s Harbour Mission.

CANDLELIGHT SERVICES AT LUTHER COLLEGE HIGHSCHOOL are in person on Sunday, December 5 at 2:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m in the Merlis Belsher Heritage Center. We are offering 250 seats at each performance to safely and adequately meet the needs of our community. For seat reservation please check the website www.luthercollege.edu/high-school

GRAPE VINE.  Do you have a personal story of experiencing God’s grace? Would you share it  in the Grape Vine? Deadline for The Advent edition is Dec 14. You may send them to Lorna or to stmarysanglican@sasktel.net. For more information you may speak to Lorna.

2022 PLEDGES. To help Vestry make an accurate budget for next year, please fill out your 2022 Pledge Form on the church website before Sunday December 12th.

Right now, we are looking at a deficit budget of -$30,000 for 2022.  At our Vestry meeting on Nov. 23rd, we discussed ways and means for addressing this shortfall.  We will need to look at fundraising options.  We are also asking each family to consider: might you be able to increase your giving in 2022 by 5-10%?

We are already so grateful for the generosity of this parish.  You’ve been there for Ayen, so that she can get medical treatment.  You’ve been there for our ministry partners in this city.  And you already generously support St. Mary’s.  Thank you.  It takes all of us working together to keep St. Mary’s alive and thriving.

Anyone on Vestry would be happy to talk to you if you have questions about the budget or ideas about what we can do to help balance next year’s income and expenses.

PASTORAL EMERGENCY CONTACT. Revd. Paula Foster 

WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK

Tuesday to Friday

Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and
Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.

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Advent 1, 2021 – Holy Communion

(Modified 2021-11-28: Added audio recording of service)

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

November 28, 2021

10.30 A.M. Holy Communion

Audio recording of full service including sermon

Organ Prelude: Chorale Prelude on Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Wake Up, the Voice Calls Us)

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)

Advent Acclamation 

Leader:   I look from afar
People:   And lo I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth.

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Advent 1, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-11-28: Added audio recording of this sermon)

Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-9
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13​​
Luke 21:25-36

November 28, 2021
St. Mary’s Regina
Advent 1
Year C

by Paula Foster

Audio recording of this sermon

Every so often, we get a strong reminder that the ways of God are not the ways of the world.  According to the ways of the world, Christmas is lighten-up time…one month out of twelve when we give ourselves permission (perhaps guardedly because of Covid) to go to parties and buy gifts for friends and family and decorate our homes with trees, lights and ornaments of every kind. It is the season of eggnog and sweets and assorted beverages when the instinct to purchase is hallowed and overeating is required.  Whatever else is going on in the world, Christmas is a time to rise above it…to be happy, to be at peace, to anticipate birth.​

The ways of God are less cheerful, overall.  They offer us no shortcuts to joy.  If the church calendar is any indication, things always get darker before they get light. No matter how much we’d like to take a straight road to Christmas, there are these dark days of Advent to go through first.  Advent leads us down a road that leads through the graveyard of our sinfulness, through the wilderness, and through a river of repentance.  There is a lot of waiting along the way, waiting and telling the truth about all the scary things that can happen before the birth of real joy takes place.

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Sunday before Advent, 2021 – Bulletin

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE ADVENT

November 21, 2021.

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

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.00 A.M.  

10.30 A.M.

MORNING PRAYER

HOLY COMMUNION. Beth is preaching

GODLY PLAY in the Worship Centre for children 3-6. Today’s story is ‘Daniel’ Daniel 6:4-23. 

LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.

PARISH LIFE NOTES

PASTORAL EMERGENCY CONTACT. Revd. Paula Foster

A QUICK REMINDER TO EACH OF US. If you use the Montague Street entrance on Sunday mornings, please be observant of anyone who is new and welcome them. If needed, be willing to direct them upstairs to the sanctuary, show them where to hang their coats, where the washrooms are, and how to use the elevator, etc. The greeters are upstairs at the Sanctuary doors inviting people in, welcoming them and handing out brochures beginning at 10 AM Sunday mornings. 

Thank to everyone for making St. Mary’s an inviting welcoming Church community.

Advent Small Groups – The Prodigal Son

In Advent, we look back to the first coming of Jesus into our fallen world, and we look forward to his second coming to establish his Kingdom once and for all.  Advent, then, becomes a time where we contemplate our relationship with God, and our place in the Kingdom.  Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke’s Gospel, addresses these questions of relationship with God and place in God’s Kingdom.

This Advent Season, we welcome you to journey together with us in small groups through the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  What is God saying to us as Christians, and to us as his Church at St. Mary’s, in this Advent Season?

Because of the ongoing pressures of COVID-19 in our city, small groups will be meeting online over Zoom for three weeks beginning after the first Sunday of Advent, November 28th.

Schedule

  • 7 PM Monday — Hosts Nat and Mary
  • 7 PM Wednesday — Host Katherine
  • 7 PM Thursday — Host Henry
  • 7 PM Saturday — Host Beth

Please sign up for the day that works best for you here …

Advent Small Groups Sign-up

2022 Pledges Request

Vestry has begun the process of establishing St. Mary’s budget for 2022, and we need your help.  To make an accurate budget, we need you to let us know what your giving plan is for next year.  As in the past, you can submit your pledge online through the church website here:

We are asking that you fill out your pledge form by Sunday, December 12th.

Right now, Vestry is looking at a deficit of around -$25,000.00 in 2022.  

Here’s a link to the …

2022 Pledge Form

WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK

Tuesday to Friday

Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and
Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.

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Sunday Before Advent, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-11-21: Added audio recording)

Audio recording of this sermon

Let us pray.  Lord, have mercy upon us.  I wanted to begin by asking for mercy from our king, because this Jesus we are talking about today in our readings is hard to wrap our minds around.

This is the last Sunday of the year.  Did you know that?  Next week, November 28th, is the first Sunday of Advent.  It is the start of a new liturgical season.  We will change all our colours to purple.  We will hang our Advent wreath, and start singing Advent hymns.  Even the canticles in Morning Prayer change.  But beyond moving into a new liturgical season, we also begin the new liturgical year.  Our cycle of Scripture, and prayer, and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ begins anew.

This day, the final Sunday of the old year, is known as Reign of Christ Sunday, or Christ the King in Catholic and Lutheran churches.  We have these gorgeous Scripture readings full of the majesty and glory of Jesus.  In Daniel’s vision, we see the Ancient of Days, too bright to look at, like the sun, sitting in His throne room, surrounded by multitudes, and preparing to sit in judgement on the whole universe.  And one like a son of man approaches the Ancient of Days and is welcomed into His presence, and he is “given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him.  His domain is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

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Remembrance, 2021 – Bulletin

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

November 14, 2021.

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

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.00 A.M.

10.30 A.M.

MORNING PRAYER

HOLY COMMUNION. Paula Foster preaching

GODLY PLAY in the Worship Centre for children 3-6. Today’s story is ‘Exile and Return’ Ezra 1:2-4. Leader: Heidi.

PARISH LIFE NOTES

FINANCIAL  APPEAL

The Vestry of St. Mary requests the congregation to help with diagnosis and treatment of Ayen, sister to Yar and sister in-law to Nathaniel. Ayen lives in a Ugandan camp with her six young children and husband. Ayen was living a normal life as a loving and caring mother until August 2021 when she experienced some dizziness and suddenly lost her eye sight. Ayen has tried to seek medical treatment through the financial  help of Yar and Nathaniel but things continued to worsen. Ayen is currently guided by a child to walk around because she cannot see. Based on the estimate provided, the medical intervention, diagnosis and treatment will cost $2,000. One St. Mary’s friend has already donated $300, and we appeal to the congregation to help raise the remaining balance of $1,700. Please submit your donation to the parish so that you can receive a tax receipt and make accounting manageable. Once the parish has received the donations, arrangements  be made with Yar and Nathaniel to send the moment to Ayen in a Ugandan refugee camp.  Your prayer and generous support will be greatly appreciated.

Attached is the photo for Ayen (in yellow) and her four children. The two sons appear a separate photo. Ayen has six children.

WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK

Tuesday to Friday

Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and
Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.

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Remembrance, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-11-14 Added audio recording of this sermon)

Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10:11-25
Mark 13:1-8

 November 14,2021
St. Mary’s Regina
Proper 33
Year B

Audio recording of this sermon

Have you ever been afraid of something?  When I was a child, I was really afraid of the dark and of cockroaches. (pause) and truthfully, they both still bother me.  There are cockroaches in El Paso, Texas (where I come from)…. BIG BUGS that inhabit cool, dark places like garages, cupboards, and basements and they scurry around at night in particular, which may have aggravated my fear of the dark.  I hate being around them… I hate it when they startle me…. it doesn’t make any difference that I am a hundred times bigger then they are…. when one scurries across my path, my heart pounds, adrenaline rushes through my body and I instantly want to run the other way.  Don’t even suggest that I simply step on it and kill it. The crunchy, splatty sound they make underneath my foot makes my skin crawl. I have tried over the years to talk myself out of this fear, but the last time I was home, I had to steel myself every time I had to walk into the garage, because I KNEW that there might be a roach out there.  It was a great relief for me as I began my northern migration, to realize that there aren’t as many cockroaches up here as there are in El Paso because Cockroaches frighten me.

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