Ministry

A New Online Church: Église Sainte Claire

Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Église SainteClaire is something completely new: a francophone worship community that will exist entirely online. Described as “an open and inclusive francophone church online for people of all origins, orientations and genders” and shepherded by Rev. Stéphane Vermette, the community held its first worship service on May 24, 2020. Worship services are offered weekly on Sunday evenings at 7:30 pm on Zoom and live-streamed to Facebook here.

Read a story (in French) in Aujourd’hui Credo here

A Pastoral Message from our Regional Council President, Rev. Linda Buchanan

June 19, 2020

Greetings siblings in Christ,

God is with us in the struggle. I believe that God is calling us to move forward, even though we are surrounded by so many uncertainties, to infuse God’s love into this ever-changing world. We as Communities of Faith, as followers of The Way taught by Jesus of Nazareth have an important role to fill during this strange time. That role is simple, be love; show compassion, act justly, and walk humbly with each other, with our neighbours and strangers, and with Creator. How we put this into practice is a whole lot different than our ‘church habits’ of the past. We can no longer rely on our past practices; we are being forced away from ‘the way we’ve always done it.’ I pray that we will all seize this opportunity to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit along The Way.

I truly believe that you have done well over the past few months. You have risen to the challenge, remaining faithful even in difficult circumstances. I have also been moved by the response of so many humans, to care for the vulnerable, to gather hearts in prayer, to journey with those who are struggling, and even to begin to make changes because of the witness of oppressed peoples. There is still much work to be done, and I trust that Communities of Faith will embrace the new challenges with the same creativity, openness and courage.

The task before you will not be easy. It will take intentionality, attention to detail, and openness to change, but I trust that if love is our guide we will find joy in the struggle, together as community. We, the Regional Council Covid19 Task Group, have prepared a way to help guide you in this difficult task. These are our recommendations, based on the latest information available from health and science, from the Quebec Government, and from General Council. Our recommendations come from study and expertise, in the hope that we can enable the opening of our building in a legal and in a safe way. At this time, we do not know the full implications of not following through on the intentional process of planning and recording our plans. For this reason, I hope you see these instructions as a help and not a burden. We, the Regional Council Covid19 Task Group, want to help enable the opening of your building, and using the prepared forms will enable our helping, and guide your planning. I trust that the Holy Spirit will amplify all of our efforts, as we open our building for the building of community once again.

I will try to give you a snapshot of these recommendations, to help you in working with the checklist. We are currently in Phase 0, and will be legally in Phase 0 until June 22nd. There is Phase 0 work to complete before Phase 1 can begin. On June 22nd it will be legal to begin Phase 1, however, we are recommending that you have your Phase 1 Plan prepared and submitted before beginning Phase 1 in your building. Phase 1 does not allow for worship in the building, but is a time to start holding small group meetings and enabling renters to return safely. Phase 1 does allow for outdoor worship of no more than 50 people who are physically distant and wearing masks is suggested. We recommend that you experience Phase 1 for a little while before beginning Phase 2, and that Phase 2 begin no sooner than Labour Day. The Regional Council Covid19 Task Group will also need your Phase 2 plan before you begin implementation. Know that we are here to enable you and not to get in the way of your ministry to your community.

We have an amazing staff that supports the work of our Regional Council, and they continue to serve our communities of faith with deep compassion and hope. We also have creative and courageous ministers all throughout our Regional Council, who are working hard to adapt while being present to their community. We also have passion-filled lay-leaders within our Communities of Faith, who continue to shine the light of Christ while doing the work of the church. Thank you all for your service in ‘God’s Dream’ (Desmond Tutu).

As I write this, I am praying for you. I pray that Creator will reveal God’s self to you as you act as a responsible co-creator in this world. I pray that you will shine the light of Christ through your actions of justice and compassion. And I pray, that your will be inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Breath of Life, giving you the courage to act in wisdom.

You are not alone beloved children of God, and you have been called for such a time as this.

Rev. Linda Buchanan
President
Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council
on behalf of the Regional Council Covid19 Task Group

Worship service June 28, 2020

This Sunday, June 28th the Scripture Reading is: Matthew 10: 40-42. Here it is, from the NRSV:

40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

The video link below will be live Sunday morning.

New Testament 101: Romans

Paul wrote this letter to introduce himself and his message to the church at Rome.  He had never been to this important city, although he knew the names of many Christians there and hoped to visit them soon (15:22-16:21).  Paul tells them that he is an apostle, chosen to preach the good news (1:1).  The message he proclaims “is God’s powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles (1:16)

Paul reminds his readers “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (3:23. But how can we be made acceptable to God?  That is the main question that Paul answers in this letter. He begins by showing how everyone has failed to do what God requires.  The Jews have not obeyed the Law of Moses, and the Gentiles have refused even to think about God, although God has spoken to them in many different ways (1:18-3:20).

 Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him
He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ
God treats us much better than we deserve,
and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.  (3: 21a-24)

God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life so that we would
be made acceptable to God.  (4:25)

A Quick Look At This Letter

1.    Paul and his message of Good News (1: 1-17)
2.    Everyone is guilty (1: 18-3: 20)
3.    God’s way of accepting people (3: 21-4:25)
4.    A new life for God’s people (5: 1-8)
5.    What about the people of Israel? (9: 1-11)
6.    How to live the new life of Love (12: 1-5, 13)
7.    Paul’s plans and personal greetings (15: 14-16) 

N.B.  On a personal note, I do not like the word sin.  It conjures up images of childhood when an Anglican minister, red in the face, and thumping the pulpit, demanded that we sinners repent.  It was terrifying to watch.  It is a word which Paul uses often and, for me, is synonymous with wickedness, iniquity, depravity, immorality, debauchery and evil. I prefer to use the words “brokenness”.   

Beryl

New Testament 101: Acts

Acts is the second book written by Luke. In his first book, Luke told all that Jesus did and taught.  In Acts, Luke continues the story by describing some of the struggles the disciples faced as they tried to obey the command of Jesus “You will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria and everywhere in the world. (1:8)

So many different countries are mentioned in Acts that the book may seem to have been written only to tell about the spread of the Christian message.  But that is only part of the story.  After Jesus was taken up to heaven, one of the big problems for his followers was deciding who could belong to God’s people.  And, since Jesus and his first followers were Jews, it was only natural for many of them to think that his message was only for Jews.  But, in Acts, the Spirit is always present to show that Jesus came to enlighten both Jews and Gentiles and that God wanted followers from every nation and race to be part of God’s people.

There were many conflicts between Christians and Jews because most of the Jewish religious leaders of the time rejected Jesus’ message.

The most serious problems for the early church were a result of the disciples, at first, failing to understand that anyone could become a follower of Jesus -without first becoming a Jew.  This only began to change when Philip dared to take the message to the Samaritans (8: 7-25) and when Peter went to the home of Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army (10: 1-48).

Peter, while in Jerusalem, was instrumental in explaining the question of who could become a follower of Jesus when he argued that the Spirit of God was leading them to reach out to Gentiles as well as Jews with the good news of Jesus (15: 3-35).

The man who did most for the spread of faith was Paul and much of Acts tells about his preaching among the Gentiles.  He even took the message to Rome, the world’s most important city of the time (28: 16-31).

One of Luke’s main reasons for writing Acts was to show that nothing could keep the Christian message from spreading everywhere. 

 For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him.  He bravely preached about God’s kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him. (Acts 28: 30, 31)

Some highlights in Acts:

Telling the Good News in Jerusalem (1: 1-8. 3)
The Good News in Judea and Samaria (8: 4-12. 25)
Paul’s first journey to tell the Good News (13: 1-14. 28)
An important decision in Jerusalem (15: 1-35)
Paul’s second journey to tell the Good News (15: 36-18. 22)
Paul’s third journey to tell the Good News (18: 23 - 21: 16)
Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem (21: 17-23. 22)
Paul is taken to Caesarea (23: 23-26. 32)
Paul is taken to Rome (27: 1-18. 31)

Beryl

 

New Testament 101: The Gospel of John

Who is Jesus Christ?  Well, John answers this question in the first chapter of his Gospel. He calls Jesus the “Word” by which God created everything and by which life was given to everything (1:3, and 4).  He describes how John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus in the words “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29).  When Philip met Jesus, he knew Jesus was “the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about (1: 45).  And, in the words of Nathanael, Jesus is “the Son of God and the King of Israel” (1: 49).

In John’s Gospel, we learn a lot about who Jesus is by observing what he said and did when he was with other people.  This includes a Samaritan woman who received Jesus’ offer of life-giving water, a woman who had been caught in sin, his friend Lazarus who was brought back to life after death and his follower Thomas who doubted that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Jesus also refers to himself as “I am”, a phrase which translates the most holy name of God in the Hebrew Scriptures.  He uses this name for himself when he makes his claim to be the life-giving bread, the light of the world, the good shepherd and the true vine.

Jesus performs sever miracles that are more than miracles.  Each of them is a “sign” that tells the reader something about Jesus as the Son of God.  For example, by healing a lame man (5: 1-8) Jesus shows us that he is just like his Father who never stops working (5.17).  This sign also teaches that the Son does only what he sees his Father doing (5:19) and that, like the Father, “the son gives life to anyone he wants to” (5:21).

The way John tells the story of Jesus is quite different from the other three Gospels.  In John, Jesus has long conversations with people about who he is and what God sent him to do.  In these conversations, he teaches many important things – for example that he is the way, the truth and the life.

Why did John do this?  John himself tells us “so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God” (20:31).  How is this possible?  Jesus answers that question himself in his words to Nicodemus:

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (3:16).

A quick glance at this book relates for us:

The message of John the Baptist (1: 19-34)
The choosing of the first disciples (1:35-51)
Jesus’ seven miracles (2: 1-12, 50)
Jesus’ last week, trial and death (13: 1-19, 42)
Jesus is alive (20: 1-10)
Jesus appears to his disciples (20: 11-21, 15)

A SouthWest memory to share – when I first began my discernment process, a dearly loved member of my team said to me “if you want to understand the Gospels, start with the Gospel of John”.  It was Ann Towill.

Beryl

 

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