† St John the Apostle Anglican Church

Condensed Council Minutes for Jan. 2010

March 3, 2010 – 11:35 am

  MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE ANGLICAN CHURCH, PORT MOODY AT 7:00 PM ON THE 25th JANUARY, 2010   Food Bank Grant will send a letter of thanks to Joyce Halliday for her dedicated service to the Food Bank.   We believe that a letter has been sent to St. Andrew’s thanking them for their donation of surplus food to the Food Bank. Judy Graves Judy Graves will visit us on March 26th at 7:00 pm.   We will obtain the DVD “This Dust of Words” (from the Synod office), which is a study of life on the street and Judy will facilitate discussion about the movie.   . Rector’s Report Grant attended a conference sponsored by the United Church called “Stepping Out.”  One of the things that came up was how important it is to have a dynamic web site that will speak to people looking for a church.   Grant will obtain some information about ...

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Homily for the Second Sunday in Lent February 28, 2010

March 1, 2010 – 10:55 am

EMBRACING THE BIBLE Homily for the Second Sunday in Lent February 28, 2010   Appointed readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17-4:1  Luke 13:31-35     In their movie, The Meaning of Life, the Monty Python troupe has a skit set in a Church of England school chapel. John Cleese, as the school headmaster, is at the lectern reading from the Old Testament for the morning service.  In his best serious, Cambridge-scholarly voice, Cleese reads thus:  “...  and spotteth they twice the camels before the third hour. And so the Midianites went forth to Ram-Gilead in Kadesh Bilgameth by Shor-eth Regalian to the house of Gash Bil-Bethuel Bazda; he who brought the butter-dish to Belshazzaar, and the tent peg to the house of Rashamon. And there slew they the goats; yea, and placed they the bits in little pots.”   And then he says, in traditional Anglican fashion: “Here endeth the lesson.”    The school boys ...

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This Dust of Words- March 26, 2010

February 24, 2010 – 11:26 am

 A moving story; a powerful film This Dust of Words is the true story of Liz, a brilliant, promising young woman whose descent into mental illness and homelessness brings her to a faith community in rural America, where the people of the parish and Liz learn what it means to dwell beside each other, struggling to know how to love. Yet this love is given and received, and a relationship is born.   Facilitator for the film Judy Graves, expert on issues of homelessness for the city of Vancouver, will be the facilitator for conversation after the film. Her work among street people began in 1974.  She coordinates the City of Vancouver's Tenant Assistance Program, designed the Outreach Pilot Project that since 2005 has successfully housed more than 2,000 people in B.C. About 80 per cent of the people helped by this project remain in their housing.   When and Where: Friday, March 26, 7:00 p.m. ...

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Rosary Workshop- March 6th

February 24, 2010 – 10:41 am

A Rosary workshop will be held on March 6th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The Workshop will be led by Margaret Sherwood. A suggested donation of $5.00 will help cover the cost of the beads and other material supplies. A sign up sheet is located downstaris in the Church Hall. For more information you may also contact Margaret via email at sherwood_margaret@hotmail.com or contact the office for more information at 604-936-7762. 

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Wednesday Night Lenten Services

February 24, 2010 – 10:33 am

Wednesdays in Lent –  Feb. 24 - March 24  -- 7:00 p.m.  A brief contemplative service in the Taize form, with opportunity for discussion afterward.  Everyone is welcome!

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Homily Feb. 21, 2010

February 22, 2010 – 12:59 pm

FACING THE DESERT WITHIN Homily for Lent 1 February 21, 2010   Appointed scripture readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11   Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16   Romans 10:8b-13  Luke 4:1-13    Blaise Pascal said: “All of humankind’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”   “Retreat” is a term used in military engagement as well as in spiritual life.  It refers to a voluntary, temporary withdrawal from one’s usual environment, not just to run away, but in order to regroup, re-focus, and rebuild, and to be able to re-engage more effectively. From ancient times people have withdrawn from the everyday world for spiritual reasons.  Part of my own regular spiritual practice is times of meditation, but also occasional longer times of retreat – of three or four days.   Jesus is described by Luke as beginning his ministry with a trip to the desert, and spending 40 days in that empty wasteland with nobody but himself.  In the wilderness, ...

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Homily - Feb. 14th, 2010

February 22, 2010 – 12:41 pm

WE MAY NOT BE OLYMPIC ATHLETES, BUT WE BELIEVE!   Exodus 34:29-35   2 Corinthians 3:12-4:Luke 9:28-36 -43)    I thought that, during the Olympics, we should show our support and community spirit, as well as our sense of humour, by putting a sign out front saying “We Believe!”   Everybody is into believing all of a sudden!  As a believer, I don’t feel so isolated. Thanks to the Canadian Olympic Games promotional program, believing is respectable again! It is reassuring that people will still rally to believe in something.    I have always enjoyed sports, and I think elite athletes show us virtues like discipline, commitment, motivation, goals and focus, perseverance, talent, excellence, and even belief (in self, in country); they exemplify grace, power, beauty, and excellence.  There are many things to admire.     “Faster, higher, stronger” is the traditional Olympic motto.  It was originally proposed by a French Roman Catholic priest! Sports officials decided it ...

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World Day of Prayer 2010- March 5th, 2010

February 17, 2010 – 11:08 am

World Day of Prayer Introduction The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can come to know how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the Biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can feel ourselves in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them. In this way, it is possible to enrich our Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression. The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world. World Day of Prayer in Canada The World Day of ...

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PWRDF responds to massive destruction in Haiti

January 14, 2010 – 11:41 am

 Action By Churches Together January 13, 2010 -  Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people were buried alive when a major earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the capital of impoverished Haiti on Tuesday. The magnitude 7.0 quake sent panic-stricken people into the streets. Offices, hotels, houses and shops collapsed, and people were screaming "Jesus, Jesus", not knowing where to run. The presidential palace lay in ruins, and many churches have been destroyed. Members of ACT Alliance are already in place, assisting those affected by the earthquake. The ACT Secretariat in Geneva is coordinating the relief operations of its members, and more details will follow in the coming hours. Massive destruction The city is without electricity, the telephone network has broken down. The UN headquarter has collapsed. People are sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. The office of ACT member Christian Aid was destroyed, but staff were unharmed and are now responding to the emergency. John Nduna, the General ...

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A statement from the Primate on the disaster in Haiti

January 14, 2010 – 11:39 am

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Anglican Church of Canada January 13, 2010 -  Haiti has been devastated by a terrible earthquake. Thousands are feared to have died and many more injured. The people in Haiti have suffered so much in the past 10 years. Hurricane Jeanne ripped through the island in 2004 and in 2008 tropical storms took a huge toll. Now a new disaster. Through the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund, our church has made an initial donation of $15,000 for emergency relief through Action by Churches Together (ACT). The Anglican Church of Canada and especially the Diocese of Montreal has had a long relationship with the Anglican Church of Haiti, personalized in many respects by Canon Ogé Beauvoir, the dean of the theological seminary in Haiti. A graduate of Montreal Diocesan College, he went to Haiti in 1991 as a Volunteer in Mission. In 1996, he returned to Canada to serve as regional ...

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