|
|
Welcome to St. Catherine'sTime flies! This Sunday, May 18th, will be my tenth Sunday at St. Catherine’s, and my departure at the end of June seems to be fast approaching, so you may be wondering (and even a little concerned) as to what happens next…. Fear not! I am given to understand from Archbishop John Stephens and churchwardens Vivian and Rhonda that arrangements are well in hand, but details cannot be released until everything has been finalized. All is well! This Sunday, May 18th, is the Fifth Sunday of Easter, and as we continue our journey through this season of resurrection and new life, we are invited to reflect on the revolutionary nature of the early church. I say revolutionary because what we see is the transformation of that initial community of Jesus, which began as a small sect within Judaism —a culturally specific and therefore limited belief system —into a faith in the universality of God for all people of all cultures. This had always been there in Judaism in embryonic form, but now we see it coming to birth. Specifically, in our first reading, Acts 11:1-18, we see Peter explaining and justifying to the elders in Jerusalem why he had gone to the house of some gentiles (non-Jews) and eaten with them, something forbidden by the culturally specific rules of Judaism. We hear how Peter relates the dream he had just before he was invited to go to the house and share the good news with these non-Jews. The key line is: “What God has called clean, you must not call profane (or unclean).” In other words, being clean or unclean, acceptable or unacceptable, is not about culturally specific customs and practices, in particular, circumcision. But more than the words of the dream was Peter’s experience of seeing the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of these non-Jews. Psalm 148 (note: from the Hebrew/Jewish scriptures), is a song of universal praise for the God of creation – the God of all: male and female, old and young, but not just people, the whole created order – sun and moon, stars, mountains and all hills, and all the creatures and vegetation of the earth. Indeed, we can see where Francis of Assisi got his idea for the Canticle of Creation! It’s the realization that God (if God is truly God) is the God of all. I see the revolutionary transformational nature of this realization in the vision of the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21:1-6 – for the first heaven and the first earth (and sea) had passed away – the culturally specific framework of understanding and making sense of our reality was no more. And the amazing message is that “the home of God is among mortals.” God is not remote, set apart from creation and the created order, but is right here, right at home, among us. This is the message of Christianity. The revolutionary message. The question for me (for us) then becomes, how are we to live in the light of this revolutionary message? How are we to live out this message? The answer, perhaps a deceptively simple answer, comes in our Gospel reading, John 13:31-35 (words that we last heard on Maundy Thursday): love one another. A new commandment I give unto you…. But, as is so often the case with scripture, there is a puzzle here, a riddle (another one!). The passage begins with the departure of Judas (who has left the last supper to go and betray Jesus), and Jesus says after Judas has gone, “Now the son of man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.” Which brings to mind some lines from Bob Dylan: Through many dark hour, I been thinkin' about this: I look forward to seeing everyone who will be joining us in person on Sunday in church and to welcoming everyone who will join us via livestream. Blessings+ on your l-o-n-g weekend! Angus
_____ This Sunday May 18, 2025 will hosting a Traditional Service Here is the link to the downloadable bulletin: Presider and Preacher: Rev. Angus Stuart To access the livestream, click on the button below. Image: Carl Ferdinand, Fabritius,. 1664-1667, Vanderbilt |
|
Community Garden 2025 - Only 4 Left"A community garden is more than a garden; it's a place where friendships grow and a community blooms." — Unknown We are delighted to share the beauty and bounty of our community garden boxes with all of you! These vibrant spaces are a testament to the care and dedication of our wonderful community members who adopted these garden boxes. Thank you to everyone who has tended to these gardens, nurturing not just plants but also the spirit of togetherness and cooperation that makes our community so special. Let's continue to grow and thrive together! |
|
Help us say Thank You to Rev. Sharon
We are putting together a book of thanks and memories for Rev. Sharon and her seven years of ministry at St. Catherine’s. We are using an online posting link called a Kudo Board. The word “kudo” means a statement of praise or acknowledgement for a job well done. We hope you will write something on the board about your favourite memories or what you most appreciated about Sharon and her time with us. All the postings are public and can be read by anyone who opens the link. Photos: We would prefer that you email Linda your photos so we can select which ones to include in the book. Kingsley will help with the layout. We already have some photos on the church computer, but we want more. Please send your photos to Linda from parish events, such as services, garden parties, the preschool, celebrations, lunches, and hikes – whatever you have. The online postings, along with your photos, will be printed in a hardcover book, and we will give it to Sharon as a wedding gift in September.
Here is the link:
|
|
Fire Relief DonationsYou may have heard that more than 30 residents have been displaced after a fire tore through and partially collapsed a seniors' apartment building in North Vancouver this past weekend. The Lynn Valley Lions Club have invited us to join with them in rallying for these displaced seniors. They are gathering fire relief donations on their website. The Lynn Valley Lions will match all community donations to the campaign up to $20,000. To read more about the fire, click here. |
.png)
|
Collecting TestimoniesWe are hoping to collect brief testimonies that are 1 to 3 sentences about your experience at St. Catherine's. These testimonies will be shared on our social media and/or website to help orient and welcome others to St. Catherine's. This will help folks get a sense of who we are as a parish and why they may want to join. Not sure what to write? Perhaps you've had a transformational experience, or a way in which you felt welcome, or a part of worship you particularly like. Maybe there's a ministry or volunteer role you're particularly fond of. This will only take a few moments, but hopefully, this will help others discover the wonders St. Catherine's has to offer. |
