'Tis the season... Annual General Meetings will be held on the following dates
Solsgirth - Dec. 2010
Shoal Lake - TBD
Birtle - Sun., 13 February. Pot Luck Dinner 5:30, AGM to follow, worship at 7:30pm
Binscarth - Sun. 16 January. Pot luck lunch and AGM following 11:30 worship
Russell - Sun. 23 January. Pot luck lunch and AGM following 11:30 worship
Roblin - Monday 24 January. Pot luck dinner 6:00, AGM to follow, worship at 7:30.
Wider Parish Council - Tuesday 18 January, 7:30pm (Binscarth)
18 January 2011
PLAINS speak Winter 2011
RECTOR’S REFLECTIONS
Christmas is a time for us to recognise change. We celebrate the coming of the Christ child, an event so profound that it changed the world for all time. It’s no wonder that we celebrate this time at a point in the year when everything around us is about to change as well.
The Solstice, or Longest Night, takes place on December 21st, a time when the earth shifts on its axis and we begin to see our days getting gradually longer. Some traditions celebrate this event as the rebirth of the sun. This year’s Solstice will also show us a lunar eclipse, where the sun and earth and moon will perfectly align; the earth will cast a shadow on the moon making it appear dark and red before returning to a state of light. This is the first time these two events have overlapped since 1554.
I believe that these signs of the cosmos are an invitation to us as Christians; to remind us that we are journeying with God in an ongoing discovery of renewal, re-birth, movement from the darkness into the light. Just as the Magi looked to a star to direct them towards the great light of the world, we too can choose to see these signs from the heavens like a compass pointing us to adjust our lives to follow the Light, the truth whose birth we gather to celebrate.
“READING SCRIPTURE THROUGH OTHER EYES”
3 Day Live Video Conference
Trinity Institute’s 41st National Theological Conference will explore the theory and practice of Bible study that is authentic, transformative, and sensitive to the different contexts in which we read scripture. Topics will include:
*What does an ordinary reader bring?
*How does our culture influence what truths we may find in scripture?
*How do we read scripture together?
Theological speakers, worship, small group discussions. A conference for all ages
TIME WELL SPENT
Do you remember those essays in school where we had to share how we’d spent our
holidays? Well, this is one of those essays.
Part of my holidays this December was spent at the convent of the Sisters of St. John the Divine in Toronto, at the Orientation weekend for this year’s intake of the PWRDF’s 50 Leaders Program. 50 Leaders is a 5-year plan to empower young leaders in the church to connect their faith with their passion for justice work. This is the second year of the program, and I have been chaplain both years. The weekend brings the young adults together to introduce them to the great work of the PWRDF, hear success stories, develop community, and learn how to focus their energy in such a way that they can take their enthusiasm back to their home community – and watch it grow.
The leaders are challenged to choose one topic that interests them, learn much about it, and develop a self-taught educational project around that interest. Over the coming 12-18 months they will attend some related event, find a spiritual mentor, do fundraising, and overall demonstrate their profound leadership for the church. This weekend they shared community with one of the Three Cantors, the Executive Director and Public Engagement Program Coordinator of PWRDF, and the Primate himself stopped in to meet them and offer words of inspiration. We were also blessed to attend a worship service connecting scripture and eco-justice issues.
It is such a blessing to see how young people are inspired – and inspiring – to see the world know Christ. And to see them willing to take action toward that end. I can think of nothing better to do to refresh my soul while on vacation!
SCRIPTURE FOR WORSHIP
Dec. 24: Isaiah 9.2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2.11-14; Luke 2.1-20
Dec. 26: Isaiah 63.7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2.10-18; Matthew 2.13-23
Jan. 2 (Epiphany): Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 72.1-7,10-14; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12
Jan. 9 (Baptism of Jesus): Isaiah 42.1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10.34-43; Matthew 3.13-17
Jan. 16: Isaiah 49.1-7; Psalm 40.1-12; 1 Corinthians 1.1-9; John 1.29-42
Jan. 23: Isaiah 9.1-4; Psalm 27.1, 5-13; 1 Corinthians 1.10-18; Matthew 4.12-23
Jan. 30: Micah 6.1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31; Matthew 5.1-12
Feb. 6: Isaiah 58.1-12; Psalm 112.1-10; 1 Corinthians 2.1-16; Matthew 5:13-20
Feb. 13: Deuteronomy 30.15-20; Psalm 119.1-8; 1 Corinthians 3.1-9; Matthew 5.21-37
Feb. 20: Leviticus 19.1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119.33-40; 1 Corinthians 3.10-11, 16-23; Matthew 5.38-48
Feb. 27: Isaiah 49.8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4.1-5; Matthew 6.24-34
Mar. 6: Exodus 24.12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1.16-21; Matthew 17.1-9
Mar. 9 (Ash Wed.): Joel 2.1-2, 12-17; Psalm 103.8-18; 2 Corinthians 5.20b-6.10; Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21
Christmas is a time for us to recognise change. We celebrate the coming of the Christ child, an event so profound that it changed the world for all time. It’s no wonder that we celebrate this time at a point in the year when everything around us is about to change as well.
The Solstice, or Longest Night, takes place on December 21st, a time when the earth shifts on its axis and we begin to see our days getting gradually longer. Some traditions celebrate this event as the rebirth of the sun. This year’s Solstice will also show us a lunar eclipse, where the sun and earth and moon will perfectly align; the earth will cast a shadow on the moon making it appear dark and red before returning to a state of light. This is the first time these two events have overlapped since 1554.
I believe that these signs of the cosmos are an invitation to us as Christians; to remind us that we are journeying with God in an ongoing discovery of renewal, re-birth, movement from the darkness into the light. Just as the Magi looked to a star to direct them towards the great light of the world, we too can choose to see these signs from the heavens like a compass pointing us to adjust our lives to follow the Light, the truth whose birth we gather to celebrate.
“READING SCRIPTURE THROUGH OTHER EYES”
3 Day Live Video Conference
Trinity Institute’s 41st National Theological Conference will explore the theory and practice of Bible study that is authentic, transformative, and sensitive to the different contexts in which we read scripture. Topics will include:
*What does an ordinary reader bring?
*How does our culture influence what truths we may find in scripture?
*How do we read scripture together?
Theological speakers, worship, small group discussions. A conference for all ages
TIME WELL SPENT
Do you remember those essays in school where we had to share how we’d spent our
holidays? Well, this is one of those essays.
Part of my holidays this December was spent at the convent of the Sisters of St. John the Divine in Toronto, at the Orientation weekend for this year’s intake of the PWRDF’s 50 Leaders Program. 50 Leaders is a 5-year plan to empower young leaders in the church to connect their faith with their passion for justice work. This is the second year of the program, and I have been chaplain both years. The weekend brings the young adults together to introduce them to the great work of the PWRDF, hear success stories, develop community, and learn how to focus their energy in such a way that they can take their enthusiasm back to their home community – and watch it grow.
The leaders are challenged to choose one topic that interests them, learn much about it, and develop a self-taught educational project around that interest. Over the coming 12-18 months they will attend some related event, find a spiritual mentor, do fundraising, and overall demonstrate their profound leadership for the church. This weekend they shared community with one of the Three Cantors, the Executive Director and Public Engagement Program Coordinator of PWRDF, and the Primate himself stopped in to meet them and offer words of inspiration. We were also blessed to attend a worship service connecting scripture and eco-justice issues.
It is such a blessing to see how young people are inspired – and inspiring – to see the world know Christ. And to see them willing to take action toward that end. I can think of nothing better to do to refresh my soul while on vacation!
SCRIPTURE FOR WORSHIP
Dec. 24: Isaiah 9.2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2.11-14; Luke 2.1-20
Dec. 26: Isaiah 63.7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2.10-18; Matthew 2.13-23
Jan. 2 (Epiphany): Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 72.1-7,10-14; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12
Jan. 9 (Baptism of Jesus): Isaiah 42.1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10.34-43; Matthew 3.13-17
Jan. 16: Isaiah 49.1-7; Psalm 40.1-12; 1 Corinthians 1.1-9; John 1.29-42
Jan. 23: Isaiah 9.1-4; Psalm 27.1, 5-13; 1 Corinthians 1.10-18; Matthew 4.12-23
Jan. 30: Micah 6.1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31; Matthew 5.1-12
Feb. 6: Isaiah 58.1-12; Psalm 112.1-10; 1 Corinthians 2.1-16; Matthew 5:13-20
Feb. 13: Deuteronomy 30.15-20; Psalm 119.1-8; 1 Corinthians 3.1-9; Matthew 5.21-37
Feb. 20: Leviticus 19.1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119.33-40; 1 Corinthians 3.10-11, 16-23; Matthew 5.38-48
Feb. 27: Isaiah 49.8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4.1-5; Matthew 6.24-34
Mar. 6: Exodus 24.12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1.16-21; Matthew 17.1-9
Mar. 9 (Ash Wed.): Joel 2.1-2, 12-17; Psalm 103.8-18; 2 Corinthians 5.20b-6.10; Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21
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