Hello,

Well, I’m liking the fact that there are a lot of important women being celebrated this week (please have a look in the “Devotions” part of things to learn of their accomplishments). Also, the official beginning of the Anglican Church of Canada is acknowledged this week…something to celebrate for sure. 

Prayer Study: Exploring contemplative prayer…Thursday, September 4, 4-5pm at the Trinity Centre.

Lay Presiders’ Workshop: Saturday, September 20, at the Cathedral, 10am – 2pm. If you lead worship – or will be leading worship – whether you’re a Lay Reader or not, please consider this day a “must” on your schedule. You will receive valuable information, practice, and hear “on the ground” stories from other presiders. I’ve been presiding for quite a few years and yet I always learn something new from Dean Jay’s wealth of knowledge and experience. Lunch will be provided so, if you have special needs, please send me an email. (susan.montague2@gmail.com)

A Liturgical Note For You: Radical Welcome!

You’ll notice that there are some women of dubious background and reputation in Jesus’ family tree (see Saturday’s entry below) and that made me think of an important part of our task as followers of Jesus Christ. We are given the huge responsibility of being “ministers of reconciliation” and that means not just ‘welcome’ but ‘radical welcome’.  As James notes in his letter, we likely find it easy to give a warm welcome to others like us or, even better, to those with wealth (according to the world). But we’re asked to be and do more than that. 

We find this radical welcome in our liturgies, especially in the Holy Eucharist…

* The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…be with you all.

* Let us pray…

* Let us confess our faith…

* We stand in solidarity with God and with each other as we pray for the needs of the whole world.

* All the baptized are welcome to God’s table to share his feast in the kingdom banquet – even the ones we don’t particularly admire. At the table, we love the unlovable (perhaps we are considered ‘unlovable’ by some…) because God’s love is for everyone. 

* We admit that we haven’t loved our neighbours as ourselves and ask God to help us to be better at this.

* We share “The Peace” with whoever is beside us regardless of social-economic or ethnic background

* Each one of our Eucharistic Prayers expresses the desire to be, through the action of the Holy Spirit, the unified family of God throughout the whole world (not necessarily in those exact words each time)

* my favourite “Breaking of the Bread” sentence is “We break this bread to share in the body of Christ. We, being many, are one body, for we all share in the one bread.”

* Together we are “the People of God”

* We pray to “Our Father” – every single person who prays this prayer is part of the family of God.

Our liturgies form us a community who works together to reveal God’s kingdom and build the body of Christ. We gather together to remind ourselves of who we are as we praise and worship God in God’s presence in God’s kingdom. The Holy Eucharist is the joyous, celebratory feast of God’s victory through Jesus Christ at which we learn to be God’s love for each other so that we may then share this love in the world beyond our doors. 

Wow…a calendar observance every day this week…

For Your Devotions:

Monday, August 11th is the memorial of Abbess Clare of Assisi who died in 1253. Clare founded the Second Order of Assisi known as the “Poor Clares” because she advocated for the rule of “perfect poverty”…even the community itself was forbidden to own property. Why was a woman from the 1200’s called the patron of television? Find out here:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Clare-of-Assisi  and then here:  http://taylormarshall.com/2011/08/why-is-st-clare-patron-saint-of.html

Tuesday, August 12th is the commemoration of the Consecration of Charles Inglis, First Anglican Bishop in Canada, 1787. Charles was an Irishman who worked in Pennsylvania and then New York City after being ordained. How did he end up in Canada?  He supported the British during the American Revolution and so his church was burned and the property confiscated. He moved to Nova Scotia and was consecrated as bishop on this date in 1787 which marks the official beginning of the Anglican Church of Canada. If you’d like to learn more, check out p.240: http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf

Wednesday, August 13th is the memorial of Jeremy Taylor, Bishop and Spiritual director, died 1667. He was born in the early 1600’s and became one of the religious scholars known as the “Caroline Divines.” In fact, he was often referred to as the “Shakespeare of Divines” because of his poetic mode of writing. Taylor was chaplain for King Charles I but was imprisoned when Cromwell overthrew the monarchy and banned worship services of the Church of England. For more info see  p.242  http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf

Thursday, August 14th is the commemoration of the martyrs Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maximilien Kolbe, died 1945, 1941. Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who first became widely known for his attack on “cheap grace” (the unlimited offer of forgiveness which he believed functioned for many as an excuse for unethical and immoral behaviour). He was killed in 1945 for his involvement in a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler. More info:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dietrich-Bonhoeffer

Kolbe, as a young, Polish, Roman Catholic priest, established a printing house consisting of 800 friars dedicated to evangelizing Poland. Because this group was so large, it was called “The City of the Immaculate”. His massive printing operation led to his arrest by the Nazis – twice. When he was arrested the 2nd time, Kolbe ended up in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. It was here, in 1941, that Kolbe offered himself up to die in the place of another prisoner who was the father of 10. For more info:  https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com/biography/

Friday, August 15th is the Holy Day of St. Mary the Virgin. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes Mary was taken up to heaven after death. Most Roman Catholics believe Mary did not experience death. Where do we as Anglicans fall on this issue? Find out here (along with a beautiful legend surrounding Mary’s final days):  https://interruptingthesilence.com/2011/08/15/the-feast-of-st-mary-the-virgin-dormition-and-assumption/

Saturday, August 16th is the memorial of the Holy Women of the Old Testament. Our Story of Salvation was shaped by some pretty feisty and creative (i.e. tricky) women. Sometimes barren, sometimes of “ill repute” but always interesting…some, like Eve, who got a “bad rap”, others, like Jael, who did what they had to – like driving a tent spike through a general’s forehead while he slept, and of course Rahab, a prostitute who saves the skin of a couple of Joshua’s spies and is welcomed into their community. Before you judge any of them, Jesus and the gospellers make it clear that we are to be inclusive – not judgmental. Just check out the four Old Testament women Matthew lists in Jesus’ family tree: http://faithlifewomen.com/2012/12/4-unlikely-grandmothers-in-jesus-family-tree/

In the joy of Christ,

Susan