Christ is risen!  Yes, still, and always, but today we journey still in the great Week of weeks, celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord and the invincible hope that is ours, because we are joined to his death and the New Creation in the waters of life and death, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  Easter is 49 days long; the 50th day, or in Greek, Pentecost, is next Sunday, when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ, of which the Anglican Communion is one expression.  Because it’s Pentecost, and we have two children to be baptized, we will also celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, the beginning of our life in Christ, along with our regular but always special celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the sustaining of our life in Christ.

Another sign of and opportunity for growth as disciples is community study of the Scriptures, often called ‘Bible Study.’  We already have a regular Friday morning study which begins at 10 a.m. and is done by noon, and all are welcome to that; we normally study the scriptures assigned for the coming Sunday, and the conversation is always lively, engaging and respectful. However, you should be warned that we also laugh and great deal, and we always have a time of prayer at the end of our study.

New Evening Bible Study

For those who can’t come during the day, we have a new and exciting offering: Ian Stewart has taken the lead, after consultation with me, in beginning a new evening Bible study this coming Thursday, 24 May, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. here at the Cathedral.  Again, all are welcome; it’s not a youth study, or a study for seniors, it’s a Bible study for disciples of all ages and experience in the church. Come if you can, if you’re interested at all, this just might be for you. (NB:  If you do come, please be sure to go to the office door to enter the Cathedral.) Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, this church we call St. John’s, and that part of the church which is each one of you  who reads this. It will be an adventure for sure; the group will begin with St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.  Come if you dare!  It just might change your life, and it will certainly change our life together.  Thanks be to God!

“With hope, audacity and renewed faith, I call on the Anglican Communion around the world to assume their prophetic duty to ‘take care of Creation.”
– Brazilian Primate, the Most Rev. Mauricio Andrade

Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue: a symbol for Christian support of the UN’s Conference on Sustainable Development.

The Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development will be held in Rio June 13 to 22 to discuss a green economy and an institutional framework for sustainable development. The event will gather leaders from governments, the private sector and NGOs. As Christians, what can we do to participate in Rio+20?

What can we do?

Rio+20 Resource Pack

A new resource pack, produced by the Anglican Alliance—a global Communion network focusing on development, relief, and advocacy—has been compiled to help Anglicans learn about and pray for Rio+20.

Find out more…

See the Anglican Church of Canada’s article on Rio+20, Anglicans take action at UN’s Rio+20 to find out more about the conference and the ways we can lend our support and make a difference in our world today as Christians.

For more information and resources, follow these links to:

• access the Rio+20 resource pack
• learn about the World Council of Churches’ work to support Rio+20
• visit the People’s Summit website

See the Revised Common Lectionary for readings for the coming week and a table of readings for the current season.
There are links to art and prayer for each week with scriptural reflections based on a featured art image, as well as RCL prayers for worship.

Thank you Vanderbilt Divinity Library for this wonderful online service.

God’s love abides, and we can abide in that love, even when mothers and everyone and everything else fails.

Today’s Gospel is all about love, perfect love, the love of Christ. I thank God that my own mother (and father) taught me about this love, Her love is amazing, but, she’d be the first to remind me, not perfect. And not everyone has now or has ever had a loving mother, tragically. The deepest love of the very best mother is a gift, straight from God, and we should always give thanks if we have been so blessed, but God’s love abides, and we can abide in that love, even when mothers and everyone and everything else fails.

There is no perfect mother; you probably know that by now, even all the mothers among us, maybe especially you. God bless you one and all, but for all of us, no matter what happens — and even the best mother dies — the love of God in Christ Jesus abides, and we are invited, welcome, to abide, remain, continue, stay put, in that love which is rich beyond our imagination but as close as our own heart.

What exactly is put off to a later time?  What has been deferred?
What has been reordered on the calendar because of its importance?

Moving from Dreams & Visions
to Plans & Priorities

“‘I am the good shepherd’, says the Lord: ‘I know my own and my own know me.’” John 10.14

for next Sunday’s readings and this week’s prayers,
read more

Next Sunday’s Readings

Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 6, 2012

Acts 8.26-40
Psalm 22.25-31
1 John 4.7-21
John 15.1-8

In our prayers

In the Anglican Communion world-wide, we give thanks and pray for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Rowan Williams; and for the Anglican Church of Kenya, The Most Rev Dr Eliud Wabukala, Primate of All Kenya.

In the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Diocese of Rupert’s Land we pray for:
all Bishops, diocesan leaders (lay & ordained) throughout Canada, especially:

• Our Primate Fred Hiltz and General synod Staff
• Our National Indigenous Bishop, Mark MacDonald
• Our Metropolitan, David Ashdown
• Our Bishop, Donald Phillips and his wife Nancy
• MNO Bishop Elaine Sauer
• Our Dean Paul and his wife Melanie
• Our honorary Assistant Brain, and his wife Mavis
• ELCIC Dean, Council and Congregations of the Westman Conference of the Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario Synod
• Our Companion Diocese Bishop Jackson Matovu and his wife Perusi of Central Buganda
• Our congregations and communities especially
• former students of residential schools as they seek healing, hope and recovery from abuses
• The parishes of St. Phillip, Winnipeg, St. Philip Scanterbury, St. Philip Hodgson

You are welcome to pick up a copy of either the regular or the large print edition.

11:30 am – 1:30 pm | Friendship Circle in the Sacristy

May 4

10:00 am – noon | Bible Study in the Sacristy

May 16

Vestry

May 19

1 pm – 4 pm | Tour Guide training

May 26

10 am – 4 pm | Doors Open

May 27

1 pm – 5 pm | Doors Open