This Sunday we remember the saints who have gone before us. I always appreciate this liturgical opportunity to pause and acknowledge those upon whose shoulders I stand. Even more, I give thanks for knowing that we remain connected, by a lively spiritual bond in Christ.

I love this photo of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Fransisco California. It is an image of what I often feel, as one of the saints here on earth, surrounded by the example and encouragement of the saints the other side of the grave, with the light of the Risen Lord and the Heavenly City providing guidance and strength for all of us along this journey.

Another beautiful evocation of the ‘skyworld’ is offered at the bottom of this post, with words and dance from an Akwesasne perspective (gleaned from a recent post at Artful Devotion by Victoria Emily-Jones.

If you are in the area, we invite you to join us this All Saints Sunday. We would warmly welcome you. During the service there is offered for those interested a nursery for infants and a programme for children. Have a look at the Order of Service – you will notice we will celebrate not only the ‘communion of saints’ but also Holy Communion.

And please consider each of the announcements to join us in Christian faith, community and service.

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“Sky World” was written in Mohawk and English by Theresa Bear Fox of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation as a song of remembrance for those who have passed on. An abridged version was recently recorded by Teio Swathe and released as a music video with Apsáalooke hip-hop artist Supaman fancy-dancing in White Sands, New Mexico. On October 12 the video won a Nammy Awared.

Ha io ho we iaa
Ha na io ho we ia he
Io ha io ha io ho we ia
Ha na io ho we ia he
Ha io ha io ho we ia
Ha na io haioho we ia
Iooho we ia
We ha na io ho we ia he

Let’s put our minds together as one
And remember those who have passed on to the sky world
Their life duties are complete, they are living peacefully
In the sky world, in the sky world

Supaman lives on the Crow Nation reservation in south-central Montana. His own music fuses rapping with traditional Native American sounds and aims to inspire hope; he is best known for his “Prayer Loop Song,” which has over 2.3 million views on YouTube. In 2011 Supaman was interviewed interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered, where he shared the story of his conversion to Christianity as an adult and the influence it has had on his life and work.

 

Artist: eyafarev

This is Reformation Sunday. There are great hymns, including Martin Luther’s ‘A mighty fortress is our God’, Jean Calvin’s prayer ‘I greet thee whom my sure Redeemer art’, and the 17th century Scottish paraphrase of Psalm 46, ‘God is our refuge and our strength’. This is Reformation Sunday, when we hear and sing again the call to focus first and foremost upon the presence and promises of the Holy One, and to reform the Church so it is better shaped by the gospel known in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit speaking through the Scriptures.

I have chosen to deal this morning with what is considered by many to be the most reformed, most Presbyterian, of emphases … the doctrine of predestination. But not wanting to scare away any visitors or frighten a very forbearing congregation, you will notice in the Order of Service below that I selected the sermon title ‘persevering’. I do believe the two are intricately connected, however, and I pray you will join us in the journey from predestination to perseverance!

There is nursery offered for infants and a programme for children during the service. Ample free parking is found on the streets around (the time of day restrictions north of Queen are not in effect on Sunday) and in the civic surface lot just behind the church off Queen Street.

If you are in the area, we would warmly welcome you to join us, in Christ!

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Ngudradrekai grandmothers want to read their new Bibles to share the Gospel, their language and culture with their children and grandchildren (Photo Credit: BSTWN, July 2017)

This Sunday we will hear from the Rev. Dr. Paul McLean, minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada working with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan on translation of the Bible into indigenous languages. It is indeed a wonderful part of the story of ‘God’s Living Active Word’, thanks be to God!

The Canadian Presbyterian Church was formative to the beginnings of the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in the 19th century (just look up the Rev. George Leslie Mackay!), and from the start there was a real commitment to the peoples of the island, including the peoples. It has been a ministry that has strengthened the spiritual and social lives of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan to this day. As Canadian Presbyterians, we have a lot to learn from our Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Christ.

And after the service, there is a potluck congregational dinner, with Paul showing some slides between courses. Please join us! There is a nursery offered for infants, and a programme for children during the service, if desired. And parking is free on the streets around (note that the time-of-day restrictions posted north of Queen do not apply on Sunday) and in the civic surface lot just off Queen behind the church.

Have a look at the Order of Service below if you wish, and please consider each of the announcements as a personal invitation to join us in Christian worship, community and service.

Download (PDF, 405KB)

 

You are warmly invited to join in a series of Tuesday evenings that will offer a new look at the parables of Jesus. We will be using a DVD resource by the acclaimed Amy-Jill Levine, who teaches at a Christian seminary and highlights the original Jewish context of our Lord’s ministry and teaching – Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy-Jill Levine. No cost. No prior biblical knowledge needed.

Have a look at the promo link for the series –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLkEqKqTN-4

Location – St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, corner of Princess and Clergy: ample free parking after 5:30 along neighbouring streets and in the civic surface lot behind the church off Queen Street. Please enter by the doors at the top of the stairs by the canon (!) along Clergy Street.

Times: Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m., October 23 to November 20.

Hosted by our Minister – The Rev. Dr. Andrew Johnston

Come for one, come for some, or come for all. St. Andrew’s Hall. Tea provided!

More Information

Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity.

In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School Nashville, Tennessee; and Affiliated Professor at the Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations at Cambridge.