Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Online Bible Meditation




Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of January 25, 2015

January 25: Ephesians 4: 17-32
January 26: Mark 4: 1-20
January 27: Hebrews 7:23 - 8:7
January 28: Ephesians 5: 15-21
January 29: Psalm 31: 1-5
January 30: Mark 4: 21-34
January 31: Hebrews 8: 6-13


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Come into the Quiet

Lent 2015 will be here before we know it.  Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, is February 18th.

This year, St. Cyprian's is offering two opportunities for quiet reflection during Lent:



A Lenten Quiet Day 


Theme: 'Drawing on Living Water'
Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Lee Sinclair
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2015
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: The Parish Church of St. Cyprian
5005 C&E Trail, Lacombe, AB
For information or to register, please call 403-782-6310

AND



An Evening of Taize Worship

Date: Friday, March 13, 2015
Time: 7:00 p.m. - approx. 8:00 p.m.
Location: The Parish of St. Cyprian, 
5005 C&E Trail, Lacombe, AB
All Welcome!


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Between Peter and Paul

Let's face it; the great Apostles, Peter and Paul, came from very different backgrounds.  One was a plain-spoken fisherman who spent a great deal of time with his foot in his mouth.  The other was a well-educated Pharisee with a gift for midrash, sermonizing and writing.

Both were unified in this: their faith in their Lord and Saviour, Jesus, the Christ.

January 18 each year marks The Confession of St. Peter -- when Peter announces with conviction, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." (Matthew 16: 16).  January 25 each year marks The Conversion of St. Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 9: 3-9).

Conversion of St. Paul
Caravaggio, ca. 1600
Between these two auspicious anniversaries, since 1908, the Church has marked a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  As the website for the Canadian Council of Churches puts it:
By finding ways to pray together during this week, we join with all people around the world who are praying, reflecting, studying, and even eating and drinking together to celebrate and pray for Christian unity.
The theme for this year is Jesus' words to the Samaritan Woman at the well: "Give me a drink." (John 4: 4-26)

St. Photina -
the Woman at the Well
Orthodox Icon
Please keep all Christians and their church communities in your prayers this week.  If you are planning a visit to Calgary and wish to participate in a service of worship and prayer for this special Week, you can do so here:

Wednesday, January 21, 12:00 noon Student Prayer for Christian Unity University of Calgary - MacEwan Student Centre (MSC 487- The Loft); Mount Royal University-Meditation Centre (near West Gate); Ambrose University-Kirk Prayer Room.
Wednesday, January 21, 7:00pm Conversations of unCommon Grace-Human Trafficking "Hiding in Plain Sight-Labour Trafficking".  Speakers are Carmin Moore, Cindy Kovalak (ACT Alberta) at Grace Presbyterian Church (1009-15 Avenue SW).
Thursday, January 22, 11:15am  Ambrose University Chapel Service.  Speaker is Bishop Don Bolen at Ambrose University (150 Ambrose Circle SW)
Thursday, January 22, 7:00 Evening Prayer for Christian Unity.  Celebrant is Bishop Frederick Henry at St. Mary's Cathedral (219-18 Avenue SW).
Sunday, January 25, 7:00pm  Ecumenical Prayer Service.  Speaker is the Rev. Susan Brandt (Street Level Church, Calgary) at the Calgary Community Reformed Church (1638-30 Avenue SW).

Monday, January 19, 2015

Online Bible Meditation

A short week this week...

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of January 18, 2015

January 19: 1 Samuel 3: 1 - 20
January 20: Psalm 139: 1 - 5
January 21: John 1: 41 - 43
January 22: John 4: 27 - 30
January 23: Acts 4: 8 - 13
January 24: 1 Peter 5: 1 - 4


Confession of St. Peter*Observed January 18th
Window in the Church of St. Mary and St. Lambert
Stonham Aspal,  Suffolk, England
*Matthew 16: 13-20; Mark 8: 27-30; Luke 9: 18-20

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Shall We Dance?

Recently Rev. Doctors Lee and Doreen met with Bishop Greg...only to find out that -- oops! -- a few of our practices during the Eucharist (Communion) services weren't exactly...um...kosher.  :-)

The first thing?  Well...we're not supposed to say the "psalm prayer" that appears after the Psalm for any given Sunday...at least, not in a Eucharist service.  These prayers are meant to be prayed and meditated upon during Morning Prayer.  Instead, going forward, we'll end each Psalm with the Gloria patri:

Glory to the Father,
and to the Son 
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, 
is now,
and will be for ever,
AMEN.*

*Book of Alternative Services, p. 67

And second?  About those prayers in the liturgy...the ones we've been saying together with Rev. Dr. Lee...

This morning Lee explained that "liturgy" means "the work of the people"*.  She described it as a sort of dance, back and forth, between the priest (leader) and the people (followers)...


There are parts for the priest (and/or deacon) to say...and parts for the people/congregation.  It turns out that in Anglican practice, the following prayers are to be said by the celebrant(s):

  • The Collect of the Day;
  • The Prayer over the gifts (offertory); and
  • The Prayer after Communion.
And all the people say, "AMEN!"  :-)

*Article from Direction: A Mennonite Brethren Forum, Spring 1987, Vol. 16, No. 1.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Online Bible Meditation


Adoration of the Magi - Hans Memling - c. 1470

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of January 4, 2015

January 4: 1 John 3: 1-3
January 5: Philippians 2: 5-11
January 6 - Feast of the Epiphany: Matthew 2: 1-12
January 7: Ephesians 3: 1-12
January 8: Isaiah 60: 1-6
January 9: Isaiah 52: 7-10
January 10: John 4: 46-54