A Story of Hope in the Wake of Earth Day 2024

Rev. Ed Trevors is the incumbent of the Anglican parish of St. Margaret of Scotland in Nova Scotia. Recorded on the evening of Earth Day (April 22) he brings this story of hope. May it bless your day. 😊

Belatedly...Rev. Robert's Sermon from April 14, 2024

 This sermon is on the text from 1John 3: 1-7, which was the Second Lesson from the Lectionary for April 14, 2014.  The recording was made over this past weekend, and only brought to the attention of your blog Editor this evening.  I apologize for the delay, but there was no announcement from Rev. Sears that he had done this recording.

Belatedly...Rev. Robert's Easter Sunday Sermon

Allelluia! Christ is Risen!

The Lord is risen indeed!  Allelluia!

 

Just a Thought...

 Some Christians have reportedly said, "We're already believers. Why would we need a course on Christianity?" Meet the fellow who created such a course -- and Christians and 'nons' ate it up:

For Anglican Church Women...

 

Stay tuned for details!

For St. Patrick's Day

A musical blessing for St. Patrick's Day -- Steve Bell singing "The Lorica" -- a version of St. Patrick's Breastplate prayer. May it bless your day. 😊

Holy Week and Easter Services at St. Cyprian's

 

Palm Sunday - March 24, 2024

Holy Eucharist - 10 a.m.

Good Friday - March 29, 2024

Good Friday Service - 10 a.m.

Easter Sunday - March 31, 2024

Holy Eucharist - 2 p.m.

Please note this special time.

There will be no 10 a.m. service that morning.

A Sermon for Lent IV: The Freedom of Responsibility

Rev. Robert Sears has recorded his sermon from Sunday, March 10th -- the 4th Sunday in Lent. May it bless your day. 😊

He writes this about his reflections:

"Lent 4 gives us both readings: Numbers 21:4-9; and John 3:13-21.

"Jesus refers to the bronze serpent in a metaphor of himself. But how was it used in the Book of Numbers?

"In Numbers the bronze serpent is a part of an object lesson for the Israelites. They were free from Pharaoh, but they were not ready for the freedom to be responsible for their own lives together. They were afraid of the open road before them. They would rather complain about God and Moses: they had neither food nor water, and they didn't like the food and water Moses gave them. They were their own worst enemies. They even longed for the false security of their former bondage. They were sorely tempted by the complete abandonment of responsibility for their own lives. The lesson behind the bronze serpent is to stop complaining and wanting to outsource the responsibility for your own life. See the value of life. Look to God's gifts and provision. Walk before God in the freedom to live a life of responsibility."

A Sermon for Lent III: "The Birth of a Nation"

 Rev. Robert has recorded his sermon from Sunday, March 3 -- may it bless your day. 😊

Related reading: Exodus 20: 1-17.

Additional readings for Sunday, March 3:

Psalm 19;

1 Corinthians 1:18-25;

The Gospel of John 2:13-22.

Yep...Here We Go Again!

Just a reminder: no matter how much snow is on the ground or in the forecast, it's time...Before you go to bed Saturday night...

A Sermon for Lent II: "Walk Before Me and Be Blameless"

 

God instructing Abraham to count the stars
Woodcut by Julius Schnorr Von Carolsfeld, 1860
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Rev Robert's Sermon for Lent 2 (Year A) - Feb 25,, 2024. He writes:

In this sermon I pick up from where Noah left off. God is trying to change the way we function. He would like to replace freedom as autonomy with freedom as responsibility. And where Noah, though righteous failed, Abraham succeeds. Abraham exemplifies the inner-directed life of faith and shows us what a leader after God's own heart looks like.

Related readings: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 and Romans 4:13-25

A Sermon for Lent I: "The Ark of the Church"

 

Rev Robert's Sermon from Lent 1 (Year A) - Feb 18, 2024. He writes: "Where I try to untangle the most difficult Christological description of Jesus from 1 Peter 3:18-20".

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.

 

Related Readings: Genesis 9:8-17 and 1 Peter 3:18-22

If it's Lent...

Our Lenten tradition at St. Cyprian's -- Soup Lunches! Every Sunday following the service, we serve soup, bread and cheese -- and tea and coffee, of course. Free-will offerings accepted with thanks for your support.

Our Sunday services begin at 10 a.m. -- Eucharist and Morning Prayer on alternate Sundays. Soup is served starting sometime between 11 and 11:30 a.m. All are welcome!

Showing Kindness

It's "Kindness Month" -- and the City of Lacombe, Alberta has kits for "businesses" to show their support. Figuring that "kindness" is a major theme of Christianity. St. Cyprian's has joined the throng. Yesterday we put our posters out so the world (or at least the community!) will know we are Christians by our love. 💕

P.S. This month was started to draw attention to bullying -- especially in schools -- and the official "Kindness Day" is February 28, when supporters are encouraged to wear pink. The Lacombe FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) is raising funds for its work by selling pink tee-shirts. For more information on those, contact them here https://www.facebook.com/LacombeFcss.

Church front door with posters

A closer look

It's official!

Back door (hall entrance) posters

Hall door poster #1

Hall door poster #2

Sermon For Sunday, February 11, 2024

 

Today is one of the dates in the Church Year when we observe the Feast of the Transfiguration (the other is August 6).  This week Rev. Robert took much of his text from Paul's second letter to the Corinithian's...but as you'll see, there remains a link...

May it bless your day. 😊

Readings for Sunday, February 11, 2024:

2 Kings 2: 1-12

Psalm 50: 1-6

2 Corinthians 4: 3-6

The Gospel of Mark 9: 2-9

Ash Wednesday is Coming!

 

Ash Wednesday Service

at St, Cyprian's Anglican Church

5005 - C&E Trail,

Lacombe, Alberta

Date:  Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Time: 10 a.m.

The service with include Imposition of Ashes

and Eucharist (Holy Communion)

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Sunday Sermon with Rev. Robert

 

Here is Rev. Robert's Sunday Sermon video for February 4, 2024, about which he writes:

"Have you ever wondered what Paul was talking about when he said that he had become all things to all people, or that he made himself a slave to all? Well, that is my subject of this sermon. I suggest that Paul is being very reasonable in 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, even though we might not immediately appreciate it.

"Paul is simply expressing both his commitment to sharing the Gospel and how he does it. He exercises what is called in informal logic the acceptability principle. That means: One who presents a position should attempt to use reasons that are likely to be accepted by those with whom one is speaking. That's what Paul is saying when he says he had become all things to all people. He is simply adapting the Gospel to what people know so that it makes better sense to them.

"I also discuss that it is no doubt because we live in an age of dwindling common sense that we doubt or even fear reasonable discussion can ever happen. In order to counter that somewhat justified position, I offer a part of the code of conduct of reasonable discussion from T. Edward Damer's _Attacking Faulty Reasoning_. I offer five of his principles to sketch what a reasonable person might believe and act like."

Readings for Sunday, February 4, 2024 

Isaiah 40:21-31

Psalm 147:1-12, 21

1 Corinthians 9:16-23 

The Gospel of Mark 1:29-39

It's Time Again for the AGM...

 

The Annual General Meeting for St. Cyprian's Anglican Church, Lacombe will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2024 after the 10 a.m. service.

Coffee and tea will be available. Parishioners are asked to bring finger foods to share.

Thank you!

Can People's Minds be Changed?

 This is the question Robert is asking in his sermon video from Sunday, January 21. May it bless your day.  😊

He adds these thoughts:

For what it is worth: my sermon for January 21, 2024. I am reflecting on Jonah 3.1-5, 10 and Mark 1.14-20.

A stark contrast between scripture and a common mindset came to mind when thinking about the message of these readings. We are more and more self-censoring, not saying something we feel called to say, not engaging in conversations we think we should have. Old or new we have a saying that that gets used to support this practice of self-censoring: "you can't change peoples' minds."

No doubt there are good ways and bad ways to talk about the vast array of things that need working out, but I do not think that scripture supports a mentality that says you can't change people's minds. I don't even think it is true of our actual daily experience!

I try to put this together in my sermon.

Poetry & Song for Wintry Weather

Here's a small gift from Canadian singer-songwriter Steve Bell and his colleague, English Anglican priest and poet, Macolm Guite; may it soothe your soul and bless your day. 😊

For Your Consideration -- On Zoom!

 There are several events coming up in the Anglican Diocese of Calgary;  here are the particulars for those interested:

Please note: all times given are based on Mountain Standard Time.

For Registration, please e-mail dioceseofcalgaryacw@gmail.com

For registration, e-mail afpfellowship@gmail.com

Lenten Reflections on The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness

Thursdays during Lent, beginning February 15

Not By Bread Alone: Exploring Jesus's Temptation in the Wilderness

Please join us this Lent for an in-depth exploration and conversation around the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. After an initial exploration of the Biblical text in the first week, we will have five unique sessions focussing on how five different theologians and saints have approached Jesus's Temptation, looking for their unique wisdom and insight to this event in Jesus's life and ministry. We are excited, as well, to have each session led by a different person from the Diocese! Hopefully this study will enrich your Lenten journey. We'll gather via Zoom on Thursday evenings through Lent, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Mountain Time. Please contact Barbara Labrecque at the Diocesan Office to register for the study.

Schedule

February 15 – Rev. Br. Jason Carroll (Biblical Introduction)

February 22 – Rev. Greg Clark (Karl Barth)

February 29 – Most Rev. Greg Kerr-Wilson (Rowan Williams)

March 7 – Rev. Chris Roth (Church Fathers)

March 14 – Rev. Br. Jason Carroll (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

March 21 – Rev. Elizabeth Short (Deitrich Bonhoeffer) 

A Homiy in the Midst of the Polar Vortex

St. Cyprian's parish service was cancelled today due to the brutal Polar Vortex under which we're labouring. But Rev. Rober has recorded this homily for our reflection.

The readings include 1 Samuel 3: 1-10 and the Gospel of John 1: 43-51. May it bless your day. 😊

Weather Bulletin -- Breaking News!

 From Rev. Robert Sears re: the Parish of St. Cyprian's, Lacombe, AB:

Weather Cancellation: Sunday Service (January 14, 2024) 

Rev. Robert continued: "Just wanted to say we are cancelling this Sunday's service as the temperature forecast (without windchill) is below -40 degrees C."

By way of illustration, this was the situation earlier today in our area in central Alberta, Canada:

Yes, friends,  you read that correctly.

Just What IS the "Right Date for Christmas"?

Points to ponder as we move into a brief few weeks of Ordinary Time...A January 7th recording from Rev. Robert. May it bless your day! 😊