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May 3, 2015 - Fifth Sunday of Easter

4/30/2015

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Happy Easter!

 This Sunday (and next) I will be in Guadalajara, Mexico with my daughter Rebecca.  We are delegates to the 2nd Universal Multicultural Dialogue (Diálogo Multicultural Universal II)

representing the Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action, (and also the Interchurch Interfaith Committee of Edmonton Presbytery.)  In my absence, Sunday worship will be led by our very own Licenced Lay Worship Leader, Anne Dingwell.

The readings for Sunday are Acts 8: 26-40, 1 John 4: 7-21, and John 15: 1-8.  In her Reflection, Ann will be asking the question, “Is Someone in Your Way?”

 EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL

I trust you will all have heard by now of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Nepal.  In response to this tragedy, the United Church of Canada has established a Nepal Earthquake Relief fund. Your donation to Nepal Earthquake Relief will be applied directly to support relief, rehabilitation, and restoration efforts in the country. Here’s how you can donate:

·        Online via the United Church of Canada’s  secure donation page.

·        Phone 416-231-5931 ext. 3050 or toll-free 1-800-268-3781 ext. 3050 and use your Visa or MasterCard.

·        Send a cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to:

o   The United Church of Canada
Philanthropy Unit—Emergency Response
3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300
Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4
Please be sure to note “Emergency Response—Nepal Earthquake Relief” on the face of your cheque.


For more information on the United Church’s response go to http://www.united-church.ca/communications/news/response/150427

And please keep the people of Nepal and the relief workers in your prayers.

 
ALBERTA ELECTIONS

If you happen by the church between now and Sunday, you will note more activity than usual.  Our church is the site of an Elections Alberta advance polling place.  We have a Provincial Election coming on May 5.  It is always important in a society like ours not to take our freedoms for granted.  You have the freedom to elect your government.  No matter how jaded or frustrated you may be with the way “the system” works, it is still your responsibility (and, to use a rare concept, your duty) to exercise  that freedom you have and vote.  In ancient  Athenian democracy, they had a specific name used for people who did not vote in elections. Since those who did not vote were seen not to show reasonable concern for the public good, as opposed to their own good, the citizens of Athens called them “idiots.” Because I will be in Mexico at the time of the Election, I have already voted in an Advance Poll.

FAMILY FUN NIGHT
Come enjoy games, fun and food.  On Saturday, May 9th from 7-9 pm we are hosting our 2nd Family Fun Night for the whole community.  Bring your family, friends, neighbours, anyone you can find.  Bring your appetite too!

­ ANNUAL PLANT SALE
The Annual Spirit West Plant Sale will be happening May 15-16. Please share this news with all your gardening friends. There are still opportunities to help out, there are sign-up sheets by the church office..

Spirit West Prayer Chain
We have a new Prayer Chain Co-ordinator, Shannon F.  The Spirit West Prayer Chain is a group of people who have committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the week.  To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com .  You may also email a request for prayer to the same email address.  If you would prefer to talk to someone, you can call Shannon F. at 780-481-5262, Marian T. at 780-487-2851 or Bonnie C. at 780-444-2230.

NEW WEBSITE!
Check out our New Website at www.spiritwest.org .  Thanks to our Webmaster: Bonnie S.

Office hours

-  Monday to Friday 9:30 – 2:30
-  Norma => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Thursday
-  Larry => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday


Remember to check us our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/SpirtWestUnitedChurch


See you Sunday,

 Larry
(Rev.) Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
Spiritwest.minister@telus.net
Spiritwest.org

 
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April 26, 2015 - Fourth of Easter with Communion

4/23/2015

0 Comments

 
Happy Easter!

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday, and the readings point to an image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and of course to us as the sheep.  Now as I have mentioned before, being described as a sheep is not really that complimentary.  Unless you have had a close encounter with a sheep, the image you may have of this animal is one of fluffy cuteness.  Wrong, lambs may be cute to look at, but sheep are not nice animals.  They have a reputation for being not very bright, and easily led astray.  They also do not smell nice.  Being a shepherd is hard work.  Being a good shepherd is probably even harder.  We’ll look at what it means to be a sheep from the biblical point of view, and how that relates to how we behave in our world today.  We will also look at where the Shepherd is trying to lead us.

 
The readings for Sunday are Isaiah 53: 1-11, and John 10: 11-18. With the children I am going to talk about “Sheep.”  The Sermon title is, unfortunately not very original, “The Good Shepherd.”

FAMILY FUN NIGHT

Come enjoy games, fun and food.  On Saturday, May 9th from 7-9 pm we are hosting our 2nd Family Fun Night for the whole community.  Bring your family, friends, neighbours, anyone you can find.  Bring your appetite too!

­ ANNUAL PLANT SALE

The Annual Spirit West Plant Sale will be happening May 15-16. Please share this news with all your gardening friends. There are still opportunities to help out, there are sign-up sheets by the church office..


The Spirit West Benevolent Fund

At the Board Meeting last night, the Spirit West Benevolent Fund was formally established.  The actual guidelines for the Fund are to be established and published by the Benevolent Fund Committee which is made up of the Minister, Board Chair and Treasurer.  The basics of the Fund are as follows.  The Fund will be used to provide short term financial assistance to members and adherents of Spirit West United Church who find themselves is financial difficulty because of unforeseen circumstances.  It is expected that the amounts paid out in each circumstance will not be large.  Members and adherents of Spirit West United Church may bring a situation of need to the attention of the Fund Committee through one of its members.  In the interest of maintaining the privacy of those who may benefit from the Fund, the people who make recommendations will not be informed of the Fund Committee’s decisions.  The Benevolent Fund is now one of Spirit West’s designated funds.  Monies contributed to it will only be used for the designated purpose.  Contributions to the fund can be made by cash or cheque.  Cash should be in an envelope marked, or containing a note, with the donators name, church envelope number (if applicable) and the designation “Benevolent Fund.”  Cheques are payable to “Spirit West United Church,” with “Benevolent Fund” on the Memo line. Other methods of contributing, such as a “donation box/basket” or special offering may be available in the future.  Any attempt to indicate that you want your donation to the Benevolent Fund to go to a particular person will be ignored.  The final decisions on disbursements from this Fund are made by the Fund Committee.  A report of the disbursements from this fund, without names, will be part of the Annual Financial Report prepared by the treasurer.

Spirit West Prayer Chain

We have a new Prayer Chain Co-ordinator, Shannon F.  The Spirit West Prayer Chain is a group of people who have committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the week.  To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com .  You may also email a request for prayer to the same email address.  If you would prefer to talk to someone, you can call Shannon F. at 780-481-5262, Marian T. at 780-487-2851 or Bonnie C. at 780-444-2230.

NEW WEBSITE!

Check out our New Website at www.spiritwest.org .  Thanks to our Webmaster: Bonnie S.

Office hours

-  Monday to Friday 9:30 – 2:30
-  Norma => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Thursday
-  Larry => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday


Remember to check us our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/SpirtWestUnitedChurch


See you Sunday,

 Larry

0 Comments

April 19, 2015 - Third of Easter with Baptisms

4/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Happy Easter!

We continue in the season of resurrection and new life.  The gospel is another appearance story.  The gospel writers want to make sure that we understand the reality of the resurrection.  In this Sunday’s reading, the point is made that Jesus eats some boiled fish.  In addition to hearing of the resurrection appearance stories, the Lectionary also provides readings which point towards the significance of the resurrection for those who chose to follow Jesus.  In various places throughout the New Testament, different images are used to describe our relationship to God.  In John’s first letter, which is the other reading for Sunday, he used the imagery that we are children of God.  We will look at what that means.

 Three children will be baptized during the Service.

 The readings for Sunday are 1 John 3: 1-7 and John 10: 1-10. The Sermon title is “Children of God”

MESSY CHURCH (this Saturday!)

We will be having a Messy Church on Saturday, April 18 starting at 4:00 pm.  The theme is Jonah and the Whale! For those of you not familiar with Messy Church, it is a concept first developed in the UK.  The idea is to provide an opportunity for families to learn the stories of the Bible in a setting that is not like Sunday church.  So Messy Church is composed of a song and story time, where we hear and celebrate a biblical story.  Then we make crafts (and some are MESSY) that relate to the story, and we end our time together by sharing dinner together.  Everything is provided.  It is expected that children will bring their parents with them so that the whole family can enjoy the fellowship, fun and food.  So, come bring your family and friends!  If you have any questions about Messy Church call me at the church.

Men’s Breakfast

The men of Spirit West will be meeting for Breakfast this Saturday morning in the Lower Hall at 8:00am.

­ ANNUAL PLANT SALE

The Annual Spirit West Plant Sale will be happening May 15-16.  Watch this space for more details.


A Spirit West Benevolent Fund

At the last Board Meeting, a discussion arose as to how we as a church would or could help any within our congregation who might find themselves in need, particularly short term financial need.  It was thought that the establishment of a designated benevolent fund would be appropriate.  Members of the congregation could contribute to this fund specifically.  Small grants of money would be paid out to individuals or families based on recommendations to me from Community Care or members of the congregation.  The decision to offer assistance would be made by the minister (me) in consultation with the Board Chair and the Treasurer.  The details of any payments would, of course, not be made public, but the treasurer would keep a detailed record of disbursements.  Your thoughts on this idea would be welcomed.

Spirit West Prayer Chain

We have a new Prayer Chain Co-ordinator, Shannon F.  The Spirit West Prayer Chain is a group of people who have committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the week.  To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com .  You may also email a request for prayer to the same email address.  If you would prefer to talk to someone, you can call Shannon F. at 780-481-5262, Marian T. at 780-487-2851 or Bonnie C. at 780-444-2230.

NEW WEBSITE!

Check out our New Website at www.spiritwest.org .  Thanks to our Webmaster: Bonnie S.

Office hours

-  Monday to Friday 9:30 – 2:30
-  Norma => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Thursday
-  Larry => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday


Remember to check us our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/SpirtWestUnitedChurch


Let us celebrate the Triduum together!

 Larry


(Rev.) Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
Spiritwest.minister@telus.net
Spiritwest.org


0 Comments

April 12, 2015 - Second after Easter - Humour Sunday

4/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Happy Easter!

 We are now in the Easter Season, the season of resurrection and new life.  For this Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, I am following a suggestion in Gathering (the United Church worship resource magazine) and calling it Holy Humour Sunday.  Throughout the Bible, we are constantly admonished/commanded to rejoice, be joyful, celebrate with joy.  Christians are allowed to laugh.  Laughter is a gift from God.  According to the Bible, God laughs.  (When the elderly Sarah heard that she was to bear a son she laughed. When her son was born, he was called Isaac which means “God laughs.” Genesis 18:9-15, 21:1-7).  Sunday’s Gospel includes the story of “Doubting Thomas” and his encounter with the risen Jesus.

The readings for Sunday are Psalm 133, and John 20: 19-31

 In the time for all ages, I will share the story of “The Child and the Starfish.”  And the Sermon title is “The Joy of the Lord”

MESSY CHURCH (with the correct date!)

We will be having a Messy Church on Saturday, April 18 starting at 4:00 pm.  The theme is Jonah and the Whale! For those of you not familiar with Messy Church, it is a concept first developed in the UK.  The idea is to provide an opportunity for families to learn the stories of the Bible in a setting that is not like Sunday church.  So Messy Church is composed of a song and story time, where we hear and celebrate a biblical story.  Then we make crafts (and some are MESSY) that relate to the story, and we end our time together by sharing dinner together.  Everything is provided.  It is expected that children will bring their parents with them so that the whole family can enjoy the fellowship, fun and food.  So, come bring your family and friends!  If you have any questions about Messy Church call me at the church.

A Spirit West Benevolent Fund

At the last Board Meeting, a discussion arose as to how we as a church would or could help any within our congregation who might find themselves in need, particularly short term financial need.  It was thought that the establishment of a designated benevolent fund would be appropriate.  Members of the congregation could contribute to this fund specifically.  Small grants of money would be paid out to individuals or families based on recommendations to me from Community Care or members of the congregation.  The decision to offer assistance would be made by the minister (me) in consultation with the Board Chair and the Treasurer.  The details of any payments would, of course, not be made public, but the treasurer would keep a detailed record of disbursements.  Your thoughts on this idea would be welcomed.

Spirit West Prayer Chain

We have a new Prayer Chain Co-ordinator, Shannon F.  The Spirit West Prayer Chain is a group of people who have committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the week.  To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com .  You may also email a request for prayer to the same email address.  If you would prefer to talk to someone, you can call Shannon F. at 780-481-5262, Marian T. at 780-487-2851 or Bonnie C. at 780-444-2230.

NEW WEBSITE!

Check out our New Website at www.spiritwest.org .  Thanks to our Webmaster: Bonnie S.

Office hours

-  Monday to Friday 9:30 – 2:30
-  Norma => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Thursday
-  Larry => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday


Remember to check us our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/SpirtWestUnitedChurch


Let us celebrate the Triduum together!

 Larry


(Rev.) Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
Spiritwest.minister@telus.net
Spiritwest.org

0 Comments

April 5, 2015 - Easter Sunday

4/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Greetings

Celebration of the Triduum

Today at sunset is the start of the Triduum, the “three days” that mark the lowest and highest points of the Christian year. 

Maundy Thursday – 5:00 pm

Today is Maundy Thursday, Maundy being an old English word based on an old French word derived from a Latin expression mandatum meaning command or commandment. The rituals often associated with the celebration of Maundy Thursday are based on John’s account of Jesus supper with his disciples as recorded in the thirteenth chapter of John’s gospel. They include the washing of feet, a recalling of Jesus’ new commandment (mandatum) to love one another, and the sharing of the bread and cup of what we now call the Lord’s Supper, Communion, or the Eucharist. At Spirit West, our focus is on the institution of Communion as part of the Passover celebration which Jesus was sharing with the disciples. We remember this with the celebration of a Seder, the traditional meal that marks Passover. Our Seder is a pot-luck supper surrounded by story, song and ritual. Because of the nature of this celebration it was necessary to have people sign up.

Good Friday – 10:30 am 

In English we call this lowest day of the Christian year “Good Friday.”  The reason for the term "good" in the context of Good Friday is contested. Some sources claim it is from the senses pious, holy of the word "good", while others contend that it is a corruption of "God Friday".  The Oxford English Dictionary supports the first etymology, giving "of a day or season observed as holy by the church" as an archaic sense of good (good, adj. 8c), and providing examples of good tide meaning "Christmas" or "Shrove Tuesday", and Good Wednesday meaning the Wednesday in Holy Week. At Spirit West, “Draw the Circle Wide” is the theme of our service of quite reflection and meditation, with slides and music where we will remember Christ’s crucifixion and it’s implications for our day. 

 

Easter Sunday – 10:30 am

The Celebration of the new life proclaimed in the Resurrection of Jesus.  The highest point in the Christian year, and the Sunday of Sundays. Unfortunately, in English, the name given to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection is derived from the name Ēostre, a goddess of the Anglo-Saxons. According to the 8th-century English monk Bede, Ēosturmōnaþ was an English month, corresponding to April, which he says "was once called after a goddess of theirs named Ēostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month". Bede himself called April Pashcal Month, and in many languages the name of our Christian festival is some form of the word Πάσχα or Pascha, the Greek and Roman term.  This is derived from the Aramaic Pascha (אפסח) and the Hebrew Pesach (פֶּסַח‎), meaning Passover.  Christ is our Passover.  Come join our celebration at Spirit West!

Decorating for the church on Easter Sunday – We are not selling Easter Hydrangeas this year.  We are asking that if you want, you can purchase an Easter plant or basket elsewhere and loan it to the church on Easter Sunday.  One warning, no lilies please, their scent is very strong and can trigger allergic reactions.

 Lenten Study

Next Wednesday at 1:30 in the Lounge we hold our last Lenten Study using as our resource a book called: "Give it UP!"  A reminder to participants that starting yesterday, we give up mirrors, social media, talking, TV and internet channels, and cell phones until sunset on Saturday night.

A Spirit West Benevolent Fund

At the Board Meeting a week ago Tuesday night, a discussion arose as to how we as a church would or could help any within our congregation who might find themselves in need, particularly short term financial need.  It was thought that the establishment of a designated benevolent fund would be appropriate.  Members of the congregation could contribute to this fund specifically.  Small grants of money would be paid out to individuals or families based on recommendations to me from Community Care or members of the congregation.  The decision to offer assistance would be made by the minister (me) in consultation with the Board Chair and the Treasurer.  The details of any payments would, of course, not be made public, but the treasurer would keep a detailed record of disbursements.  Your thoughts on this idea would be welcomed.

MESSY CHURCH

We will be having a Messy Church on Saturday, April 20 starting at 4:00 pm.  The theme is Jonah and the Whale! For those of you not familiar with Messy Church, it is a concept first developed in the UK.  The idea is to provide an opportunity for families to learn the stories of the Bible in a setting that is not like Sunday church.  So Messy Church is composed of a song and story time, where we hear and celebrate a biblical story.  Then we make crafts (and some are MESSY) that relate to the story, and we end our time together by sharing dinner together.  Everything is provided.  It is expected that children will bring their parents with them so that the whole family can enjoy the fellowship, fun and food.  So, come bring your family and friends!  If you have any questions about Messy Church call me at the church.

Spirit West Prayer Chain

We have a new Prayer Chain Co-ordinator, Shannon F.  The Spirit West Prayer Chain is a group of people who have committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the week.  To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com .  You may also email a request for prayer to the same email address.  If you would prefer to talk to someone, you can call Shannon F. at 780-481-5262, Marian T. at 780-487-2851 or Bonnie C. at 780-444-2230.

NEW WEBSITE!

Check out our New Website at www.spiritwest.org .  Thanks to our Webmaster: Bonnie S.

Office hours

-  Monday to Friday 9:30 – 2:30
-  Norma => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Thursday
-  Larry => 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday


Remember to check us our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/SpirtWestUnitedChurch


Let us celebrate the Triduum together!

 Larry

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