Being Church and Keeping Connected

Notice of Another St. Luke’s Special Vestry Meeting: Monday, November 30th, 2020
5:00 p.m. (on Zoom)

As announced in last Saturday’s e-newsletter, and at in-person worship last Sunday, another Special Vestry of St Luke’s Church will be held on Monday, November 30 at 5:00 p.m. on Zoom. The Zoom link is found here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88153884796?pwd=RkJxNjZpMTRVUG1nSXJkRnlkT2N1UT09

A requirement of any Special Vestry is that those participating agree to a Solemn Declaration. In these pandemic days, with our Special Vestry being held on Zoom, the best way to do that is online. With that in mind, if you've not already done so, please complete the following form, which includes the Solemn Declaration. This will also allow us to make note of those who will require a phone call from a scrutineer team to record their vote immediately following the Zoom meeting on Monday.

We remind you that the reason for this second Special Vestry is a very technical one. Since our Special Vestry on November 1^st, 2020, our Diocese has been informed by the City of Ottawa that we have been granted a $300,000 forgivable loan to complete the renovation. This is great news! In that the forgivable loan is for a capital project, the City Funding Agreement, following provincial requirements, must be registered to the title of the property being renovated. The deed or title of St Luke’s Church is held by the Incumbent and Wardens of the Parish.

In the case of the renovation planned for St Luke’s Table, the loan will be forgiven in five years so long as St Luke’s Table continues to operate, offering service to those most vulnerable in our midst. In the very remote possibility that the loan is forfeited, the money would need to be returned to the City of Ottawa. So as to ensure that the Parish carries no financial risk, our Diocesan Council has indemnified the Parish of the financial risk associated with the loan, with a motion passed at a Diocesan Council meeting on Tuesday, November 24^th, 2020. That is, if the loan is forfeited, which remains a remote possibility, our Diocese will assume the risk and responsibility of repayment. Given that the deed or title of St Luke’s Church is held by the Incumbent and Wardens of the Parish, the only governing body that can approve registering the forgivable loan to title is the Vestry of St Luke’s Church.

The motion that will be considered is found here. It is worded to meet Provincial and Municipal requirements and for this reason cannot be amended. It has been reviewed by our Diocesan Solicitor and Vice-Chancellor and meets Diocesan standards.

Your participation is important, and we hope to see you on Zoom on Monday. As always, please feel free to be in touch with us with any questions.

You are, as always, welcome to be in touch with Rev. Victoria or one of the wardens with questions.

Worship

Sunday, November 29th, 2020
The First Sunday of Advent

Readings: ISAIAH 64:1-9; PSALM 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9; MARK 13:24-37

In-Person Worship: Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

We have carefully mapped out appropriately distanced seating, and while we are allowed to have 50 people for in-person worship, St. Luke's can safely seat 35-40, depending on how those are registered are "bubbled".

At the time of writing this newsletter, we have 24 registered, so there are a few spaces available. You may register by filling out this form. Please feel free to be in touch with Rev. Victoria if you have questions.

A Service of the Word

Click here for a service of the word, including this week's readings and a written reflection by Rev. Victoria. It is offered for those setting apart a time of prayer at home on a Sunday morning. Remember that those gathering at St. Luke’s for in-person worship are holding those at home in our hearts.

Today's Music

Prelude: Sleepers, Wake! (J. S. Bach)
Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Postlude: Saviour of the Nations, Come (J. S. Bach)

Bach’s Schübler chorales is a set of six chorale preludes. Johann Georg Schübler, after whom the collection came to be named, published it in about 1747. At least five of the preludes are transcribed from movements in Bach's church cantatas, mostly chorale cantatas he had composed around two decades earlier. The first in the set is Sleepers, Wake which was originally a tenor aria from Cantata 140.

The Advent Prose (Drop Down, Ye Heavens) is frequently sung to plainsong during Advent where it gives expression to the longings of patriarchs and prophets, and symbolically of the Church, for the coming of the Messiah. The text can be found at Isaiah 64:1-9, which is today’s Old testament reading.

Perhaps Germany’s most famous hymn tune for Advent is Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland. Taken from a Latin chant, the melody arranged into a chorale by Martin Luther. Bach’s Cantata 61 is based on this chorale as are several of his organ preludes. Today’s postlude is the first chorale prelude in his Orgelbüchlein--a collection of 45 preludes for the liturgical year—based on this chorale.

Sunday's Bulletin

Click here for a copy of Sunday's bulletin for in-person worship.

Here is a list of virtual services in the Diocese of Ottawa

Travel virtually to share prayer and worship experiences across Canada and around the world!

During this time of physical isolation, take the opportunity to visit other places and share in daily and weekly prayers and reflections here.

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A Liturgy of the Word with Lectio divina

Wednesdays at 11 a.m. on Zoom

Please note that we will continue to meet on Zoom on Wednesdays for the foreseeable future. Please check this space each week for updates and additional information.

You'll find the Zoom link and order of service in Tuesday's newsletter this week.

We had beautiful flowers last Sunday for The Reign of Christ! Laraine, we're so grateful for your gift and your willingness to share it with us!

Pray

Our Parish

Our clergy, staff, and members of St. Luke's; participants and staff of St. Luke's Table in this unusual and challenging time

Those on Our Hearts

Brad, Inez, Ken, Sarah, Bryan; all who suffer discrimination based on race; all who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; all those on our hearts.

Our Diocese

Shane, our Bishop; Executive Director Rachel Robinson and all the staff at Centre 454 for their amazing ministry in the community.

Our Companion Diocese in Jerusalem

The Virgin Mary Episcopal Church, Irbid, Jordan.

The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)
Linda, our Primate; Anne, our Metropolitan;

The Secretary General and staff of the Anglican Communion Office.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCIC)
Susan, Presiding Bishop; The General Secretary and staff of the Lutheran World Federation.

Give

The generosity of all of you who have made the extra effort required at this time to continue your financial support is appreciated so very much. It is making all the difference. Thank you!

You can donate online through Canada Helps here

A Note to Berry Buyers

Dear Berry Buyers:

Thanks for your continued support with our annual berry sale.

It was really nice to see all the “smiling eyes” and hear happy voices. We had a good crowd and could have had an outdoor service!

It was a welcome surprise to see the sun show up too.

Joan Scott and Heather Matchett

Christmas 2020 PWRDF* Parish-wide Challenge

With our help PWRDF can turn every$1 into $7 for Mothers and Children in Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and Burundi

Dear Friends: As we approach the season of Advent, I am writing to tell you about our Christmas 2020 PWRDF Parish-wide Challenge. Our parish has been richly blessed, and your gift (whether large or small) is one way to “give back” while helping to protect our friends and partners in 4 African countries. Thank you for your interest and your support. Donors’ names will only be known to our Treasurer, Susan Reid. We will, however, be able to report on how much was raised through this challenge. There is more information below, but please get in touch if you have other questions. My email address is allingham75@hotmail.com.

Yours faithfully, Janet Allingham PWRDF Parish Representative

From 2016-2020 the All Mothers and Children Count program has empowered women and girls through improved health and food security in Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and Burundi.
In June 2020 PWRDF received wonderful news: the Government of Canada granted the fund a one-year extension to support AMCC partners through the COVID-19 crisis.
Until March30, 2021 our donations will help supply health clinics with medical grade Personal Protective Equipment, hand washing facilities and sanitizer and
Community members coming into the clinics will receive information about how to prevent COVID-19.
As an example of how government matching works: a gift of $210 will keep a clinic safe for one week, with a match that equals $1,470.
The Wardens and Parish Council have agreed to challenge the parish to donate $500 to this cause. This will translate into $3500 thanks to Federal Government matching.
Donations have already been made: Donations of any amount will be gratefully acknowledged.

How to donate to the Parish Challenge:

You may follow this link to donate. Or,
Go to Canadahelps.org. and click on it
Get Started/Find a charity: please type in St. Luke’s Anglican Church Ottawa
You’ll see our church logo: Click on “Learn More”
See “Donate to this charity” and enter the amount of $ you wish to give
Click on “Apply your donation to this Charity”
Select “AMCC PWRDF Parish Challenge” to complete your donation
You may dedicate your gift to honour a loved one at this point if you wish.

You’re also invited to visit pwrdf.org/world-of-gifts/ where you’ll find other opportunities to support PWRDF in “Working towards a truly just, healthy and peaceful world”.

*PWRDF stands for the “Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund” of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Christmas Gifts for St. Luke’s Table

Gifts cards at Christmas are a highlight for many at St. Luke's Table. This year, you are invited to purchase $10 gift cards from McDonald's, Giant Tiger, Tim Horton's and Shopper's Drug Mart. Getting the cards to St. Luke's is a little more challenging than in previous years, and it is probably best to send them in by mail. You may also make a monetary contribution for the purchase of gift cards. Your generosity is very much appreciated. Please feel free to be in touch with Rev. Victoria if you have questions.

Connect

Advent and Christmas

As we enter the season of Advent and Christmas draws closer, many of us will find ourselves feeling worried or anxious about what Christmas will be like as we continue our pandemic response. Reverend Victoria is available by phone (613-698-6083) or Zoom to listen, talk, and pray with you.

Virtual Social Hour: Time to Talk!

We are physically distanced, muffled by masks. Soon winter will bring ice, snow, freezing rain (and the wonder of those magical first snowflakes). In our isolation, we should not also have to feel separation. What about joining together for an hour each week to talk?

Let’s spend some of our apart time together, until we can again mingle, mask-less, in our beautiful church. We can share stories, concerns, joys, hopes and sorrows, requests for prayers…

There is a way to wander, mix and mingle on Zoom, as well, just as we used to do! You can leave whenever you like!

Hope to "see" you: Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Click here for the Zoom link.

Any questions? Contact Anne Wright: 613-791-5494 anne@change-artistry.com

Would you like to connect with another member of the community but aren’t sure how to reach them? Contact Helen Cathcart at familylibrarian@yahoo.ca, or leave a message on the church answering machine and we’ll make the connection.
We can get through this together!

The deadline for the Christmas edition of The Jubilee is
Sunday, December 13th, 2020. Don't wait for the deadline - send submissions to Heather Matchett any time at hmatchett1@sympatico.ca

Each week of Advent, stones painted with Advent symbols will be available at St. Luke's, St. Martin's, All Saints, and Julian of Norwich and the four parishes will hold each other in prayer. This is offered as a tangible reminder that even as we continue our pandemic response and cannot all join together in person, we can join together in prayer and devotion. The prayer will be included at in-person worship and in the newsletter. The stones will be handled carefully, with pandemic safety protocols in mind.

A "Blue Christmas" Service at St. Luke's

"Blue Christmas" is a gentle, contemplative liturgy for those who are carrying pain or loss in the Christmas season. St. Luke's will offer this service on Sunday, December 20th, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

A Virtual Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk

A Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk will be pre-recorded in our beloved space at St. Luke's, and made available online before December 21st, 2020. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

“Advent begins in the dark...The authentically hopeful Christmas spirit has not looked away from the darkness, but straight into it.”

(Fleming Rutledge)

“The problem is this: when, despite all my best efforts, the lights have gone off in my life (literally or figuratively, take your pick), plunging me into the kind of darkness that turns my knees to water, nonetheless I have not died…I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.

(Barbara Brown Taylor)

The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.

(Henri Nouwen)

“Courage, faith, love—these all must be cultivated! For love to survive when dreams are deferred, it must be practiced day in, day out. And in the end, living the way of love requires what King called “cosmic companionship.” When it’s dark on earth, God is the one who whispers, “Say, let me tell you about this dream . . .”

(Bishop Michael Curry)

Our Community

St. Luke's Table has extended its hours to respond to need in the neighbourhood, and is now open Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Please continue to keep St. Luke's Table staff and participants in your prayers.

Click on the image for news from SWCHC.

A PRAYER FOR NEIGHBOURHOODS

God of justice and of joy
I hold before you my neighbourhood
The people who live in the dwellings around me I pray for my neighbours
Those I like and those I struggle to like
Keep them safe and strengthen them for the days ahead
Reveal to me ways to serve my neighbourhood in the midst of this crisis
Help engender community spirit among my neighbours
That through this difficulty we might all help to co-create
A resilient neighbourhood
Empowered by love of neighbour and of stranger
Amen.

(Tim Watson)

Our Diocese

Click here to read all COVID related news from our Diocese. Updates are posted on Wednesdays.

New Weekly Podcast

Saturdays, Online

Bishop Shane is exploring and conversing his way across the Diocese! Tune in each Saturday to see where he is and what is happening around our vast and exciting Diocese.

Our National Church

Click here for the latest news from our National Church

A Non-traditional Blessing

May God bless you with discontent with easy answers, half-truths, superficial relationships, so that you will live from deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, abuse, and exploitation of people, so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and to change their pain to joy.

May God bless you with the foolishness to think you can make a difference in this world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

If you have the courage to accept these blessings, then God will also bless you with:

happiness—because you will know that you have made life better for others

inner peace—because you will have worked to secure an outer peace for others

laughter—because your heart will be light

faithful friends—because they will recognize your worth as a person.

These blessings are yours—not for the asking, but for the giving—from One who wants to be your companion, our God, who lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.

(Sister Ruth Fox, OSB)

Are you interested in looking at previous editions of the St. Luke's newsletters? Click here for the archives.

St. Luke's Anglican Church
760 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, ON
K1R 6P9
613-235-3416
www.stlukesottawa.ca

Pastoral Emergencies 613-698-6083
Incumbent: The Reverend Victoria Scott 613-698-6083 or victoria@stlukesottawa.ca
Honorary Assistant: The Reverend Canon Christine Piper
Organist & Choir Director: Robert Jones 613-220-3420 or music@stlukesottawa.ca
Rector’s Warden: John Price 613-724-3846 or john.price@sympatico.ca
People’s Warden: Anne Wright 613-791-5494 or awright1093@gmail.com
Deputy Wardens: Sarah Whitehead 613-240-9736 or sarahthefantastic@hotmail.com
and Helen Cathcart 613-228-1411 or familylibrarian@yahoo.ca
Treasurer: Susan Reid 613-832-2755 or susanreid@bell.net
Offering envelopes/PAR: Lynn Jones 613-448-1647 or kearn@personainternet.com
Church Office: officestlukesottawa@gmail.com

ST. LUKE’S TABLE

Executive Director: Rachel Robinson 613-238-4193 or stlukestable@gmail.com