News > 2008 Parish Life Notes > 08.11.30 Parish Life

Advent Carol Service- Nov 30 at 4:00 pm

You are invited to come to sing the congregational carols, to hear Bible readings about Jesus’ first and second comings and a sermon, and to listen to the choir sing.

Expecting Emmanuel – A Special Advent Prayer Service, Monday, Dec 8 at 7:30 pm

Are you already feeling wearied by the thought of the Christmas season? Is there too much to do, and very little of it connected to the birth of Jesus? Is there pain or loss in your life that makes it hard to think about celebrating this year? Do you long to spend a time of quiet prayer and meet Emmanuel, our God, who is truly with us? Then come to this special Advent service. Please feel free to invite friends or neighbors.

Parish Prayer

Please join us for prayer tomorrow, Monday evening in the Trendell Lounge at 7:30 pm to pray for St. John’s people and ministries and other ministries beyond our parish.

Brass and Organ Concert

Mark your calendars for Dec 16, 7:30 pm for this St. John’s tradition. Come and hear the VSO Brass Quintet and Terry Fullerton on the organ. Tickets are available at the door only and are $20 for adults and $15 for Seniors and Students, Children 12 and under are free.

Advent Carol Service – Nov 30 at 4:00 pm

Come and join the St. John's choir in singing carols and advent hymns, to hear a sermon and Bible readings about Jesus’ first and second coming, and to listen to the choir sing.

2009 offertory envelopes orders

If you would like 2009 ANiC offertory envelopes please contact the church office by the end of next week, Dec 5.

Christmas Decorating

Volunteers are needed to help decorate the Church on Dec 13 between 9:00 am and noon. There will be coffee and snacks provided. If you have greenery to donate please leave it outside the south chapel door.

Library

Over the last few years many titles have been added to the library. Due to the kindness of one of our dear ministers we have been able to shelve many more books than we would have otherwise and for this we are most grateful.

Among the latest additions are books by Marva Dawn, James Houston, Eugene Peterson, R. Paul Stevens and David Stoop. A particularly inspiring story is the personal testimony of Amber Nicole Metz entitled “Breathtaking.” Come and take a look. All these books are on display.

And thanks for all the returned books. Keep them coming in!

Parish Announcements

Flowers. The flowers to-day are given with thanksgiving to God for, and in loving memory of, Alice Ellis, by her husband David and daughters Victoria Hathaway and Jocelyn Bartel.

Accommodation needed. A couple from Victoria, along with their 15 year old son, are in need of a two-bedroom suite, or similar accommodation, for a period of 3-5 months while the father takes ongoing treatment for leukemia. I have met with this family, and can assure you they would make very good house sitters over the winter months to come. If anyone is considering going away this winter, and would welcome this family to stay in their home, that would be much appreciated. Or, if you know of a suitable suite which might be available, please contact Edie Rittinger at 604.731.4966 ext 24.

Children’s Christmas Choir. Children in kindergarten and older are invited to be in the Christmas Choir. All details are in the letter to families available in Sunday School this morning.

Volunteers needed! We are looking for volunteer receptionists and bulletin stuffers. If you have a few hours a week to volunteer please contact Nancy Williams or Joanne McKinnon in the office.

Luke 8:1-3 Soon afterward [Jesus] went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

My name is Joanna, I am the wife of wealthy Chuza and I find myself doing something I never imagined I would do. We first heard of Jesus from one of the King’s prisoners named ‘the Baptist’ who spoke pure as fire and had a fierce humility. The Baptist told of nothing but this Jesus and His making massive mountains low, of straightening crooked places, so we might see salvation. I had many crooked places — I had made our possessions and our position my one great love — but I found it hard to believe I could see valleys filled, let alone salvation.

My Chuza has allowed me this, to go to this Jesus and I have seen the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers cleansed and the dead raised. Such power and love. And when Jesus spoke to me, I heard the voice of God and I felt the freedom of crooked places made straight.

I have joined the friends of Jesus as we follow Him from town to town, amazed by His words and compassion and audacity. What a family we are! There are some men from the Sea of Galilee whose clothing still smells of fish. There is Mary, whose stillness and calm belie the seven demons the Lord cast out of her. She says it is her gratitude that gives her stillness, but I think it is more.

And there is me. I am not a labourer or a fisher, I have not had demons cast from me - though sometimes I feel the flush of freedom Mary speaks of. But I have resources. Chuza and I are respected and our position has brought us wealth. Besides two houses we have much more than we need. So my gift is money and I pay for the food and lodging for our strange new family, such as it is. Jesus has no possessions to speak of, nowhere even to lay his head, yet he has brought me forgiveness and faith and the very kingdom of God.

Jesus says it is more blessed to give than to receive, but I have received far more than I can ever give. He also said to use worldly wealth to gain friends, so that when it is gone, we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings, and this is the way I can love God and love others. So I find myself doing something I never imagined. I hear the precious words of God and, though I miss my Chuza, I am seeing salvation, not just for myself, but for others also.
------------
Dear Friends,

The love of Jesus always touches our finances. As the family of God at St. John’s we are facing a large deficit. This should not be and I want you to know about it, to pray about it and to find the joy of Jesus’ promise of being “more blessed” in giving.

David Short