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A Blessing for Ash Wednesday
God, today our finitude is rubbed on our foreheads. The reality of our limits, our fragile bodies, spoken over us like a curse: from dust we are made to dust we will return. Some days we need to be reminded that we are not the perfectibility projects we set out to be. We are full of bounce and brimming with hope. All woes, solvable. All problems, a distant whisper. When we don’t feel like dust, Bless us, oh God, in the ways we trick ourselves into believing, that our lives are something we’ve made, that all our accomplishments and successes and mastered mornings add up to something independent of you. But on days like today, when our heads hang low Sunk with the grief of our neediness, Bless us, oh God. When our joints don’t work like they should, when we grow sick or turn gray too soon. when our bodies betray us… or perhaps they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. Tell us again exactly how you made us: from dust to dust. Blessed are we, a mess of contradictions, in our delusions and deep hopes, in our fragility and finitude. From Kate Bowler's book: The Lives We Actually Have |
Ash Wednesday
We begin our Lenten journey together with a contemplative service of Imposition of Ashes TONIGHT at 7:00pm. We gather to lament the many difficulties in our lives and in our world, and to reflect on the uncertainty and frailty of human life alongside the freedom we know in God's great love. Join us for prayerful reflection drawing on the work of Cole Arthur Riley in her new book, Black Liturgies. The service is available on Zoom by clicking HERE. (The same link as our regular Sunday service.) |
Lent Devotions
Find the right Lenten devotional resource for you! Sign-up for this year's Lent Madness - a light-hearted competition to determine the most saintly of saints! "God is Still With Us" - a resource with reflections, prayers, and activities for families and people of all ages. "Have a Beautiful, Terrible Lent" with Kate Bowler. Lent is full of hard truths. And it is a perfect moment for spiritual honesty. We can look on this tragicomedy with love and bemusement as we wait for the someday that will be God’s promised future. There, God’s kingdom comes. God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And in the meantime, there’s this . . . our beautiful, terrible days. Sign up to receive a daily email prompt for reflection. Lent with Leonard Cohen includes 5 sessions of guided reflection, each based on a song by Leonard Cohen. The Lord's Prayer: An Exploration, from the Brothers of SSJE is a deep dive into our most beloved prayer. |
“Where did all the young people go?”Lent 2024 - Wednesday, February 28, 2024 For decades we’ve been wondering and worrying about our young people leaving our beloved church. For 4 Wednesday mornings this Lent, join Bp Anna and Rev Christine to explore the social, spiritual, religious and theological movements of the late 20th century. What happened in the wake of the great optimism of the 1960’s? Why haven’t any of the many approaches we’ve tried to engage young people over the decades worked in the long term? And finally, what are some of the emerging ideas and practices of 21st century Christianity and beyond? Where might we go from here? Dates: Wed. Feb 28, March 6, 13, 20 Time: 9:45am - Coffee and light snacks; 10:00-11:30am program Where: St George's Cadboro Bay For more infomation visit: http://stgeorgecadborobay.ca/events/where-did-all-the-young-people-go/2024-02-28
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Holden Prayer and Community Dinners5 weeks, beginning Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Holden Prayer continues this Lent at 5pm each Wednesday. Join us for this contemporary, sung service of evening prayer, followed by a community meal beginning around 5:30pm. All are welcome to the service, meal, or both. February 21, 28; March 6, 13 and 20, 2024 The simple dinner menus are thoughtfully prepared by our Hospitality Team. If you would like to contribute to the meal, you may consider bringing a salad or a dessert. Please coordinate with Signi (signi@telus.net) to ensure that we may expect and plan to include your contribution. For more infomation visit: http://stgeorgecadborobay.ca/events/holden-prayer/2024-02-21
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