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Missional MinuteBeing Missional in Prayer Jesus says, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do.” (John 17: 3-4) Jesus asks His Father to “keep them in Your name…that they may be one even as we are” and later “that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23) The work (mission) of Jesus was accomplished through His abiding in His Father and bringing Him glory through this relationship. As Jesus was sent, so He sends us into the world to bring Him glory, and we, too, accomplish this through our one-ness with Him and each other. How do we do this? What does it mean to be one with our Lord, and one in our shared love and worship of Him as His followers? He has given us the answer in the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer has unified and strengthened believers throughout the world and throughout the ages, but not because we pray it in unison. It is through what the prayer teaches us about the Father, ourselves, and His (our) mission. This prayer is the heart and soul of Jesus’ desire for the world, and when we pray it with intention, humility and surrender, we join Him in his mission. Patristic theologian Tertullian rightfully referred to the Lord’s Prayer as “a brief summary of the whole gospel.” As you pray the Lord’s Prayer, try to hear Jesus’ heart as He relates to His Father, surrenders to His will, and humbly receives what He needs. Notice the connection of forgiveness, unhindered communion and intimacy. Observe how His Father’s unrestrained grace, provision and protection is extended to us so that we can extend it to others. See if you can feel the connection between Jesus’ finished work in bringing glory to His Father, and His example in the Lord's Prayer. The Sending God (Missio Dei) reveals His missional heart here. As you join Him and become increasingly missional in prayer, may He unify you more deeply with Himself and His church, and together may we bring Him much glory! |
Lenten Reflections - Week 4A Message from Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson This week, Archbishop Greg offers his reflections on Journeying through Lent, with this week's Theme: A Time of Intentional Training. For more infomation visit:
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Diocesan Announcements
St. Martin, Calgary: The Diocesan Office is pleased to announce the hiring of The Rev. Dr. Carmen Maier as Interim Priest-in-Charge of St. Martin, Calgary. We pray for Carmen and the Parish as they begin this ministry journey together.
St. George, Calgary: The Diocesan Office announces that The Rev. Clara King will be stepping down as Rector of St. George, Calgary, Diocesan Rural Missioner and Chair of the Calgary School for Mission and Ministry Board as of the end of May, 2021, to embark on persuing a PhD over the next five years. We wish Clara every success with her studies, but will miss her as parish priest and passionate advocate for rural parishes and lay ministry education throughout our diocese. We ask for prayers for Clara as she furthers her studies.
All Saints, Cochrane: The Diocesan Office announces that as of May 30, Fr. Greg Clark, Incumbent of All Saints Cochrane, will be retiring. He has been priest there since 2002. We thank Fr. Greg for his dedicated service to this parish, and pray for him as he looks forward to his retirement. We also announce that beginning June 1, The Rev. Tony Hilling will be Interim Priest-in-Charge for All Saints. Please pray for Tony and the Parish as they prepare for this transition.
St. Andrew, Calgary: We have received word that The Rev. Lloyd Northcott, Honorary Assistant of St. Andrew, Calgary, has retired as of March 2, having served with St. Andrew for over twenty years. We thank him for his ministry and service, and ask for prayers as he begins his retirement. |
Diocesan Day of Fasting and PrayerMarch 26, 2021 Lately, there has been a dawning of Hope. We have begun to see a more positive outlook in people, restrictions we have been under (hopefully) being lifted, fewer cases being recorded, churches reopening and the season of Easter approaching. We need to ask for a continuation of God's love, protection and strength during these days. We rejoice in Thankfulness and Gratitude for all He has done for us. We sense a call to stop and listen to His voice as He whispers the lessons we have learned, to embrace the gift of time and silence we have received, and to renew our hearts and minds to focus upon Him. We ask that on Friday, March 26, the people of the Diocese of Calgary take time to fast and pray – an hour or many hours; alone, with a spouse or family, via Zoom or whatever means that inspires you, in honest, heartfelt communication with our Lord, in looking into His word, in meditating upon Him and slowing down to listen to Him. Archbishop Greg has set up a Zoom link for prayer from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and will have AFP members standing by to pray in breakoff rooms for those who wish to pray with someone. Please request the link here. |
Upcoming Events Next Week
March 23 - A Blessing of the Oils and Renewal of Vows Service will be held via Zoom, beginning at 10:00 am. The link for this service can be requested here. March 25 - A Zoom Service will be held, commemorating The Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be broadcast on our Diocesan Facebook Page - start time will be 7:00 pm March 26 - A Day of Prayer and Fasting. See details above. |
Annual Returns
Parishes are canonically required to hold Annual Meetings of Parishioners. Following these, the Diocesan Office requests that all the forms of the Annual Returns for the year ending 2020, be submitted as soon as possible. Thank you to the parishes who have already sent theirs in. |
Call to Creative Church Planting
Should we consider church planting when many churches are struggling and cannot hold physical meetings during the current pandemic? Date: Tuesday, 23 March 2021 Time: 8.00-9.30pm (GMT+8) (local MST 6:00 to 7:30 am) Click here for more details and to register. |
New listings under Our Job Postings
Four new postings for jobs within our Diocese have been added to our Job Postings, which you can find here. Two are administration positions (St. James, Calgary and St. Barnabas, Medicine Hat), one is for an Associate Priest at St. James, Calgary, and one is for an Associate Priest at St. Augustine, Lethbridge. Information on how to apply for any of these positions can be found under their posting. For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/new-listings-under-our-job-postings
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An invitation to a Diocesan Pastoral Care CourseThe Rev. Tracey Stagg Another Pastoral Care course will be offered beginning Wednesday, April 14 for seven consecutive Wednesday evenings. The course will run from 6:30-8:45 pm by Zoom. It will be limited to approximately 20 participants. The topics covered will in part be: pastoral theology, ministry of presence, the practicality of visiting – how, where and when, ethics, confidentiality, communication, boundaries and self care as well as some resources. This course will be open to anyone who is interested, on a first come, first served basis. There may have already been someone in your parish that has taken the course and can give their reflection. Any questions can be directed to The Rev. Tracey Stagg at pastoralcare@calgary.anglican.ca. Another course is targeted for January 2022. For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/upcoming-pastoral-care-training
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ACW Annual Renewal ConferenceHow to Be Community During COVID - Friday, April 23, 2021 The Anglican Diocese of Calgary ACW invites you to join them for their 2021 Annual Renewal Conference. This year, it will be via Zoom. This year's theme is "How to be Community During COVID." Special guest speaker will be The Rev. Elizabeth Short, Parish Health Facilitator for the Diocese of Calgary. For more information, the ACW website can be found here. To register, please contact Mary Dymond at (403) 278-0137 For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/events/acw-annual-renewal-conference/2021-04-23
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Christian Meditation: Essential TeachingsThree sessions: Friday, April 23; Saturday, April 24; Saturday, May 1 Join us for these interactive and informal sessions, to deepen your understanding of John Main's teaching, to learn more about the history of meditation in the Christian tradition, to understand the stages of the spiritual journey, to know how to respond to frequently asked questions, and to become confident in discussing Christian meditation. Meditation periods are the heart of these workshops. A $50.00 fee includes the cost of the book, "Sharing the Gift." Register online here. Registration limited to 20 participants. |
Illuminating the Middle AgesA Series of Lectures on Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts Dr. Brian Black of the University of Lethbridge will lead a series of talks on Medieval illuminated manuscripts. Come discover how the manuscript is constructed, the meaning and significance of its illuminations and its reflections of the life and thought of its era. The talks will also touch on other arts of the period, such as music, stained glass work and painting. These talks will be held on Friday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Friday, March 26: The Paris of Saint Louis and the Parisian Pocket Bible Friday, April 30: The Disastrous Fourteenth Century and the Rivalry of the Courts of Burgundy and France For more information on these talks, please click here. To register, please contact Brian. |
Calgary Alliance for the Common GoodAbundant Communities: Calgary Neighbourhood Block Program What kind of life do you want to live? What would exist in your dream neighbourhood? What if building deep connections, developing your leadership skills and creating a better world could all start on your neighbourhood block? If you are interested in building your leadership skills while connecting to your neighbours to create the neighbourhood you want to be a part of, join our Creating Abundant Communities Neighbourhood Block Program to develop your leadership skills and create a deeper culture of care where you live. For more information, click here. |
We'd Like to Hear from You
We are interested in what is happening in your parish and would love to highlight those events and news in our newsfeed. We look forward to your contributions - feel free to forward your event announcements, your parish news, your stories. Send in your details and pictures to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca. |
Prayer Requests
Please remember in your prayers: - our clergy and churches as we find our way forward in these strange days; - those who are sick, suffering, fearful or in need, remembering those suffering from the Coronavirus and their caregivers, those feeling isolated and those who are vulnerable; - for Michelle, Paige, Monica, Amelia and Eric, and Tim; - those who have died and those who mourn; - the victims of violence and natural disasters; - our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands, and their Bishop Leopold Friday. Request a prayer: Send prayer requests to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca to let us know how we can pray for you. We will only use first names which will be removed after two or three weeks. We will also pray for you during our regular Chapel services each week. Please ensure that you have permission from those whose names you are submitting for prayer, and that they understand their name will be made public to all who subscribe to the Newsletter. |