The E-Postle April 21, 2019

Easter Sunday

E-postle

April 21, 2019

 

 “The Parish of St. John the Apostle is called to be

*          A Spirited Community at the heart of Port Moody

*          transformed through the experience of the presence of Christ

*          and sent out to share God’s Love”

  

Upcoming Dates

Saturday Apr 20          9:00am–12noon – Spring Yard Clean-up

Sunday, Apr 21

• 8:30am – Easter Sunday Eucharist with hymns
• 10am – Easter Sunday choral Eucharist with after-service Easter Egg hunt

Tuesday, Apr 23          10:15am–12noon – Bible Study in the Parish Hall

Saturday, Apr 27         Diocesan ACW Annual General Meeting

Monday, Apr 29          7–9pm – Parish Council meeting

Saturday, May 11        ACW Spring Tea

 

Rector’s Reflection

I write to you in the midst of yet another change in the church seasons, as we shift this time from Holy Week and the season of Lent, into the season of Easter. This change always feels particularly abrupt to me – when we go from Jesus’ last supper at Maundy Thursday to his crucifixion on Good Friday, and then suddenly there is nothing… and we wait. When we return again a short time later on Easter Sunday (or in some places, the Easter Vigil), the celebratory pomp and circumstance and loud fanfare of the resurrection is festive and amazing and wonderful… and at the same time it sometimes feels all too sudden and bewildering. And I am blown away again year after year after year, that this must have been a little of how it was like for those first disciples long ago. To have their teacher and friend—and now, clearly, Lord and God—back with them after having thought that they had lost him forever. How disorienting! How unexpected! How incredibly mind-boggling!

And isn’t this often how God works? Blowing us away with unexpected life where we didn’t expect it. Surprising us with the things that we do not always feel ready for, that we do not always even think that we want just at this moment (or even, ever). Delighting us with the things we cannot even have anticipated or imagined or dared to hope for ourselves. God continually invites us to step forward boldly into God’s plans and purposes for us and for the world no matter whether we’re right there with God or just catching up.

My prayer for me and for you and for all of us here at St. John’s in this Easter season is that we would navigate the tension of that transition space faithfully. May we wait expectantly for God’s resurrection and new life in us in whatever form it takes, whenever it comes… and welcome it despite our trepidation, with brave and open hearts.

Peace, Vivian

 

Stewardship Reflection

Lord, the resurrection of your Son

has given us new life and renewed hope.

Help us to live as new people

In pursuit of the Christian ideal.

Grant us wisdom to know what we must do,

the will to want to do it,

the courage to undertake it,

the perseverance to continue to do it,

and the strength to complete it.

— From The New Saint Joseph People’s Prayer Book

 

Saturday Spring Yard Clean-Up at the Church before Easter

On Saturday, April 20, Rich Thompson will be at the church from 9:00am to noon for a Spring Yard Clean-Up in preparation for Easter. Help is appreciated. If you have any questions, feel free to call Rich at 604-916-1258.

 

Easter Sunday – Bonnets & Noisemakers

“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, …”  All ladies are invited to wear a hat, a fascinator or just a flower in their hair on this Easter Sunday.

And for everyone in the congregation – don’t forget to bring something to make noise with this Easter Sunday – bells, kazoos, and other small percussion instruments; your keys; your stomping feet and clapping hands… whatever you have! We will be making a joyful noise unto the Lord every time on Easter morning that we hear the word, “Alleluia!”

We look forward to seeing you on this wonderful day!

 

Office Easter Break

Please note that the parish office will be closed on Easter Monday, April 22, reopening on Tuesday, April 23.

 

Increasing your contributions

At the Vestry meeting, the 2019 budget represented a deficit: our expenses would be 15% greater than our income.  To make up that deficit represented each family increasing their monthly giving by $20.  A request was made to translate that need into a percentage.  Our dedicated Treasurer, Cedric Miller has come up with the following:

We need to increase our income by 15%.  What that means to weekly giving is illustrated below.

Current Weekly Giving	New Weekly Giving (+15%)
$20	$23
30	35
40	46
50	58
60	70

If you have any questions, please speak with wardens Geri or Ruby.

 

Welcome Post Project’s Coast Salish cultural events – upcoming for 2019

Over the next few months there will be various events held at Noons Creek to enrich our journey to Truth, Justice and Reconciliation. The final celebration will be on National Aboriginal Day, June 21^st, at Rocky Point where there will be a water blessing ceremony for the Burrard Inlet. We will hear different songs and witness the traditional ocean-going canoes from neighbouring First Nations. Share in a Community Feast, and enjoy live entertainment and a Give Away.

• Saturday April 20 – Stakw: Water is Life Project – Opening Reception and BBQ – 12-3pm, Noons Creek Hatchery – Join us as we embark on the Welcome Post Project’s second year of Coast Salish Cultural events. This year’s project is about Water and the significance of water in Coast Salish culture and the way of life for all of our relations.
• Friday April 26 – Water is Sacred – 7:00pm, Noons Creek Hatchery – Kwantlen artist and cultural leader Brandon Gabriel returns to our community to further our conversation about participating in change and how part of this change is understanding how water is sacred for all of our relations.
• Saturday April 27 – Coast Salish Community Canoe Painting Project – 10:00am, Noons Creek Hatchery – Join Brandon Gabriel as we come together as a community to paint a canoe and learn about Coast Salish design.

 

Centering Prayer Programs

• Introduction to Centering Prayer – workshop on Saturday, April 27, 10am to 3pm. Hosted by Ridge Meadows Centering Prayer Group at #156 – 19639 Meadows Gardens Way, Pitt Meadows, V3Y 2T5. This program offers the opportunity to explore a deep reflective practice of silent prayer based on the rich wisdom teaching of the Christian contemplative tradition. Continuing sessions will be held every Wednesday in May from 7pm to 8:30pm. Registration is by donation.
• A Taste of Silence – One Day Centering Retreat Silent Retreat – Saturday May 4, 9:30am – 3pm here at St. John’s, Port Moody. You are invited to set apart a day to refresh, re-create, and recommit to God-centered living in an atmosphere that encourages inner solitude and inner silence. The opportunity for centering prayer in community is a gift in itself. We often experience more profound silence, within which the Spirit connects us in love. Registration is $25. Refreshments and Connecting in Community: 9:30 am. Retreat/Silence: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

For further information about these programs, check out the flyer online at www.cogv.org  or contact Christine Kesans at 604-944-7447 or chris.kesans@gmail.com

 

House of Bishops Call to Prayer

The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada met recently and has put forward a prayer request for our upcoming national General Synod.  General Synod 2019 will bring three important issues before the Church:  The proposed revision of the marriage canon; a primatial election; and indigenous self-determination, in addition to other areas of our common life together as Anglicans.

Please join the bishops in prayer and view the full communication at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/a-call-to-prayer-from-the-house-of-bishops; for further news on the national church please visit https://www.anglican.ca/

 

General Synod Volunteers

The Diocese of New Westminster is very excited to host the 42nd General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada July 9 to 16, 2019, at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver, and are looking for people to join the General Synod volunteer team.

They are seeking people who are:

• outgoing and friendly,
• have experience in welcoming or greeting at church, or in other frequent capacities,
• and are interested in witnessing the wider Church in action.

Volunteers will be assigned in shifts to participate in areas such as meeting participants at the airport, on-site registration, providing local information and directions, etc.

Please see https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/diocesan-ministries/general-synod-2019 for more information.

 

PWRDF response to Cyclone

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is responding to two ACT Alliance emergency appeals for Cyclone Idai relief with an initial pledge of $30,000 for Mozambique and $20,000 for Zimbabwe. Cyclone Idai has caused loss of life, destruction of property and displacement in the two countries as well as neighbouring Malawi.

More than 215 people have been killed by the storm according to official figures in the three countries. Still hundreds more are missing and more than 1.5 million people have been affected, according to the Red Cross and government officials. The president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, fears the number of dead in Mozambique may be as high as 1,000 people.

Please see https://pwrdf.org/pwrdf-responds-to-cyclone-disaster/ for more information on ways to contribute to these relief efforts.

 

Proteins needed for St. John’s Food Bank

Protein-rich foods are often the most expensive items for families to purchase when grocery shopping. People on limited budgets often cannot afford them and make do with stodgy foods to fill stomachs. Please help those who need them by donating the following to St. John’s Food Bank in April:

• tinned salmon, tuna, chicken, beef (not all can eat pork products)
• shelf stable nut butters
• dried or tinned beans and peas
• powdered or shelf-stable milks
• meaty stews or soups
• cans of vegetables

Bring your offerings on Sunday, arrange with the office to drop off during the week, or give some money to this ministry towards the purchase of fresh products.

 

Prayer Cycle

The Anglican Church of Canada – the Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, Primate, and the Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Bishop.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, Archbishop, and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon.

This week:

*        St. Anselm, Vancouver – The Reverend Alex Wilson, The Reverend Hyok Kim

*        St. George, Maple Ridge – The Reverend David Edgerton, The Reverend Melody Pearson

*        St. George, Fort Langley – The Reverend Kelly Duncan, The Reverend Eileen Nurse, The Reverend Karen Saunders

*        St. Mark, Ocean Park – The Reverend Craig Tanksley

 

*        Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, Bishop Brent Alawas, and especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan;

*       The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – National Bishop Susan Johnson, BC Synod Bishop Greg Mohr;

*       The brothers and sisters who share our worship space: The Port Moody Korean Presbyterian Church and the Polish Evangelical Church.

 

Readings for April 21, 2019 – Easter Day

Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18

 

Readings for April 28, 2019 – Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

 

Important Contact Information

Rector – The Rev. Vivian Lam – rector@stja.ca or 604-936-7762

Office Administrator – Jennifer Green – administrator@stja.ca or 604-936-7762

Rector’s Warden- Geri Grigg – rectorswarden@stja.ca

People’s Warden – Ruby Ng – peopleswarden@stja.ca

Treasurer – Cedric Miller – treasurer@stja.ca

Envelope Secretary – Sheila de Vaal – envelopesecretary@stja.ca

Parish Council – Adelaine Miller, Secretary – parishcouncilsecretary@stja.ca

Altar Guild – Brenda Binns – altarguild@stja.ca

St. John Prayer Circle – Sue Elliott – prayer@stja.ca

Pastoral Visiting Ministry – Joanne Walton/Alma Oldenburg – pastoralvisits@stja.ca

Anglican Church Women (ACW) – Sue Hall – 604-936-0176 or ACW@stja.ca

Children’s Ministry /Godly Play – Christina Anchor – children@stja.ca

Prayer Shawls – Rosa Weisensel – administrator@stja.ca

Bible Study – Lynne Milner – biblestudy@stja.ca

Food Bank – Lynne Milner – foodbank@stja.ca