This week at St John's

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S

Dear Friends:

My long bike ride this summer from Toronto to Montreal was also a time of rich conversations. One rider told me about a book that changed his life. "The amount of crying I did when I read that book..."

As soon as I got home, I went to the book store and bought "I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't)" by Brené Brown. Brené Brown is a well-known author, but this was my first encounter with her, and she tells some gut-wrenching stories. After a few stories of people who have been deeply hurt by cruel remarks, she says:

"When I think about self-esteem, I think about who I am in relation to who I want to be, where I come from, what I've overcome and what I've accomplished. When I feel shame, I'm taken back to this place of smallness where I lose that sense of context. I'm returned to a small place - I can't see everything else. It's just a small lonely place."

This is timely!

This Sunday's Gospel presents the woman living with shame, bent over and unable to stand up for eighteen years. Jesus heals her over against the grumbling of a crowd of people, and Luke tells us: "...all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing..."

That sounds like a Pride Parade to me. We should rejoice when a person returns to wholeness and is able to be real, welcomed, accepted, and loved.

This Sunday is the Capital Pride Parade. Our worship service will reflect the healing Jesus brings through a church of genuine welcome. Come for the Jesus-angle on shame and self-esteem. Stay for our hospitality, including music and videos of St John's journey to inclusion as we await the parade. We have a new video and our plan for Pride below.

I hope you will join us at our 9:30 service this Sunday!

Gary+

Our handiwork of signs from this past Sunday - ready for the parade!

SUNDAY AUGUST 24 | Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost | 9:30 a.m.

Scriptures: Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17

SUNDAY AUGUST 31 | Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Scriptures: Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16;

Luke 14:1, 7-14

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7 | Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Philemon 1:1-21; Luke 14:25-33

LISTEN TO RECORDED WORSHIP SERVICES

Worship recordings include the following portions of the service: prayers, readings, the sermon, and music. Recordings will resume later in August.

Find all St John's Worship Recordings HERE

ST JOHN'S IN PICTURES

ABOVE: Dorothy, Luka, Jorvan & Diana

St John's Field Trip to the Pikwakanagan Powwow on Golden Lake

NEW ST JOHN'S VIDEO

JOURNEY TO INCLUSION:

2SLGBTQIAA+ STORIES OF WELCOME

Allen & Marilyn Box

Here is our new video ready for Capital Pride!

The Rev Canon Allen Box served as rector of St John’s in the 80s, a time of significant change as homosexuality moved from the realm of the private and unspoken into open conversation, debates about scripture, hiring gays and lesbians in leadership roles, and the beginnings of AIDS ministry. Through it all, St John’s, a church with deep social justice roots, found the way to go deeper into what welcome really means.

Marilyn: “If I was talking to someone looking for a church or looking for that something extra that they feel their life is missing, I would suggest coming to St John’s… we try to live the example of loving one another.”

OUR PLAN FOR CAPITAL PRIDE

This year, St John the Evangelist is organizing our Anglican presence in the parade. A small group will arrive early in the staging area and decorate the vehicle. We welcome you to join us for the parade.

For the time between the conclusion of the service (11:15) and when we participants leave to join the parade (12:30), we will be celebrating Pride in the Nave. Stay after the service for refreshments and bring a lunch to tide you over. Our time includes music and screening of the four St John's Journey to Inclusion storytelling videos: Garth & Ed, Ron Chaplin, Gordon & Gaston, and our newest video: Allen & Marilyn.

We hope to make this an enjoyable celebration for those who are not able to walk the parade route, as well as a waiting time for parade participants. Please note that the new parade route does not go past St John's. We loved being the water and bathroom station and viewing area for those not walking the parade route, but we hope our celebration will make up for this change.

At 12:30, participants will leave to join our Pride vehicle/float. Participants should enter the staging area on the Laurier Bridge in front of City Hall from any direction between 12:30 and 1 p.m. Our group’s Staging Area Code is A79 and our Colour Zone is Orange.

If you are walking in the parade, remember to bring some water, sunscreen, camera, and a hat. Bring one of the signs we made last Sunday. Bring your energy and enthusiasm. Hope to see you Sunday!!

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT

Osiyo Nigadv! Hello everyone!

Thanks to all who attended the powwow. There's another one coming up at Akwasasne, hosted at Lamoureux Park in Cornwall September 6 & 7. More info here.

Please note we have the Sharing Circle with Elder Louella on September 20th and on September 30, 2025, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also known as Orange Shirt Day, where we will participate in honouring the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as the survivors, their families, and communities. The day is a federal statutory holiday intended for learning, reflection, and commemorative activities related to the legacy of residential schools.

Looking forward in Gadugi (a Cherokee word meaning "people coming together as one and working to help one another").

Kimberly Johnson

indigengcoord@stjohnsottawa.ca

St John's Indigenous Engagement Coordinator

THE YELLOW BOX

Upcoming Events for your Calendar

Sunday, September 7

Worship Hours: St John's returns to two Sunday services at 8:00 & 10:15 a.m.

Saturday, September 20

Sharing Circle with Elder Louella: Medicine Wheel Teachings
Bishop Shane Thanksgiving Celebration: Christ Church Cathedral, 11 a.m.
Marriage of Hayden & Patrice, St John's, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 21

Children's Service, 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 27

Field Trip to Ottawa Mosque, 10:00 a.m. 251 Northwestern Ave.

Sunday, September 28

Celebration of Baptism, 10:15 a.m.

TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Our Parish

Prayers for those in leadership roles: Gary, Allen, Christina, Pat, Nicholas, Kimberly, Kerry, Jesse, Aot, Monica, Barb, and all who minister at St. John's.

Prayer Requests: James, Alice, David, Barton, Sara, Doug. Give thanks for the life of Helène Simard, and pray for her family.

Our Diocese

We pray for Shane, our Primate and Bishop of Ottawa; Anne, our Metropolitan; as well as The Diocese of Jerusalem and The Middle East and Archbishop Hosam Naoum The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; Bishop Susan Johnson and Bishop Carla Blakley.
St. Bartholomew’s, Ottawa and The Reverend Canon Catherine Ascah.
For all who labour for the good of our society on this Labour Day weekend.
For the new school year, students of all ages, and their teachers and parents.

Anglican Church of Canada

The Bishop, clergy and people of the Diocese of Saskatoon.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Bishop Kathy Martin, the people and rostered ministers of the British Columbia Synod.

Moravian Church in Canada.

The Moravian Church has joined Full Communion with Anglicans and Lutherans - read about the Moravian Church HERE

The Anglican Communion - Pray for Anglicans Worldwide

The Church of South India

Parish Prayer Group

If you wish to have someone prayed for, send an email to:

office@stjohnsottawa.ca

DONATE

CANADA HELPS QR CODE

e-transfer accounts@stjohnsottawa.ca

HOW YOU CAN DONATE TO ST JOHN'S

Identified donations to St John’s are charitable donations and are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. Receipts for donations made directly through St John’s are usually generated on an annual basis. Donations to St John’s through Canada Helps are receipted by Canada Helps.

Here are the different ways that you can give:

E-Transfer

accounts@stjohnsottawa.ca

PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance)

Enrol in the PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) program, whereby a designated monthly amount is withdrawn from a parishioner’s bank account or credit card. Peggy Lister, the Envelope Secretary, will provide you with the application form required to enrol in this program.

Weekly Offering Envelopes

Use identified weekly offering envelopes to make your cash or cheque donation to St John’s. A request for such envelopes goes to Peggy Lister, the Envelope Secretary, who will provide the envelopes.

Cash or Cheque Donation on Sunday

Make a cash or cheque contribution during a weekly service. The donation must be identified (i.e. a name & address on the envelope or a cheque with the donor’s information) if the donor wishes to receive a charitable receipt for the donation.

Canada Helps

Make a donation to St John’s through Canada Helps by scanning the QR code on the weekly bulletin, the QR code on the sign at the back of the church or through the ‘donate’ button on the St John’s website. Canada Helps donations can be for a single time or set up as an on-going monthly donation.

With thanks to God for your generous support