This week at St John's

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S

Dear Friends,

We are looking forward to a busy St John’s weekend and you are invited!

Here are the details for our Pride services shared with Temple Israel, the Reform Synagogue of Ottawa.

This Friday evening, the service at Temple Israel begins at 6:30. The service includes a brief presentation by synagogue members about the journey of their congregation to become LGBTQ-inclusive. The sermon time will be a shared presentation by Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg and me about our personal experience of how things have changed over time in our respective denomination (Anglican) and movement (Reform Judaism). The service concludes with refreshments and everyone is welcome. The address is 1301 Prince of Wales Drive and there is plenty of parking. Please let us know if you need a shared ride.

This Sunday, St John’s 9:30 worship service will follow a similar pattern, including representatives of the congregation telling the history of greater inclusion at St John’s and a shared sermon.

Following the Sunday service, you’re welcome to join us for the Pride Parade. Temple Israel participants are meeting in McNabb Park at 10:45 a.m. St John’s is joining other inclusive Anglican congregations with shared costs for a decorated vehicle. If you would like to walk in the parade representing St John’s, join us at Staging Area B150 (Elgin & Laurier). Plan to arrive no later than 1:30 p.m. You might plan to bring a lunch or go out briefly following the service.

Welcome to St John’s for this wonderful weekend. May God’s blessing be on all that we do.

Gary+

Remember where we have been - Pictures from 2022 Pride at St John's

WHAT'S HAPPENING

CALLING ALL ARTISTS AND ARTISANS!

We are looking ahead to our Christmas Market on Saturday, November 25, 12-4 PM.

If you’re an artist or craftsperson, we would love to hear from you. We want this first-ever Christmas Market to be a great event – the more the merrier! If you’re interested or have friends you would like to invite to participate, find out more from Jill Moll!

SPECIAL MUSIC NEXT SUNDAY

We look forward to music leadership by Cara Gilbertson and Grayson Nesbitt on Sunday, September 3. Both are members of the St John’s Choir and also teach on-site at St John’s with the Bytown School of Singing. The music ranges from chants by Hildegard of Bingen to well-known hymns, including “Just as I am” and “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise.” We look forward to singing with their encouragement and leadership.

SUMMER READING

Our Home and Treaty Land: Walking Our Creation Story

This is our book study for early fall. It is written as a dialogue between Rev. Dr. Raymond Aldred, a status Cree and Rev. Dr. Matthew Anderson, a settler-descended biblical scholar.

"Treaty is the key to the shared narrative, shared spirituality and shared respect for the land." Through each author's chapters we learn the importance of understanding what Treaty meant to First Nations and to Newcomers.Accepting the truth of what happened is the first step in reconciliation.

Copies are available at Perfect Books on Elgin Street. There are three sessions, all on Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11, beginning on Saturday Sept. 9th, then Sept. 23rd and the third on October 14th.

CoSA OTTAWA FALL VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Help make your community safer by participating in CoSA Ottawa's fall volunteer training. CoSA works with people who have been incarcerated for sexual offences and voluntarily seek CoSA’s help to develop a meaningful and safe life in our community. Trained and screened volunteers and a ‘core member’ form a ‘circle’, meeting regularly to fulfill this goal, striving for No More Victims.

Five training sessions (Sept 18 to Nov 23) will be held virtually via Zoom, from 6-8pm, with a final session offered to approved volunteers. Admittance is free, participants must be a minimum age of 21 years old, and a certificate will be issued to participants who complete all training sessions.

To learn more and to register, click here, or contact slove@cosa-ottawa.ca.