Posted on by The Rector

Sexagesima – February 23, 2025 – Bulletin

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY

February 23, 2025

THE FATHER IS MY HOPE; THE SON IS MY REFUGE; 
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MY PROTECTION.
ALL HOLY TRINITY, GLORY TO THEE!

LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.

GETTING READY FOR SUNDAY: PREVIEW OF THE READINGS

The three Sundays before Lent, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima  Sunday (from the Latin meaning  “70 ”, “60” and “50”)  are designed to help us prepare for the spiritual undertaking which lies before us during the 40 days of Lent. Lent, as the lessons on these Sundays show us, is understood to be both a spiritual labour, and a spiritual pilgrimage or journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, where, sharing in His death and resurrection, we are united to Christ in a communion of perfect love.  In the Gospel lesson today Jesus tells the “Parable of the Sower” which is perhaps better titled, “The Parable of the Soils” which points us to the discipline of prayer and meditation  which must accompany our fasting and self- discipline in Lent. In our Epistle lesson today St. Paul, speaking from personal experience, identifies the difficulties we will encounter enroute and which will detract us from our goal: both outwardly difficult circumstances and our own inner, personal weakness, teaching us that this not a journey of “success” , “self-improvement”, or “progress” but rather union with Christ in His Cross. 

THE LESSON : 2 Corinthians 11:21-29

To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

THE GOSPEL: Luke 8:4-15 

When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.  Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that “looking they may not perceive,and listening they may not understand.”  ‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

PARISH LIFE NOTES

ANNUAL MEETING of the WHOLE CONGREGATION follows the service today. Chili and bun lunch will be provided, and hot dogs for the children. 

NEXT SUNDAY: Sexagesima and celebration of Holy Baptism of Nora, Anthony, Rufus, and Makeiu. Please join us for lunch following the service and bring sandwiches and finger food to share.

2024 TAX RECEIPTS are available for pick up at the top of the landing. If you would like an electronic copy, please contact  Blair. 

85th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR DON. For anyone who knew Don from his days at St. Mary’s with his wife Gail, or his parents Reg and Daisy (now that’s way back!) – this is your invitation! He would so appreciate catching up with a blast from the past. Come celebrate with us: Friday, March 7, 2025 at St. Mary’s from 2:00-4:00pm

If you’d like more info: call/text Susanna.

A NOTE ON PREPARING FOR LENT. Spiritual life is not the pursuit of the commandments. Such a great burden—the desire and effort to fulfill the commandments, one and all—could crush even the most sober and dedicated believer. Rather, spiritual life is the facing of Christ, the turn to Him Who is everything and Who comes to us as the fulfillment of everything. This makes our effort simple, single-minded, not complicated and scattered. This is the one thing needful: to keep our eyes on Christ.

We should also be careful not to let everything Christ gave us to stand in between Him and us. Indeed, we can so shift focus away from Him—even in our best efforts—to one detail or another, to His one word or another, to His one revelation or another, that everything we struggle for can be ruined immediately and sink to the bottom of anxiety and despair.

It’s no use to us to break up the oneness of His life into hundreds and thousands of pieces. We should never ask ourselves, How am I to be a good priest? How am I to be a good, Christian husband? Or father? Or colleague? Or worker? Such questions break up the gospel—which is simple—and set it up in front of Christ, with anxiety and despair.

Christ does not want from us to relate to Him in any complicated and suffocating ways. But rather simply. “Cease and know that I am the Lord!” ( S. Bunta)

UPDATE FROM ST. MARY’S VESTRY MEETING ON FEB. 9

  • Rector:
  • Christmas worship season: This year there was no Christmas service (Family and Christmas Eve Service instead) Focus on the service being a vigil – lights off until Eucharist.​
  • Charles Dickens Read aloud at Claude’s house, and Family Read Aloud in Lower Hall.
  • Article regarding St Nicholas day published in the Sask Anglican publication
  • Lessons & Carols Service – an invitation service.
  • Katie helping with organization of Family Services
  • Nathaniel and Claude met with Bishop: Nathaniel re-licenced as missionary to the South Sudanese community
  • Spoke about newcomers coming to our Church as well as upcoming baptisms and confirmations enquiries.
  • Beth will be meeting with Luke Johnson (webpage designer) and will provide a base layer for us to add content to.
  • Making plans for Holy Week and balancing services logistics with Latin Mass and Ethiopian Service groups
  • Wardens:
  • Boiler requires servicing/cleaning maintenance. Will be proceeding with lower estimate of about $4,400. once our contractor is back from holidays and weather gets warmer.
  • Lower hall kitchen passed its inspection and is now an approved kitchen for renting out
  • “Beam of Delight Foods” a start up baking business is interested in renting our lower hall kitchen. More to follow…
  • All brown cloth surplus chairs were cleaned out of the upper hall storage area and given to Restore Regina.
  • Stewardship Campaign was a success with 48 out of a possible 61 families returning their pledge forms totalling about $137,000.
  • Kate (Safe Church):
  • Family ministries to participate in criminal record checks
  • Incident reporting modified and discussed. Clergy/Vestry to ensure incidents are being documented, followed through and filed in the office
  • Alanna (Finance)
  • Stewardship was about $10,000 higher than last year, rental income as well was up from last year by about $8,000
  • Proposal for Decision:  It was decided that Lucy would be given an Honorarium of $500 for a painted lettering project onto the ductwork in the lower hall.  This is part of the beautification incentives to make our lower hall into an inviting facility for our Church and community.
  • Parish Life Discussion: A request from South Sudanese Ministry and Kenya Church requesting assistance in a fund raising project for a new Church. Further discussions to take place as to if this is a good initiative, how this would look to rollout and who would be involved if it goes ahead.
  • Planning the agenda / format for the upcoming Annual General Meeting was discussed
  • Lenten Mission for 2025 was discussed and Claude will begin to put a plan in place for March.
  • Alanna proposed a Homeschool curriculum sale for possibly end of March. More discussion to follow…
  • Next Vestry Meeting TBA, Closed with prayer.

WORSHIP THIS WEEK

  • Morning Prayer: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 8.30 a.m., Wednesday at 9.10 a.m.
  • Evening Prayer: Wednesday at 5.30 p.m.   
  • Holy Communion: Wednesday at 9.30 a.m.