Posts

Posted on

Easter 5, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-05-22: Added audio recording of sermon.)

Audio recording of sermon

Several years ago, some researchers asked a group of children to explain what love is.  The results have been passing around the internet ever since.  

Karl, age 5: “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”

Chrissy, age 6: “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”

Emily, age 8: “Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.”  She went on to comment, “My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.”

Some of the answers were quite wise.

Billy, age 4: “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”

Continue reading “Easter 5, 2021 – Sermon”
Posted on

Easter 4, 2021 – Bulletin

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
APRIL 25, 2021

ALLELUIA. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED. ALLEUIA!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION. Claude Schroeder preaching.

GODLY PLAY for children 3-6 years via zoom at 1:30 pm. Today’s story is ‘ The Good Shepherd and the Wolf’ ( John 10.11-16); Psalm 23. 1-4.

FAITHQUEST (for children 7-13 via zoom) THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON rotation: Story- Telling. Leader: Kate. Memory Verse: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Ps. 95:6, 7.

PARISH LIFE NOTES

“IN PERSON” SUNDAY WORSHIP continues today with a maximum attendance of 30. If you desire to attend the Sunday service at St. Mary’s, please observe public health protocols. There is no need to register in advance.

LIVE AUDIO broadcast of today’s service is available on our website. Service and sermon audio recording will be posted on the same page following worship today.

VESTRY MEETING will take place this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. via “zoom”

WORSHIP THIS WEEK

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

8.30 A.M. MORNING PRAYER
5.30 P.M. EVENING PRAYER

Posted on

Easter 4, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-04-25: Added recorded audio.)

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, April 25, 2021 , Third Sunday after Easter 

Revd.Canon Claude Schroeder

Recorded audio – Sermon

So today is the Third Sunday after Easter, and we are at the half way point in the season of Easter. Aside from Trinity season, the 50 days of Easter comprise the longest season on our calendar, and with good reason, given the centrality of the Resurrection for our faith. As St. Paul wrote, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Cor. 15.19) But if Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, that changes everything, and there is more going in the world and in our lives than meets the eye.

I was standing in the chancel on Tuesday after Morning Prayer this week, beholding the sunlight shining through and illuminating the Resurrection window here at St. Mary’s, which is tucked off in the corner to the right of the altar.  Facing the Resurrection window on the opposite side tucked in the corner to the left of the altar is the Annunciation window. It made me wonder, “What were they thinking?” Here we have the two central mysteries of our faith, the Incarnation and Resurrection of the Son of God represented in places where nobody hardly gets to seem them, unless you steal a glance when you come up for communion. How strange!  But then it hit me. This is exactly right, because both the Annunciation and the Resurrection were events that took place in secret, hidden from public view. Nobody saw what happened, and yet there were witnesses, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Apostles, who testified to these mighty acts of God.

Continue reading “Easter 4, 2021 – Sermon”
Posted on

Easter 3, 2021 – Bulletin

THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

APRIL 18, 2021

ALLELUIA. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED. ALLEUIA!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION. Claude Schroeder preaching.

GODLY PLAY for children 3-6 years via zoom at 1:30 pm. Today’s story is ‘Easter – The Appearance at the Sea of Galilee’ John 21:1-15.

FAITHQUEST (for children 7-13 via zoom) THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON rotation with Let there be Art (making temples) Leader: Clara. Memory Verse: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Ps. 95:6, 7

PARISH LIFE NOTES

 “IN PERSON” SUNDAY WORSHIP continues today with a maximum attendance of 30. If you desire to attend the Sunday service at St. Mary’s, please observe public health protocols. There is no need to register in advance.

LIVE AUDIO STREAM of today’s service  will be available on the service post page during the service. Service audio and sermon recording will be posted following worship.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION DURING CORONA-VIRUS. The term ‘Spiritual Communion’ has been used historically to describe the means of grace by which a person, prevented for some serious reason from sharing in a celebration of the Eucharist, nonetheless shares in the communion of Jesus Christ. The Book of Common Prayer instructs us that if we offer ourselves in penitence and faith, giving thanks for the redemption won by Christ crucified, we may truly ‘eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ’, although we cannot receive the sacrament physically in ourselves.  (BCP p. 584) Making a Spiritual Communion is particularly fitting for those who cannot receive the sacrament at the great feasts of the Church, and it fulfils the duty of  every conformed person to receiving Holy Communion ‘regularly, and especially at the festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.’ (BCP p. 66)

The Church of which we are members is not defined by the walls of a building but by the Body of Christ of which we are members. In making our communion spiritually, we are joining with Christians everywhere to be nourished by the one who tells us, ‘I am the Bread of Life’. (Adapted from the Church of England document, Guidance on Spiritual Communion and Coronavirus.)

Special prayers for the making of spiritual communion have been included in today’s  order of service for those who are worshipping with us either at St. Mary’s or at home.

QU’APPELLE HOUSE CRAFT SALE. Qu’Appelle House Auxiliary and staff are putting on a craft sale for the residents and we are looking for donations. Please contact Judy, Brenda, or Lynda for more information and to have your items picked up. (We are trying to arrange a single drop-off at Qu’Appelle House to minimize contact.) Deadline is April 28.  Thank you in advance. All proceeds go to Qu’Appelle House Auxiliary to help fund special events for residents, like birthday parties, a picnic, Christmas stockings, etc.

All crafts welcome, but if you’re stumped, things that go over really well are jewelry (best seller), walker bags, any sort of decor for the residents rooms, notepads, cards, bookmarks, artwork, summer hats, etc.. If anyone isn’t particularly crafty but wants to purchase word find books, they go over really well too. We aren’t accepting homemade food right now due to the covid 19 pandemic.

MEND WITH CARE. Any clothing in need of repair? We are a small group of menders offering to do some basic or creative mending for all your worn wear! All proceeds will go directly to the Refugee Fund. We welcome ripped seams, unraveled knitwear, holes to patch, wool to darn, loose or missing buttons. Please contact Clara at mendwithcare@gmail.com

HAND-DIPPED BEESWAX CANDLES from St. Mary’s may be purchased for $5.00 a pair by contacting Yvonne in the parish office. Phone: 306 522-6052, email: stmarysanglican@sasktel.net Parishioners can pick up their candles from the newly installed mailbox at the Montague St. entrance, and leave a cheque in the proper amount. Proceeds to Refugee Fund. 

WORSHIP THIS WEEK

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

8.30 A.M. MORNING PRAYER
5.30 P.M. EVENING PRAYER

Posted on

Easter 3, 2021 – Sermon

(Modified 2021-04-18: Added audio recording.)

St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Second Sunday after Easter, April 18, 2021 Canon Claude Schroeder

Lectionary: Acts 3. 12-19, 1 John 3. 1-7, Luke 24. 36-48

Audio recording of sermon.

Today we are continuing our celebration of Easter, which is a 50-day celebration, leading up to the Feast of Pentecost and the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.

It’s clear from the Gospels that when Jesus appears to the apostles to manifest His resurrection, the initial reaction in each case was not one of faith, but rather of fear, of doubt, and un-belief. There is something comforting in this, because ever since the apostles went to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a common and predictable response has been fear, doubt, and unbelief!

 “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?”

Continue reading “Easter 3, 2021 – Sermon”
Posted on

Easter 2, 2021 – Bulletin

THE OCTAVE DAY OF EASTER
APRIL 11, 2021

ALLELUIA. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED. ALLEUIA!

TODAY AT ST. MARY’S

10.30 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION. Henry preaching. 

Godly Play  for children 3-6 years via zoom at 1:30 pm. Today’s story is ‘Jesus is Risen: The Road to Emmaus’ Luke 24:28-35.

FAITHQUEST (for children 7-13 via zoom). Start the THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON rotation with Pray Per View (movie and discussion) Leader: Len.  Memory Verse: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Ps. 95:6, 7

PARISH LIFE NOTES

 “IN PERSON” SUNDAY WORSHIP. Please register below ahead of time if you desire to attend the Sunday service at St. Mary’s, and observe public health protocols. Today’s service and sermon will be live-streamed (audio) during the service. Recorded audio will be posted to the same page on the parish website following worship today.

MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN from Archbishop Linda Nicholls may be read here:  https://www.anglican.ca/news/a-message-of-condolence-to-queen-elizabeth-ii-on-the-death-of-hrh-the-prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh/30033501/

LET US WELCOME THE NEWLY BAPTIZED! In a service of Holy Baptism and Laying on of Hands with Prayer on Holy Saturday we celebrated the Baptism of Derek, where he was born a-new by water and the Spirit, made a child of God by adoption, a member of Christ’s Church, and an heir of His everlasting  kingdom.We give glory and thanks to God for this His gracious work in our midst! 

QU’APPELLE HOUSE CRAFT SALE. Qu’Appelle House Auxiliary and staff are collecting items for a craft sale for the residents and we are looking for donations. Please contact Judy, Brenda or Lynda for more information and to have your items picked up. (We will arrange a single drop-off at Qu’Appelle House to minimize contact.) Deadline is April 28.  Thank you in advance. All proceeds go to Qu’Appelle House Auxiliary to help fund special events for residents, like bi monthly birthday parties, a summer picnic, a tart tea, a strawberry social, Christmas stockings, etc.

All crafts welcome, but if you’re stumped, things that go over really well are jewelry (best seller), walker bags, any sort of decor for the residents’ rooms, notepads, cards, bookmarks, artwork, summer hats, etc. If anyone isn’t particularly crafty but wants to purchase word find books, they go over really well too. We aren’t accepting homemade food right now due to the covid 19 pandemic.

MEND WITH CARE. Any clothing in need of repair? We are a small group of menders offering to do some basic or creative mending for all your worn wear! All proceeds will go directly to the Refugee Fund. We welcome ripped seams, unraveled knitwear, holes to patch, wool to darn, loose or missing buttons. Please contact Clara at mendwithcare@gmail.com

HAND-DIPPED BEESWAX CANDLES from St. Mary’s may be purchased for $5.00 a pair by contacting Yvonne in the parish office. Phone: 306 522-6052, email: stmarysanglican@sasktel.net Parishioners can pick up their candles from the newly installed mailbox at the Montague St. entrance, and leave a cheque in the proper amount. Proceeds to Refugee Fund. 

THIS BLESSED EASTERTIDE! The season of Easter which began last Sunday continues for 50 days until the Feast of Pentecost. Join us week days at 8.30 a.m. for Morning Prayer and 5.30 p.m. for  Evening Prayer.

Registration for for in-person worship

Posted on

Easter 2, 2021 – Sermon

SERMON – for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 11, 2021

TEXTS:  Acts 4:32-35, Psalm 133, I John 1:1-10, 2:1-2 & John 20: 19 31

Pre-recorded sermon audio

Opening prayer:  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts together be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen

“Seeing and Believing”

            One of the things I love about spring is that it means that I soon will be able to cultivate my garden plot and put seeds into the ground. I like to get my hands in the dirt, I like the feel of the texture of the garden soil, and I like to scratch out a furrow and carefully place my seeds there and then cover them up and tamp the ground firmly. To me it is like putting them to bed and tucking them in firmly so that they will be surrounded by moist soil and ready to respond to the warm sun. 

            The next step is always a little difficult for me; I have to now wait for the seeds to germinate and for those first tiny shoots of the plants to push their way to the surface. I have no choice, I have to wait because I simply cannot make them germinate immediately, in fact I can’t make them germinate at all – the best that I can do is hope that I have put them in the right environment so that they can come to life.

Continue reading “Easter 2, 2021 – Sermon”