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From the Pastor
Rev. Wayne
Rev. Rick is on sabbatical. And it
is my privilege and delight to be able to support him in this by
attending to some of his  Rev.
Wayne Irwin
responsibilities
in his absence. He will be back mid-August.
I retired last
summer, after 41 years of pastoring . . . exhausted. But I was restored
by the initial pause of retirement. As Don Postema, in his wonderful
book, Catch your Breath, puts it: "to pause, to be quiet, and to be
aware of the presence of God, is spiritually refreshing, and helps
refocus our lives." It is an important practice for us all. We cannot
live "only breathing out."
When Michelangelo was painting the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, in Rome, he began with his Noah scenes
and prophets and sibyls, and worked back through the Adam and Eve
stories to the Creation stories at the other end of the ceiling. But he
paused for some months halfway along.
And when he returned to the
project, he re-touched the prophets. Made them more monumental. His
style underwent a shift, as he developed a more forceful grandeur in his
work, expressing a richer emotional tension than in anything he had
done before.
Such blossoming is the benefit of sabbatical,
however we experience it. For some it comes weekly in engagement with
the fantasy of television stories. For some it comes in the immersion
into other worlds of reading. And for others in the joy of singing in a
choir, gardening, baking, enjoying a hobby. For us Christians, it also
comes in gathering regularly in faithful community.
It is out of
that need that the TGIF (Thank God it's Friday) mantra was born . . . in
the recognition across the western secular world that we have a human
need for sabbatical. If our radio talkshow hosts are to be heeded,
reaching the weekend is like arriving in Nirvana, with Heaven pictured
as "the perfect golf course" . . . all of it a contemporary
representation of the Garden of Eden.
Here is a simple exercise
to assist you gradually into a relaxed space of such inner peace. Quiet
your body and then read this text from Psalm 46, line by line, savoring
each before going on to the next. In the end, sit for a time in the
quietude of God's presence:
"Be still and know that I am God!"
"Be
still and know that I am . . ."
"Be still and know . . ."
"Be
still . . ."
"Be . . ."
Rev. Wayne
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From the Youth & Family Pastor
 What a fascinating spring this has been! The flowers almost literally burst forth and painted the barren landscape with their spectacular colours as if an artist worked incognito for several dark nights. And just as we all feared that the blooms would be short-lived due to the heat, the coolness returned and left us with this sustained beauty. Never before have I seen the reality of nature so totally mimic the very Resurrection experience of hope and joy that is our Christian way.
In our story, there was that moment when women and disciples witnessed the empty grave. Confusion, anger, sorrow stirred in their hearts creating a heat of feelings. And from those heated feelings erupted this unexpected colourful joy and hope as one by one the women and disciples met the risen Lord here and there in the ordinary moments of living. Like our fear that the tender blooms of the snowdrops and crocus would fade immediately in the heat, one wondered if the intense joy and hope of the early experiences of Jesus Christ would also fade too fast.
But that is not how the story went. The Resurrection hope and joy was sustained and gave great beauty to our world. As the people of God, we carry this joy and hope in our daily living; we carry it to share it. Thus we do our part to sustain this remarkable gift to a world too often broken and suffering. We have a purpose in our living - to colour this world with Resurrection joy and hope. Enjoy the creating and the creation!
Blessings,
(Rev.) Tiina Cote
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Worship
Leadership
Rev. Tiina Côté continues in her aspect of St. Paul's ministry in Rev. Rick's absence. And until the end of June, Rev Wayne Irwin is taking primary leadership for worship, and attending to some other pastoral care. His contact information is: 905-541-4212 for voice or text w.irwin@sympatico.ca
Time Change
As St. Paul's and Rock Chapel share the ministry of Rev.
Tiina Côté, Sunday services at Rock Chapel are now proceeding at 9:30
a.m., with services at St. Paul's commencing at 10:45 a.m. This is
allowing Rev. Tiina to arrive at St. Paul's in time to share leadership
in the early part of our worship. Because of the great value of
after-service "coffee fellowship," our Worship Committee has agreed to
Rock Chapel's request that on the first Sunday of the month, Tiina will
remain later there for their after-service time, to arrive at St. Paul's
a bit later for her participation in leadership and "coffee fellowship"
here.
Planning Ahead
During July, we will be worshiping, according to our
traditional summer practice, at 10:00 a.m. Our minister emeritus, Rev.
Merrill Graham will conduct services for the first two weeks. Rev. Mac
Carson will conduct services for the third and fourth weeks.
In
August, Rev. Tiina will conduct services for both congregations at Rock
Chapel for the first two weeks. Rock Chapel (with Millgrove) is invited
to worship with us at 10:00 a.m. for the third and fourth Sundays.
Rev.
Rick returns to the pulpit on August 22 at 10:00 a.m.
Service time
returns to 10:45 a.m. on the first Sunday in September.
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Youth
Special Mothers' Day Cakes available from the Youth Group Chefs!
Silent Auction on Sunday, May 8th after worship.
Book your Car Wash on Saturday, May 15th. Fundraiser for Youth Group. Watch for details.
Junior Youth Group Camping Weekend for all those in Grades 5 to 8, May 28th to 30th. Please talk with Tiina if you are interested to being part of this adventure!
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Garage Sale
Saturday May 8, 2010
8 a.m. -11 a.m.
Church Gym
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Worship Schedule
May 2 - The Children's Musical "Table for Five Thousand: The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" celebrating the truth that "we can do small things with great love, and together we can do something wonderful" (words of Mother Teresa),
May 9 - Christian Family Sunday - with the joy of the Sacrament of Baptism, as we celebrate the new lives of two infants in our community.
May 16 - Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Ordination of Rev. Stan Wootton. Stan will preach, who began his ordained life and ministry on May 8, 1960.
May 23 - The Festival of Pentecost (The 3rd most important festival in the Christian Year, after Easter and Christmas - celebrating the Birth of the Christian Church)
May 30 - Trinity Sunday (celebrating the traditional Christian conceptualization of God's Self-revealing as "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.")
June 6 - Celebration of the 85th Anniversary of The United Church of Canada.
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