While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

-Acts of the Apostles 1:10-11       

 

Easter Greetings!

It is the season that is our reason for being church! Christ is risen showing that death is not nearly as strong as the love that God has for us! On Sunday we bore witness, with our kindred across time, to the empty tomb, and we the church were born from that miracle. 

 

The Good News of Christ overcoming death should give us some hope in the midst of this pandemic, hope that is rooted in faith alive even when the world tries to lock it away. We continue to be the church, called to love our neighbours, serve in God’s name, and find space – within our homes and/or virtually – to give praise to God for the life that we have and the people with whom we share it.

 

As we continue to be the church moving through this time of pandemic, there are a number of ways that you can worship, serve, and grow as we live our faith together.

 

But before we get to what we can do together, a note on the joys and trials of technology:

Since we have suspended in-person activities, Rev. Michelle and Rev. Richard have been learning a lot about how to offer worship and learning opportunities in a virtual space, but – as we have all seen – the learning comes with some hiccups and glitches.

 

We apologize to those who tuned in via Zoom last week and – much like the disciples’ expectations at the tomb – had their world turned upside down. Rev. Richard has been testing and working to correct this issue, and the hope is that this should not happen again. In the event that Zoom’s world is upside-down this coming Sunday, know that Facebook live is always an option, along with later viewing of the recorded service.

 

We have made a choice to provide a live worship experience rather than pre-record because we feel that there is something truly special about creating a time and space to gather in worship of God. We feel – and we hope you feel the same – that the glitches we may experience are worth it as we continue to be the church in this significant way. We also ask that should errors occur on your end, do let us know by email so that we can attempt to address them in future services.

 

We are in new territory, and we are discovering new things every week. We appreciate your patience and continued dedication.

 

Worship Opportunities:

We worship because we have so much on our hearts to pray for and so much in our lives to be thankful for. It is the starting point for our week and – for many of us – gives us guidance on ways to love more deeply our kindred, ourselves, and our God. Between regular Sunday worship and prayer service opportunities, we hope there is time and space for you to encounter the Holy on your journey through the week.

    • This Sunday we gather with the disciples to hear the parting words of Christ and about the promise of the Holy Spirit. We are also encouraged to continue to be the church even in the midst of strange and difficult times
    • Rev. Richard has been hosting weekly prayer services throughout Lent and throughout this pandemic. Though Lent is coming to an end, we want to continue to provide those opportunities for prayer. There are two services taking place weekly, and the information is below.

 

  • Evening Prayer Service: As we move from day into night, we continue to Seek the Light together. On Sunday’s at 7 PM come and pray as we ask for God’s guidance from the night into the light of a new day..

 

 

Serving in Faith:

So many of you have already given and continue to give of your time and talent by being a part of the St. Paul’s Phone tree. 40 of you have been making calls to keep us all connected, with 2 acting as coordinators with Rev’s Michelle and Richard.

 

As we look toward a time beyond COVID-19, we are hoping to keep the connections that we have made between members strong. We are also keenly aware that Rev. Michelle is approaching time for parental leave, and Rev. Richard will need some support in keeping the lines of communication open.

 

If you are currently part of the phone tree reaching out on a weekly basis, we hope that you will consider continuing this good work (though after COVID-19 it would be reaching out monthly instead of weekly). If you are not making calls, but would like to, please reach out to Rev. Richard at rev.bowley@outlook.com or mention it to the person who is calling you!

 

Growing together in Faith:

Throughout this pandemic, Rev. Michelle has been updating us on a variety of ways for us to grow together in faith either together virtually, at home with family, or in our own time and ways. Below are the options available at this time:

    • God’s Story, Our Story: Hosted by Rev. Michelle each Wednesday, at 2:00 PM, you are invited to join in the conversation. Because we are limiting in-person activities at the church, this gathering will take place on the Zoom digital platform (so right in the comfort of your own home!). Information this discussion group can be found here: http://www.stpaulsunited.ca/gods-story-our-story/ 

 

  • All Ages Faith Journey: There are many activities that any person can do to deepen their faith and connect with the strength that it offers. This page – http://www.stpaulsunited.ca/all-ages-faith-journeys/ – contains links to many of these  spiritual practices both traditional and modern that you can engage with on your own time and as needed.
  • Children and Youth @ Home: Faith Formation for our children and youth is an important ministry of our congregation.  Equipping our young people to see their lives and experiences through the lens of God’s story  builds resilience for the challenges they face and instills the truth about who they are – Beloved Children of God! Find resources at this link: http://www.stpaulsunited.ca/sunday-school-home/ 

 

 

This week the disciples spend some time looking up as Jesus ascends. Maybe they are marvelling at the feet, maybe they are wondering where he is going, or maybe they are wondering when he will come back. Before long, two people appear and encourage the disciples to stop looking up and to go seeking Christ in other ways.

 

We can get caught up in the confusion of what is going on around us, and wonder about what’s going to happen next to the point of it getting in the way of our living and serving. As we strive to follow in Christ’s way and celebrate the miracle of his rising, let us do so by reaching out to our friends, sharing our faith, and bringing Christ to life in the sharing.

 

As we walk this Easter season together, let us pray:

You, O Christ, turn our lives upside-down.

You take our fear and replace it with hope.

You take our brokenness and love us to wholeness.

You take a tomb full of death and fill it with new life.

 

Help us to grow in our faith and deepen our bonds with one another.

Encourage us to be seekers of your light and truth, even when you aren’t standing in front of us pointing it out.

Lead us not by walking the way before us, but by calling from our hearts.

 

This we pray in your strong name, O Christ. AMEN

 

Yours in Christ,        

Rev. Richard and Rev. Michelle