National Ribbon Skirt Day, January 4, 2025

Established in response to the ridiculing of Isabella Kulak, a member of the Cote First Nation, for wearing her ribbon skirt to school for a formal wear day, National Ribbon Skirt Day provides the opportunity for everyone to recognize, learn about, and celebrate the importance of Indigenous traditions and expressions of culture.

Ribbon skirts are traditionally worn during ceremony and special events. The skirts represent strength, pride, and identity for those who wear them and are an important part of Indigenous culture.

 

All Saints’ Annual General Vestry Meeting will be held on Sunday February 23^rd, 2025 following the 10 AM service.

All ministry leads are asked to submit their ministry reports to Sharon no later than Wednesday, January 29^th for inclusion in the year end Vestry Report.

If you have any questions please reach out to Nancy Brickwood.  Late reports will not be printed nor will there be any oral reports.  Please e-mail your report(s) to Sharon at office@nullallsaintswhitby.org

 

Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Mother Jennifer

January 9, 2025

I’m not sure about you, but this week has been a real wake-up call.   Maybe because after two weeks of everyone in our house being off of school and work, we’re back to the bells and beeps ringing to awaken us and get us all out the door in a timely fashion.  In a family of five, this process isn’t always calm or without its challenges.

No matter if you are in school or have a morning work commute, having Jan. 1 fall mid-week this year meant regular patterns and routines likely didn’t start back up for many of us until this past Monday – when suddenly we were all off and running.

Christmas is officially over, for many the decorations have been put away both indoors and out, and the streets are not as festive with lights as they were a few weeks ago.

Yet in the church we are only just beginning to focus on the light of Christ – a light that came not just for a day but for a lifetime.  On Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord, and heard about the wise men who followed the star and came to adore Jesus and share their gifts.

For the next few weeks in the church, we will continue to hear about Epiphany moments as the disciples and those around Jesus come to a dawning awareness of who he is and how he came to be a light to all people, illuminating their lives and bringing meaning and new hope to them.  Starting next week, we will also be hearing in this space from our own members about their stories of faith, and how the light of Christ inspires them to draw near to him, and share their gifts.

For some people, January and the new year offers a chance for a fresh start and the promise of a clean slate. For others, the month just seems long, and cold and dark.  The third Monday of January is known as ‘Blue Monday,’ and has been hailed as the most depressing day of the year. It reflects the fact that many people struggle financially after the holidays, the weather is far from optimal, and the sheen of new year resolutions have fallen discouragingly away.

Those of us who follow Jesus know that while the light of Christ does not promise to eradicate challenges, it illuminates for us the hope that remains, even in the face of those challenges.  This is the Gospel narrative and the good news which we proclaim.

St Paul writes “We boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5: 2b-5)

So as we begin this new year – as we come face to face again with our responsibilities and the realities we find ourselves in, and as we may feel at times discouraged or anxious – let us remember that the light of Christ is always present to us to help us and bring us hope.

Prayer: 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Transforming Questions Discussion Group – beginning January 21st, 6pm

Transforming Questions is a 10-week series offered on Tuesday evenings this winter. Each week we will gather for a meal, hear a talk on one of the central questions of the Christian faith, and then join in discussion. It  is designed for those new to the faith and for those who are veteran Christians who still have questions or new concerns, or who just like to ponder the mysteries of Christian live. The series is open to all people; parishioners, neighbours, newcomers, and friends.

If you can’t make all ten nights, that’s okay. But Transforming Questions is not designed as a drop-in course. The sessions are related to and build upon one another, and the discussion is best with a  sustained community. Ideally, we will travel together for ten weeks, sharing a meal and asking questions of ourselves and of God. As we do so, we will learn more about ourselves, one another, and the Jesus we seek to know.

Register at  https://TransformingQuestions.eventbrite.ca

Here are a few of the questions, we’ll be considering:

Can we question our faith?
Why did Jesus have to die?
How should we read the Bible?
Does God answer prayer?
Why is there suffering?
What happens after death?
What is the church for?