Are you looking for a meaningful way to connect this summer? We are launching a selection of small-group studies that will run from June to September. Choose from any of these short three- and four-night Bible studies, each with its own unique theme and style to suit your interests or needs.

 

Attend as many as you’d like. Some are a series best enjoyed fully. Others you can attend just one, two, or all nights.

To sign up, contact the leaders personally if you know them, or the office at office@nullallsaintswhitby.org  or 905- 668-5101 or send a message to the Christian Education team at christianed@nullallsaintwhitby.org

Thought and Prayer for the Day
by
Jacky Bramma

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS

Many of the encounters we read about in the Bible seem at first glance to be mere coincidences, but we soon realize that they are anything but random. For instance, in Matthew’s gospel (4:18) we read that Jesus happened to be walking by the Sea of Galilee, when he saw two brothers, Simon and his brother Andrew. This turns out to be the calling of the first disciples, a momentous event of great significance.

John’s gospel gives an account of Jesus meeting a woman at the well in chapter 4. This seemingly chance meeting would have been culturally unacceptable, especially since she was a Samaritan and of dubious morals, and because a man and a woman did not usually meet alone. Their conversation results in the woman running to tell the people in her village, “Could this be the Christ?”, thus spreading the gospel.

In Acts 8, Philip is told by an angel to go from Jerusalem to Gaza, and on the way there he bumps into an Ethiopian eunuch who has parked his chariot and is trying to understand a passage from Isaiah. Not only does Philip explain the scripture, but he also tells him the good news about Jesus. The eunuch asks to be baptized and returns to his country ready to share the gospel.

I am sure that most of us have had experiences when something happens, apparently by chance, which is hard to explain. Many years ago, I was visiting Niagara Falls for the first time, when I literally bumped into the drama professor from my university town in the UK who had directed a play I had been in. We hadn’t seen each other for a couple of years, and neither of us knew that the other would be there. Of all the millions of tourists there each year, what are the chances that our paths would cross at that exact moment? Added to this, was the fun fact that this prof had also taken the lead in an old show called Kismet, from the Arabic word for fate or destiny!

Such happenings could be called serendipity …the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident. (I am a word nerd, and recently discovered that this word was coined in 1754 from a Sri Lankan fairy tale called ‘The Three Princes of Serendip.’) Such events are usually a source of fun and amazement, but not of great importance. However, I have also come to realize that God plays a part in many such encounters. There are times when he places people in our path, either to be a comfort to us at a time of need, or for us to be a blessing to someone else.

One such occurrence was when my husband was going in for his first radiation session, shortly before he died. As he went in to the treatment room, I sat in the waiting area and a woman came out. She was beaming and told me she had just completed her course of treatment. Then she looked at me and asked me if she could pray with me. It turned out she was a minister in the Pentecostal Church. We prayed, and my anxiety eased. This complete stranger was a blessing to me just when I needed it.

The summer after Peter died, I went on a hiking holiday in the Channel Islands with a group from the hiking club. After our time together was over, I stayed on in the UK to visit friends, which meant I would be flying home alone…another “first” in my newly single situation. I had a few hours to wait at Gatwick airport before my flight back to Canada, and I was feeling rather low. That was when I noticed the chapel. There would be a service there in a few minutes! I went in and found one other attendee, a young man. As we waited, we started talking as if we were old friends. He was travelling for work and missing his wife, and I was certainly missing my husband. The service, led by a Salvation Army officer, was short but uplifting. When it was over, our conversation continued and we shared how we had come to faith and what a blessing it was to know Jesus. Soon it was time to head to our respective gates and we parted ways. I don’t remember his name, but I do know that our meeting was more than mere serendipity, and my journey home was no longer a burden.

A couple of summers later I was flying from Toronto to visit my sister in Vancouver. I had settled into my seat, ready for the five-hour flight. In those pre cell phone days the usual pastime was reading or sleeping. I sat next to a woman who was about my age and I couldn’t help but notice the book she had in her bag. It was The Shack by William Paul Young. By “coincidence” we had just read it in a study group at All Saints’. We started talking about the book and about our faith. Before I knew it, five hours had gone by, and we were being told to prepare for landing. It was the shortest flight I have ever been on, before or since! I still have the little angel pin she gave me. We would never see each other again, but for me it was yet another instance of God caring for me. I also realize that talking about my faith is often easier with a stranger than someone close to me who is not yet a believer.

I hope there have also been times when I have been the one on the giving side of meetings with a stranger. I have found that small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to another person, and I try to look for opportunities. Sometimes it is simply a matter of smiling or exchanging a few words. I think of a young fellow outside the Dollar Store who was shyly asking for money. I asked his name and if he was having a hard time. He told me he had lost his job and was hungry. I told him about our food bank, and was delighted to see him there the next day, looking much less stressed.

Sadly, in our deeply divided world, strangers are so often viewed with suspicion, but we cannot live our lives in fear. To quote Mother Teresa, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” I thank God for giving us the opportunity to help and be helped by strangers.

Prayer of Count Zinzendorf
Lord, when my eye confronts my heart, and I realize that you have filled my heart with your love, I am breathless with amazement. Once my heart was so small in its vision, so narrow in its compassion, so weak in its zeal for truth. Then you chose to enter my heart, and now in my heart I can see you. I can love all your people, and I have the courage to proclaim the truth of your gospel to anyone and everyone. Like wax before a fire, my heart has melted under the heat of your love.
Amen

Thought and Prayer of the Day
by the Rev. Grant Schwartz

Exaltation

“Exalted on the right hand of God” – Acts 2:33

Today (May 29), the fortieth day of Easter, is the Feast of the Exaltation of Christ. The more common name is The Ascension. The physical symbol for the day is the ascending of Jesus into heaven. The theological meaning is the exaltation of the risen Christ. The victorious Jesus is exalted to his throne on the right hand of his Father. With his Father, he reigns. To his Father he offers himself for the sake of the redeemed. He takes his place as King and High Priest.

Consider the following the following verse:

“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” – Acts 5:31

And this verse:

“It is fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” – Hebrews 7:26

And this one:

“He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him.” – Philippians 2:8-9

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension together and we will praise the exalted Christ. Also, with the exalted Christ, we will praise the Father.

O God the King of Glory,
Who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph unto thy Kingdom
exalt us unto the same heaven
whither our Saviour Jesus Christ has ascended
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost
one God
world without end.
Amen.

*** A reminder to all, as well, that today (May 29; Ascension Day), All Saints begins 10 days of prayer – where we invite you to pray for the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and especially to pray for 5 people you know to come to know or deepen their relationship with Christ. The Christian Education team is hosting a time of communal prayer every night for ten days at 7pm via Zoom (click here to join the meeting).

 

Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Arleane Ralph

May 22, 2025

In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating Pentecost, a Christian holiday that commemorates the moment the Holy Spirit inspired the followers of Jesus Christ to dare to share the gospel with the world. It marks the beginning of the Church’s mission.

Each year at Pentecost, we are reminded that the gospel was never meant to stay confined inside four walls or within a select group, or even to a one-hour Sunday service. Following the example of Jesus’ own methods, the apostles and the growing number of disciples began to meet people where they were: in the streets, at dinner tables, on hillsides, in distant lands.

Social media platforms are the latest extension of that apostolic ministry. Today, people are spending hours every day scrolling on their phones. Why shouldn’t the church show up there, too? When All Saints posts a sermon tweet, shares news about group activities, or marks significant holy days or national observances, we’re planting seeds of truth and hope into the media landscape, and into people’s everyday digital lives, even when days are dark and the presence of God seems lost to people.

As with the ministry of early Christians, this kind of digital approach is not just about reach. It’s about relationship. Many people consider social media as a threat to relationship. But a church’s online communication can help build a sense of connection throughout the week. Those summaries of the Sunday’s sermon, pictures from our children’s ministry, or invitations to upcoming events keep followers engaged and informed, and it helps position All Saints in the wider community as something that is living and growing and relevant, even for those who aren’t local or don’t attend regularly.

That’s why I believe it’s important for members and friends of All Saints to follow, like, and repost our church’s content. It may seem like a small gesture, but it actually carries spiritual and missional significance. Every time you like or share a post, you’re helping to amplify the message. You’re saying, “This matters to me, and it might matter to you, too.” So, kudos to all of you that are already doing that. I don’t doubt that there are individuals who have come to church (perhaps not at All Saints but elsewhere in the Anglican communion) because they saw a repost from someone they followed and trusted that resonated with them and made them want to come and see for themselves. A simple click on a device opens a door through which seekers might enter in to meet God on their own terms.

If you think about it, when you engage with church online, you’re not just consuming content—you’re participating in the life of the church, building momentum, helping generate algorithms that push uplifting content into people’s feeds, creating bright spots that hopefully stand out amidst the doom scrolling and negativity. Often, I hear from people who don’t follow their church because they say it feels awkward or doesn’t “fit the vibe of their feed” (insert eyeroll emoji) or even because they want to keep their church life separate from their digital pastimes. I don’t have an answer for those qualms, because I don’t understand them.  Following your church’s social media is one of the ways you can witness to your faith, and in theory, it’s one of the easiest. It’s not like you’re being asked to go door-to-door or preach on street corner. If we truly believe in the message of love we proclaim on a Sunday or in the safety of the “upper room,” then why wouldn’t we want the world to see it—everywhere else, including online?

So, yes, I follow All Saints. I like and share—not out of obligation—but out of excitement for what God is doing through our community. It’s a small but powerful way I can live out my calling to be salt and light in a digital world that desperately needs both. And I invite you to do the same. #daretoshare

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”
– Mark 16:15  

A Prayer for Social Media

Gracious God,
In a world connected by screens and signals,
help me use social media as a tool for grace,
not gossip; for truth, not division;
for encouragement, not envy.

Guard my heart from comparison,
my mind from distraction,
and my words from harm.

Let what I post reflect Your love,
and what I consume feed my spirit, not my ego.
Teach me to pause before I type,
to listen before I respond,
and to always see the humanity behind every profile.

May my online presence bring light,
build peace, and point others to You.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Prayer by ChatGPT 😉