Often when Jesus taught he would use a story to illustrate his message - a parable. These parables were often simple, everyday stories of people that Jesus was able to use to illustrate part of his message about the love of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. From the story of the prodigal son to the woman looking for a lost coin, his hearers could identify with what he was saying, and see themselves in the teaching that was illustrated by his story.

Since the beginning of the last century, we have used movies to tell stories of ordinary people - stories that entertain, stories that offer a reflection, and stories that help teach. This fall, we will begin a time of reflection and entertainment using today's stories as a reflection on the Gospel of Christ.

The first movie we will offer is 3:10 to Yuma, which is currently playing at the Studio 12 Theatres. Any who are interested in seeing this movie will meet at Tim Horton's on Thorburn Ave., at 6:00 PM on Sunday the 14th of October. After a brief chat, we will head down to the theatre, watch the movie and arrange to meet for a cup of coffee and longer chat - a simple and enjoyable way of theologizing - bringing the Gospel to reflect on the stories of today.

One day, Jesus disciples went up to our Lord, seeing him having removed himself from their company - sitting in silence, sitting in prayer, and they made the simple request - "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus did, for he taught them the centrality of the Lord's prayer, but he also helped them to discover that they were already praying - communicating with God, for God had always been communicating with them.

Today, we have the same needs for we often have doubts about our own abilities to pray - to communicate with our God. Over a few Mondays or Sundays (as indicated on the schedule) in October and November, we will be offering a session - each independent of each other, on how to pray. Prayer takes place in many forms, and we will explore many of these forms; from the beauty and repetition of the prayers of the BCP to the poetry of the BAS, to the open conversations of the Psalms, to the silence of meditation, to the prayers that our parents taught us when we were young.
These sessions will last for one hour, starting at 7 pm and ending at 8 pm.

The Worship Committee will be hosting a Book Study Group, once a month, to discuss a book that all who join will collectively read and then meet to discuss. The first book that we will explore is one by Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal.

During my sabbatical reading, I found this to be one of the easiest books to read, yet also one of the deepest books - for it gave me opportunity to both reflect on the words of the author and the parable, but to also place myself in the parable.

A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son catapulted Henri Nouwen on a long spiritual adventure. Here he shares the deeply personal and resonant meditation that led him to discover the place within where God has chosen to dwell.

In seizing the inspiration that came to him through Rembrandt's depiction of the powerful Gospel story, Henri Nouwen probes the several movements of the parable: the younger son's return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's vengefulness, and the father's compassion. In his reflection on Rembrandt in light of his own life journey, the author evokes the powerful drama of the parable in a rich, captivating way that is sure to reverberate in the hearts of readers. The themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation, will be newly discovered by all who have known loneliness, dejection, jealousy, or anger. The challenge to love as the father and be loved as the son will be seen as the ultimate revelation of the parable known to Christians throughout time, and here represented with a vigor and power fresh for our times.

For all who ask, "Where has my struggle led me?" or for those "on the road' who have had the courage to embark on the journey but seek the illumination of a known way & safe passage, this work will inspire and guide each time it is read

The Return of the Prodigal Son is a beautiful book, as beautiful in the simple clarity of its wisdom as in the terrible beauty of the transformation to which it call us."

The Bible Study/Prayer Group

Each Tuesday, from 1:30 to 2:30 PM in the Rector's Study, we will be gathering for the study of God's Word. This fall, we will be studying the book, The Song of Songs.

The Song of Songs is a series of love poems, for the most part in the form a songs addressed by a man to a woman, and by the woman to the man. In some translations, the book is called the Song of Solomon, because it is attributed to Solomon in the Hebrew title.

These songs have often been interpreted by the Jews as a picture of the relationship between God and his people, and by Christians as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church

Coffee Grounds

Approximately once a month, the Worship Committee will be hosting a discussion group and a cup of coffee for anyone interested in discussing the sermon of the day with the preacher.

God has an interesting way of forming and transforming us through sermons. Sermons are not infallible, they are the attempt by the preacher to bring an interpretation of God's Word to our time and our situation. Once a month, starting in early November, the worship committee will provide opportunity to jointly reflect on how God spoke to each of us, both in the word from scripture and in the sermon.