Charlotte Holland has created a cookbook commemorating the 25th anniversary this year of the St Aidan’s Christian School. June Spencer and I (Kathie Smith) assisted her.
The recipes were contributed by and reflections were offered from people who worked or volunteered at the School. We have not only great recipes, but newspaper clippings, old posters, brochures, pictures and more. These stories are part of the history of a school that began with 3 kindergarten children in River Heights. Today the School has 2 campuses serving downtown Winnipeg communities with a total of 150 students. The cookbook has 64 pages of interesting reflections and great recipes that is being sold for only $10 with all proceeds going to the School. Please notify me if you would like a copy or copies. Originally, we planned to advertise in the church bulletin and sell the cookbooks in the Narthex, but COVID-19 has nixed that idea and there is no specific timing established when the church will be open. Therefore, please contact me, Kathie Smith, directly by email at [email protected] or call me (204-488-0765) with your order, your address and phone number and I will arrange to deliver your order to you. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit.
How often have we heard and spoken this call-and-response in church services, perhaps at the end of our small group prayers, when praying with the Book of Common Prayer or the Book of Alternative Services? [An aside: Can you stand a little English grammar? (Is that a groan? Eye-rolling? Bear with me, please!)] The subjunctive – big word, this. Its function has faded as we reinvent (or ignore) grammar, but we use it without even being aware. It implies, this big subjunctive thing locked in the little word BE, our deepest longings and desires and imaginations. Weirdly, it can also express doubt. How did this sliver of doubt sneak into -- a prayer? Check out the Psalms; look at a few characters in the Gospels! Depending on our mood (and the subjunctive is a “mood”!) we express doubt, desire, need. In our context, a mutuality lives in this blessing. The one who invokes is in the same place as the ones who reply. It also implies something desired, demanded, necessary. Isn’t that what the Lord is about? He’s necessary when we are frightened, lonely, weak and yes, doubting; He’s desired as we come to know Him more deeply through prayer, the Word, the witness of others, from those further along in the faith than we. He allows us to ‘demand’, to keep knocking in our need. He fulfils the hidden, unexpressed longings of our hearts. He is beyond our imaginations; don’t we know “His power… can do more than we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20)? Maybe the subjunctive offers a majesty, a serious awareness, an immensity -- more than our simple everyday grammar allows. We respond to the blessing from the gamut of emotions He gave us. He hears and assures us that, yes, He is truly and absolutely with us, in Spirit (His), in spirit (ours). His being -- with us! -- is utterly hugely true. In responding, we in turn bless the one who blessed us: May our wonderful God always be with you, as deeply and truly as you’ve called Him to be in ours. From sea to sea to sea, may God bless our land and all the peoples living in the land.
My prayer for you and for all Canadians and the first peoples of this land is that we turn to the one true God who is a Trinity--Almighty Father-creator, Jesus Christ – Redeemer, Holy Spirit- counselor and teacher. I call on the people of Canada to “seek God with all our hearts”. I long for Canada to not only love the new immigrants, the indigenous people and the black/brown people but to uphold true truth, and to practice true justice. To be kind to one another, to be filled with grace as we deal with one another. I believe that many of the protests are calling, not for anarchy, but for us to practice true love and true justice. Even though the words of the protest may not be our choice of words, the call is for truth and justice. One of our—that is, Canada’s—challenges is to translate truth and justice into policy or law. Truth and justice. For those who do not subscribe to the Judeo-Christian world view and the revelation of God as Father-Creator, Son-Redeemer, and Holy Spirit-Counselor, let me say clearly that I believe the law of God is summed up in the words of Jesus: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind… And love your neighbour as yourself. This is the beginning of knowing what truth and what justice are. May it be so, Lord Jesus. |
AuthorYou are the Author here. Yes, you! Members and participants of St Aidan's Church community. Archives
September 2020
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