Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Pentecost means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated fifty days after Easter.

Pentecost – So What Exactly is the Big Deal?
To begin, Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit. The word Pentecost actually means, ‘fiftieth day’ and so is celebrated fifty days after Easter. And if this were not enough, it is one of the few days in the church year that we use the colour red in our celebrations, which I suppose is just an added bonus!

To briefly recap the story of Pentecost, just ten days earlier Jesus had said goodbye to his followers returning to heaven, but not before promising to send a helper, the Holy Spirit. So as the apostles, Mary, and many of Jesus’ disciples gathered these ten days later for the Jewish harvest festival that celebrated on the fiftieth day after harvest ‘a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. Filled with the Spirit, this group would burst out onto the streets and speaking in a whole variety of languages, they would proclaim the Gospel, preaching boldly and welcoming 3,000 souls into their gathering that day. The Church was born!

Interestingly enough the Day of Pentecost is followed by first Trinity Sunday and then the season of Pentecost, the longest of the liturgical season (this year running from June 23rd to November 24), a season centered on the work of the Holy Spirit in the day-to-day lives of Christians with an emphasis on evangelism, mission, stewardship and other acts of love and mercy empowered by God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.

So while we marvel at Christmas in God’s gift to us of His Son, and at Easter in that same Son’s triumph over the power of sin and death, without the gift of God’s Spirit at Pentecost, empowering, guiding and directed the growth of the Church, where would we be today? So yes, Pentecost, it’s a big deal! As we focus on this season on the work that God strives to do in our hearts and in our lives, we call upon this Spirit to be the force of change in us, through us, and all around us. Happy Birthday!

Why is Pentecost sometimes called "WhitSunday"?     
A tradition of some churches in ancient times was to baptize adult converts to the faith on Pentecost.  The newly baptized catechumens would wear white robes on that day, so Pentecost was often called "Whitsunday" or "White Sunday" after these white baptismal garments.  Many Christian calendars, liturgies, and hymnals (particularly those from the Episcopal/Anglican tradition) still use this term.  An appropriate day for First Communion and Confirmation in the life of the church.

What is the liturgical colour for Pentecost?      
Red is the liturgical colour for this day.  Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost.  The colour red also reminds us of the blood of the martyrs.  These are the believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives.

Pancake Experience 42 - Thank you for joining us for Shrove Tuesday on February 13th for our pancake supper featuring pancakes and sausages. It was a great way to begin the season of Lent.  And then, who can forget the 2023 invitation video?

Lent 2024

Lent is a season of preparation leading up to Easter. It is the forty days plus the six Sundays before Easter. For centuries, it has been observed as a special time of self-examination and penitence.   Lent is a time of spiritual cleansing, of prayer, and of growth in faith…a time of returning to the Lord our God, who is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love.

If you have found yourself away from church and wondered about another try, Lent is the perfect time. For centuries, Lent has offered a chance to try the fellowship of the church one more time. In fact, Lent developed as a way to receive people back into church. If you are questioning your own faith and wondering what you believe, this could be the perfect time to come back to church.

Throughout Lent, the worship services of the church take on a simpler tone, appropriate to this season. Crosses showing the risen Christ are veiled. The word "Alleluia" is not used in the words of the liturgy or hymns. These practices help the worshipping community to mark this season of renewal as a special time in the church year.

Video on Making Palm Crosses In 2024 we’ll be gathered in the kitchen on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. to make crosses - come join us. Please bring scissors. 

Take a journey of justice and prayer this Lent.

International Justice Mission Canada (IJM) has a vision to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and prove that justice for the poor is unstoppable. They work toward this vision by partnering with local authorities to rescue victims of slavery and violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems.

This Easter season, IJM is offering weekly PDF formatted Lent and Holy Week devotionals via email to focus on the power of prayer.
"'Encounter Justice' is designed for churches, small groups and individuals to grow in your understanding of the power of prayer and God's call to justice. The devotionals look closely at historic prayers from six different men and women in the Bible. With biblical insights, engaging discussion questions and powerful stories, IJM’s ‘Encounter Justice’ resource will take you  through a meaningful season of reflection, prayer and action. During the week leading up to Easter, you’ll receive daily Holy Week devotional emails to honour and worship Christ for his loving sacrifice and his powerful resurrection that we celebrate as believers on Easter."

The Fourth Mark of Mission asks us to do all in our power to speak and act against the injustice that causes their pain and need. Inform your self about IJM's work to transform unjust structures of society by signing up for this devotional at https://www.ijm.ca/lent.

A Lenten Challenge: The Daily Examen
What is it?
This form of prayer originated 500 years ago when St Ignatius of Loyola began working on Spiritual Exercises to help us develop discipline and find grace as we see how God works through us and among us daily.

At its essence this form of prayer takes place at a point in the day when you have a few minutes to pause and reflect on our day, and in this reflection to find ways to draw nearer to God. For some that will be as they prepare to sleep at the end of the day, for others it might be during a commute home, or following an evening meal. It may even take you a few tries to see exactly what timing does and does not work for you.

1. As you begin, relax as much as possible in your circumstance, acknowledging your intention to grow closer to God.
2. Begin by thanking God for the gift of the day and anything else for which you’d like to give thanks.
3. Ask God’s Spirit to help you see the day clearly, walking through it in your mind, with an eye to what stands out for you? Any emotions, Any noticing of God working around you or through you? Any times you felt far from God?
4. Talk with God about this. Take some time to ask forgiveness for the times you weren’t at your best. Offer up more gratitude for the blessings that stood out. Whatever comes to mind, talk with God about it.
5. Look to tomorrow at those things you have planned. See yourself walking through the day with God, asking for help along the way.
6. Close by spending a few moments with God, listening for God, finding peace in God’s presence. You may wish to finish by reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

I share this with you as we enter the season of Lent for your consideration and use during this season. I would love to hear back from you on your experience of and with it.

The custom is to mark the season of Lent by giving up some things and taking on others. Both can serve to mark the season as a holy time of preparation. Some examples of things people give up for Lent include sweets, meat for all or some meals, and alcohol. In most cases, giving up something for Lent can be made more meaningful by using the money or time for another purpose.

For example, meal times on fast days could be spent in prayer.

Another example is that if you give up meat during Lent, the extra money that would go to meat dishes can be given to a group, such as World Vision, which works to end hunger worldwide, or Daily Bread which supports London families.

Some things added during Lent might be daily Bible reading, extra times of prayer or taking a course of study related in some way to spirituality.  Note that the season of Lent is forty days plus the six Sundays. This is because Sundays are celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection and are always an appropriate day to lessen the restrictions of Lent. So that if you have, for example, given up chocolate for Lent, you could indulge in a weekly candy bar on Sunday.

A Question and a Challenge for Lent
At the heart of becoming a disciple of Jesus lies the process of transformation, and at the heart of transformation we find the question, “Where is God in this?” In the midst of our daily living during these 40 days of Lent, can we stop at least once every day to ask this question, and then listen for the whisper of God’s Spirit to us guiding our reflection and our response? Perhaps it can become a habit, a holy habit. Jesus was a master of using the everyday to stretch his disciples beyond their usual view of people, their world, and their understanding of God. Have an experience? Witness an event, reading a particular news story? Don’t rush through, stop … pause … consider, Where is God in this?

A Different Kind of Fasting During the Lenten Season
Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill our hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so we can listen.
Pope Francis

PRAY AS YOU GO ...https://pray-as-you-go.org  Pray As You Go is a site that offers a brief, daily musical selection and reflection on a Bible reading. An app for your phone is also available to truly listen “as you go”.  Listen to one day or every day.

Special Worship Services - 2024
Wednesday, February 14 - Ash Wednesday Service: 10 am - Church of the Transfiguration, 5 pm - St. Anne's - Service and light supper
This service marks an important first step on our Lenten journey. If you are unable to attend the 5 pm service at St Anne’s, please join Canon Val at Church of the Transfiguration at 10 am
Palm Sunday, March 24 with Procession at 9:15 am Service
Thursday, March 28 - Maundy Thursday with Stripping of the Altar at 7:30 pm service
Friday, March 29 - Good Friday Service - 10 am
Sunday, March 31 - Easter - 6:45 am Easter Sunrise service in Springbank Park, 8:00 am BCP Eucharist, 9:15 am BAS Eucharist followed by an Easter Egg hunt

At home Ash Wednesday Resources.

Check out the details of the challenges and activites for Observing a Holy Lent in our Lent Newsletter 2022. 

Special Days 
Shrove Tuesday - February 13, 2024
Our pancake supper features pancakes, sausages, fruit cups, cookies, and various beverages. Gluten-free options are available upon request.

If you would like to purchase quantities of a locally produced Maple Syrup, Adam from Clark’s Maple Syrup would be pleased to hear from you by calling Clark’s Maple Syrup at 519-675-8733 and to either do a porch drop (no additional cost) of your syrup, or arrange for a curbside pick-up.

Ash Wednesday - February 14, 2024
The first day of Lent is marked with fasting, when safe, and a special liturgy. The theme for the day, though not for all of Lent, is that we stand as sinners condemned to die, but for God’s grace. This is symbolized by the imposition of ashes on the forehead, with the words, "You are dust and to dust you shall return." In the Old Testament, ashes were a sign of penitence (feeling regretful at offenses) and mourning.

Stations of the Cross
These are depictions of 14 incidents in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death, from the condemnation at Pilate’s house to being placed in the tomb. They are used for the service called the Way of the Cross, which visits each station in turn with a brief reading, response, collect and on some occasions, a meditation. This is particularly appropriate for Good Friday and all Fridays in Lent.

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death.

We encourage you to experience this ancient tradition, remembering that Christ died to save us all from sin. Without truly experiencing the agony of His death, we cannot fully understand the glory of his Resurrection.

Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis; also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way) refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent.

The object of the Stations is to help us make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for many Christians.

The Stations themselves are (usually) a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following:
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus receives the cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense

Each of us wants and needs to have space for quiet, for then one begins to see with the eyes of the heart” - Desmond Tutu.

Come to the Via Dolorosa and take up the Cross. Be with Jesus as He makes his final walk on this earth.  Each Station bears its own witness to Our Lord’s final grueling journey. Who will you identify with? Perhaps with Simon of Cyrene who helps and picks up the cross, or perhaps with Veronica who steps out of the crowd to wipe the sweat from His eyes?

Take time this Lent, to not only “talk the talk”, but also “walk the walk”. Experience what happened over 2,000 years ago and know how much He loved us then and how much He loves us now.