Sun. March 29
– PALM SUNDAY family service at 10:30 a.m.
– “THE GOSPEL OF JOHN” movie 1 – 3 p.m.
Thurs. April 2
– MAUNDY THURSDAY Seder at 6:30 p.m. followed by Maundy Thursday service
Thurs. Apr. 2 – Fri. Apr. 3
– Prayer Vigil 8 p.m. – 10 a.m. in church office
Fri. April 3
– GOOD FRIDAY service at 10:30 a.m.
Sun. April 5
– Sunrise Service 6 a.m. at east end of Coronation Park
– Holy Communion 8 a.m. (in church office)
– Easter Sunday family service 10:30 a.m.
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree …. “ Mark 13:28
As we approach Palm Sunday, aka Fig Sunday, we will be learning about Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and its connection to the ‘humble fig’! A figgy Read & Feed will follow our traditional Palm Sunday service. In preparation, today you will be given questions to ‘fig – ure’ out before that event. Plan to attend, wave palms and stay for an everything ‘fig’ time of fellowship!!!
We will be having a Seder Meal on Maundy Thursday (Thursday April 2) at 6:30 p.m. followed by our Maundy Thursday service. This will be a “Pot Love” meal. Please sign up to bring food and for numbers.
Celebration Church in Barrie is going to be hosting the next ANiC Regional Women’s Day. It will be held in Barrie on Saturday May 2 from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The speaker will be Kathleen Greidanus. You are invited to come and explore answers to Jesus’ question to us … who do YOU say I am?
Cost for the day is $25, and if you did not receive the notice of it via e-mail on Thursday, please speak to Anne McCausland for a printed copy.
There are 3 events comprising Bishop Charlie’s tour of our area.
First is a meeting at St. George’s new sanctuary at 4691 Palladium Way, Burlington (runs between Walker’s Line & Appleby Line north of Dundas Street) on Friday March 13 @ 7:30 p.m. At this meeting Bishop Charlie will give a presentation on his 5 ministry priorities.
Second is a children’s and family event on Saturday March 14 from 9 a.m.– noon. This will also be held at St. George’s, and ALL families are encouraged to attend.
Third will be Bishop Charlie visiting us for our 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday March 14.
This year at St. Hilda’s we are going to be doing a Lenten Study on the “Lord’s Supper”. The small groups at St. Hilda’s will all be doing this study. We are encouraging everyone in the congregation to participate in this study during Lent. Please speak to Elsie Morgan if you plan on attending so we can order enough books. There will be a small charge to cover the cost of the books.
This study is being offered at the following places. Please contact leader if you plan on attending.
Monday Morning @ 10 a.m. Sharon Jenkins
Wednesday Night @ 7:30 Sandra Rizek
Thursday Night @ 7:00 Gord & Donna Waldie
Thursday Night @ 7:30 Bruce & Judy Watson (meeting at Towarnicki’s)
Saturday Morning @ 8 Terry Wilson
Sunday Night @ 6:30 Russ & Pat Moore
7 February 2015
My dear brother and sisters,
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a deeply disappointing decision striking down Canada’s existing Criminal Code prohibition on euthanasia and assisted suicide, declaring these to be constitutional rights. The unanimous decision gave Parliament 12 months to legislate restrictions if it so chooses.
You can read an analysis of the decision on the Association for Reformed Political Action Canada website. And the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s response is on its website.
As the issue has been presented by media in more palatable terms and with compelling personal accounts, public opinion has changed in recent years. So while the decision will be widely applauded, the rationale for Canada’s historic legal prohibition of euthanasia and assisted suicide is largely ignored.
Like previous legal decisions that have undercut the Judeo-Christian moral foundation of our society, this decision favours the few who have politically powerful advocates and who’s stories have been given high profile in the media; but it ignores the harm that may come to the many who are politically weak, physically vulnerable, and have few if any advocates.
In anticipation of this decision, Father Raymond de Souza wrote in the National Post, “that to embrace euthanasia and suicide as constitutional rights involved three revolutions in jurisprudence: i) abandoning the legal principle that every life is always a good to be protected, ii) embracing the idea that suicide is a social good, and iii) removing the particular obligation of the law to protect the weak and vulnerable.”
Citing the experience of Belgium where euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in 2002 and where the safeguards have rapidly eroded and the categories of those eligible have grown to the point that even children can now be euthanized, Father de Souza, expects that soon “we will hear positive reviews from the telegenic advocates of expanding the number of suicides and people euthanized in Canada. They will have compelling stories to tell. We will not hear from those who have no advocates – the isolated elderly, alone with no one to speak for them, judged to be burdensome to our health system. The disabled who will now wonder if their doctors are coming with counsels of death do not have fashionable advocates. The truly weak and vulnerable, the exploited and abandoned, do not hold press conferences. The Charter becomes a tool of the powerful against the weak, much like medicine will increasingly become in the age of euthanasia and suicide.”
Rather than give in to despair however, we Christians have constructive options. We can pray and we can act.
In fact, we ought to pray and act because, in the Bible, we know that Jesus saw death not as a friend to be embraced when there is great pain, but rather as an enemy to be destroyed. The One who came to conquer death said: ”
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 (ESV)
How then should we pray?
How can we act?
Because He lives and death is defeated,
LENTEN STUDY from Ash Wednesday (Feb.18) to Easter Sunday (Apr.5)
This year at St. Hilda’s we are going to be doing a Lenten Study on the “Lord’s Supper”. The small groups at St. Hilda’s will all be doing this study. We are encouraging everyone in the congregation to participate in this study during Lent. Please speak to Elsie Morgan if you plan on attending so we can order enough books. There will be a small charge to cover the cost of the books.
This study is being offered at the following places. Please contact leader if you plan on attending.
Wednesday Night @ 7:30 Sandra Rizek
Thursday Night @ 7:00 Gord & Donna Waldie
Thursday Night @ 7:30 Bob & Joan Towarnicki
Saturday Morning @ 8 Terry Wilson
Sunday Night @ 6:30 Russ & Pat Moore
PANCAKE TUESDAY is on Tuesday February 17 this year, and we will be having a supper at 17 Stewart Street between 5-7 p.m. Once again, there will be a free-will offering. Please sign the sheet to give us an idea of numbers. Hope you can join us!
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