KOOTENAY CONTACT
-December 7, 2022-
December 11 - Third Sunday of Advent
O Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Bishop's Letter
December 7, 2022
Dear People of the Kootenay,
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing….
They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.”
ISAIAH 35
This is part of our text from Hebrew Scripture for this coming Sunday, Advent 3.
The poetry of Isaiah sings our hope in this Advent season. Deserts blooming. The wilderness rejoicing. Lions and lambs living together. Vivid images that help us to live in joyful expectation, with hope, with confidence in God. The spiritual work of Advent, God’s work in us, is renewal of hope. Our waiting for Christ, our longing for God’s kingdom, help us to live more vibrantly in the present.
A couple of things I notice about this passage from Isaiah that help me.
I don’t think it is accidental that Isaiah draws on nature to enliven our hope. Observing nature gives us perspective on both the daily frustrations or worries of our personal life and on the major disruptions or challenges of our time. The faithful rhythms, the cycles of death and rebirth, the beauty itself, are all restorative for our spirits, part of God’s healing power. I hope your spiritual practice includes resting in nature somehow: staring at the birds at your feeder, listening to the silence of snow,
inhaling the fresh smell of greenery brought into your home, lingering to watch a winter sunset. Can you hear nature rejoicing in singing? Can this help you lift up your heart in song?
The second thing I notice is that hope is a communal action. We encourage each other. The word “Encourage” literally means to give courage to another. We need community. Often it is someone else who reminds us God is present in a given situation when we cannot see it ourselves. Who in your life needs to hear us say:
“Fear not”? How does community (even if it is a zoom worship or a phone call) help to deepen your hope?
On one Advent song from an old Medical Mission Sisters album, the Catholic Theologian Dr. Miriam Terese Winter translates this passage:
“Strengthen all the weary hands,
Steady all the trembling knees,
Say to all faint hearts, “take courage”
For he comes, the Prince of Peace.”
I pray that as you prepare your hearts for the birth of Christ, God will expand your hope!
I ask your prayers for The Rev. Canon Andrea Brennan whose mother has died.
I ask your prayers for Alex whose Confirmation is this weekend.
Take Courage.
Yours in Christ,
+Lynne
P.S. I was on a webinar this morning with an interfaith group of faith leaders hosted by the Public Health Agency of Canada. They asked us as faith leaders to remind our communities to:
- update your vaccines and get booster shots because research shows effectiveness does wear off.
-Get the flu shot (flu normally causes 3500 deaths a year in Canada)
-stay home if you’re sick
-wash your hands
-ventilate public spaces
-mask in public spaces
These are not mandates and do not change our Diocesan covid practices- this is up to each parish to decide. They are just a reminder to do what we all know now, to keep our communities as healthy as possible in the winter, and to take pressure off our medical system. Thank you.
Executive Officer Rita Harrison was collated Archdeacon at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30, 2022. Image Credit: The HighWay
Diocesan News
Join Bishop Lynne on Zoom for "Praying with PWRDF" on Thursday, December 8 at 10am Pacific. Bishop Lynne will be the reflector for the session.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 822 9107 8185
Passcode: 582294
Camp OAC has 10 camping sites that are available to be rented weekly or seasonally to members of the Diocese of Kootenay. Many of these sites are located next to the beautiful Lake Okanagan and feature private beaches. The camp is currently taking applications for the seasonal sites. The application for the weekly sites will be available in January 2023. Click HERE for more information and to find the application
Calendar of Events
Upcoming Schedule Highlights
____________________________________________________________
December 8 Praying with PWRDF, Spiritual Development Committee
December 11 Confirmation, Preach, and Preside at All Saints Vernon
December 13 Clergy Conference Planning
December 15 BARDS
December 18 Preach and Preside at Christ Church Falkland
December 19 Community Christmas Lessons & Carols at the Kelowna Cathedral
December 24 Preside at the Kelowna Cathedral (4pm & 8pm)
December 24- January 2 Synod Office Closed
January 1, 2023 Preach at the Kelowna Cathedral (11am)
Bishop's Upcoming Preaching Schedule
Dec 11, 2022- All Saints Vernon
Dec 18, 2022- Christ Church Falkland
December 24 Preside at the Kelowna Cathedral (4pm & 8pm)
Jan 1, 2023- Preach at the
Kelowna Cathedral
Kelowna Cathedral
(11am: live-streamed HERE)
Clergy & Staff Birthdays-
November & December
Rev. Marcus Germaine (Dec.8) and Rev. Dr. Mark Mealing (Dec.11).
Mark Your Calendar
- March 18, 2023 (9am-11am Pacific): Wardens Zoom Meeting
- May 6, 2023 (9am-1pm Pacific): Treasurers Zoom Meeting
Additional Events/Resources
Advent 2022
If you have resources, programming or virtual events to share with others in the Diocese, please send them to admin@kootenay.info
Wycliffe College - register for Advent meditations
(Above) Join Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat for a Bible Remixed Advent Course "The Secret Life of Hope: Reading the Beatitudes" on Monday evenings beginning November 28, via zoom. Are the Beatitudes a fantasy vision of an impossible world, or a glimpse into the radical world of God's new community? All welcome; pay what you can. Go to www.bibleremixed.ca for more information.
Winter and Spring 2023 WECAN Licentiate Courses
Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held every year between January 18th (the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter) and January 25th (the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul). Resources HERE
Praying with our Partners in Mission- Daily Intercessions
Thank you to Rev. Helen Hall for her work on the prayer cycles!
Safe Church Training
& Criminal Records Checks
Program overview and guides HERE
- Is your training current? You must renew it every 5 years as a staff member or volunteer
- Is your criminal record or vulnerable sector check current? You must renew it every 5 years as a staff member or volunteer
- Have you read the new Diocesan Sexual Misconduct Policy and signed off on it?
If you are unsure or need direction, email admin@kootenay.info
Sexual Misconduct Policy-
Now Available for
Electronic Signature
The sexual misconduct policy was revised and distributed in June. It has now been added to Praesidium so that all parish staff and volunteers can review it and sign off on it electronically. If you need help accessing Praesidium or you need an account set up, please email admin@kootenay.info
News
December edition of The HighWay (Download PDF)
CONTENTS
03 Archbishop Lynne’s Charge to Special Synod
05 What Are We Waiting For?
03 Archbishop Lynne’s Charge to Special Synod
05 What Are We Waiting For?
06 Fear, Facades and the Courage to be Free
07 Mindfulness & Indigenous Law
08 Happy Advent, Happy New Year!
09 Three Advents
11 Ballourieh, Baklava & Brownies
12 Order of Canada for Howard Soon
13-16 Readings YEAR A: Advent 2, 3, 4, & Christmas Day
07 Mindfulness & Indigenous Law
08 Happy Advent, Happy New Year!
09 Three Advents
11 Ballourieh, Baklava & Brownies
12 Order of Canada for Howard Soon
13-16 Readings YEAR A: Advent 2, 3, 4, & Christmas Day
Last Laugh
