Church of the Advent | Anglican Church in Colwood

We are hosting an open Zoom chat this coming Sunday, January 23rd at 2 pm for anyone who would like to meet Ingrid and was not able to sign up for the previous Meet & Greets.

Here is your Zoom link:

Topic: Open Meet & Greet with Rev. Ingrid
Time: Jan 23, 2022 02:00 PM Vancouver

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81260222624?pwd=eDluMTh1aFdtZmsxS3VPK29KbjhVQT09

Meeting ID: 812 6022 2624
Passcode: 4743031

The above registration link is for the daytime series only. To register for the evening sessions please click here. Capacity is limited to 30ppl/session. If you are a member of a congregation please encourage others in your parish to join you and register today!

Intersections: A Dialogue Series is an opportunity to engage with Challenging Racist ‘British Columbia’: 150 Years and Counting (CRBC). Produced as part of the commemorations of 150 years since BC joined Canada, this open-access, multimedia resources documents how the recent cycle of anti-racist activism in this province is part of a broader history of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities challenging white supremacy for over 150 years. In this seven-week series brings people together in intentional conversations to:

encounter our collective past
locate ourselves as participants in the ongoing story of this place
explore how to respond faithfully to the truths we find together

...so we can participate with God in restoring creation and affirming the dignity of all people.

A team of trained moderators will offer will offer each of the seven sessions which are based on the information covered in the CRBC project, using video, song, prayer, self-refection exercises, readings and group discussions.

SERIES OUTLINE

Session 1: Introduction. Introduces pedagogy and content for the series.

Session 2: land, language, treaty. Highlights the interconnection of land, language and the treaties that were signed, or not, in the process of colonization.

Session 3: Residential ‘school’ System. Explores the legacy of residential ‘schools’ and the implications for us today.

Session 4: Restrictive immigration. Unpacks the ways in which the provincial government restricted immigration from racial groups other than white European and engages some contemporary statistics for reflection.

Session 5: Japanese internment. Revisits the response from Canadian authorities to Japanese Canadians during WWII and anti-Asian racism as it is experienced today.

Session 6: The Black experience. In the shadow of the Black Lives Matter movement, this session seeks to expose the experience of Black people in the province, both historically and in contemporary BC.

Session 7: Conclusion: where to now?, This session will complete the series, but it is also the beginning of our next steps on this journey.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) is one of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) flagship events, and many parishes in our diocese participate in some form in the WPCU.

In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held every year between January 18 (the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter) and January 25 (the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul). In the southern hemisphere, it is often celebrated during the Pentecost season. Your communities are invited to choose the dates that would be appropriate for your context.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

In the Gospel of John, Christ prays for his disciples before going to the cross. He asks that his followers “may all be one,” as he and the Father are one, “so that the world may believe” and have life in his name (John 17). Christian unity is here made central to the very being of the church and to its mission and witness.

Today, we live with divisions even as we yearn for the unity promised and commissioned by Christ. The long and often painful history of Christianity has sundered our churches for theological, liturgical, and political reasons. Many Christians now strive to heal these divisions, yet honour our diversity, through ecumenical dialogue, common action, and relationship-building. They also come together to pray for unity, joining Christ in his prayer to the Father.

The worldwide celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is both the seed and and the fruit of this striving for ‘unity in diversity’. This time of shared prayer, reflection, and fellowship invites Christians of different traditions to deepen our relationships and to live and witness together throughout the year.

RESOURCES

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity website
A talk by Rev. Dr. Rima Nasrallah (The Middle East Council of Churches), who connects the theme of this year's WPCU to the plight of Christians in the Middle East today and the broader challenges and opportunities of following Christ in today's world of upheaval and uncertainty. I have been thinking about this talk since she first gave it in November and I know I'm not alone!
The listing of local WPCU services across Canada, whether in person or livestreamed. We are always adding more services as we receive info from local churches.
Two hymn videos to share if you know local organizers. These videos are nice to listen to on their own, and were specifically posted for use by folks planning local services:
- "Between Darkness and Light"
- "There is No Child"