Ralph Connor Memorial
United Church
Weekly
Kindly submit your Newsletter items to office@ralphconnor.ca by Thursday at 11:00 AM
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John 14:2
"In my Father's house are many rooms"
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Friday, May 15, 2020
FOR THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP
We cannot come together in person, but are delighted to invite you to join us - online - for worship on the Ralph Connor YouTube Channel, posted by 10 AM Sunday each week at the same link
Scripture Lesson for Sunday, May 17 is
John 14: 1-21
Although “phase 1” of the Alberta re-launch started on May 14th, most of the changes that will allow us to worship in person in familiar ways are several weeks away: gathering more than one-third of our usual attendance, relaxing the 2 metre distancing, singing together, shaking hands or hugging, having coffee time, etc.
As we continue to organize online Worship services, we’re looking for your participation and input:
- If you have favourite hymns or sacred/Christian music that you'd like to hear, perhaps as a prelude or postlude… or if you’ve got a solo or duet you’d like to share…contact Tanya., Now that our services are shared to the world via YouTube, many hymns and anthems have copyright restrictions, but we'll do what we can!
- If you’d like to share in scripture readings, prayers, or meditations/reflections, contact Greg.
- If you have a talent for photography, or video editing, or Zoom hosting, or are keen to learn, contact Greg.
Wednesday night Evensong at 7:15 pm,
is being done as a live “Zoom” event – watc
h for your Monday/Tuesday Evensong email for details. (And if you don’t receive the Evensong email, contact
jan.tissandier@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list!!)
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RCMUC now has
two
prayer circles! If you know of someone that is going through difficult times and would like to be included in our prayers, please contact
Sue Nichols
403-678-7025
or
We request that the person gives consent to have their name mentioned in prayer as privacy/confidentiality is of utmost importance. We also would appreciate knowing when the situation changes and we can release them from our prayers or update the prayer to a changing need.
Tuesday Morning Prayer
Each Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM, we hold a virtual "Morning Prayer" service via Zoom. f you would like to join this service next Tuesday morning, please email Rev. Greg,
minister@ralphconnor.ca
and he will send you the Zoom meeting ID and password.
Healing Pathway Prayer Circle
During this time Healing Pathway members are remaining active by meeting several times a week on the Zoom video communication app. Our thanks go to Val Goodrow for initiating and leading this time when the healing intention of the Divine is held so lovingly.
God bless you and hold you all during this time of change in our lives.
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FUNDING OUR MISSION
a Message from your Stewardship Committee
A heartfelt thank you to RCMUC friends for your generosity during these challenging times. We continue to receive an outpouring of kindnesses and generosity, which helps us to pay our ongoing expenses and reach out to others in our community.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) - this is a great help in providing predictable income each month for RCMUC. A link to sign up for PAR is found at the bottom of this Newsletter.
We appreciate the additional donations that have been coming in since mid-March; contributions may be made by any of the following methods:
- An eTransfer is the easiest and quickest of all and without fees or nominal fees, sent to office@ralphconnor.ca
- the DONATE NOW button - found on the front page of the ralphconnor.ca website, and linked at the bottom of this page, is an easy way to help our cashflow stay healthy.
- A cheque in the mail will also be warmly received.
Donations will be assumed to be a donation to "general funds" unless otherwise indicated.
Thank you, all, for your continued support of the ministry of Ralph Connor Memorial United Church.
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CONGRATULATIONS to Sevan and Leon Gower on the birth of their daughter, Sofia Gower, born early May 14th. Virtual hugs go out to all, including grandparents Sarkis and Eklas.
Many members of our “Care Contact” phone team met on Wednesday - see Zoom screenshot at the top of this Newsletter - to connect with one another and plan for future calls. An ongoing thank you to our "Care Contact" phoners and "Care Courier" errand/delivery team, for doing such wonderful outreach in keeping us connected to one another. If you are showing any cold/flu symptoms at all and need something from the store, please do not “pop out” to get it. Let us know what you need (via Greg or the Office or your Care Contact) and we will arrange a Care Courier to bring it to you.
If you are not on one of our contact lists and would like to be added, just send a note to Barb Profitt at
bprofitt@shaw.ca and she will add you to a list.
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Each day at
7:00 PM
, communities around the world are expressing their thanks to front-line personnel. You are invited to join in this! Step out onto your balcony or deck and
make some happy sounds in appreciation
of the efforts made by medical personnel and others providing essential services. You will hear that the bells of
RCMUC
and St. Michael's Anglican are happily ringing,
7 days a week.
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Although it will be a while before we are making desserts for Food & Friends...and a while before CYAN hosts its monthly meals...we will be more than ready when those days come. A new stove and range hood have been purchased, due to
a generous $1400 Community Grant from the Rotary Club of Canmore.
Many thanks!!
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While we miss gathering in person in the Sanctuary, these unusual days of distancing have given us the opportunity to get some work done! Our Historic Sanctuary has received a fresh paint job, and while the pews are out it gives us a unique opportunity to re-finish the hardwood floors.
While this expense is not in the budget, we are going ahead with this job
with hopes that extra donations will come in, to cover the costs. Thank you in advance! More on this project in coming weeks.
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Ongoing Ministries
& Community Programs
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Canmore Young Adult Network - CYAN
with hundreds of followers: CYAN’s Facebook page also has a great collection of information regarding employment, and government support benefit programs.
Bow Valley Syria Refugee Project - BVSRP
The BVSRP remains in close contact with Dana and Wa'ill, who remain in Malaysia until international travel restrictions are lifted. We look forward to welcoming them into the Canmore community.
Community Food & Friends
RCMUC has been a partner in Community Food & Friends since its inception in 2013. To have a meal delivered at suppertime Monday, book through
foodandfriends2020@gmail.com
no later than Sunday night, indicating your name, address, contact phone number, number of meals needed, and SPECIFIC instructions on finding your door (or your ability to meet the driver at the car or the door). Many thanks to the Iron Goat restaurant for their generous assistance; many other local businesses are also contributing to the cause, as noted on the "Canmore Food and Friends" Facebook page. To donate to Food & Friends (see their FB page; to volunteer as a driver, contact the email address above!
Community Groups at RCMUC
Both the Alpine Voices Threshold Choir and "High Strung" Ukulele groups
have continued to gather online via Zoom. If you or someone you know would like to be held in the Threshold Choir's circle of song, please email Jan at
jan.tissandier@gmail.com
and if you'd like more information about the Ukulele group, contact Donna or Marsh Kennedy at
dmkennedy11@gmail.com
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Soup for the Soul
Many thanks to the Malcolm Hotel for their "soup for the soul" program, which provided hot lunches while raising $10,000 for the Bow Valley Food Bank.
Today
(Friday, May 15
) is its final day,
as local food establishments gear up for the next phase of reopening to the public.
Other Initiatives
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Opportunities for Learning & Reflection
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Ralph Connor Gatherings on Zoom
If you have been missing good conversation with your friends at Ralph Connor, here is a way to deal with that: two Ralph Connor Gatherings on Zoom:
Each gathering will:
No cost other than your time and energy. Feel free to invite a friend.
To allow Ruben to plan please register in advance for each meeting at the links above. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Ruben Nelson: 404-609-1016 or
rubennelson@shaw.ca
Do come.
Festival of Homiletics
One course coming up this coming week, from May 18-22, is the annual Festival of Homiletics. This year's topic is, "Preaching a New Earth: Climate and Creation". If you would like to participate in this event Register for free, sign up here:
https://www.festivalofhomiletics.com/register then let Greg know you have registered! On Monday, May 18 at 1:00 PM we’ll Zoom together to discuss content we have seen, and to decide if we want to do further Zoom gatherings.
Does the United Church have a ‘Skunk Works’?
A Skunk Works is an innovative group of people dedicated to trying things out that have never been done before and are outside the normal operations in the sponsoring organization.
Yes we do! The UCC skunk works is called “Embracing the Spirit.”
They funded our venture with CYAN. They are doing remarkable things across and beyond Canada, within and beyond the church. The United Church of Canada is one of the few churches in the world to create and support such a team of adventurers whose sole job is to “fish on the other side of the boat.” They also have a national advisory group called, the Gaggle. Ruben Nelson is a member. You can sign up for their free newsletter here:
You can also learn with them. In June, they are offering a multi-week, virtual workshop called “The Theory of Change.” You will learn to think more systematically about how things change… and therefore, how to be more effective in changing things. If you are interested send a note to Chris Rotolo:
chrisrotolo@gmail.com
No cost, other than your time and energy. Just tell him you are with RCMUC, the folks who sponsor CYAN.
Ethical Dilemmas Series
This series is co-sponsored by two United Church congregations in Calgary: McDougall, and Hillhurst. For the Zoom link for the following two Wednesday night Zoom sessions, 7-9 pm, contact Tony Snow:
tony.snow@hillhurstunited.com
- MAY 20: UNDERSTANDING RACISM AND ANTI-RACISM – presented by the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
- MAY 27: CONVERSION THERAPY AND LGBTQ ACTIVISM – presented by Pam Rocker and Keith Murray.
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Many thanks to Robin Slater for offering "Robin's Web" as a feature in our Newsletter, as part of our efforts to be a more broadly inclusive Community of Faith.
ROBIN'S WEB
CONNECTING DIVERSITY
Cyclic change. We pivoted first to physical distancing, became comfortable with on-line connections and having the world on our computer and now the world is holding its collective breath as we open the circle again. Who knows how many times the in-out rhythm will occur but hopefully we will carry the lessons of each shift with us into the next stage of humanity. The image I have is of The Whirling Dervishes, a Sufi order of mystic Islam who are known for their practice of spinning as a way of remembering of God thru a form of physically, active meditation. As we go forward each tradition is conscious of what we have learned, what we will carry forward and how expressions of faith will change. A new circle….
Coming to a living room near you: The 22nd
Annual Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival May 14—24! There will be 38 films from 14 countries that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be able to gather with the people in your home and chat online with friends all while watching new, innovative and unabashedly queer stories!
https://xerb.tv/channel/ftff/virtual-events
The next Baha’i Spiritual Conversation Corner will consider: What is the world learning from our global pandemic experience that we don't want to forget? How are these lessons reflected in spiritual principles and teachings? On Tuesday, May 26, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm by Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86800754222?pwd=NFZVQ1lhVW1HUWtKR0JoWEplZFl4dz09 Meeting ID: 868 0075 4222 Password: 027248
Pope Francis offered a morning Mass for the homeless, noting how these days of “sorrow and sadness” are bringing to light problems that are often hidden from view. He mentioned a photo in the day’s newspaper that shows the homeless sleeping on the cold pavement of a parking lot. His message for going forward is: Be Not Afraid,
https://youtu.be/RF0DIpFOoBg
Dreams by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow
As we shift, here are: 7 Difficult But Simple Buddhist Habits That Will Change Your Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eytfr21V5Ok
We may have globally reset to a new balance that Father Cyprian Consiglio lives continually. He is the prior of the New Camalodi Hermitage in Big Sur, Calif., a community of 16 hermits who try to spend half of their day in community work and the other half in personal prayer and study. Their World Prayer for Peace is particularly appropriate for these times:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWOLElXWqkY https://youtu.be/IWOLElXWqkY
The Wisdom Centre 2 Minute Sermon on May 13 continues these reflections with Wayne Stewart reflecting on shopping and how we all need to simplify! Yes, some of the stores are opening again soon but maybe we've learned something over the past months of
shopping less.
https://vimeo.com/417814664
An idea for homeschooling: An Irish school trades homework for acts of
kindness. The policy helps children focus what is truly important in life. They do it at Christmas time but I think it might be a way to keep children from bolting in this glorious season-shift. The idea is to highlight the need for kids to think of others and look after themselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic allows an opening of the "Overton Window" wherein the opportunity for new policies, structures and even shared mindsets is available to us, to re-think, re-imagine and re-deploy how we address or invest in social good. These are some of the sites worth visiting:
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OFFICE CONTACTS
The Church Offices are closed, but emails and phone messages will be retrieved Tuesday-Friday. Note: You may still use letter mail via Canada Post, or drop mail off at the church side entrance. Mail is picked up and distributed weekly.
Administration: Trish Campney
Minister: Rev. Greg Wooley
To print a
Preauthorized Remittance Form
To print a
Cheque Requisition Form
To make a donation to RCMUC through the
"Canada Helps" organization
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Ralph Connor Memorial United Church
617 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta, T1W 2B1
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