In the days before the pandemic, the last week of June would mean the end of the academic – or activity – year. Not so this year: At St. Andrew’s, we return not just to thank God and be nourished as His/Her/Their family on Sundays, but other activities are resuming too. This week, we saw […]
This week, Rev. Joanne explored Jesus’ trip across the lake to an area no upstanding Jewish citizen would ever venture: In Luke 8, Jesus goes to Gadarenes, located on the east side of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. There the people were Gentiles and they raised and ate pork. The […]
There are defining moments in all our lives, and in the life of the Christian church, Pentecost is acknowledged as its birthday. Just step back in time and imagine you’re going to a festival, a cultural and community event that attracted people from far away. In our times, think of perhaps Kempenfest, which celebrates the […]
In the pre-pandemic days, St. Andrew’s choir would, every year, sing Walk Softly in Springtime. A gentle hymn of praise and appreciation for the beauty the Creator gives us each day, the hymn is written by Canadian Edna Grant. Have a listen with this choir at https://youtu.be/TmQ-jlaYha4 or sing it yourself by folllowing the lyrics that […]
This past holiday weekend, as a horrible storm went through Ontario, it snapped and uprooted trees, cut power for thousands of people, and tragically, resulted in some people dying. The first long weekend of the unofficial Canadian summer season began beautifully, with bright blue skies and summer-like temperatures, perfect for enjoying gardening or time outdoors […]
In many of our communities and churches, we have territorial acknowledgements that often include a phrase about moving forward in a spirit of reconciliation and respect. It is a statement of our commitment to acknowledge not only the lands of the Indigenous peoples and their way of life but our commitment to understand the trauma […]
Inclusivity. It matters. Because it matters to Jesus. And to His disciples, including Peter, who shares the good news of Jesus’ saving love and power with the Gentiles, a group that the religious establishment didn’t exactly embrace. Jesus’ commandment is a simple one – or so it might seem upon first reading. Love one another […]
Earlier this week, there were 150 tents pitched along Lakeshore Drive in Barrie. It wasn’t a kid’s camping event, unfortunately. It was an awareness initiative of the housing crisis we face in Barrie. Everyone knows how expensive it is to own and to rent in the city. Barrie ranks 6th in Canada in April 2022, […]
Today at St. Andrew’s we celebrated our 173rd anniversary. Our faith community dates back to September 1843, when a group of Presbyterians began worshipping together. Our sanctuary, located kitty-corner from Barrie Public Library’s downtown branch, opened on Feb. 15, 1883. Before that, we met in the Wesleyan Methodist chapel and then our own, first building, […]
This week, St. Andrew’s began its life-long learning series that focuses on healing and reconciliation. United Church of Canada Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator Lori Ransom – an Indigenous woman who also serves as an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in Canada – talked about relationships. The relationships predate residential schools, which date to […]