E-Connections (February 17)

Dear Friends,

Today marks the beginning of Lent. Perhaps you don’t feel like observing a particularly strict Lent this year – we are collectively fasting from many things already, longing for that fast to end. So while I don’t necessarily suggest giving up all of the things that are bringing you comfort through this long winter (unless you feel so called!), I would invite you to mark this season of prayer and penitence, the long wait for the joy of Easter. The three traditional Lenten practices are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. If fasting doesn’t feel quite possible, how can you turn your attention to prayer and generous giving?

I’d invite you to join in the Cathedral’s Lenten series on prayer. I’ll be hosting a series of conversations between three experienced pray-ers: Suzette Cayless, Bishop Michael Bedford Jones, and Archbishop Colin Johnson. They are people whose lives have been formed and transformed by prayer, and they have a great deal of experience in teaching and guiding others. Together we’ll be talking about prayer for the world, prayer for ourselves, and prayer in the fellowship of the church. In each session we will also do some active praying, and suggest prayer practices for the days ahead. I hope you’ll join us for what I think will be nourishing conversation. More information in the announcements below.

You may also have noticed some small additions to the Sunday intercessions: we’ve added prayers for other dioceses in the Anglican Communion, for ministries of our own Cathedral parish, and for the outreach ministries of other parishes in our diocese. While we’re planning to continue this practice indefinitely, I hope you’ll join us in beginning to pray for those ministries every week in Lent—they’ll be added to the Sunday leaflet.

Prayer gives voice to our longings, and places them in God’s hands. “Oh Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you,” the poet cries in Psalm 38. May this Lent draw you deeper into the knowledge of the God for whom we wait, the God whom we trust will answer.

In Christ,
Claire

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE

There will be an Ash Wednesday service live-streamed from the Cathedral today at 12:30pm. Bishop Andrew Asbil will preach and preside. Due to the pandemic, there will be no imposition of ashes. This year’s practice, which will invite everyone to trace the sign of the cross on their forehead with the Bishop, will be explained at the beginning of the Ash Wednesday service. You can watch the live-stream of the service on the Diocesan Facebook page (you don’t need an account to watch). For the service leaflet, click here.

SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR

Join us for Virtual Coffee Hour on Zoom each Sunday at 12:15pm! If you have not already registered to attend, send an email to the office by Friday at noon and you will receive the link each week to join Coffee Hour following the liturgy. Bring along your favourite coffee, tea, or other refreshment!

CONNECTING WITH ST. JAMES

• Sunday: Live-stream liturgy at 11:00am on the Diocesan Facebook page
• Virtual Coffee Hour: Sundays at 12:15pm; email the office to receive the link
• Sermon Discussion Group on Zoom: Mondays at 10:00am; email the office to receive the link
• Morning Prayer: Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the Cathedral Facebook page; you can also find them posted on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel
• Virtual Hymn Sing on Zoom: Email irenecourage105@gmail.com to receive information, dates, and the link; the next sessions take place on Wednesday, February 24 at 4:00pm and Tuesday March 2 at 7:30pm

PASTORAL CARE

Lockdown can be a lonely experience for many members of the Cathedral. Not only does it take away the opportunity for in-person worship, it adds the burdens of isolation and disconnectedness to so many who live alone. If you know anyone who would benefit from a call from our pastoral care team, please be in touch with Canon Beth Benson at bbenson@stjamescathedral.ca.

AN UPDATE ON THE REVEREND ANDREW MACDONALD

In November, it was announced that Fr. Andrew MacDonald had been “seconded” by Bishop Jenny Andison to serve as Interim Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene, until further notice. We have now received news that Fr. Andrew has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of St. Nicholas, Birch Cliff beginning May 1, 2021. Sadly for us, this means that Fr. Andrew will not be returning to the Cathedral. We wish Andrew, Martha, and Beatrice well in this new adventure! We will miss you!

ORGAN RECITALS

St. James Cathedral has presented lunchtime organ recitals on Tuesdays for many years. We are delighted that these concerts will be resuming on the first Tuesday of each month, at 1:00pm starting in March. The concerts will be presented via FaceBook live, allowing everyone to have an excellent view of the instrument and performer.

The organ is a fine four manual instrument dating from 1863, composed of four manuals and 5,100 pipes. Further details are available on the Cathedral website.

Organ Recital Schedule
Tuesdays at 1:00pm via Facebook

March 2: Thomas Bell (St. James Cathedral)
April 6: Aaron James (Holy Family Roman Catholic Church and University of Toronto)
May 4: Hanné Becker (PhD candidate in organ performance University of Toronto)
June 1: Rashaan Allwood (St. Ansgar Lutheran Church)

Season of Lent

FAMILY CALENDAR FOR LENT

Looking for ways to practice Lent as a family with young children? The Cathedral is offering access to an illustrated Lenten Calendar, with ideas for activities, projects and ways to pray through the Lenten season. Send Claire an email at clatimerdennis@stjamescathedral.ca for access.

COMPLINE DURING LENT

The Cathedral will be offering a brief, live-streamed Service of Compline on Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm during Lent, beginning February 24. You can access the service on the Cathedral’s Facebook page.

LENTEN SERIES: PRAYER IN AN ANXIOUS TIME

Join Archbishop Colin Johnson, Bishop Michael Bedford Jones, and Suzette Cayless, for a series of panel discussions on the topic of prayer in a time of heightened anxiety. The conversations will take place on Zoom on February 25, March 11, and March 25, at 7:00pm. If you’re interested in joining, please email Claire at clatimerdennis@stjamescathedral.ca for the link. Interested participants are also invited to share questions they have about prayer ahead of time, which you can do by filling out this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G9PTKCZ

CREATION CARE FAST RESOURCE CREATED FOR LENT 

The Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care has produced a resource for Anglicans who want to undertake a fast during Lent that focuses on creation and issues related to the climate crisis. A Fast for the Earth: Lent 2021 provides a fast for each week of Lent, which begins on February 17 and ends on April 3. It begins with a meat fast followed by a consumption fast, a food waste fast, a water fast, an injustice fast, an electricity fast and an ignorance fast. It concludes with a resurrection feast for Easter on April 4. Find the resource here. 

LEARNING THROUGH LENT WITH PWRDF: DAILY REFLECTIONS

Registration is now open for PWRDF’s daily Lenten emails. In this year’s Lenten resource, with the focus on Creation Care: Climate Action, PWRDF is seeking to lift up the stories of its partners and invite Canadian Anglicans to learn, reflect and act both through PWRDF and through broader ecumenical initiatives. Through scripture, reflections and prayers, they invite us into the story of Lent, the story of God’s created order, and the stories of PWRDF’s partners. You can register to receive the daily emails here. For further information and more Lenten resources, visit their website here.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History Month. Throughout the month, we celebrate and give thanks for the presence and contribution of Black members and leaders of our Cathedral and the wider community. To learn about Anglican events to mark this month, including the annual Diocesan Black Heritage Service on Sunday, February 28 at 4:00pm (see details below), please see the Black Anglicans of Canada website or follow Black Anglicans of Canada on Facebook. We will also share events via our own Facebook page as we are made aware of them.

DIOCESAN BLACK HERITAGE SERVICE

The Diocese’s annual Black heritage service will be held on Zoom on Sunday, February 28 at 4:00pm. The theme, “God’s People: Grounded in Faith, Filled with Hope, Called to Action,” reflects the context of the Anglican Church’s response to the issue of anti-Black racism and bias. A new feature of the celebration will be a moderated dialogue between Bishop Andrew Asbil and two young members of Black Anglicans of Canada, Aleshia Johnson and Brittany Hudson. You can register for the service here.

VESTRY MEETING – SAVE THE DATE 

The Annual Vestry Meeting will be held on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 1:30pm via Zoom. Further information will follow soon. Stay tuned!

GET COOKING WITH PWRDF

Join former Director of PWRDF’s Development Partnership Program Zaida Bastos as she shares stories and recipes from PWRDF partners around the world. From the Philippines to Burundi, Tanzania to Cuba, partners share their tables and invite you into their culinary stories. In her own words, “Sharing food with partners made me feel that I tasted a slice of their lives”. With a minimum gift of $25 per cookbook, you can receive your copy. To find out more please visit the website at pwrdf.org or call Mike Ziemerink at 416-822-9083.

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP 

We are exceedingly grateful to those of you who continue to support us financially. If you would like to make a donation, here are the ways to do that:

• Mail a cheque to 65 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2E9.
• Use the ‘Donate’ button on our website.
• You can now hand-deliver your offerings to the Cathedral Centre: A secure mailbox has been mounted in the Church Street vestibule at the entrance of the doors at 65 Church Street. The doors are open from 9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday – Friday.
• Sign up for Pre-Authorized monthly giving, thus ensuring a vital stream of income for the Cathedral. Please note that at any time you can stop or change the PAG amount by emailing the office.
• Make a gift of securities (see details here).
• We are delighted to have a QR code for donating electronically which you will find in all bulletins. Simply scan with your phone camera and donate! You can also donate here.

STAYING CONNECTED

We invite you to continue to link to the Cathedral’s website or Facebook page for updates, Morning Prayer, service listings and inspirational messages. Thank you for your love and support during this period in the life of St. James. Please remember, you are not alone.

Blessings and peace to you all,
The Very Reverend Stephen Vail, Rector of St. James Cathedral & Dean of Toronto
Don Solomon & Jayne Hobbs, Wardens
svail@stjamescathedral.ca
wardens@stjamescathedral.ca