Greetings in the name of our Lord – I write this while I am on a time of Retreat. As part of my self-guided Retreat, I am reading a book titled – ‘Humble Leadership – Being Radically Open to God’s Guidance and Grace’. The author, Graham Standish is an experienced pastor who leads a church that devotes itself to ‘following Christ through prayer and spirituality’.

In some ways, it echoes some of my recent thinking and in others it is a profoundly challenging read / reflect. Like the writer of the foreword to the book Diana Butler-Bass, whose writing I greatly value, this book makes me set it down after reading a chapter. I had intended to read a chapter in the morning and one in the afternoon and so in my time away, I would complete my retreat journey with this book. It turned out that I need the time to process the material held in each chapter and to understand the ways his ideas are challenging me to change. This book will take a little longer than I had planned.

In recent years, I have at times expressed the opinion that our current social climate lacks a significant expression of humility. Many of our leaders are convinced that there is no need for such an attitude in their dealings with those whom they meet. Standish, takes us through the Old Testament, reminding us that we are formed of the earth, created out of adamah, or dirt. That means that for us to become truly human, we need to recognize our earthiness, our dirt-iness, our creation from dust. Second, he reminds the reader that the qualities we possess are a gift from God that come from God’s Spirit breathed into us.

And so in Genesis we find that there is there present humility. It is an awareness and appreciation of the fact that we are made of earth and Spirit. The humble person then sees her / his abilities as a gift from God, not as personal greatness. As the season of Lent approaches, I ask you each to consider whether or not individually or collectively, we are a community that offers its life to the world with an abiding sense of humility. I know that this examination will be a part of my personal journey into and through the Season of Lent.

With prayer for blessings and peace, 

Bryan 

Exploring the Kingship of Jesus during Epiphanytide - January 28th 2024

Celebrant:

The Rev. Bryan Beveridge

Readings:

DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20;

PSALM 111;

1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-13;

MARK 1:21-28

Hymns:

Come, Now This Is The Time To Worship - Link

Are All Welcome - Link

Ancient Words - Link

This is The Day - Link

As the Deer - Link

Refiners Fire - Link

Bless The Lord (10 000 Reasons) - Link

Readers:  Virginia, Theresa and Gwen

Greeter:  Liz

Pianist:  Deborah

Check your email (and your spam folder) this week for a survey that is being done to complete the Parish Profile. The email should have arrived Tuesday evening from “Laurie at St. Michael’s”. The survey is about 20 questions followed by a “Comments” box.
If you receive the email, please complete the survey online as it will automatically compile the results. Your quick response will help us complete our work.
If St. Michael’s does not have your email address, paper copies are available in the office. The results will be added to the online data manually. Please note that if there are two people in the church records with one email address, one person will need to complete a paper copy.
Thank you for your cooperation with this important work. We look forward to sharing the results with you.

The Diocese of Calgary sends out a e-newsletter every two weeks. To view their most recent newsletter click the button below.

King Charles the Martyr, or Charles, King and Martyr, is a title of Charles I, who was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 until his execution on 30 January 1649. The title is used by high church Anglicans who regard Charles's execution as a martyrdom. His feast day in the Anglican calendar of saints is 30 January,^[1] the anniversary of his execution in 1649. The cult of Charles the Martyr was historically popular with Tories. The observance was one of several "state services" removed in 1859 from the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. There remain some churches and parishes dedicated to Charles the Martyr, and his cult is maintained by some Anglo-Catholic societies, including the Society of King Charles the Martyr founded in 1894 and the Royal Martyr Church Union founded in 1906.

Many thanks to Dr. Michael Haskins who fixed and repainted the Font Lid. It looks like new!

You are warmly welcomed to attend the Men's Retreat at Mount St. Francis from Friday Feb 2 ,anytime from 5 pm, to Sunday Feb 4 after lunch.

Mount St Francis Retreat is a very peaceful and welcoming place surrounded by the beauty of nature. It is operated by the Franciscans, a Roman Catholic religious community. The week-end silent retreats begin with supper Friday evening and end with lunch on Sunday. It is a wonderful opportunity for spiritual rejuvenation and perspective, deepening one’s faith and relationship with God.  All are welcomed no matter one’s religious affiliation.

The theme of the retreat is: All Things Made New!  St. Francis of Assisi rejoiced in both the splendor and the humility of God that was reflected in creation, the nativity and the cross and resurrection. The compassion he encountered from God and shared with others led him to express joy in his praises of the Most High God. This caused his heart to be made new. As we ponder these insights of St. Francis may our hearts also be made new and filled with joy.There are presentations related to the theme, and lots of time for personal reflection, prayer, and walks on the 500+ acre grounds.  

Please feel free to contact Ken Hagel at 7milagro8gmail.com  if you have further questions, and to register for the retreat. 

Ken hopes that you can attend and enjoy “re-charging your batteries” and gaining a joyful heart over a peaceful weekend.

The Diocese of Calgary ACW Invites you to a Zoom Hymn Sing, our Theme for February is “Christian Life”.

Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 pm

Please register at:
dioceseofcalgaryacw@gmail.com
or phone: 403-734-2130

Tuesdays 3pm to 5 pm, and Wednesdays 4 pm to 6 pm.

Pop in to St Michaels Church for a moment of peace and tranquility. A time to pray, meditate, knit or read. A time to come and relax in your favourite pew and enjoy the beauty of the historic church. All are welcome!

Calendars finally arrived. They are $7 each this year, sorry, but what a beautiful pictures.  We have five left currently. 

Food and Friends has a new way to sign up as a volunteer. Opportunities are listed through July 31.

There are lots of openings available. The Food and Friends program is a great way to contribute to a St. Michael’s outreach program and to the community. Consider signing up for one or more weeks by clicking the button.

Choose an open activity, hit Save and Continue and enter your email address and phone number.