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St. Helen’s Covid-19 Response – July – August 2020

A Service for the Thirteenth Sunday of Pentecost – August 30, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Thirteenth Sunday of Pentecost. The choir provides an offering of the song “Let There Be Light” by Frances Wheeler Davis and Robert J. B. Fleming.

A Notice for St. Helen’s Parishioners – August 25, 2020

Members of St. Helen’s:  Our prayer is that you and your loved ones are well. We are now positioning ourselves for partial reopening in September with our first in-person worship service to take place at 10 AM on Sunday, September 13th, St. Helen’s Day.   Information about preregistering (to a maximum of 45 people) and what to expect will be forthcoming. Please note that all plans are tentative and subject to change.  

No parish groups or events, will be meeting in the church for the time being.

Calendars: Please note that we will not be ordering 2021 Anglican Church Calendars
You can make your own order online:  
https://anglican.gilmore.ca/stores/anglican/en/product/c69035ee-9f13-48ac-a04c-86e8f0e28f2b:
By  Email: acc@gilmore.ca
By phone: Gilmore Global at 1-800-795-6661

A Service for the Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost – August 23, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost. Emmaus provides an offering of the song “In the Beauty of Holiness” by Robin Mark.

A Service for the Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost – August 16, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost. The choir provides an offering of the song “We Lay Our Broken World” Text by Anna Briggs, Music by Kenneth George Finlay

An August Reflection

By The Rev. Kay Richardson, Honourary Assistant at St. Helen’s

In August we find ourselves at the end of summer. I always find this to be the end of one phase of the year, with a new phase beginning in September. 2020 has been a year like no other, with a cold spring, a very hot July with little rain. Now we are entering our harvest time and I have been watching to see how the harvest manifests itself in this difficult year. All I can say right now is, it is happening. We have cherry tomatoes ripening, and so far our basil plant is doing well. The fall flowers are making an appearance and we have seen some corn in the stores.  Perhaps are gardens and our farms will produce a decent harvest in spite of all the difficulties we have been encountering.

As well as harvest time, I have often found August a time of waiting and reflecting as well as a time of looking forward to Fall, and the beginning of the school year and the many activities that begin again at this time. This year is no exception. We don’t know how the school year is going to shape up yet, and how our church is going to open remains to be developed. Yet, there is much to ponder at this time. It is not just the planting and harvesting of our gardens that we can examine; we can also use this time to look at our own lives to consider what we have been sowing, and observing what we are beginning to reap now.

We can see result of our labours in our gardens and in any projects that we have finished, or are finishing. For instance, I have been noticing that many have been putting up fences or have put up new ones this summer. People have been painting and remodeling. Those projects are visible and tangible. But there are other things that may take a little more time to notice. These are questions I have been asking myself as the season progresses:  Have I been sowing peace, and joy, and love? Have I been taking care of the relationships in my life? Relationships need attention and care. If we are to have peace in our hearts we have to have lived peace. Perhaps it is as the Prayer of St. Francis which expresses this best:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love

For it is in giving that we receive-
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

May we harvest lives full of love, peace and joy; now, and in the weeks and months to come; trusting that God is with us in the midst everything that we encounter.

A Service for the Tenth Sunday of Pentecost – August 9, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Tenth Sunday of Pentecost. Emmaus provides an offering of the song “Jesus” by Chris Tomlin and Ed Cash.

Explosion in Beirut

Please pray for the people of Lebanon as they face the devastating  impact of the explosion in Beirut on Tuesday, August 4: Pray for the victims and all who grieve, for those not yet found, for all in hospital and their families. Pray for the rescue teams, for all medical help and for humanitarian aid to be forthcoming. See World Council of Churches #WCC #PrayForLebanon #Beirut Explosion

The Diocese of Ottawa has, for many years, treasured a special relationship with the Diocese of Jerusalem, which includes the country of Lebanon. Yesterday’s horrific explosion in Beirut occurred very near the site of All Saints Anglican Church, located downtown. As we await news from the parish, I commend the following prayer to you, from the Church of England:

Merciful God,
be with the people of Lebanon today.
Comfort all who are distressed and anxious,
protect the emergency services,
restore the injured to health,
and abide with all who mourn,
for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

A Service for the Ninth Sunday of Pentecost – August 2, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Ninth Sunday of Pentecost. The choir provides an offering of the song “More Than We Can Ask or Imagine”, Text: Gordon Light and Music: Melody Gordon Light, arranged by Andrew Donaldson.

A Service for the Eighth Sunday of Pentecost – July 26, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Eighth Sunday of Pentecost. Emmaus provides an offering of the song “Lord I Need You” by J Reeves, K Stanfill, M Maher, C Noclels and D Carson. Recorded June 19, 2019 at the Ottawa Anglican Cursillo’s outdoor summer prayer and praise service.

A Service for the Seventh Sunday of Pentecost – July 19, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Seventh Sunday of Pentecost. The choir provides an offering of the song “The Trumpets Sound, the Angels Sing” by Graham Kendrick.

A Service for the Sixth Sunday of Pentecost

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Sixth Sunday of Pentecost. Emmaus provides an offering of the song “Thrive” by Matthew West and Mark Hall.

A Virtual Camino Continued

by The Rev. Kay Richardson

Our return from Florida was a three day drive with two nights. All my walking during the trip was walking between the car and our hotel or food stops along the way. When we arrived at home, we were in quarantine for two weeks. During that time all my walking was within the house. This included walking up and down three flights of stairs and through all the rooms along the way. You could say that this was the most mountainous part of my Camino. I walk up and down the stairs every day, but during the quarantine, that was my exercise, so I did a lot more stairs than when I can walk outside.

During this time we could observe everything that was going on outside our windows. We arrived home on March 19 in the evening, and at that time it was still very snowy, as you can see by the picture I took from an upstairs window. Over those two weeks the snow largely disappeared.

 We also observed bunnies, especially in the back yard, and the robins started arriving. As time progressed, we observed spring slowly (oh so slowly) arriving.

Following the quarantine, it became possible to walk outside once again, mostly in our own neighbourhood. The lockdown was still in effect, and the parking lots at most parks where there are trails were closed, so walking near home was the best plan. Brian often walked with me, usually once a day. On my part, I usually walked twice, when possible. As you can see from the pictures, when I began walking, the trees were still bare, so I got to observe all the leaves coming out, and other plants coming to life. It was joyful walking through my area, seeing as much as I could notice.  There were many robins, some crows, grackles, and other birds.

Brian saw a family of racoons going through our neighbourhood.  Neighbors were cleaning out their cars, then their garages, and as time on, people were gathering outside on their lawns (distancing, of course). 

My Virtual Camino ended on Tuesday, May 26, which was a very hot day, going up to 33 degrees. It was time to reflect on the Camino and decide what to do next. The Camino brought me many blessings: I got into a new habit of walking every day, when possible. I developed a lovely relationship with my guide, Catherine Cromey. I saw spring arrive, and was able to see and talk to my neighbours who were out and about and distancing. This was also an opportunity to have some time for myself. It seems easier to reflect on things when I am walking than when I am sitting. It was a blessing to see all the beauty that surrounds us here in our own neighbourhood. And what will come next? I hope to continue the walking as long as I am able. Right now, in the immediate future, my next project is to pay attention to family as much as possible, now that we can gather, and we are still struggling with this awful pandemic. Finally, I pray for Blessings for all of you in all of your endeavours in the coming days and weeks. My you see God’s beauty all around you.

In This Together – The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s COVID-19 Plan (Version 1.0)

On July 7, 2020, the Rt. Rev. Shane A.D. Parker, Bishop of Ottawa, has authorized the release of In This Together, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s COVID-19 Plan (Version 1.0). The plan includes a letter from Bishop Parker, a very detailed plan for the gradual reopening of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s worship spaces and a checklist for parish leaders within each congregation to help them through the plan.

A Service for the Fifth Sunday of Pentecost – July 5, 2020

The Ven. Susan Churchill-Lackey and the Rev. Canon Peter Lackey provide a service for the Fifth Sunday of Pentecost. The choir provides an offering of the song “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”.