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Cecilia lived about 100 to 150 years after Jesus. From the day St. Cecilia was born to the day she died, following God and serving him were her biggest priorities. St. Cecilia grew up with strong faith and helped those who were less fortunate than her. St. Cecilia’s parents wanted her to get married to a man named Valerian, but Cecilia was not content with this idea and prayed to the Lord to help her.

After the wedding of Valerian and Cecilia, she then told Valerian of her dedication and commitment to Christ. Valerian was deeply moved and decided to be baptised and to join Cecilia as a disciple of Jesus. Together Cecilia and Valerian became teachers of the faith and they may have brought up to 400 people to Christ.

Cecilia was a dedicated virgin. In those days to be a virgin meant to be a woman of selfpossession. This means that Cecilia was considered to be a strong, intelligent, and independent woman. This was very unusual for the time. Not only was Cecilia a dedicated Christian but she was a competent young lady. This was very dangerous! At this time being a Christian was also very dangerous and could get you killed. Valerian and his brother took it to them to bury the bodies of those who died for their faith, which was illegal. Soon the Emperor found out about this and had Valerian and his brother killed.

Even after St. Cecilia’s husband was killed she continued to preach about Christ and his ways. This made the Emperor very mad so he sent someone to suffocate her in a Roman steam house and made it so hot that it could kill someone, but this had no effect on Cecilia. So the Emperor sent a guard to behead her with his sword. The guard hit Cecilia three times with his sword but was unable to kill her. He ran away in fear.

After the guard ran away St. Cecilia was left to die on the street. When Cecilia’s friends approached her they found that she was not dead but alive. Cecilia was strong even in dying and continued to be a faithful witness to God’s love for three days, until she died and then was known as St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

St. Cecilia inspires me because back then Catholics and Anglicans didn’t really exist. The church was all one, and I feel that is nice because St. Cecilia wasn’t Catholic or Anglican, and I believe God doesn’t want us to be divided. Certain saints shouldn’t be just for certain people. Along with the fact that St. Cecilia was a very confident and independent woman, which back then you could get in trouble for having those traits. I feel the world isn’t any better now because you can get called some pretty nasty things for being strong and knowing what you believe.

Q. This year in the church, we will be hearing a lot from the Gospel according to Mark. What should we know about this Gospel account?

This is how Mark begins:  This is the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 Good News/ Euangelion:  what does this mean in Jesus’ world?

-usually used to refer to political news, a message from the Emperor that a significant battle has been won, or that an uprising has been subdued.

-the fact that Christians used this word to describe the message of Jesus, a peasantwho died as a criminal of the state, is significant.

Key Facts about Mark:

-Probably the earliest of the Gospels

-Most scholars believe that Mark was a source for Matthew and Luke’s writings. 

-Shortest and most basic of the 4 Gospels

-Written in order to create an argument:  to convince people that Jesus was Christ, Son of God.  Not a biography, but rather a means of leading people to faith.

-Scholars disagree about when and by whom the Gospel was written.  It was anonymous, and apparently the author didn’t think that this specific information was necessary for understanding the writing.

 Who is Mark?

By the 2^nd century, this Gospel was associated with John Mark, relative of Barnabas

(one of the twelve apostles).   It was thought that he wrote it in Rome and based it on

Peter’s teachings. 

 The Gospel’s Context:

Written for use by the early church.  Material about Jesus was circulated through the oral tradition in order to form and build-up the early church.  We can see this oral tradition represented in Mark’s Gospel.

-written for Greek-speaking non-Jews, living outside of Palestine.  Therefore, the Gospel reflects the transition of Christianity from a Jewish sect to a more widespread phenomenon.

-Jerusalem was attacked and captured by Rome between 67-70AD.  Was Mark written before or after this revolt?  Some indications in the text suggest before, some after.  Therefore, it could have been written any time between 50-75 AD.

Themes:

-No birth narrative, relatively no information given about Jesus’ background. 

-Messianic secret:  Mark’s Gospel is shrouded in secrecy.  Jesus tells almost everyone who has a miraculous encounter with him, ‘not to say anything.’  Most of Jesus’ closest followers are shown as being incredibly stupefied by Jesus.

-For Mark, Jesus can only be understood in light of his whole ministry, including his crucifixion.

Style:

-Typically described as action-packed, fast-paced, and concise

-least sophisticated writing of the 4 Gospels, but it is not careless.  Mark very carefully wove stories together in order to tell us who Jesus is and what following Jesus looks like.

 QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q.  What are the 12 Days of Christmas?

We all know the song, ‘On the 1^st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….,’ and although the Partridge and the Pear Tree are the best known of ‘true love’s gifts,’ the carol has become so popular that there are all kinds of ‘re-make’ versions now circulating.  My kids got a 12 Days of Canadian Christmas storybook one year, featuring puffins, polar cubs, and hockey players.

It doesn’t take a lot of detective work to assume that the first day of Christmas occurs on December 25^th when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus.  And you might remember, on January 6^th we celebrate Epiphany, the story of the Magi’s visit to baby Jesus (we’ll be celebrating that on Sunday January 7^th instead).  However, figuring out who is celebrating what, when, it not always an easy task.  In some parts of the Christian church, for example, the visit of the Magi is celebrated on December 25^th, along with the birth of Jesus and the visit from the shepherds.  Epiphany, then, is the celebration of Jesus’ baptism and is considered a more important remembrance than Jesus’ birth.  Even December 25^th as the date for Christmas is not recognized across the board; in the Armenian church, for example, Jesus’ birth is celebrated on January 6^th.  It might come as a surprise that for many Christians, Christmas hasn’t even happened yet!

Because our secular world is so intent on celebrating Christmas from the morning after Halloween when Christmas decorations and food can finally go on sale, to the flurry of mall activity on December 24^th, counting down each day as “Only X number of Shopping Days left before Christmas!’, we don’t always realize that, in the church, the celebration mostly happens from December 25^th onward.    The Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Day) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6^th) are both regarded as such important Christian remembrances that the twelve days that separate these two occasions became known as the Twelve Days of Christmas and provided an impetus for linking the two great days with ongoing merry-making.  Numerous other saints’ days and remembrances of Jesus’ life occur in the intervening days:  St. Stephen’s day on December 26^th, the Feast of Holy Innocents on December 29^th (the remembering of the Jewish boy babies killed by a jealous King Herod after Jesus’ birth), and the Circumcision of Jesus on January 1^st.

 The Twelve Days of Christmas can be honoured in many creative and fun ways.  Some households light a candle each of the twelve nights, while others give small gifts throughout (although ‘8 maids a milking’ and ’12 drummers drumming’ actually have never been shown to make great gifts, despite what the song says!).  There are traditional foods that can be prepared and served throughout, with special attention to marking a time of feasting, of making sure that meals are shared with others with hospitality and gratitude.  January 5^th, the Twelfth Night, can be the culmination of the lavish and on-going party.  It is common, then, to see January 6^th as the last of the 12 Days, after which the tree comes down and diets return to more ordinary and restrained fare.

Even that is not the entire story.  One of the older traditions of the church extends the Christmas season until February 2^nd, at which point a Festival of the Lights is held – Candle Mass.  This festival brings Christmas to its final close by blessing the candles which are to be used in the Christian households throughout the year, and then processing through the darkness with this newly-blessed light. 

Gaudete!  Or in English, Rejoice!  As we now enter into the third week of Advent, we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath, and it is a natural question to ask why this one doesn’t quite fit in with the others.  It makes sense that the middle candle – the Christmas candle – would stand out (it’s white).  But isn’t the Advent colour blue?  Did we just run out of the blue candles?

 In some churches this morning, the clergy will be wearing rose-coloured vestments – it is an option that some churches take to change the colour of this one day of the church year to pink, to deck the clergy and altar out in the same rose colour as the Advent Candle, and to once again use the power of our visual sense to communicate symbol and story through colour. 

You may have noticed that, to this point, our Advent readings have had a sombre tone.  The first week of Advent speaks of apocalypse, and invites us with Jesus to reflect on the coming kingdom of God, the promise that Christ will be with us again.  The second week of Advent introduces us to a wild and woolly character:  John the Baptist.  He comes blazing on the scene calling his people to repent, to turn their lives back to God.  Advent, in marked contrast to the hyper-activity and romanticism of secular Christmas, is a season of the church year that invites reflection, inner quiet, penitence, renewal.  In the past it has been referred to as ‘mini Lent’. 

And yet, Advent is also a time of preparation for the mystery, the joy, of Christmas.  This third week then, we turn a corner.  We see in our Advent wreath that the light has become stronger – three candles now lit.  The birth of Jesus is just around the corner.  Our readings and prayers begin to become more celebratory:  today our Sunday School and Youth Choir share with us their annual Christmas Pageant, and at 4pm today, our Senior Choir help us, through the service of Lessons and Carols, to frame the story of Jesus’ birth in the wider story of salvation history.

 The third Sunday of Advent announces this turn toward Christmas with these traditional words:

   ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.’

 We don’t have pink vestments here, and our worship doesn’t open with these traditional words.  But let us nonetheless take a stirring message from our one pink candle this morning:  God gives the gift of God’s own self to us at Christmas for the purpose of restoring human joy.  Gaudete!  Rejoice!  May our hearts be opened to receive this purpose as we move ever closer to our celebration of Christ’s birth.

Last Sunday, we shared with our congregation the next steps in our partnership with Grace Church, unanimously approved by both Corporations and Parish Council.  On Monday December 4^th, the Corporations of St. George and Grace sent a letter to our Bishop asking that our two parishes be formally amalgamated.  On Tuesday December 5, that amalgamation received the support of our Diocesan Synod Council.  This means that we will be one congregation, with one set of books, one ministry team, one budget, one parish list, beginning January 2018!  It is an incredible joy to reach this final goal in our partnership.  (If you have any questions about this amalgamation, please contact a member of clergy .  We also have hand-outs available outlining the ‘whys’ and ‘wherefores’ of our next steps).

In this amalgamation, all of our assets and liabilities will be shared.  The question was raised about the assets that Grace is bringing with them.  A huge round of applause was shared when we noted that, of course, the greatest asset that Grace brings with them is their people.  I would add to this assertion that the people who come to us from Grace also bring with them an incredible faith, a willingness to serve, a generosity of spirit, a gracious friendship, and a rich history of ministry in

St. Catharines.

They also bring a number of special items that represent this history and ministry.  There are things that we are using across our church and in our worship:  linens and Eucharistic vessels, powerpoint equipment and furniture for our renovated Bear’s Den, beautiful hangings that will go into our gymnasium, war memorial plaques that now hang in our sanctuary, and any number of other practical items that we use for coffee hours, community dinners, outreach and fellowship.  One of Grace’s beloved stained glass windows, the “Pentecost Window” is going to arrive at St. George’s in the new year and will become part of our chapel space in the east transept.

While it is of great value to all of us to have these things in use, we also recognized the need to specifically designate space at St. George’s for some of the other memorial and historical pieces that have been meaningful to the Grace community, particularly the Memorial Boards and the plaques and pictures remembering past leadership of Grace. 

We have therefore created the Grace Meeting Room.  It is beside the Asbil Lounge (and was formally called “The Board Room”).  A generous parishioner is donating appropriate furniture for this room, and our volunteer group – under the direction of our Property Manger, Jim Streadwick – has been painting and brightening and cleaning up the room.  A lovely picture of the Grace Church building is going to be framed and hung on the wall, along with the plaques. 

 We expect that this room will soon be ready for use.  It will be a place where various committees will meet, where counselling, visioning and planning will take place.  The room will be open on Sundays and through the week for those who want to find a quiet space for remembering and giving thanks.

 -Written by Rob Welch, Chancellor of the Diocese of Niagara

 I’ve been asked this question a number of times in the last couple of months, since

Bishop Michael Bird announced in September that he will conclude his episcopal ministry in our Diocese on May 31^st, 2018.  A special electoral Synod will convene on Saturday, March 3^rd, 2018 at Christ’s Church Cathedral to elect his successor, who will initially serve as coadjutor Bishop.  Archbishop Colin Johnson, metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario, will preside at the election.  After a short transition period following the election, the coadjutor will assume the responsibilities of diocesan Bishop on June 1^st.

At its October 3^rd meeting, the diocesan Synod Council appointed a seven-person

Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee to oversee the electoral planning process.  The committee will also prepare biographical material on the nominees.  On

December 5^th, Synod Council will meet and act as a nominations committee to compile an initial list of candidates.  At that time, each Synod Council member will nominate, by

secret ballot, 3 eligible persons.  To be eligible for election, a priest must be in good-standing with regard to doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Church of Canada, at least thirty years of age, and have been ordained for at least seven years.

According to diocesan Canons, the top ten nominees through this process will be

contacted by the Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee to ensure they are willing to let their name stand.  Further nominations may also be made in writing by any ten members of Synod, with the consent of the nominee, and provided to the chair of the Electoral Synod Nominations and Planning Committee prior to or during the

electoral Synod.

This Committee will be discussing ways to disseminate information about the candidates before the electoral Synod.  At the electoral Synod, after Eucharist, balloting

commences.  An election is declared when one candidate receives a majority of votes of the Clergy and Lay delegates on the same ballot.

I personally hope that from the nomination of candidates through to the announcement of a final result, this electoral synod process will provide an opportunity for diocesan

discernment in an open, transparent and innovative manner. 

As a parishioner of St. George’s, I’m happy that, included in our prayers for the

people,  we are asking for this discernment as our diocese moves through this period of transition.

Q: Did you know? Interesting facts about Stewardship from our 225 Year history

Today we celebrate All Saints and All Souls.  This celebration is particularly poignant for us this year as mark the 225^th Anniversary of St. George’s.  This is an opportunity to recognize, pray for and offer our thanksgiving to God for the faithful people who have gone before us and whose gifts partnered so generously with God to build this church.  Looking back, here are some interesting notes about the history of Time, Talent and Treasure at St. George’s:

1. Originally, the St. George’s community relied on overseas money (Society for the Propogation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts or SPG ) to provide and pay for their clergy.
2. It was also the expectation in this part of the world for a short time that the government would support Anglican clergy and Anglican churches.  The multicultural nature of Canada from the very beginning eventually saw the overturning of this provision in 1854 because it was so unfair to all other denominations!  We still have a very small trust fund left over from this time in our Canadian church history.  We are not able to access the principle.
3. In 1796, 46 names pledged 121 pounds (a lot of money in a time when people had very little money) to build the original church building for St. George’s.
4. When St. George’s finally hired a long-term clergyman exclusively for their community, 27 families pledged 100 pounds to help toward his salary.  The rest was paid by the SPG and by the government, but this was the first time that the congregation had in any measure taken responsibility for paying their clergy.
5. When congregations began to pay for their clergy, it was called Voluntarism, rather than Stewardship.
6. The first Bazaar was held in 1847 by the ladies of the parish.  It raised 361 pounds and allowed for the purchase of an organ.  This venture was considered so successful that in 1852, the Vestry of men voted again on putting the women in charge of raising the funds for a rectory!  They held another Bazaar, and a rectory was purchased on King Street
7. Until 1921, it was common practice to buy a pew at St. George’s.  Pews in the centre of the church cost the most, with the sides and galleries being less expensive.  This was the primary source of income for supporting the church for many years.

The Joyful Giving Campaign is composed of two Components: 1) Narrative Budget 2) Parish Relay. Last week’s Question focused on the the Parish Relay. This one focuses on the Narrative Budget.

What we give and how we spend our money communicate clear stories about who we are and what we believe. This Narrative Budget links our financial choices to the stories of investing in our faith community now and for the future. Our Narrative Budget this year is called 225 Years of Generosity & Joy St. George’s leadership feels excited to share this document with you because of the past generosity it details – generosity that has built our beloved church for generations – as well as its hope-filled invitation to each and every one of us to be part of how God continues to build our church home – for the present and for the future.

Here are some other details you should know about St. George’s 225 Years of Generosity & Joy:

• The stories represented in this year’s Narrative Budget are based on what has been happening in the last few years at St. George’s and what we hope and plan and pray for 2018. When we are asking for you to complete an Intention Form, we are asking you to consider what you will be giving in 2018. The numbers for 2018 are approximate at this point. The final 2017 budget will depend on 1) how the rest of 2017 goes, 2) the response we get to this campaign, and 3) other unforeseen variables as we move through the final quarter of this year
• A line-by-line 2018 budget will still be available at Vestry this coming year. The numbers in that budget will be much firmer. You will still have an opportunity to vote on the 2018 Budget at 2018 Vestry
• Whether you are a long-time member of St. George’s, new to our parish, or previously a member of another congregation (particularly St. James and Grace), this year’s budget is FOR ALL OF US and represents a comprehensive vision for ministry for our entire congregation going forward
• You can access this year’s Narrative Budget through several media. We have printed copies available at the church. We have this document posted on our website, www.stgeorgesanglican.ca . You can save paper and have this document emailed to you. Email me at mtatarnic@stgeorgesanglican.ca for your copy delivered straight to your inbox. And a paper copy of the Narrative Budget will be circulated with the relay materials for our Joyful Giving Campaign.
• Whether you choose to read it on-line and save some paper, or whether you get a printed copy, PLEASE read this important document! It is an important part of our 225^th anniversary celebration this year as we give thanks for where we have been and where we are going. It shares great joy and hope about what God has been doing in our midst. It represents a life-giving invitation to participate in the possibilities which are on the horizon for our faith life together.

There are some parts of the world where religious communities are supported through government funds.  In fact, if we look at the history of St. George’s, when Canada was in its infancy as a country, there was initially a push for land to be set aside in all communities as “church land,” which would provide a perpetual source of income for the Church of England here.   That met with a  great deal of resistance:  it didn’t make sense for one religious denomination to be favoured over and above all the others here.  There was also a desire to see the separation of Church and State, much as had been favoured in what would become the United States.

This means that St. George’s, like most religious communities throughout the world and across time, relies on the support of its members in order to be able to provide ministry, outreach, pastoral care, worship services, and care for a building that is used as a hub of community for St. Catharines’ downtown.

That being said, there are a variety of models for stewardship that St. George’s could consider as possibilities for planning and providing ministry.

The Biblical model, which would have been assumed by Jesus and his first followers, speaks of both “first fruits” and “tithe.”  Deuteronomy 26 gives these instructions as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land:  “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,  you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”  First Fruits is how the faithful were to signal their gratitude for God’s provision by putting their gift to God before anything else is considered.  The Biblical tithe of giving 10% of household income back for God’s purposes is based on the same premise.  Numbers 26 says, “When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.”  The word “tithe” is used to refer to God’s provision.  Ten percent is offered back as a sign of God’s blessing.

Whereas expectations around giving were clearly mandated in Jesus’ time, there is a much greater variety of practices across the religious spectrum today.  There are churches that take the Biblical tithe of 10% very literally.  There are even churches that demand that members show their bank statements so that the church leadership can then assign the appropriate level of giving!  Needless to say, this is not the Anglican way, and your leaders at St. George’s think that such an approach would go against everything that we believe about offering!

Instead, we call our annual Stewardship Campaign JOYFUL GIVING because we believe that the offering we make to the church is a choice, and it is a choice that should bring us joy.  Joyful Giving is our chance to be accountable to you:  we can tell you how St. George’s has been using the offerings you have been giving and how we plan to use them in the future.  Joyful Giving is also your chance to be thoughtful and intentional about how you give – not only out of the financial resources with which you have been blessed, but also how you wish to share your time and talents with your church.  Nobody is going to be looking over your shoulder to see what you choose, and nobody is going to be mandating to you how much you should be choosing.  Instead, Joyful Giving presents you with information and resources so that you can give in the way that is right and good for you and your household.

There are some parts of the world where religious communities are supported through government funds.  In fact, if we look at the history of St. George’s, when Canada was in its infancy as a country, there was initially a push for land to be set aside in all communities as “church land,” which would provide a perpetual source of income for the Church of England here.   That met with a  great deal of resistance:  it didn’t make sense for one religious denomination to be favoured over and above all the others here.  There was also a desire to see the separation of Church and State, much as had been favoured in what would become the United States.

This means that St. George’s, like most religious communities throughout the world and across time, relies on the support of its members in order to be able to provide ministry, outreach, pastoral care, worship services, and care for a building that is used as a hub of community for St. Catharines’ downtown.

That being said, there are a variety of models for stewardship that St. George’s could consider as possibilities for planning and providing ministry.

The Biblical model, which would have been assumed by Jesus and his first followers, speaks of both “first fruits” and “tithe.”  Deuteronomy 26 gives these instructions as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land:  “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,  you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”  First Fruits is how the faithful were to signal their gratitude for God’s provision by putting their gift to God before anything else is considered.  The Biblical tithe of giving 10% of household income back for God’s purposes is based on the same premise.  Numbers 26 says, “When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.”  The word “tithe” is used to refer to God’s provision.  Ten percent is offered back as a sign of God’s blessing.

Whereas expectations around giving were clearly mandated in Jesus’ time, there is a much greater variety of practices across the religious spectrum today.  There are churches that take the Biblical tithe of 10% very literally.  There are even churches that demand that members show their bank statements so that the church leadership can then assign the appropriate level of giving!  Needless to say, this is not the Anglican way, and your leaders at St. George’s think that such an approach would go against everything that we believe about offering!

Instead, we call our annual Stewardship Campaign JOYFUL GIVING because we believe that the offering we make to the church is a choice, and it is a choice that should bring us joy.  Joyful Giving is our chance to be accountable to you:  we can tell you how St. George’s has been using the offerings you have been giving and how we plan to use them in the future.  Joyful Giving is also your chance to be thoughtful and intentional about how you give – not only out of the financial resources with which you have been blessed, but also how you wish to share your time and talents with your church.  Nobody is going to be looking over your shoulder to see what you choose, and nobody is going to be mandating to you how much you should be choosing.  Instead, Joyful Giving presents you with information and resources so that you can give in the way that is right and good for you and your household.

You can watch for more information in coming weeks about what you can expect from the Joyful Giving Campaign and how you can be prepared to participate.

You can watch for more information in coming weeks about what you can expect from the Joyful Giving Campaign and how you can be prepared to participate.