WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
This year the World Day of Prayer is written by the women of Papua New Guinea.
The service will be held on Friday, March 6th, 7:00 p.m. at St. Martin-in-the Field Anglican Church, 160 Smithfield Ave. Hope to see you there!
(F.Y.I. – for those people who know the Haab family, Kathi Haab is giving the presentation on Papua New Guinea in their church.)
LADIES GROUP
The ladies will be meeting on March 28th. We have begun plans to volunteer with Lutheran Urban Ministries.
We are looking into helping in preparing and serving a lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Details will be available as we move forward in developing this volunteer opportunity. We are continuing this year to meet on one Saturday each month. It is a very informal gathering, meant to build our relationships with mutual support through our common church connection. This small group of eight ladies has been meeting for quite a few years now and welcomes new comers.
LUTHER VILLAGE
Moose Hockey Fundraiser
Attention all hockey fans! Come and join us for night of fun at a Manitoba Moose Hockey Game. The game is on Saturday, March 7th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each. Please speak to Pastor Lynne if you are interested in attending.
THANK YOU to Val Kunkel, the Sunday School Teachers and students for all their hard work putting on the Ice Cream Social.
We thoroughly enjoyed all the talent, the prizes and the food! It was great to see all the happy faces in the crowd and on the ‘stage‘.
The URBAN
ODD SOCK GIVING CAMPAIGN!
ODD SOCKS? What's it all about? Well, it's simply The URBAN's new special giving campaign, an opportunity for outreach to help The Urban during the Lent season. Everyone has at least a few odd socks hanging around. At The URBAN we know great things often come from humble beginnings...and like 'odd socks' we know we can make the most out of little.
At The URBAN, we are challenged daily to accept the many people from diverse backgrounds who come to our doors, many from different cultures and societal backgrounds. Every day, The URBAN joyfully opens its doors to all kinds of people – not to try to change them but to love and accept them the way they are. Our Odd Sock Campaign is a reminder to give...just as we are...and to care for others...just as they are...
Here are some great ways to participate:
1) Collect your spare change in an odd sock, including any cash found in the bottom of the washing machine, in an odd sock (clean and without holes) from now till the end of Lent
2) Write a cheque and put it in an odd sock to deliver to the Urban. (WRITE: 'Odd Sock' in the memo line of the cheque.)
3) Kick off a monthly giving plan by either direct debit or on-line – Call or email Doreen Lecuyer for details. (doreenlecuyer@hotmail.com or
736-4674)
Starting March 22 until April 12, 2009 there will be Urban ‘laundry baskets’ circulating with your offering plates in which to drop your odd socks. Tax receipts are available for donations of $15 or more – just leave your information in your odd sock and it will be processed.
CENTERING PRAYER WORKSHOP
Have you ever longed to deepen your relationship with God?
Sought to rest fully in God's presence, to feel God's love wash over you?
If so, this Centering Prayer Workshop may be just the thing for you.
We will be hosting the workshop right after Easter starting with an all day retreat on Saturday, April 25th from 9:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m.
This will be followed by six Thursday evenings from 7 till 9 p.m. (or 7:30 till 9:30 p.m.)
There will be DVD viewing, prayer, sharing, fellowship and refreshments.
WHAT IS CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER?
"We may think of prayer as thought or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression.
In the Christian tradition Contemplative Prayer is considered to be the pure gift of God. It is the opening of mind and heart - our whole being - to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our awareness to God whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing - closer than consciousness itself.
CENTERING PRAYER
Centering prayer is a method designed to facilitate the development of Contemplative Prayer by preparing our faculties to receive this gift. It is an attempt to present the teaching of earlier times in an updated form. It is not meant to replace other kinds of prayers. Rather is casts a new light and depth of meaning on other kinds of prayer. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. It is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him. The desire for God is God's gift to us."
(an excerpt from the pamphlet "The Method of Centering Prayer" by Thomas Keating)
For further information call Annette Kletke 633-5380 or access website at www.contemplativeoutreach.org
ANNUAL MEETING
Further to our Annual meeting held on February 15, 2009:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those members that have helped in making St. Luke’s Zion a caring and friendly Church that we can all be proud of.
The many organizations that our members are involved with, both inside and outside our Church, show the commitment that is present to carry God’s work in deed as well as in word to the greater community. The Church council will make every effort whenever possible to assist our members in providing continuing aid in the community in carrying on the work that our Lord has commanded us to do as our Christian duty. I call upon all members of St. Luke’s Zion to assist in every way possible with whatever gifts our Lord has given them to become more active in the many aspects of the life of the Church both inside and outside.
I would like to give a special thanks to Don Streilein for his many years of helping with the communion duties and to Val Kunkel for her exceptional work and creativity that she and the Sunday School teachers have provided to our children. I would also like to thank Dianne Stark for her long service as Youth Coordinator. We will be hard pressed to find another so committed to our youth, the future of our Church. I can go on about the Ladies’ group, the maintenance committee, fellowship, outreach, worship and music groups, our many volunteers, etc. but you know who you are and how much you are needed to make everything work so seamlessly at our Church.
On behalf of the Church Council and myself, bless you for being there where and when you are needed and giving of your time and effort for all.
Yours in Christ,
Randy Iwanicki
President, St. Luke’s Zion Council
102ND BIRTHDAY LUNCH
You are invited to a 102nd Birthday Lunch for Winnie Gorner on Sunday, March 8th following worship. Lunch will be in the church basement and all are welcome. No cards or gifts please. For those who feel they “must” bring something, some “tins for the bin” (food for our food bank) will be appreciated.
BILLIOUS POND UPDATE
As most of you know Bob’s been in Texas the last two months and Dave recently had knee surgery. Dave is glad the surgery is over but we’re not so sure that Bob is so happy about his holiday coming to an end. Starting in early March we should be back together as a group. We’ve been invited to sing several songs at Winnie Gorner’s retirement (March 8th at the church). We’ve nearly moved the 1st hundred copies of our new C.D. “A Letter from Home”. All monies raised will be given to Canadian Diabetes. As with the last C.D. we are not trying to recoup our costs first. So for those of you that enjoy our music and would like to take us home with you please consider buying the C.D.
On behalf of Billious Pond God bless.
CLWR
Visit our website www.clwr.org to see what’s new with Canadian Lutheran World Relief. The entire site has been redesigned to better serve the needs of visitors to the web page.
In addition to the new look, visitors will now find a monthly feature story, an expanded news section to access recent happenings, a search function that allows them to scan the whole site for a topic of special interest to them and an online store featuring products from Four Corners.
For those who access the site wanting to make a donation to support CLWR’s life-giving work, the secure online donation process has been streamlined and donors will be able to print their charitable tax receipt immediately. For those wishing to honour a family member or friend, you can continue to send an e-card acknowledgement.
Four Corners has launched a new online store featuring a selection of alternative trade merchandise and Fair Trade consumables.
Poet’s Corner
Thank You Lord
All those who trust in God will say
With open mind and grateful heart
We thank you Lord for this day.
The sun, the rain, and even pain may
Our lives empower, but never thwart
All those who trust in God will say.
For food and drink and all that may
Great sustenance to us impart
We thank you Lord for this day.
Snow in winter, flowers in May
Yours is the harvest we bring to mart
All those who trust in God will say.
The eyes grow dim, the hair grows grey,
But the love of God remains within our heart.
We thank you Lord, for this day.
Count your blessings, count them in every way
Count them from morning and until the end of day.
All those who trust in God will say
We thank you Lord for this day.
(This type of poem is called “a villanelle”.)
by Anna McDonald
