Forgiveness and Reflections on Marriage: A Sermon by Rev. J.B. Pratt

                                                     Sermon for the 5^th Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 24, 2016

It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.

We’ve all heard that said before. And it can be especially true in the church, where we are supposed to be all about forgiveness, and where we often can move and make decisions at a glacial pace.

Our first lesson this morning [Acts 11:1-18] is all about asking forgiveness for breaking the rules. The early church was a Jewish movement, and the apostles saw themselves as Jews first, Christians second. They observed the Jewish law, including the kosher requirements; they attended synagogues and worshipped at the Temple. Non-Jews who wished to become Christians had to first convert to Judaism, study Torah and be circumcised, then they could be baptized as Christians.

St. Philip's Guidelines for Constructive Communication

These guidelines are meant to serve as a basis for comment and conduct and they are intended to facilitate constructive communications. They are derived from the Anglican Diocese of Montreal's Safe Church Policy and Email Etiquette they are deliberately brief and not meant to be legalistic.

These guidelines are a function of discussions within the corporation. They have been reviewed at the January 2016 advisory board and suggested revisions have been incorporated into the current text. The guidelines were passed almost unanimously at the February 2016 Vestry.

St. Philip's Spring Fair and 125th Anniversary Events

We have married our Book Bake and Craft Fair with our Yard Sale to make an even bigger event that we are calling St. Philip's Spring Fair. It will take place at 7505 Sherbrooke St. West, on Saturday May 7th 2016, from 9 am to 2 pm.

At the Spring Fair you will find a wide assortment of items from delicious desserts to one of a kind, hand crafted works of art. In addition to baked goods and artisanal crafts, you will find books and a variety of articles too numerous to mention. There will be balloons for the kids and holy hot-dogs made by our very own Father Jim, aka Rev. James Pratt our beloved rector.

Major new report calls Anglicans to Intentional Discipleship and Disciple-Making

This image of baptisms in India has been chosen as the cover illustration of "Intentional Discipleship and Disciple-Making - An Anglican Guide for Christian Life and Formation" - a major new report from the Anglican Communion

An Anglican Communion-wide season of intentional discipleship should not be created to address poor church attendance, or to counter the challenge faced by churches with high attendance and low commitment. Instead, it should be “a response to the biblical call to make disciples to honour and glorify God, as Christians live out their faith in everyday life as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Master,” a major new report published by the Anglican Communion says.

You are Invited to St. Philip's Church 125th Anniversary

We are pleased to announce that in 2016 St. Philip's Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary. As part of our celebration we are staging six special events. We cordially invite everyone to join us and celebrate this special occasion. 

The inaugural event is the Spring Tea, click here for more information.  Stay tuned for more updates and information on forthcoming events.  


See the summary of events highlighted in teal in the calendar below.

God Calls Who God Calls

I love weddings. I love working with people as they prepare for their life as a married couple. I love helping them choose the readings that will speak God’s Good News to them on their wedding day. I love witnessing their vows and speaking God’s blessing over them. I love watching the faces of those in attendance as they enter into the joy and the hope of their dear friends, seeing God’s love and faithfulness revealed in their union. I do believe that marriage is a gift from God, a vocation into which some are called as a ministry to God’s people and for their own well-being.

Easter Message from Fred Hiltz Primate of Canada - The Way of The Cross: Holy Week, 2016

The liturgy for Palm Sunday invites us to follow our Lord this week “from the glory of the palms to the glory of the resurrections by way of the dark road of suffering and death”. In making that journey, we pray “united with Him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life” (p 297, BAS)

One way of drawing near to Christ this week is through participating in an ancient form of devotion known as the Stations of the Cross. This holy practice dates as far back as 381 AD when a Spanish pilgrim, Egeria, made a pilgrimage from the Mount of Olives to the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, built over the place of Jesus crucifixion and burial. To the original six stations several more have been added through time. Since the 1700’s there have been typically fourteen. Nine come from the Gospels; five others from medieval European piety—Jesus falling three times along the way, Jesus meeting his mother, and Veronica wiping his face.