Copy
View this email in your browser
Click Here to Give Now

Weekly News

June 21, 2019

Dearest Friends,

If you know me, you know that I love things that are weird, especially the weird parts of our Biblical witness.  And this week's reading does not disappoint!
Could you recognize the Bible story from the picture in last weeks email?

It is the story of the Gerasene Demoniac, the story in Luke's Gospel where Jesus casts a whole host of demons out of a man who had been tortured by them for years...and those demons inhabit a herd of pigs who promptly drown themselves in the nearby lake.

This story comes right after Jesus calmed the storm and right before he heals the hemorrhaging woman: a string of miracles...or is it?  At first glance, these events simply portray Jesus as a healer sent by God.  More subtly, however, the story reveals Jesus as one with cosmic authority, able both to calm the chaotic waters and to free people from occupying powers.

And we post-modern, educated, intellectual, discerning folks might scoff at the thought of cosmic forces and demons, writing them off as an ancient, pre-scientific understanding of scientific and medical explanations.  But I would encourage you to pause before you throw the mysterious out with the skeptical bathwater.  In our faith, we do well to sit with those stories and experiences which makes us uncomfortable, and listen a little more closely to what God has to share with us through them.  Maybe you, like the Gerasene Demoniac, have not been occupied by demons that left you naked and convulsing in an ancient burial ground, but surely there are things in your life that you felt powerless over, that led you down paths you never dreamed of walking.

Join me and the rest of our beautiful community of faithful wonder-ers on Sunday as we go deeper into this weird but beautiful story handed down through the ages from our ancestors in the faith.

Peace and Blessings,
The Rev. Ingrid Brown



Next Week:
Don’t come to church! 
Rarely will you read that in an email from us, but for the next two weeks worship will be at a different location: June 30th at Comox United Church (CUC), and July 7th at Comox Valley Presbyterian Church (CVPC).  We are grateful for the unity we experience as we live out our call to be together as the body of Christ in the world, beyond congregational and denominational boundaries.
But come on back!
July 14th will be a celebration of the Summer Day Camp program and the kick-off to our “St. George’s Summer of Play” with a sermon series “Storybooks and Scripture”.  Be sure to attend for lively music, thought-provoking preaching, and loving community as we offer St. George’s hospitality to our friends from CUC and CVPC.

Events and Announcements


Have an announcement for the Bulletin or Weekly Email?
Contact of the office: office@stgeorgesunited.com or 250 334 4961 by Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. to have your announcement included.


Shared Summer Services
Sun. June 30 | 10:00am | Comox United Church
Sun. July 7 | 10:30am | Comox Valley Presbyterian Church
Sun. July 14 | 10:30am | St. George’s United Church
Each summer we share services with our friends at Comox United and Comox Valley Presbyterian. There will be no worship at St. George’s on June 30 or July 7.
Register Now for Summer Day Camps!
July 2-5 | 9am-3pm | $60/week | Cumberland United Church
July 8-12 | 9am-3pm | $60/week | St. George’s United Church
Through storytelling, art, crafts, games, and activities, children will explore the “Great Commandment” to love God, self, and others. For all children ages 5-11. 50% bursaries available. Email ingrid@stgeorgesunited.com for more info.
Visit www.stgeorgesunited.com/summer-day-camp to register for Courtenay or
www.weirdchurchcumberland.com/summer-day-camp for Cumberland.
Volunteer to help at Summer Day Camps!
Find out the ways you can serve in this important ministry to the children of our church community and the wider neighbourhood.
To help out at the Cumberland camp please visit: https://www.weirdchurchcumberland.com/service-in-the-community
And to help in Courtenay please visit: http://www.stgeorgesunited.com/getinvolved
Spiritual Journey Small Group will meet in the library from 2:30-4:00p.m. (note time change) on the following Mondays: July 8th, July 22nd and July 29th. August dates to be confirmed. Please contact Rosemary for details: rosemary-carnahan@shaw.ca
Rev. Ryan on Sabbatical
Our Lead Minister, the Rev. Ryan Slifka, is away on sabbatical until September 1. Any leadership-related inquiries can be made to the Rev. Ingrid Brown, acting Lead Minister. If you have any questions about the sabbatical, please contact M&P by email to: rosemary-carnahan@shaw.ca, or speak with any member of the committee.

Weird Church Events
Coffee and Conversations that Matter: Lemonade Edition!
Tuesday July 30th 10 am & 6:30 pm @ Cumberland Village Park

All ages are encouraged to gather for light hearted spiritual discussion about the necessity of play.  Bring a blanket or chair!

Details and registration for Weird Church events can be found at https://www.weirdchurchcumberland.com/events or email info@weirdchurchcumberland.com
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Second Sunday After Pentecost
Service of the Word 10:30am
Rev. Ingrid Brown Preaching


Sunday, June 30, 2019
Third Sunday After Pentecost

Worship at Comox United Church 10:00am
NO WORSHIP AT ST. GEORGE'S

Sunday, July 7, 2019
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Worship at Comox Valley Presbyterian Church 10:30am
NO WORSHIP AT ST. GEORGE'S

Sunday, July 14, 2019
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Joint Service of the Word at St. George's 10:30am
Sermon Series: St. George's Summer of Play
The Rev. Ingrid Brown Preaching
Leadership Contacts
Kara Derma, Chair of the Board
kderma@fastmail.fm
The Rev. Ryan Slifka, Lead Minister (on Sabbatical) minister@stgeorgesunited.com
Eve Mark, Director of Music music@stgeorgesunited.com
The Rev. Ingrid Brown, Associate Minister, ingrid@stgeorgesunited.com
Copyright © 2019 St. George's United Church, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp