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The Weekly Word! Contemplations on living esoteric Christianity today.

May 27, 2022
 

The Toronto Weekly


Dear Members and Friends,

We celebrate Ascension Sunday this week. All are welcome to join the Festival for families at 9:45 am. The Children’s Service takes place at 10:30 am followed by the Act of Consecration.

Next week, the Seminary hosts The Beloved Community open course. Details on registering are below.

On Thursday, June 2, the first year Seminary students will present the story of Joseph from the Old Testament at 7:30 pm (new time!)

Family Camp will take place at Presqu’ile Provincial Park August 18-22. You can now register here!

Please take a moment to look at our Upcoming Events below.  Several new events have been added to our calendar!

Click here for our latest newsletter.
Click here for the latest North American newsletter.

As a reminder, The Act of Consecration is celebrated:

Monday- 8:30 am
Tuesday- 8:30 am
Wednesday- 8:30 am
Thursday- 9:00 am
Friday- 8:30 am
Sundays at 11:00 am

with warmth,

Kate and Jonah
and Patrick, Inken and Susan
 




The Weekly Word


A Few Thoughts on Clouds for Ascension
By Rev. Ann Burfeind, Vancouver, Canada
 
The clouds are more than they seem. We see them all the time. They are never fixed to one spot or shape and they are more than just a misty mass of white fluff. They are a dynamic mix of water in liquid, solid and gas (which is also amazing that water can do that!)

Clouds are also made up of very small particles of dirt, the earth! The fluffy cloud in the sky is really quite heavy by weight but it defies gravity, is ruled by levity. Warmth and coolness meet and change in the cloud. Rising and falling and moving all the particles around. Creating static electricity…. lighting and thunder!

When we really take a moment to look at the clouds, this drama and wonder can fill our soul. Our souls and the clouds have quite a bit in common. We could even imagine our souls to be a cloud.

Our souls are also quite dynamic. Our souls are the meeting place of heaven, of earth. The dramas of our lives play out in our souls. There can be a battle of gravity and levity in our souls.  Suffering, conflict, war, can rage in our souls. We can battle ourselves as well as the world outside us. We can lash out in anger and pour out our tears. We know, though, as the morning verse in the Rev. Ann Burfeind Waldorf school says, “The Sun with loving light makes bright for me each day...”

On the darkest of days, the sun is behind the darkened clouds. The sun rays its light through the clouds. We can hold this as a true picture, that the Christ’s light, rays through the dynamic landscape of our soul. The Light illuminates, clears and warms the coldness and darkness of our souls; uniting us with Christ Jesus. The One who is also of the heaven and the earth.

Images
Top: Francisco Camilo, “Ascension”
Above: Isaac Levitan, “Cloud”
Upcoming Events


Entering the second century of the Christian Community:
Logos International Conference
in Dortmund, Germany

October 7 - 11, 2022
Find out more information here!


Ascension Festival, May 29
9:45 am Ascension Festival for families.  All are welcome!
10:30 am Children’s Service
11:00 am The Act of Consecration


Beloved Community: May 30 - June 3
A hybrid on-line and in-person workshop hosted by the Seminary in North America
Click here for details and to register.


Seminary Students’ Presentation of the Old Testament Story of Joseph
Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 pm
-- new time!


Whitsun Festival

Whitsun, June 5
9:45 am Festival —
All are welcome -young and old!
10:30 am Children’s Service, with special words for Whitsun
11 am - The Act of Consecration of Man
1 pm - A talk by Rev. Jonah Evans

Whit Monday, June 6
10 am - The Act of Consecration of Man

Whit Tuesday, June 7
10 am - The Act of Consecration of Man
11 am - Talk by Gabriele Freydank-Edelstein: Who was Kaspar Hauser? What is his significance for our time and the future?


Community Cafe: Springing to Life
Saturday, June 11 at 4 pm
Our canceled “Mid-winter Warming” will now be recast as “Springing to Life!” Come share a song, poem or short story befitting the theme — or simply lend a loving ear.


Open Community Meeting
June 12 at 1 pm
Beginning with a short presentation on the theme of community.


Save the Date:
Family Camp at Presqu’ile Provincial Park
August 18 - 22, 2022
Click here to register!


**Due to a schedule conflict in the greater community, the St. John’s workshop listed in the program will not take place this year.



Ongoing Events


Religious Education for Children

Scheduled for Sundays!
Contact Rev. Kate Kennedy for more information.


Advent Fair Craft Group

The Advent Fair Craft Group meets every Tuesday morning at 10 am.

Join us as we prepare for our Advent Fair with creative crafts. All efforts help to support the improvements to our church building.

Contact Beth Currie if you would like to join bethcurrie33@gmail.com or phone 
905-737-2193
 

The Nathan Soul and The Gospel of Luke

Online study group with Rev. Inken Contreras 

Starting Tuesday September 15th from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

This study group intends to gain a deeper understanding of the mysterious soul that is incarnated in Christ Jesus and its impact on world evolution. We will explore Rudolf Steiner’s numerous and far reaching characterizations of this soul and its deep connection to human soul-life.

Contact Rev. Inken Contreras to sign up,
email: inken.koelmel@gmail.com


Living with Christ

A study group taking place in-person and on Zoom with Rev. Jonah Evans

Wednesday mornings after the service from 10:00 am -11:30 am in the Community Room (not July or August).  Join us as we deepen our relationship with the Living Christ in our time.  All are welcome!

Zoom is available to participants, near and far.

To register and to receive the link, please contact Melanie Nason 
email: melanienason@rogers.com

 

Gospel Study

With Rev. Kate Kennedy
Wednesdays 4 pm - 5:15 pm
We will study the Gospel Reading of the week in the small chapel.


Cosmic Memory
Study group at the Church on Thursday mornings at 10:15 am with Rev. Inken Contreras. All Welcome!


Affiliates

Visiting Ottawa 

Rev. Susan Locey will celebrate on the following Saturdays: 

June 5 - Pentecost Monday

July 9 - Johnstide


Visiting Montreal

Rev. Kate Kennedy will visit Montreal on:

May 22 (with Revs. Maclannan and Gilroy)

June 18 (Saturday)


Visiting Durham

Rev. Jonah Evans will visit Durham on:

May 22 (with Revs. Lumsden and Bower) 


Regular Services

The Act of Consecration-
Our communion service

Sundays at 11:00 am
Mondays at 8:30 am
Tuesdays at 8:30 am
Wednesdays at 8:30 am 
Thursdays at 9:00 am 
Fridays at 8:30 am
 

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