Sermon: In the Wilderness
The wilderness is ever present.  Geographically, psychologically, spiritually.  Sometimes we welcome it.  Sometimes we try to flee from it.  But there are wilderness times in our lives.  With Jesus, as individuals and as communities of faith, we are led and even compelled into the wilderness.  It can be a frightening place but it can also be a place of great discovery. As we begin our Lenten journey we are invited to explore more deeply what it means to be “in the wilderness.”

Music This Week
This past Wednesday marked the passing of the Epiphany Season into the forty days of Lent that represent Jesus’ journey into the wilderness, and ultimately to the cross. But this First Sunday of Lent leaves us with a bit of unfinished business, musically speaking.  We have humbly sampled the stolen riches of the spirituals tradition this past Black History Month in both our congregational and choral singing, and as the Rev Dr Faris speaks of the wilderness dimension in our own lives we offer a classic ‘comfort spiritual.’  The spirituals we have sung and heard this month have fallen into many categories; prayer (‘Fix me, Jesus’), narrative (‘Ezekiel saw the wheel’), exhortative (‘Let us break bread together’), declarative (‘I’m gonna live so God can use me’) - but the ‘comfort spiritual’ is arguably the most poignant, assuring the enslaved that Jesus would be a respite in the imposed suffering and sorrow of life. Balancing this is a beloved motet with sections by two prominent Reformation-era English composers that seems to reach out similarly, from a world of sin, for the comfort and forgiveness promised us in Jesus.- CD

Annual General Meeting is next Sunday (March 5). Following the service, the annual meeting will be held in the Great Hall. Everyone is invited to attend. Child care will be provided during the meeting.

Can you think of someone who would make a good contribution on Session? Rosedale Church’s Session is seeking nominations of up to six members to join Session.  At Rosedale Church, Session members are elected for six year terms. Nominations are open until March 17.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask Rev. Cho or Mark McElwain, Clerk of Session at rosedale.clerk@gmail.com

World Day of Prayer service is being held on Saturday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at 520 Sherbourne Street. This is an annual ecumenical service held in many countries around the world; the 2023 service has been written by Christian women in Taiwan, a country with which The Presbyterian Church in Canada has had a close connection since the nineteenth century. Everyone is welcome to this special event.

Messy Church: You are invited to Messy Church on Saturday, March 25 from 3:30 - 6:00 pm. This hands-on worship experience is for all ages. Join us for crafts, music, stories, games and dinner. All are welcome. Please RSVP to education@rpcc.ca by March 22, 2022. 

The St. James Town Homework Club is seeking several volunteers to help primary school children with school work any week day afternoon from 3:00 until 5:30. If you are interested but are reluctant to take on a weekly commitment we are also seeking substitute volunteers who could fill in for a regular volunteer when they are on holidays, or otherwise unable to be present. This could mean helping out a few days a month, as is possible for you. Please speak to Marjorie Ross (mj.ross@rogers.com) or Annemiek Miller (annemiekmariamiller@gmail.com).

Bible Conversations on Monday, February 27 at 4:00 pm by Zoom. Our current topic of study is the Pentateuch. This group is an opportunity to discuss our faith in relation to the Bible and the history of the church. This programme will provide an opportunity to consider people’s questions or problems concerning the Bible or Christianity, as we try and understand the Bible in its cultural and historical context and how that may be translated into significant meaning for the 21st century. If you would like to participate in this group, please contact the Rev. Daniel Cho (rosedalerev@gmail.com). 

Globe and Faith on Wednesday, March 1 at 10:30 a.m. Join us for a discussion of current events. Regular members of the group will automatically receive the information required to join the Zoom call. If you are not a regular attender, but would like to join in this week, please contact Gerry Kraay at gerrykraay@gmail.com From the Board of Managers There are various ways to support the work of our Church whether in the in building or worshipping at home. Here are some options to financially support the congregation:

• Place your offering in the plate passed by church. Please refrain from touching the plate.
• Put your offering envelope in a regular envelope and mail it to the church (129 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, M4W 2S3)
• Sign up for pre-authorized remittances (PAR), which are charged to either a credit or debit account once a month. The attached form may be scanned and e-mailed to ncreen@rogers.com, or sent to the church by regular mail.
• Donate on-line, through the Canada Helps charitable organization through this link - https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/119123347RR0001-rosedale-presbyterian-church/ Canada Helps is a well-regarded organization which has been operating since 2000. It will issue tax receipts directly to donors.