I am a firm believer in the presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through each of us in this time of transition, here at the Parish of All Saints, a part of the Anglican Parish of Salt Spring Island. Bishop Anna asked me to join the people of this parish as we journey together toward the arrival of our next incumbent. At this moment, the search for our next spiritual leader is just beginning. In our daily prayers, I ask each of you to pray for us all as we prepare for the next steps in this journey. Soon, we will have opportunity to share our ideas and thoughts regarding who our next spiritual leader should be. Time is being set aside so each member of our congregation will have opportunity to share in the discernment process.

Pray for the many souls who call this parish their spiritual home. A time of transition, such as this, can be unsettling for some and exhilarating for others. Yet, we are all on this journey together. We may not all be at the exact same place in our discernment of what God has in mind for us.

By now, many of you will have introduced yourselves to me at one of our weekly liturgies or gatherings. For those I have not met as yet, I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the time I am with you. 

My spouse, Lynn, and I reside in Saanichton BC. In 2012, we moved west to Vancouver Island from Southern Ontario. Two of our children were already residents here in Victoria. The arrival of new grandchildren made the transition all that much easier. We also have children and grandchildren residing in Ontario, whom we try to visit yearly.

My role as interim priest-in-charge is to help the congregation during this journey of transition toward the arrival of our new incumbent. Over the next months, together we will discover what the Holy Spirit has planned for our parish. We will discover who we are as a parish, what it is we are looking for in our next incumbent, what we can afford as a parish in our search for our next spiritual leader, and what God is asking of us. The journey together will not be without times of uncertainty nor periods of despair. What we all need to remember is this – God is here with us and will not abandon us in this time of transition. 

Please understand this, when a new incumbent has been selected, has accepted the position, and has arrived in the parish, I will be leaving the congregation here at All Saints.  I will then be available to Bishop Anna for appointment to another parish in transition, as required.

Blessings.
Paul+

As we move into early January, we are blessed to remain a vibrant, giving community. There is a feeling of excitement, hope and purpose emerging, along with the inevitable uncertainty that goes with change. We are moving towards a process of discernment which will allow us to know who we are and what we are called to do.

I want to express my thanks to all who supported worship during the busy Christmas season. There were many beautiful moments of faith and music. There was an openness to doing things differently. People within and outside of the Parish community were taken care of. I am grateful.

As we move forward, please note 3 very important dates:

Sunday January 14th - Bishop Ann will be with us! She will speak to us about the past and the future and hopefully start us thinking about who we are and what we are called to be.

Sunday February 4th - we will start our discernment discussions using a modified service that will include both contemplation and discussion. 

Sunday February 18th - the Annual General Meeting of the Vestry will follow our worship service.  Please put this important meeting into your calendar.

We all have thoughts, feelings, memories and experiences that shape our conception of church, faith and worship. Communication of something which can be very personal can be difficult for some. For others it is easy. We need to hear and respect all voices. We will provide a variety of ways to make our discussions safe spaces. So be ready to be brave, open and transparent. Especially we need to respect others from the loudest to the quietest voice. 
I am excited to move forward and see where we arrive. I hope you are too.

As always, both Sally and I hope that you feel free to share thoughts with us especially now.

Let’s stay united.

Ruth

Hosted by Music Makers of the Anglican Parish of Salt Spring Island, local trumpeter Simon Millerd will be presenting a concert of original music with some off-island friends at All Saints-by-the-Sea Anglican Church, January 13, 7 PM. Simon on trumpet, Dan Reynolds on piano, and Mike Bjella on tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute produce a unique, enlivening sonic landscape, that is enhanced by the excellent acoustics at All Saints Church. Their music follows the tradition of jazz as a 'melting pot' of different influences, being highly influenced by classical, folk, and Indian Carnatic Music.

Tickets are available at the door for $20 and $10 for students, infants are welcome free of charge. The concert will be one set, no intermission, approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

Join us for a recital by internationally acclaimed organist Edward Norman playing a program of classical and contemporary organ classics by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Franck and Stamm on our wonderful four-manual Rodgers Hybrid (digital/pipe) Organ.

Edward Norman studied at the Royal College of Music, London.  After emigrating to Canada he studied with Hugh McLean at UBC, and later also taught the organ there. He has performed widely in Canada and the UK and in Poland and Germany. Over the years he has been heard frequently on CBC radio as recitalist and accompanist, and for ten years was a music producer with CBC radio in Vancouver.

Edward has held several major church music positions, including First Baptist, Halifax, St. John-the Divine, Victoria, St. John's Anglican Church Shaughnessy, Vancouver, First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh PA, St. George's Anglican Cathedral, Kingston, and St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Charleston SC. 

Tickets are available at the door for $20 and $10 for students. The program will be approximately 2 hours with an intermission.

The Living Compass theme for the 2024 Lent season is Practicing Forgiveness with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind.  Designed for both individual reflection and group study, this daily devotional provides a foundation for seeking a deeper experience of Lent—one that prepares us for the coming of Easter.

As a parish, we have been using these discussion guides for several years as a focus for weekly meetings in person, on zoom, or simply to guide our personal daily devotions.  If you are interested in hosting or participating in a face-to-face or zoom group – please contact John Metzger or Claire Pickering - and we’ll see what can be arranged.

The guide is available as a free pdf download – please click the button below.  Alternatively, if you have an e-reader, you can purchase and download the kindle edition for a nominal cost of $1.37 by clicking here. If you prefer a printed copy of the guide, please let John or Claire know by February 4^th.