We have a threefold focus this Sunday, World Refugee Day, Father’s Day, and National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Our World Refugee Day theme is reflected in a special Prayer for World Refugee Day in the Prayers of the People. Our Father’s Day theme is reflected in our Banner and Welcome Slide, our first 2 Hymns, special Prayer for Fathers during the Prayers of the People, and especially the wonderful gift for all fathers and fathers in the Faith made by Shannon and our Sunday School, which were available for pick-up Saturday, and will be available again after the Service, from 2 till 3.
The primary focus of our Liturgy is National Indigenous Peoples Day. Our Liturgy begins with Prayer Honouring the 7 Directions (video, from today’s National Service) and the Covenant Collect. Following the Collect, we’re listening on video from the National Service to “The Strawberry Story,” penned by the late Rev’d Canon Ginny Doctor. The Prayers of the People begin with Thanksgiving Prayer from the National Service, followed by the National Indigenous Archbishop Mark MacDonald from the National Service offering a Prayer Remembering the Children. This is followed by a Litany for Healing and Restoration from the Diocese of Rupert’s Land. The Offertory Hymn is “Ancestor Song” sung by the Rev’d Canon Debbie Royals. At the end of the Liturgy, there’s a Navajo Blessing on video from the National Service, and then a Blessing in many languages, from the National Service in 2020. Following this, our final Hymn, “Amazing Grace,” is introduced by Archbishop Mark, who sings verse 1 in Ojibwa. A reminder that If you have an orange shirt, you’re invited to wear it on Sunday, as a way of saying, “Every Child Matters.” You can read about the symbolism of the orange shirt in our June 17 Facebook post.
The Readings for the day speak about matters vital to all 3 themes: love, trust, the stilling of the storm, safe harbour. We’re blessed to have Norman with us to help us reflect on them through the Sermon. We’re also blessed to have Freddie lead our First Reading, and John L. lead us in the Prayers of the People that are not on video.
Our Service is a Holy Eucharist, and so we have the opportunity to receive the Lord in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving, as we partake of Communion, physically as well as spiritually, using Reserved Sacrament from the previous Sunday’s Service. This Reserved Sacrament is available for pick up just inside the main doors on Saturdays, from 2 to 2:45, and other times by appointment. The wafers are in individual paper cups, and placed in a sealed baggie, to ensure their safety.
When our Liturgy ends, the service begins: we go in peace to love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit, and by the power of the Spirit, bearing witness to Jesus and his way of justice, reconciliation, peace, and love to our broken world in all we say and do.
Today’s Service of Holy Eucharist will be livestreamed on our main Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stpaulscalgary) at 9:30 am. Following the service, the video will be posted on our YouTube Channel, and a link to the service will be added here. To watch this service in full screen mode, please click on the “Watch on YouTube” button in the lower left-hand corner of the video. Please download the Order of Service if you would like to follow along.
Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from:
(a) ONE LICENSE with license # A-713985, and/or
(b) CCLI with Streaming License # 20351479.
All rights reserved.