Back to Children, Youth, Families
Day 5 is Thursday in the Judaeo-Christian calendar.
Thursdays at 7:30 PM, we will create gatherings intended to deepen and expand our spiritual lives.
Day 5 is a bridge between Sundays, so it can provide a sacred time between Sundays.
Day 5 is a working day, so it can be a time to study.
Day 5 is ordinary time, so it can offer us time to reflect on ordinary things and take them deeper.
Recurring zoom link is sent out on Wednesdays.
If you have any thoughts on possible Day 5 topics and presenters, please feel free to let one of the Spiritual Nurture Committee members know. They are Lucie Gamache, Candace McNeill and Jack Jervis. Please contact them through the church office.
This Week: January 25th, 2024
A new Christian Spirituality for the 21st century?
We live in a time of great uncertainty, volatility, and transitions. This affects our spiritual lives, too: what might a new Christian spirituality look like? Drawing on Christian theologian Ewert Cousins, Chris Peet, a Professor at King’s University and St. Paul’s member will present for discussion two spiritualities that present a wonderful and healthy challenge to contemporary Christian practice.
PREVIOUS WEEKS (February 23, 2023 through January 18, 2024 will be updated soon)
February 16 Rose Fedorak from Grace United will share importance and meaning of Ukrainian cultural symbols and traditions; why Ukrainian people hold onto their culture.
February 9 Adrienne Wiebe will be presenting a talk on behalf of Village Grounds , a store on Whyte Avenue (and across the country,) that sells gifts made in third world countries by native crafts people. She will speak about the origins of this business and the impressive results it has achieved.
January 26 Amy Kaler is joining us to speak on her upcoming book tentatively titled The Things That Count Are the Unseen Things: Protestant Missionaries in West China,1892-1952. She will focus on what she has learned about the lives, worldviews and beliefs of the very earliest cohort of Canadian United Church missionaries in the 1920s, right after the church came into existence.
January 19 Through a video and discussion, we will explore the upcoming year through the lens of Celtic Spirituality and how the first scripture of nature invites us to a deeper relationship with our spirits and the world around us.
January 12 Bev Brazier, the minister at Whitehorse United Church writes, “I am relatively new to biblical telling but becoming more passionate about it all the time. I’ve loved the Scriptures since I became part of the church at age 14. The way the stories speak and speak again is a source of wonder to me. Learning them by heart, I have found, brings out more of their depth and nuance. Telling is by definition a communal act, and always, when two or three are gathered…there is Jesus! I’ll be telling some of my own story and my relationship with the Scriptures, some of what brought me to the spiritual discipline of learning and telling sacred stories by heart, and I’ll be very interested to hear some of your own experiences, questions, and practices when it comes to the role of the Bible in your own spiritual journeys”.
December 15 We invite you to bring your favourite Christmas ornament to share.
December 8 Join Kayleigh Cline as we explore how we (story)“tell” Christmas. You are invited to bring one or two pieces of Christmas-y writing to share. It can be a hymn, a carol, a poem, a short story, a picture book, folklore, family lore, selections from a novel…or any other writing that, for you, is part of how you “tell” Christmas. You are welcome to bring your own writing pieces, or those of someone else, or one of each. After sharing, there will also be an opportunity to participate in a creative collective writing activity.
December 1 Join Rondy Kyle as she uses story and play for personal and community wellbeing. OutOfTheBox stories create brave relational space to breathe, trust, listen, feel, wonder, play and love. Come hear and play with story, going deeper into themes of change, loss, hope, suffering, joy, community, isolation, and connection. This story was developed as a springboard to process experiences of the pandemic and is about change, loss and finding a new way.
November 24 labyrinth practice; Catherine MacLean will welcome you in the Foote Auditorium if you would like to participate in person.
November 17 Dave Ainsworth, is a man with many stories that span across many continents! As part of the British Armed Forces, he brings a unique understanding of the Monarchy. Please join Dave as he reflects on the legacy of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II from his personal experiences.
November 10 we will watch together – with the magic of zoom and podcasts – the first part of theologian John Philip Newell’s interview on MyPilgrimage.com about Celtic Spirituality.
November 3 September 7-19, Gail Mannard-Carr and Dave Carr joined a unique, ninety-strong pilgrimage in the Netherlands for the 75th anniversary of the Dutch liberation by Canadian troops. Originally scheduled for 2020, it involved descendants and relatives of the WWII Canadian soldiers. Gail’s father was a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles and was wounded in Oostburg in 1944. Please join us to hear Dave’s presentation and learn a little about Canadian and European history.
October 27 Catherine MacLean was appointed as a delegate to the World Council of Churches 11th Assembly which met last month: 4000 people, 452 delegates, 352 denominations, 2 weeks. Come hear about the concerns of the global church, the remarkable work we share, and the movement of the Spirit.
October 20 Presenter: Janice Hurlburt
Each year, peregrine falcons return to the Edmonton area to raise families at multiple rooftop nesting sites including the U of A. Fledge Watch volunteers follow these young falcons through their early stages of growth to ensure that they remain safe while taking their first flights in an often hazardous urban environment. Janice’s talk includes photos, videos, and plenty of information about these fascinating birds.
October 13 Our new minister, the Rev. Anna Constantin, will give us some insight into her life and spiritual journey. Anna will be sharing some pictures and stories and will be inviting you to think about how the Sacred is alive in your life. Please bring a writing utensil and a paper that is big enough to put your handprint on.