Category: Exploring Faith

Seeker embodies West Coast Spirituality

Owner of Vancouver’s Banyen Books urges traditional church to open themselves to change.

Article by Douglas Todd – Vancouver Sun


Seeker embodies West Coast spirituality
DOUGLAS TODD dtodd@ vancouversun. com
The Vancouver Sun
19 Apr 2010

Kolin Lymworth, owner of Kitsilano’s 40-year-old Banyen Books and Sound, had not attended a Christian church service for a long time, let alone spoken to a group of 200 Anglicans and Lutherans. Yet Lymworth was intrigued by the invitation to share his…read more…

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Lent and Easter at First†Met

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, the most important season in the church year. The week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week. While individual preparation and reflection is an important part of this preparation, there are also a number of events, activities and materials to assist in this process:

  • Mardi Gras celebration for children and families, following the 11 am service  on Mar 6. Hot dog luncheon and games.
  • Experiencing God in Our Lives, a book of daily reflections for the Lenten season, written by the youth, their parents and other adults of the congregation will be for sale following church services. Cost $8; proceeds provide bursaries for summer camp and other summer youth programs.
  • Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: Mar 8, 5:30 pm. Hosted by the younger men of the congregation. Adults $7, Children $3, Families $15. Tickets available at the church office or following Sunday services.
  • Ash Wednesday service, March 8, 7:00 pm
  • Sunday services, Mar 27 at 9:00 and 11:00 am, Martin Brokenleg, guest preacher
  • Palm Sunday, Apr 17, 9 and 11 am, with our new Minister of Pastoral Care and Shared Worship, Leanne Benoit, introduced
  • Maundy Thursday service, Apr 21: Potluck supper seder and tennebrae, 6:00 pm (please note time correction)
  • Good Friday service, Apr 22, 11:00 am
  • Easter Sunday services, Apr 24 at 9:00 and 11:00 am. Bring flowers to decorate the cross.  Featuring brass, choir and special hymns of Easter.
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Spiritual Development and Nurture

Transformation through prayer image.

Our Vision:

Transformation through prayer, learning and service of many forms, thus encouraging the exploration, deepening and living of our Faith.

We offer a variety of programs throughout the year to explore our Christian heritage and deepen our faith through ongoing Bible study, movie/discussion nights, lecture series, study groups, concerts, workshops and other gatherings.

All faith events are open to all interested persons of any denomination.

The offerings change throughout the seasons, so please check our Events page for current programs.

Each Sunday, prayers of the people are offered by a member of the congregation. The following prayer, written by Terry Dance-Bennink for Sunday, August 26, 2007, is based on Jeremiah l: 4-10; Psalm 71: Part 1; Luke 13: 10-17:

Dear loving God,

How we long for freedom! We are all crippled, bent over, in one way or another, to a greater or lesser degree, and when moments of relief come our way, how we rejoice. We long for deep and lasting healing, as the woman in today’s Gospel experienced at the hands of Jesus the Healer.

Our burdens are many.

  • It can be grief – as those who’ve recently lost loved ones in a terrible fire or car crash must feel;
  • It can be pain – the pain that many who suffer from a chronic illness or an addiction must feel, being unable to “stand straight” physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually;
  • It can be anxiety caused by a craving for affection, esteem, and praise which makes us work too hard and burn out;
  • It can be resentment against someone who’s hurt us deeply, a hurt we just can’t let go of;
  • It can be anger, the anger many women feel as they continue to butt their heads against sexism in our society;
  • It can be guilt for not reaching out to help another because of our own preoccupations;
  • It can be fear, the fear that we’re just not good enough, despite our daily prayers and the good deeds we do; we’re crippled by a sense of our unworthiness.

So we pray today for deep and lasting healing. And for the wisdom to discern when and how we should build and plant, pluck up and pull down, destroy and overthrow. That’s the hard part. When is it right to call it quits and leave an unhealthy situation or relationship? When are we called to plant the seeds of a new dream in a new land, a new home, a new marriage, a new job or the new state of retirement? When should we be so bold as to overthrow an unjust policy or even a government for the sake of the planet and those who are oppressed?

We protest – not me Lord – I’m too young, too inexperienced, too old, too much of an introvert, too scared to take action. And yet You say: “Do not be afraid…I am with you…I knew you before you were even formed in the womb…and I have put my words in your mouth.”

And so we trust that we are indeed free, free to be God’s ears, eyes, and hands on this earth, and that we are infinitely loved no matter how crippled we may appear.

For this we pray. Amen.

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The Listening Heart

A Time Set Apart, to Relax, Be Still and Listen

Date: First and third Mondays of month, Sep through June
Time(s): 1:30 to 3:00 pm
Location: First†Metropolitan United Church Chapel

In our very busy lives, it can be difficult to hear the promptings of the spirit. We will practice coming to inner stilness so that we might hear the “still small voice” within.

Practices will include the use of scripture, poetry and music to inspire us; guided meditation and relaxation; and developing compassion for oneself. We will be drawing on Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Sufi traditions. Suitable for beginners and the more experienced.

The facilitator is Linda Mulhall, MEd, whose own spiritual journey has been rich and diverse. She was a Roman Catholic nun, General Secretary for the Student Christian Movement of Canada, and a practitioner of Metis and First Nations spirituality with Oriah Mountain Dreamer. She is a member of First†Met and engaged in the Art of Spiritual Guidance program offered at Hollyhock Educational Retreat . Linda can be contacted by email or by phone at (250) 479-8410.

  • Phone: (250) 388.5188, ext. 221
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Sermon Discussion Group

Date: Each Sunday
Time(s): Following the 11:00 am service
Location: First†Metropolitan United Church Fellowship Hall

Did today’s sermon move you? Stimulate you? Make you think about your life in a different way? There will be an opportunity to informally discuss today’s sermon with others at coffee time in the Fellowship Hall. Look for our table.

Facilitated by the Worship/Christian Spiritual Development Team.

  • Phone: (250) 388.5188
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Mountford Library

Open Sunday mornings
10:15 to 10:45 am, and after the 11:00 am service

Mountford Library

Our library offers a broad range of books and audiovisual materials, inviting readers to explore their spirituality, beliefs, relationships in light of their beliefs, as well as the role of the church in helping them achieve their life goals.  Recently, the library received donations of DVDs and other resources when the Queenswood Library closed. Check out the new books acquired by the library in 2010 and 2011. Topics you will find in our collection include:

  • Children’s books 
  • Bible studies (classical and current research)
  • Devotional and inspirational works
  • Church history (Christianity and United Church)
  • Help with personal problems, pain, healing, death, consolation
  • Church ministry
  • Crafts
  • Biography and some fiction
  • Reviews of books in our collection (see below for recent additions)

Library committee 2010

Call numbers for all library materials can be found in a printed catalogue (in three binders), by author, title, and subject.

Volunteer and Children's library cart

Books may be borrowed for 3 weeks, and renewed if not requested by another reader.

Library volunteers can provide a list of library books related to your church programs, and can provide a book display for special events.  Send your requests to the church office, and they will forward them to library committee members.

We welcome recommendations for additions to the collection.  Please drop off your suggestions in the library.

 We are happy to accept donations of books.  (If we cannot use them, we may sell them at book sales to help raise funds for new books.)

 Financial donations and bequests for new books are gratefully accepted!

Book Reviews:

Benner, David. Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality,  2003.

Bethge, Eberhard. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Letters and Papers from Prison, 1997. 

Borg, Marcus J. Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, 2006.

 Collins, Francis. The Language of God, 2007.

 Ehrman, Bart D.  Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament, 2003.

 Funk, Robert W., editor. The Five Gospels: the Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus, 1997.

Levine, Amy Jill et al, editors. The Historical Jesus in Context, 2006

 Manning, Brennan.  A Glimpse of Jesus, the Stranger to Self-hatred, 2003.

 Moon, Sharon. Returning to the Healing Oasis: Guided Meditations for Mind, Body, and Spirit [Book & CD], 2006.

 Phipps, Bill. Cause for Hope: Humanity at the Crossroads, 2007.

 Pogue, Carolyn.  A World of Faith: Introducing Spiritual Traditions to Teens, 2007.

 Raza, Raheel. Their Jihad, Not My Jihad!, 2005.

 Rice, Anne. Christ the Lord out of Egypt, 2005.

 Rupp, Joyce. Walk in a Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons From the Camino, 2005.

 Sanguin, Bruce. Darwin, Divinity and the  Dance of the Cosmos, 2007.

Williams, Rowan. The Truce of God, 2005.

Zimmerman, Dennis.  Healing Death: Finding Wholeness When a Cure is No Longer Possible, 2007.

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Register for Sacred Fire Transform Me Retreat Day

Please note: First†Met discount code is FM2011

[Event_Registration_Single event_id="21"]

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Epiphany Explorations 2011 – January 20 to 24

 

What an exciting conference we had! Next year, Jan 19-23, 2012 will be our 10th Year and will feature speakers Marcus Borg, Richard Rohrbaugh, Mary Jo Leddy, Elizabeth May and others. Information will be posted in June on the program for 2012. Registration starts on August 15.Thank you to all our volunteers, delegates, presenters and staff!

See Douglas Todd’s Article on Philip Yancey: Vancouver Sun Jan 29, 2011. Download a handout of his presentation.

Check out what the Edmonton based March Congregational Life Newsletter had to say about our Conference!

 

  • Download a copy of the 2011 Conference Schedule at a Glance or details of the main sessions or workshops
  • Download the full conference brochure
  • Register online for the conference (please make sure that you have a copy of the Schedule at  a  Glance and workshop list handy when you do so!)
  • Please Note change in Workshop
    Bethel Lee’s workshop “Why is the United Church so Confusing?” has been replaced with Martin Brokenleg: “Deep Talk on Aboriginal Issues”
    This workshop is a guided conversation on current and past dynamics of Native and non-Native relationships.  Come prepared to just talk and start real dialogue to begin true reconciliation. A maximum of 40 people can attend this workshop.
  • Download a registration form
  • See frequently asked questions
  • Read our Special Needs policy
  • Download a  copy of suggested readings (PDF) by our 2011 speakers
  • The United Church of Canada is offering a Learning-in-Community Grant of up to $1250 for those who wish to attend the event as a group, and then continue to meet and reflect on learnings together.  Apply online.

    Each year, our participants tell us how much they enjoyed the conference and how much they learned:

    This is hands down, the very best continuing education event I have attended. ..  only sorry to have missed previous Epiphany Explorations.

    I have learned to trust this event …  knowing that I will be blown away  – awe, inspiration, affirmation of gifts and insights, progressive understanding of Christianity in the world.

    Always a highlight of my faith journey – much food for thought and growth.

    Keep it going. It was like a pilgrimage to be here.

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    Discover Your Spiritual Style

    Discover Your Spiritual Style Two-Part Series

    Sundays  Sept 11 & 25
    ~ 12:45 – 2:45 pm

    Led by:
    Leanne Benoit & Allan Saunders

     

    “Why is an experience spiritual for one person but not another?”

    “How might I nurture my spiritual life?”

    “What are my growing edges?”

    Our spiritual styles impact the ways in which we make meaning of our lives.  How we think and feel, our images of God, and  our (dis)comfort with being and doing all influence our spirituality.  There are a variety of tools to lead us to deeper self-understanding and nurturing our relationship with the Sacred.  In the introductory session, we will use the Spirituality Wheel to discover more about our spiritual styles and explore spiritual practices and resources.   In the second session, we will look at spirituality models such as the Enneagram and Myers Briggs and how they can be used to expand our spiritual resourcefulness.

    A light lunch will be available beforehand so please register in advance!  Donations to cover expenses are welcome.

    Discover Your Spiritual Style - Two parts

    Start Date: September 11, 2011

    End Date: September 25, 2011

    We are sorry but registration for this event is now closed.

    Please contact us if you would like to know if spaces are still available.

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    Diana Butler Bass Webinar

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