Category: Spiritual Development

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…

Also posted in Exploring Faith, Miscellaneous | Tag(s): , , | Comments closed

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.
Also posted in Events, Worship & Celebrate | Comments closed

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.

Category: Spiritual Development | Tag(s): | Comments closed

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
Also posted in Events | Tag(s): , , | Comments closed

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
Also posted in Events | Tag(s): , | Comments closed

Register for Sacred Fire Transform Me Retreat Day

Please note: First†Met discount code is FM2011

[Event_Registration_Single event_id="21"]

Also posted in Events, Exploring Faith | Comments closed

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.

Also posted in Events, Exploring Faith, For Seniors | Comments closed

Diana Butler Bass Webinar

Also posted in Exploring Faith | Comments closed

Diana Butler Bass Webinar

Tuesday October 25, 2011 – Tuesday October 25, 2011

View MapMap and Directions | Register

Description:

On Tuesday, October 25th, EDGE will be co-hosting a 2 hour web event with Diana Butler Bass in partnership with the Center for Progressive Renewal.

Like other aspects of modern life, religion is going through a challenging period of change, erosion, and decline. Many people are no longer satisfied with forms of faith and church that no longer seem to speak to the soul. From membership to traditional beliefs, nearly every measure of conventional religiosity is down. Diana Butler Bass explores the religious trends reshaping our understandings of faith, practice, and community, drawing out the real questions that people are asking about their spiritual lives. Probing these deeper questions–and addressing them in meaningful ways–opens paths for a different sort of Christianity, one that offers genuine hope for spiritual awakening and cultural transformation.

When: Tuesday, October 25th from 4:00-6:00PM
Place: First†Met United Church
Cost: $5.00
Presbyters Pre-paid: enter code “Presbytery”

Register

Also posted in Event Registration, Events, Exploring Faith | Comments closed

“The Call” Retreat Day

Date: December 3, 2011
Time(s): 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Location: First†Metropolitan United Church Chapel, 932 Balmoral Rd., Victoria

“The Call” doesn’t just come once in our lives. The call comes sometimes, quietly, sometimes loudly, sometimes persistently, in dreams as well as through people and events. We hear the call in our hearts. We are continually being called to live life more deeply, more freely, more joyfully. We are called to wholeness: to retirev those abandoned parts of ourselves, which we may have forgotten or suppressed; those parts of ourselves that are longing to be born. At every age and stage of our lives, the call comes. The question is, how can we open our hearts to truly hear and respond.

In this InterSpiritual workshop, facilitated by Linda Mulhall, we will explore, how to gently soften and open our hearts to receive the call; how to make space for it; how to receive it and respond. The workshop is individual in focus, using guided meditation, journal work, silence, drawing and chanting to explore this theme.

Coffee, tea, snacks and a soup and salad lunch will be provided. Bring a blanket for meditation on the floor, journal, pens, and be prepared to walk outside. Cost $45 for First Met members (use discount code FMRD2011), $75 for non-members. Register online (below) or download a description of the retreat day and a registration form.

Also posted in Events | Tag(s): , | Comments closed