The Little White Church on Main Street, Canmore, Alberta
From mid-March to mid-June, 2020, Evensong members contributed a weekly meditation/reflection to our online Sunday worship service. To watch these separately, please click on the date to download the mp4:
June 21 – Alan MacFadyen, “Oneness with Creation”
June 14 – Eric McAvity, “The Goodness of Creation”
June 7 – Marni Virtue, “Pentecost Season: One Searing Word”
May 24 – Jan Tissandier, “Ascension Poetry Collage”
May 17 – Val Goodrow, “Prayers of Intercession”
May 3 – Barbara Parker, “A Spring Prayer”
April 26 – Alan MacFadyen, “Meditation on Loving Kindness”
April 19 – Marni Virtue, Lectio Divina – “Such Singing in the Wild Branches”
April 12 – Jan Tissandier, “An Easter Like No Other”
April 5 – Judy Archer, “Gratitude”
March 29 – Judith Maxwell, “Lectio Divina – Be Still, and Know that I am God”
March 22 – Jan Tissandier, “Encircled in Light”
Initiated in 2001, Evensong’s contemplative style of worship is a wonderful Wednesday evening service (7:15-8:00 PM) at Ralph Connor. Interspersing music, silence, poetry, prose, meditation, prayer, the gifts of the Spirit are very present in this place.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, starting March 18th our Wednesday night Evensong service has been discontinued until further notice. An email including a liturgy that may be followed at home, will be sent to all on the Evensong mailing list. Starting March 22nd our Sunday Morning worship is also discontinued; various “live streaming” options are being explored & the necessary links will be posted on this website when available.
The journey through Lent continues with the gentle singing of Alpine Voices Threshold Choir. Be bathed in song and beautiful words by Jan L Richardson.
On February 26, the journey of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and the anointing of ashes. We begin this wilderness path with worship in the style of Taize, chant, sacred text, and silence.
Let us mark the close of Epiphanytide with mid-week Evensong Wednesday, February 19, 2020 @ 7:15 PM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are times, even whole seasons, when we need to take a rest from our journey. Even in the desert, Even in the wilderness, Sabbath comes. Light the candles, Say the prayers: Welcome, sabbath. Welcome, rest. Enter in and be our guest. Book of the Desert Mothers: J. Richardson
Invitation to Evensong – Cultivating love Wednesday, February 12, 2020 7:15 pm Ralph Connor Memorial United Church ALL of you is welcome ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are motions of the heart that occur only in quiet rooms, in the splendour of solitude where nothing and everything exists at the same time.” “We are born into a state of relationship, and our ceremonies and rituals are guides to lead us deeper into that relationship with all things.” “On my morning walk, the mountain …
Fifth Week of Epiphany God of grace and majesty, we exalt you For your wisdom, compassion, strength, and love. We thank you for choosing to walk among your people In all the circumstances of our lives. We pray that we would always be aware of your presence among us. Grant us ears to hear and eyes to see, through faith, The Christ in all who call upon your name
Come, come, whoever you are, for a conversational reflection upon words, words chalked upon the sanctuary door, words that can guide us through this year, 2020, words that may open us to truth, and to the grace that finds and embraces us, in darkness and in light, in joy and in love, in gratitude and in healing. Come, share and shape your journey toward peace, toward knowing, toward belonging, and toward Ash Wednesday and the Lenten journey soon to follow. …
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is …
The magi reveal the gifts they have brought of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold represents the honour brought to a King, frankincense is a connection to the divine by raising our prayers heavenward, and myrrh a holy oil of anointing. Carry your treasures and give them away freely. ~ Christine Valters Paintner There is so much love in the world. There is so much good. Smile at people you go past even if they don’t smile back, they feel that …
As the darkness deepens, gather in the warmth and beauty of the sanctuary for poetry, carols, and special music by Cathy Harrop, Heather MacFadyen, Cathy Robinson, and Breanna Temple Smolicz. In a time of holy birth and sacred wandering, may there be stars in the sky hope in the heart feet on the ground. May we hold conversations as sacred and gather in community to support one another. May there be faith for the long winters night, strength for the journey love …
Read moreEvensong – The Longest Night – Wednesday, December 18, 2019