Hello All,

The last twenty-four hours have been wet, cold and very windy.  Typical November weather that tells us winter is not far away.  Brrr!

It is not winter that I am looking forward to but to Advent! 

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December 1st marks the start of the new church year with the “First Sunday of Advent”.   So, what is Advent? Derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”, Advent is the period where we wait for the birth of Jesus.  It is a time of hopeful waiting and expectation.  “People look east, the time is near” starts one of the Advent hymns.  The Church has celebrating Advent for centuries!

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It is also a time for personal reflection.  What does the birth of Jesus mean to us?  How should we live knowing our Saviour “cometh” not only in the birth of Jesus but at the second coming of Christ?   I was thinking about this as I walked in the blowing wind today.    

In Hebrew “ruah” means “breath,” “wind,” “air,” or “spirit.  I was taught in seminary that this word was often translated as “God’s Spirit” in scripture.  So today “God’s Spirit” was doing its best to knock me over.   God’s Spirit is with us always in life whether it is in gentle, subtle ways like a soft breeze or in a heavy gale!  It is up to us to try and understand what the Spirit is telling us.

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On Saturday, November 30th, 2024 at 11am the Parish of Annapolis starts another journey of hopeful expectation!  By now you should have seen the Warden’s announcement of a Special Parish Meeting.  At this meeting, the Parish will pick their representatives to the Parochial Committee.  This committee is charged with executing the process leading to the selection of a new full-time Rector for the Parish of Annapolis.  This process will take a number of months.  Please consider being on the committee.  Please attend this Special Meeting.

We need to pray for the Parochial Committee.   Hopefully the Parish will have their new Rector in the spring or early summer.  May God bless their work and the new Rector that is ultimately selected. 

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I look forward to continuing to serve the Parish over the upcoming months while the search is in progress.

As we move through Advent and into Christmas, we have lots of services and events planned! I hope to see you at many of them.

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We would love to have you come and join us for any or all of the below:

Sunday Morning Services – St. Lukes at 10 am every Sunday

Sing-a-long Messiah – St. Lukes, Sunday, Dec 1st at 4 pm

Lessons and Carols – St. Mark’s, Perotte Rd, Saturday, December 7th at 3pm

Blue Christmas – St. Luke’s, Sunday Dec 15th at 10 am.  This service will include a chance to recognize the loss of family and friends who are no longer with us to celebrate Christmas.

Concert of Compassion – Remigio and Friends – St. Luke’s December 14 & December 15 at 4pm.   Renowned tenor Remigio Pereira and Friends will host a fund-raising concert (none of the artists are being compensated) to raise funds to help those in need.  Tickets are available at the “Mad Hatter” in Annapolis Royal. $40. VIP & Meet & Greet Packages are available as well.

Community Carol Sing – St. Luke’s, Friday Dec 20 at 7 pm followed by Cider and Cookies in the hall.

Christmas Eve – St. Luke’s, Sunday Dec 24th at 7 pm.

Christmas Morning -St. Luke’s, Monday Dec 25th at 9:30 am (Book of Common Prayer)

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We are also hosting 2 concerts featuring Remi, a former member of the Canadian Tenors, to raise money for the poor.  And, let’s not forget Second Sunday Classical Concert (Starting up again January 12th, 2025) and Choral Evensong at 4 pm on Fourth Sunday of the month.

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Blessings,

Rev. Julia Ford