Please note that St. Anne's regular service time is 9:15 am. There will be an 8:00 am Book of Common Prayer service on the first Sunday of of the month.
Worship services are now being livestreamed on our Facebook page on major celebration days and also available afterward if you missed them.
FORTH @ 4pm: Every fourth Sunday at 4pm (paused until the Fall)
A 30 minute informal time of worship. Through the vehicles of scripture and song, we will spend some moments with one another entering in the readings and their message to us.
"To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything he has given us— and he has given us everything.” Thomas Merton (1915–1968)
Thomas Merton was an American Trappist monk, writer, and mystic. Living at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, he wrote extensively on prayer, contemplation, and the spiritual life, bridging traditional Christian monasticism with modern concerns. Known for his deep reflections on God’s presence in daily life, Merton inspired generations to seek inner peace, gratitude, and awareness of the divine in all things.
Thomas Merton’s words invite us to see gratitude not as a polite gesture but as a way of perceiving all of life. To live with a grateful heart is to live with open eyes, recognizing that all we have, our very life, the people we love, the beauty of creation, even the lessons hidden in hardship, all of these
are gifts from God. Nothing is outside the scope of God’s generosity. When we take time to pause, to notice, and to give thanks, we align ourselves with that reality. Gratitude becomes a kind of prayer, a way of dwelling in God’s love.
The challenge, of course, is to remember this not only in moments of abundance, but also in seasons of struggle. Merton suggests that gratitude is possible even there, because God’s love is constant, giving us strength, hope, and presence in all circumstances. Thanksgiving, then, becomes more than a holiday tradition, it becomes instead a way of life rooted in trust.
Loving God, teach us to see your gifts in all things. In moments of joy, remind us to give thanks. In times of challenge, remind us that your love is still our greatest gift. May gratitude always shape our days, our prayers, and our lives. Amen.
"Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings. Now, think. What delight God gives to humankind.”
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was a German Benedictine abbess, composer, writer, and visionary. Known for her mystical visions and deep spirituality, she wrote extensively on theology, medicine, and natural history, seeing all creation as a reflection of God’s glory. She is remembered for her
poetry, music, and holistic view of the interconnectedness of life, inspiring awe, gratitude, and devotion.
Hildegard invites us to see creation itself as a reflection of God’s love and delight. The sun warming our faces, the moon and stars lighting the night, the greening of the earth in spring—all these are gifts, not just to sustain life, but to inspire wonder and gratitude. When we pause to notice the natural world, we are drawn into a conversation with the Creator who delights in us and in the world around us.
Thanksgiving begins in attentiveness. It starts with looking, really looking, and allowing ourselves to be amazed by the ordinary and extraordinary beauty that surrounds us. Every leaf, every sunrise, every rhythm of the earth whispers God’s love and care. In these moments, gratitude is not just a feeling but a practice, shaping how we see the world and how we live within it.
Creator God, open our eyes and hearts to the beauty of your creation. Let us see your love in the sun, the moon, the stars, and the greening earth. May wonder and gratitude guide our days, and may we live in harmony with the gifts you so generously give. Amen.
Anglican Fellowship of Prayer - Summer Newsletter
Why not take a few minutes to have a look at the summer edition of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer newsletter. You'll find a variety of articles and reflections there ranging from, The Servant Queen: A Model of Christian Life, Playing in the Dirt, or Being Still, I know you'll want to make it a part of your summer reading. You can find it online here. Some paper copies will also be available on Sunday, please look for them at the back of the church.
Pray the Daily Office - This site invites you to join with Christians around the world in praying with the Church, at any time or in any place you may find yourself. It makes it easy to pray daily morning, midday, evening, and compline (bedtime) prayer without flipping pages, searching for scripture readings or calendars, or interpreting rubrics. The prayers are presented from The Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America and reflect the ancient patterns of daily prayer Christians have used since the earliest days of the church.
The Power of Prayer (author unknown)
The day was long, the burden I had borne seemed heavier than I could bear. And then it lifted - but I did not know someone had knelt in prayer; had taken me to God that very hour, and asked the easing of the load, and He, in infinite compassion had stooped down and taken it from me. We cannot tell how often as we pray, for some bewildered one, hurt and distressed, the answer comes, but many times, those hearts find sudden peace and rest. Someone had prayed and Faith, a reaching hand, took hold of God, and brought Him down that Day! So many, many hearts have need of prayer; Oh, let us pray!
Forward Movement - digital and print resources including daily reflections and bible readings
Stations of the cross - Journey with Jesus from condemnation to the cross
Additional resources are available if you want to learn more about our annual cycle of worship and how it recognizes certain biblical events, please visit the seasonal links under the Faith & Worship menu. Use our Contact Us form to make suggestions that would be helpful in our common faith journey.
Parking for services
We would like to remind everyone that there is additional parking available at Byron Northview School (entrance on Stephen Street).
Monastic Wisdom for Everyday
So much of our stress and anxiety derives from our pollution of Time. God has given us the gift of time, and called it holy, yet we often experience time as a curse. Recapture time as a gift and discover how to experience the joy of the present moment.
Whether you feel a sense of having too little time for all the demands of life, or whether you feel lonely amidst too much time, God is calling you to connection. God wants us to use our time not just wisely, but sacredly, in order to thrive. No matter what stage of life we are in, God’s invitation is that we be intentional in how we use our time in order to discover the abundance of life God desires for each of us.
Consider this six-week journey of reflection offered by SSJE Brothers - https://www.ssje.org/time/ .
Digital Resources from the Anglican Church of Canada
From Alpha to Omega – in a year! Let's read the Bible in one year.
Let's read it every day! The Bible is at the heart of our faith, so let's use THE BIBLE CHALLENGE as an outline: thebiblechallenge.org The website posts the scriptures daily and contains study guides for each book of the Bible.
Prayer...the world's greatest wireless connection...takes various forms at St. Anne's.
Reaching out in prayer Remember several years ago when Rev. Bill Harrison came and we wondered what Evangelism, Discipling, Outreach and Fundraising looked like at St. Anne’s? And didn't it feel good to realize that evangelism didn’t mean going door-to-door or standing on the street corner trying to convince others about God? We simply need to be ourselves and ask how we are going to share the good news of God’s healing love as part of our everyday activities.
Just as we each have our own way of sharing God's love with others, there are probably also many ways in which we pray. We pray in church and out of church, for our own concerns, our families and friends, and for the world and its troubles. James 5:16b (New Living Translation) says "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said “In praying 'Thy Kingdom Come' we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities." The Archbishop has invited people to join him in prayer specifically between Ascension and Pentecost (May 30 - June 9, 2019). He is simply asking people to pray in whatever way they want, with whoever they want and wherever they can, that others might know Jesus Christ. And there is no need to wait until next year so why not start now!
Loads of ideas are offered on the website www.thykingdomcome.global. Feel free to browse the site and consider the ideas that fit your life. A few of those ideas have been noted below, but the key is to simply start and make prayer a habit. \
- as spring buds start to show on the trees, think of members of your own family tree and pray for them to discover or rediscover the new life offered by Jesus
- use reminders to pray for five friends:
- write their names on five small stones and put them on a desk, in a basket or bowl or in any convenient place. Hold the stone in your hand as you pray for the person;
- tie five knots in a string and either wrap the string around your wrist or put in in a visible place;
- put post-it notes up where you will see them regularly;
- or add five names to your smartphone list of reminders;
- use Scrabble letters to name someone; jumble the letters to give you a new first initial and start another name
- go through a newspaper and pick out a few articles and pray for God's will to be done in those situations
- pray the Lord's Prayer – slowly
- when you go walking, pray for the people living in the houses or working in the businesses you pass. Ask God to show you what He sees and to know His heart for your community.
And as we are urged in 1 Timothy 2 (The Message) "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."
Bringing Holy Communion Into your Home
In Anglican church tradition, the rector may commission qualified laity to deliver the consecrated sacraments to those less mobile in hospitals or homes, Guidelines for such selection include the person being:
- a practicing church member of St.Anne’s, distinguished in the Christian life, faith and morals
- have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist
- demonstrating a deep reverence for and devotion to the Holy Eucharist
- been prepared and commissioned by the rector for this ministry
Lay people at St. Anne's are actively involved in the worship service and this short list below reflects some of those roles.
- Chancel Guild
- Servers
- Lay readers and lay communion assistants
- Sidespersons
Interested in knowing more about these ministries? Send us your questions or contact information to find out more.
We believe that when we live the Gospel we find peace in our lives
We believe in the power of prayer
We believe that you, your children and all life are precious
We believe that we can help each other in times of grief, trouble or sorrow
We believe that in community we can work, laugh and offer each other joy.