What is happening around saint benedict’s table as we move through August:
T
hough I don’t really want to mention that fall is fast approaching (deep sigh…) we are now pretty busy getting things in order for the coming months. Plans for ideaExchange are coming into place, the dates for Hear the Silence have been set, and we’re exploring a few other interesting ideas for the coming year. Details will be posted over the coming weeks, so be sure to check in.
-The readings for Sunday September 5 are Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Luke 14:25-33.
-The schedule for Hear the Silence is now up on the website, with the first one set for Saturday September 18 at 7:00pm. Hear the Silence is a time of worship built around music, prayer, readings and stillness, led by Gord Johnson and Larry Campbell. Be warned ahead of time: there is no communion, no sermon, no coffee hour, no big social focus… just an opportunity come away into the stillness, move into a space of deep openness to the Spirit of God, and then go quietly into the evening’s stillness.
-The final round of Theology by the Glass for the summer is set for Monday September 20 at 8:00pm at the Confusion Corner Bar and Grill. The article for this discussion is called “The Creativity Crisis“, which takes a look at research suggesting that “creativity” is on the decline in our culture, and asks some hard questions as to what educators and church communities might be doing in response to this cultural challenge.
-The ideaExchange series kicks off its season on Saturday September 25, 7:30pm at Aqua Books, 274 Garry Street.
-We’re doing some work toward producing a book of some of the music that has been created in the context of saint ben’s. We’ll be doing this in such a way as to do the proper licensing and so forth, giving the various songwriters credit for the material they’ve produced. As the selection of which music might be included begins, we’d love you to weigh in. You can do that by sending a message through the contact us link.
-There are a couple of other projects in the works that you should know about:
- Mike Koop has been busily working in the recording studio, setting down tracks for a new saint ben’s CD to be released this fall. In the middle of the summer they hauled a classic Hammond B3 organ and Leslie speaker into Signpost Studio, adding a great sound to the whole project; and if you’re not sure what a B3 organ is, it provided the classic organ sound on countless rock, jazz and gospel records from the 50s and 60s. You can hear some samples from the session by clicking here.
- Also set for this fall is the release of an audio book of the lectures and presentations Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove shared with us last November. This audio book will give us an opportunity to revisit the challenges Jonathan issued to us during his time here in Winnipeg.
-Please don’t forget that every Sunday we gather fresh fruit and vegetables to support the ministry of Agape Table, the meal program that operates each weekday in the church hall. Along with produce, toiletries are always a welcome contribution to this work. *The Agape Table staff have also suggested that fruit juices are most welcome, though they stipulate “real juice”, as opposed to those 15% juice-based drinks! Each day between 200 and 250 people are served a meal by Agape, and they also operate a special meal and nutrition program for families with young children.
Have a great week,
Jamie Howison