Life at Glebe — August Edition

Building God’s Beloved Community

If you are new or newish to the Christian faith, interested in learning more about membership in The United Church of Canada or if you want to re-discover the faith you grew up with, think about joining our book study beginning this Fall. We will be reading “Building God’s Beloved Community: Discipleship in The United Church of Canada.” This book was written primarily with those new to the church in mind (the language is very accessible) yet is still relevant for wherever you are in your faith journey. The book features contributions from a wide theological and cultural spectrum within The United Church of Canada. 

We will be reading this book of the course over 14 weeks (one short chapter per week). You can come every week or choose which week  and topics are of interest to you (the chapters on spiritual practices and Indigenous spiritual heritages may be of particular interest). 

Read the introduction to the book here.

‘“All of us are called by God to grow in our faith and to serve the church, each in different ways.”

– Taylor Croissant, Building God’s beloved Community 

Copies of the book can be purchased here or contact our office at  gleberoadunited@rogers.com to borrow a copy in ebook or hard copy format. 

Schedule – Dates TBA, Fall 2022

Week 1 – Theology: God, the Trinity, Humankind and Sin
Week 2 – The Story of Jesus of Nazareth
Week 3 – Jesus the Christ
Week 4 – The Bible: What is It? Where Did it Come From?
Week 5 – The Authority of the Bible and Our Interpretation of it
Week 6 – The Theology of the Church
Week 7 – The Sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion
Week 8 – The History of Christianity: The Early, Medieval, and Early Modern Periods
Week 9 – Christianity in Canada and Abroad from the 18th to Early 20th Centuries
Week 10 – Church History: The United Church of Canada
Week 11 – Worship in The United Church of Canada
Week 12 – Spiritual Practice in the United Church of Canada
Week 13 – How we Decide Things: Polity and Governance in The United Church of Canada
Week 14 – Indigenous Spiritual Heritage within The United Church Church of Canada

A message from Rev. Dan Benson, one of our former ministers: 

Greetings, friends.   I hope this finds you well and enjoying the summer thus far, and being (relatively) free from COVID restrictions. I’m writing to share some news about a trip I’m escorting with Craig Travel, and to invite you to come along: it’s a tour of the ‘Heart of Germany,’ and includes the famous Oberammergau Passion Play.

If you’re unfamiliar with Oberammergau, the story is that, in the 17^th century, the townfolk made a solemn promise that, if the town were spared the plague they would perform the story of Jesus (the Passion Play) in perpetuity. From the early 1600s, they’ve kept that promise, at first performing it every year and then every decade. The current performance was scheduled for 2020, and was delayed because of COVID (I had planned to see it in 2020 as part of a sabbatical trip, but that got canceled too!).  The play runs five days a week from May through October, and the theatre holds almost 5,000 guests so literally hundreds of thousands of people come from all over the world to see this play!

See more about Oberammergau at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberammergau_Passion_Play or the play’s own website at https://www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de/en/home 

Oberammergau is one day of the whole trip, from Sept 17 – 29.  The 13 day trip takes us through the ‘heart of Germany,’ including Berlin, Dresden, Nuremburg, and Munich — with a little jaunt into Prague.  I’m very excited to go back to Germany, as I’ve been to Berlin and Munich, but not to Dresden, Nuremburg and many of the other places on the itinerary.  Lots to explore!  Here’s the whole itinerary and all the details https://craigtravel.com/sites/default/files/docs/pdf/ober_2022_heart_of_germany_rev26oct.pdf

Craig is offering an ‘early booking’ discount of $200. Contact Joilyn at 1-800-387-8890 to book or for more details. As always, with Craig, you can count on a superb itinerary, visiting the best sights, knowledgeable guides, excellent accommodations and meals, special events, and more. Plus, there’s time in the schedule for some exploring and shopping on your own.  And, I’ll be along as your tour leader!  Feel free to contact me at 416-807-6727 or revdanielb@gmail.com .

Blessings,

Dan

New Website!

Please take the time to visit our newly redesigned website at www.gleberoadunited.org. Catch up on services that you may have missed, follow the community news postings, and enjoy Cynthia’s sermons which have been reprinted in full in the blog section of the site.

Installation of the 44th Moderator of the United Church

In a service brimming with joy, the Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Kwisa’lakw was installed as the 44th Moderator of The United Church of Canada. Held on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, the service was live streamed across the country with over 500 people watching.

Attended by hereditary chiefs, including from Moderator Lansdowne’s own Heiltsuk Nation, as well as by national, regional, ecumenical, and interfaith guests, the worship marked a series of historic firsts. Moderator Lansdowne is the first Indigenous women to lead The United Church of Canada. Hosted at Canadian Memorial United, the installation was the first to be held in a specific community of faith, rather than at a General Council venue. Through a stirring commemoration led by Vanessa Richards, it was the first official marking by the denomination of Emancipation Sunday.

For full details, visit https://united-church.ca/news/installation-44th-moderator-united-church

Photo Credit: The United Church of Canada

North Toronto Cluster Events

Check out what is happening through the cluster https://www.ntcnow.ca/events. Events this spring include Bible for Busy People, Responding to Canada’s Overdose Crisis – Facts & Actions Seminar, Stories of My Life and our own Junefest!