Weekly Notices - July 14th, 2022
From the Rector's Desk
Earlier this week on our journey home after visiting family in Edmonton, we made our usual stop at one of my favourite spots in all of Canada - Mt. Robson. We took the obligatory selfie but it was terrible so I won’t share it! It’s the highest point in the Canadian Rockies, just west of Jasper on the Yellowhead Highway. Driving through the mountains, as always, my head began to spin as I tried to recall what I knew about their formation, with tectonic plates colliding and sliding under and over each other about 120 million years ago. That may seem long ago but it’s quite recent in Earth history, as our planet formed some 4.5 billion years ago, from vast molecular dust clouds surrounding our sun.
If those time periods were difficult to get my head around, things got more mind-bending as in this same week we have seen some of the first images from the new James Webb Space Telescope. It’s providing the clearest and furthest images of outer space we have ever seen. The latest ones boggle the mind as they bring into view galaxies almost ten billion light years away - which means we are beginning to see things that have existed more than twice as long as Earth, and more than a hundred times as long as the Rockies.
The other thoughts which coursed their way through my mind on that drive through the Rockies, were the words of Psalm 90: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.… a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.” It’s as if the psalmist had some idea of what we are just now beginning to understand – the infinity and timelessness of the universe – over which our Creator presides and cares. I don’t think we will ever fully understand the science of where we are and where we came from (at least in my lifetime) but what is so important and comforting is the certain knowledge of God’s all encompassing compassion for what has always been and what will always be. Thank God!
With every blessing,
Alan
Office Coverage June/July
While KAT is in the UK, Darrell Bell and Bev Overton have been providing part-time office coverage Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thank you so much Darrell and Bev for volunteering your time. And we look forward to welcoming KAT home next week – especially me!
The Wednesday Bible Study group is not meeting in June and July. We will resume later in August.
Remember to Save these Dates...
Sunday, August 14th - St. Mary Matronal festival ('make your own bunwich' lunch)
Sunday, October 9th - Thanksgiving pot-luck lunch
FINANCIAL UPDATE JUNE 30, 2022
Our Treasurer Jennifer reports: "Our deficit is somewhat less than the projected budget and I hope it will continue that way until year-end. Many thanks."
AVM-APPROVED BUDGET January 1 - June 30
Total Income $67,404.00
Total Expense $77,682.00
Net Income/Loss -$10,278.00
January 1 - June 30
Total Income $71,336.44
Total Expense $79,687.12
Net Income/Loss -$8,360.68
June 1 - June 30
Total Income $10,089.98
Total Expense $10.943.34
Net Income/Loss -$853.33
Our thanks to you all for your financial support of the parish!
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