Happy Third Day of Christmas!
Remember – it is a Season!!
Christmas and “end-of year” Donations
In “normal” times – remember them? – this would be a very narrow and focused request for all those “last-minute” donators to remember to bring in givings by the end of the year.
These are not normal times! … we know … you don’t need to be reminded!
So, please, if you have not already brought in your Christmas or “end-of-year” givings, please do so this week. We were so looking forward to seeing you in a capacity-based setting on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day. ‘Twas not to be! To facilitate the situation, a warden will be in the church from 8.45 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. on WEDNESDAY. Alternatively, you can leave your envelope in the church’s mail slot and it will be cleared each day. The mail slot is located on the door that leads to the ramp between the office hallway and the Narthex.
Services
Until we hear differently, services will continue to be on-line at 10.00 a.m. on Sundays. The link is provided on the parish website [www.stjamesdundas.ca]. It is easy to access – on the home page is “Join us!” – and there is a “clickable” link to access the service sheet and one to access the YouTube livestream. You can also join Tom Atterton on Wednesday evenings at 8.30 p.m. for Compline with a simple click as well.
You can also join the service from the Cathedral at 10.30 a.m. using Christ’s Church Cathedral YouTube connection. You can access this easily using www.cathedralhamilton.ca. There is a link at the top of the page for easy access to the appropriate next Live Stream on YouTube.
Vestry Reports
If you have responsibility for a particular area in the parish life, please submit your Vestry Report to the office by December 31, 2021. Please send to stjamesdundas@outlook.com. If you can use the word processing program WORD if would make things so much easier for compilation.
Coffee Hour
Peter D. will continue to host the Coffee Hour on Thursdays. With fewer opportunities to interact with others in person, perhaps this is the time for you to join the group that meets regularly on Thursday mornings. Our coffee hour occurs on Zoom at 10 a.m. Join us to chat and enjoy one another’s company for an hour. Bring your own coffee!
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6932690932
Meeting ID: 693 269 0932
And - A Thought For The Times
FRIENDSHIP
A young man (newly wed) was sitting on the porch chatting with his father. As he talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities, and obligations, his father was pensive and looked soberly at his son.
"Never forget your friends," he advised, "they will become more important as you get older. Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you happen to have, you will always need friends. Remember to go out with them occasionally (if possible) but keep in contact with them somehow." "What strange advice!" thought the young man. "I just entered married life, I am an adult and surely my wife and the family that we will start will be everything I need to make sense of my life."
Yet, he remembered his father’s advice; he kept in touch with his friends and annually increased their number.
Over the years, he became aware that his father knew what he was talking about. As time and nature carry out their designs and mysteries on a person, friends are the bulwarks of our life.
After 70 + years of life, here is what he, you and I may have learned ….
Time passes.
Life goes on.
Children grow up.
Children cease to be children and become independent.
To the parents, it breaks their hearts, but the children are separated from the parents because they begin their own families.
Jobs / careers come and go.
Illusions, desires, attraction, sex....weakens.
People can't do what they did physically when they were young.
Parents die, but you move on.
Colleagues forget the favours you did.
The race to achieve slows.
But, true friends are always there, no matter how long or how many miles away they are. A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, intervening in your favour, waiting for you with open arms or in some way blessing your life.
When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead. We did not know how much we would need from each other.
Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends. Stay in touch with them but do not impose your criteria.
Relate this to your friends (as well as those you seldom see), who help make sense of your life.
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