Pagkakaisa

      We had the pleasure of welcoming the Himig Kabataan Cultural Society on Saturday for two concerts celebrating traditions and music from the Philipines and beyond in a day filled with joy and hope. From the very first, the choir engaged us with their rendition of "Manila", a high energy song bringing us right into present day Filipino culture. Then followed "O Canada"  and "Pambasang Awit", the  Philipine national anthem, sung by many with their hand over their heart. We were then gifted with many more songs, my favourite being one from their Vienna World Peace Choral Festival offering entitled, "Locus Iste" by Anton Bruckner which translated from the Latin means: 

"This place was made by God, 

A priceless sacrament, 

It is without reproach."

which was profoundly moving as it was being sung in my place of worship. This was followed by "Saro, Duwa, Tolo" which was a  medley of three folks songs from the Philipines which had my friend, who family is Filipino, in tears as it brought her back to her childhood, hearing these very same songs on her family's record player when she was younger.

     After the intermission we were privileged to hear the Himig Kabataan choir along with our own Church of the Holy Trinity Choir, directed by Maria Golas, singing "The Lord is My Shepherd", arranged by Howard Goodall. It was a beautiful rendition and I was very proud of our choir. It was followed by "Lead Me Lord" another poignant and beautifully sung piece composed by Arnel de Pano. The choir sang "Lupa" a heart-rending song of loss, love and unity. The set was completed by several more wonderful songs, all spectacular in their own right and each more lovely than the last, many featuring gorgeous solos by various choir members. It was such a beautiful and moving experience, a treat for the senses and one which filled our church with such joy and appreciation for life in all its many facets. 

     We wish the Himig Kabataan Cultural Society safe travels on their trip to Vienna to compete in the 15th World Peace Choral Festival and many blessings in the year to come. We hope to see them all again soon! 

Choir

     I recently attended the Youth Pop-Up Choir event at Holy Trinity. It was surprisingly fun! I say surprising because I was definitely at the upper end of the age range but it turns out that music and smiles transcend all those self-imposed limitations. Though our group was small, we were willing, and under the expert care and leadership of our Music Director Maria Golas we learned to sing two songs. The first was unknown to me  and was a Congolese folk song called "Banaha" which we learned to sing in rounds. It sounds easy but it isn't because you must keep to your own words and music without being affected by people across the room singing different words and notes. The second was "Let It Be" by Paul McCartney, which some of us learned to sing in harmony which is also not as easy as it sounds. Both were fun and challenging for different reasons but we were pretty impressed with the results and had a good time. Maria managed to fit in a few games like "Pass the beat around the room" and the word association game where you and your team have to sing a line from a song with a particular word in it. They were both very enjoyable and provoked a lot of laughter and competition from all of us. Vanessa managed to keep us all fed with snacks, drinks and pizza and Ullo provided the much needed musical accompaniment which made for a memorable and fun couple of hours. 

     I did not know what to expect but found myself having a great time and eager to do it all again. Thanks Maria, Vanessa and Ullo for a great evening! Let's do it again soon!

 

Stories

     Lately I have noticed how inspiring and interesting the stories are of our newer parishioners and how they came to be part of the congregation at the Church of the Holy Trinity. I have heard them on Stewardship Sundays and at Parish Council meetings. I have heard them at coffee hour and when greeting on Sunday mornings. What they all have in common is that moment when someone walked through our front door and decided that they were home.

     I would love to see these stories in our newsletter; they are so encouraging and instructive. They help us to welcome our new parishioners, they inspire to continue to welcome newcomers and they are indicative of what we are doing right—- sharing God’s love in a world that sorely needs it. 

     If you have a story to tell, please share it with us.  We would like to hear how you came to be part of our congregation and if you have a photo that you would like to share, please do! We are so happy that you have joined us. Thank you!

Membership

      Our daughter tried to renew her membership at the gym this week. She took in the completed form, her confirmation of assistance document and her government issued photo identification. She informed the man at the desk that she wished to renew her membership and that she had a disability. The man told her that her ID was expired and that therefore renewal was not possible then and because she did not know better, she believed him. He insisted that she pay a drop-in fee and so she did. And then she worked out. When she got home later she was upset. She had not felt heard, had felt dismissed and when she found out that her ID did not expire until her birthday, she felt misled. Also there was that drop-in fee. So today our daughter went back to the gym, with the same form and the same identification and she renewed her membership. The woman at the desk heard her story, understood her frustration and completed the necessary task. She made us smile and made my daughter see that advocating for yourself is not hard to do, but it takes time, patience and commitment. 
     Unfortunately, so many episodes like this one are encountered everyday by our daughter, her friends and peers. They are small incidents but when piled up together they can create a sense that the world is a hard, misunderstanding place to live, where problems cannot be tackled alone. And sometimes they can't, especially when you have an intellectual disability. But as our daughter readies herself to move into Harmony later this year, she is learning that there are times when she can go it alone and times when support will be necessary. And getting to know one from the other will be a lifelong journey, one step at a time....

Names

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Last night at Silent Prayer I became exceedingly aware of all the names inscribed on the walls and windows of our beautiful church. Whether they be on the bottom of the stained glass windows or on the various plaques commemorating the furnishings of Holy Trinity or the ashes that have been interred there, there are hundreds of names. These people are silent witnesses to the grace and glory of God from years ago in our very own community. There are so many people involved in the history of our church, from the achingly sad memorials to the glad givings of past parishioners. Our beautiful, jubilant Resurrection themed west-facing stained glass window includes Jesus’ words found in Matthew 28:20. I know that others like me have taken comfort in these words from Jesus’ Great Commission:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age".

Still

 “Be still and know that I am God…..”

This line has been resonating in me since Lent began and for the first night of our Silent Prayer it seemed particularly apt. In the Book of Alternative Services I found this prayer:

“O God of Peace, who taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence, shall be our strength; by the might of your Spirit lift us we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

This prayer is found in the section marked Ministry to the Sick but for me it is applicable today and particularly during Lent. This is where it comes from in the Bible, in Psalm 46:10:

“Be still, then and know that I am God,

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Sitting quietly in a pew I have never sat in before or walking the Stations of the Cross over and over again, I experienced the church in a way that I never have before. We had thrown the outside door wide open and the wind rattling the doors and the chants quietly reverberating from the speakers made me aware of the world outside but also focused my attention on Him who is everywhere. I was profoundly moved by my experience there last night.

Still.

Kenzie

     Today I went to my first pow wow. It was amazing! There was a Grand Entrance which was incredible with all the dancers, royalty and dignitaries coming forward. There were different age range competitions like Tiny Tots but what I especially enjoyed was an initiation for a beautiful little seven year old girl named Kenzie. Her family travelled two days to come here from Saskatchewan for this express purpose. She was initiated into her dancing life with a ceremony that acknowledged the support of her aunties and her family in the past but which also recognized their ongoing support in the years to come. It was an awesome ceremony which incorporated drumming, song, dancing and prayer. Four blankets were laid out in a circle with four different elders standing near them. As Kenzie danced over them, the blankets were quickly swept up and put around the shoulders of the elder standing closest. Her dance celebrated her life and the lives of her people.  And as her father noted, it also celebrated the fact that she will never be part of the residential school system like he was. It was a joyous, humbling, unique experience that I will not forget.