Mother's Day, consenting to be in church media, and more

Dear St. Andrew’s community, 

I wish you God’s grace and peace on what is turning out to be a very sunny Spring day!

This week’s email has some short notes about the weekend at St. Andrew’s. I hope to see you here for worship and fellowship! 

This Sunday (May 11th) is of course Mother's Day, a day for us to recognize and show our appreciation for all those who have been or who are mothers to us. The role of Mother is not always one of blood relationship - recently in a Gospel reading we heard that Jesus sees himself as a mother hen, seeking to gather his brood (us) under him (Luke 13:34). 

Being from the UK, I’m used to a different day for Mother's Day, and others also might be familiar with Mother’s Day taking place on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. This day, properly known as “Mothering Sunday,” invites us to give thanks not only for our mothers, but also Mother Church, the Church of Christ that Jesus ordained for us in order that it would take care of his children. One of the traditions of Mothering Sunday is that on that day people go to their “mother church”, in other words the church that raised them, instead of their local church or the church they are now members of. Their, they would collect a daffodil to give to their mothers or to take in memory of mothers who have gone before us. 

Mother’s Day/Mothering Sunday is always a good day to remember the past, and what the Church has been for us, as well as to give thanks for all mothers. It is also a day to recognize with sorrow where hopes of motherhood have been unfulfilled. 

I share this prayer for Mother’s Day from the Church of England:

Yesterday (Thursday), our partners and friends in Christ in the Roman Catholic Church elected Cardinal Robert Prevost to be Pope Leo XIV. A citizen of both the United States and Peru, he is the first Pope from North America.  

Jesus prayed that all his church may be forever one. Please keep Leo and all the Church of Christ in your prayers. 

On Sunday we are beginning the process of returning to the regular livestreaming of the service on YouTube. Sunday’s service will *not* be livestreamed, but you will see our volunteers recording the service as a dry-run. Further announcements will be made when livestreaming resumes. 

It is particularly important then that we respect the wishes of any who do not wish to have pictures or videos they are in shared on the internet or elsewhere. Attached to this email is a Photo Release Form - I encourage everyone to read it. 

If you would *not* like to have your photo, video or any likeness or name used in St. Andrew’s or Diocese materials, please complete the form and return to me at priest@st-andrew-anglican.ca. If you are happy to consent to this, you needn’t fill out the form. We will also have paper copies available on Sunday. 

Thank you for reading this email. I hope to see you on Sunday, God-willing. 

Yours in Christ, 

Jake+