Notes from St. Paul's - March 20

Dear friends, For the next little while, I hope to send a daily note with a brief reflection and any notices there might be about the parish during this time of emergency measures. REFLECTION One of my favorite prayers from the Book of Common Prayer is this one, "At Eventide":

O LORD, support us all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work is done.  Then, Lord, in thy mercy, grant us safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. It provides a pattern for each day which extends to our entire life. It offers realism about the pilgrim's journey we've been given:  this busy world, this troublous and feverish life. It provides simple instructions for each day - until our work is done - implying that we apply our God-given talents and strength to what's before us. And it provides both purpose and hope for the end:  peace at the last.  That we end each day with a clean conscience, accepting the night's rest thankfully.  And that this daily pattern might become our pattern for life, making our final rest an end for which we are prepared.

NOTICES A couple of things. *We're still having a little trouble with the main website, so a backup has been created, and can be found here:  https://deanmercer8.wixsite.com/stpl My advice would be, don't try to memorize the site address.  Simply type it in once and then "bookmark" it.  Once the old site is repaired, we'll go back to it, though hopefully freshened up. *Sunday Prayers This is our plan for Sunday.  We are able to create good audio recordings at St. Paul's, and using our church camera and through Youtube, a simple video.  Yesterday I looked at what St. Paul's, Bloor Street, did last week.  I was struck by how simple and short they kept it.  A lesson, a reflection, a prayer.  If people want to watch a full service, there are all kinds of professional shows available.  Our intention is a simple reflection and prayer together at 10.30 on Sunday, lasting about 20-25 minutes. This is what we'll do: Collect of the Day Lesson Homily Prayers Lord's Prayer Blessing A reminder and the order we will follow will be sent on Sunday morning.  I believe we'll have it available in English, Tamil and Chinese. *Along these lines, prayers are being offered by: The Archbishop of Canterbury:  Virtual Service The Primate of Canada:  www.anglican.ca The Bishops of Toronto:  www.toronto.anglican.ca *We are updating our email contact information as quickly as possible.  If you know someone who would like to receive these notes, please have them pass along their email addresses. If you would prefer not to, kindly let us know. *Of greatest immediate concern is the welfare of any member who is frail and those, young and old, who are on their own. Please check in with those you know.  Don't hesitate to contact us if you are aware of anyone in need or distress. *A basic schedule of services continues at the church: the daily offices and a Sunday eucharist. From home, every member is invited to join. *The financial needs of the parish remain and your faithful support is sought - through the mail service or the Pre-Authorized Giving Program. *The clergy of St. Paul's are all in the vicinity. If any one of us can be of service, don't hesitate to call or write. Church website (backup):  https://deanmercer8.wixsite.com/stpl Church phone: 416-499-1545 Church email: stpl@stpl.ca Fr. Dean Mercer: deanmercer@hotmail.com Rectory phone: 416-497-6352 God bless you. Fr. Dean Mercer+