News Letters (Page 11)

News Letters (Page 11)

Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea is named in the gospels as the man who took responsibility for the burial of Jesus. Three of the four gospel writers describe him as a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews, having jurisdiction over religious, civil and criminal matters.  Matthew’s gospel simply describes him as a rich disciple of Jesus, and John adds that he followed Jesus secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. When Jesus died, Joseph sought permission from Pilate…

Language – the Doorway to Wisdom

Many years ago, when I was very young, I remember hearing a story about a schoolteacher who had to explain to his young students that starting that afternoon, he would no longer be teaching them in their mother language, French. A new teacher would be arriving, and henceforth all their lessons would be in German. I could not remember the reason for the change in the language of instruction. But I never forgot the sorrow and anguish of the teacher…

Hymn Stories: In the Garden

Adapted from 101 Hymn Stories – Kenneth W. Osbeck Author: C. Austin Miles 1868-1946 Composer: C. Austin Miles And he walks with me and he talks with me, And he tells me I am his own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known. Next to “The Old Rugged Cross”, this is one of the most popular hymns ever written. It is one of our favourites, and a favourite of our friends at Centennial…

Concerts at Graceview

(With thanks to Susan Chopp for her commentary in the Weekly News) This spring at Graceview, we were treated to two fabulous concerts arranged by our Music Director Kento Stratford. On Friday, May 24, a 13- member ensemble of saxophones regaled us with some contemporary arrangements. With saxophone sizes ranging from the tiny sopranino sax to the huge and thundering bass saxophone we were mesmerized with the sounds and tones of these magnificent instruments performing together. The hit of the…

July 8 2024

Dear Graceview congregants, Some of you know that Iris and I were away for a road trip to the States in June. We visited many gorgeous museums, more than we anticipated. In D.C., most of them are huge and free, but we wished we had a e-scooter or automated wheelchair to help us navigate the vast spaces within those dozen museums! (^^) The Holocaust Memorial Museum was deeply moving. The Air and Space Museum was awe-inspiring. The U.S. Capitol and…

The curtain falls on our Bible Study of The Chosen

Our successful Bible Study of Season 3 of The Chosen ended on June 4. Stay tuned for Season 4. This remarkable series, which has pervaded the world, enriched our Christian lives and gave us something to think about and talk about for eight weeks, as each week we watched an episode together and shared our thoughts about it. Although parts of it were fictional, gleaned from the imaginations of the show’s creators as they gave each character a distinct personality…

Chaos in the Parking Lot

For most of us, our Christian spirit and kindness towards others is alive and thriving – until, that is, someone sits in our pew or parks in our spot. On Sunday June 16, I’m sorry to say that our Christian spirit was sorely tested. When I arrived at church at 9:40 AM, our parking lot was crammed full of cars – every parking spot was taken, in our lot and in the lot next door (formerly belonging to the Masons).…

May 6 2024

May His blessings overflow! I believe grace is what Jesus Christ offers to each and every one of us, and gratitude is our natural response to His overflowing grace. Gratitude is therefore quite an easily recognizable trait among Christ believers. You know what my heart is filled with gratitude each day when I wake up and just know that I am still alive and well. I pray that you feel the same way. Let us pause and give thanks to…

March 4th 2024

Dear Graceview Family, Ministers and elders are supposed to be empathic, aren’t they?  In fact as a community grounded in faith, there’s a beautiful journey ahead of us as we all strive to cultivate greater empathy.  Reflecting on Jesus’ life, we see how He defied societal norms by embracing those on the margins.  He didn’t judge or correct them; rather, He genuinely enjoyed their company and connected with them on a profound level.  Jesus’s ability to understand their struggles and…