Missionary Season – Br. David Allen

"Br.1 John 3:11-18 / John 1:43-51

As we move from the Festal Season of Christmas into what is sometimes called Ordinary Time what ought we to think?

When I was a newly confirmed Episcopalian in 1942, I learned that the season we are about to enter can be called the Missionary Season.  An example of Mission activity is Andrew taking his brother Peter to meet Jesus.

Today’s Gospel gives us the example of Philip finding Nathanael and telling him about Jesus.  Philip first told Nathanael, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael’s reply was not very encouraging, “can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip went on to say to him, “Come and see.” What happened then was very encouraging, to say the least.  Jesus showed himself a good judge of Character.  When Jesus told Nathanael he had seen him under a fig tree, there was a further revelation. Read More

Shrine – Br. James Koester

Genesis 28: 10 – 22
Psalm 63: 1 – 8
John 1: 43 – 51

Several years ago I had the privilege of spending some days on Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. It was my first, but I hope not my last visit there. I was there to lead the clergy retreat for the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the week and then to preach on the Sunday in Summerside, on the south shore of the Island. Between the retreat and the preaching engagement I had a couple of days to see a little bit of the Island.  It was an odd experience for someone who had grown up on the wide open expanses of the Saskatchewan prairie and then lived for a number of years in Ontario where it takes several days to drive from one end of Ontario to the other, to be able to drive from one end the province to the other and still be back at my hotel in time for an early supper, my book and bed.

If you know anything about Prince Edward Island, you’ll know that it is famous for three things: the redness of its soil, potatoes and Anne of Green Gables.

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