Life Changes

Spirit Alive – Quiet City

Next Spirit Alive Group
Saturday, November 13 at 10:30 am on Zoom

“Quiet City”

The city – our city – is a noisy, hectic and chaotic place. To drive anywhere in the city at almost any time of the day is to confront traffic jams, constructions delays, and reckless vehicles in too much of a hurry. The sidewalks in many areas are crowded with people rushing from one place to the next, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings and to other people. Even in a pandemic, we are often overwhelmed by the constant cacophony of our urban environment.

So – where do we go to find peace and quiet in the city? Not everyone can escape to a cottage or other place in the country, away from the city. In fact, most people in the city are confined to the city. So – it is important for a city to have quiet places – places that offer the possibility of spiritual refreshment and renewal. These places are sometimes difficult to discover – but they exist. One just needs to know where to find them.

Spirit Alive on Saturday morning, November 13, at 10:30 am. will discuss the quiet city – or more particularly, a quiet Toronto. Where do we go to find the Quiet City. Participants are requested to bring to the discussion two or three suggestions of places in the city where, in your view, it is possible to enjoy solace and experience a retreat from urban frenzy. David Phillips will lead this discussion on Zoom.

Remembrance Sunday – November 7th, 2021

Today’s service will be shared as a livestream on YouTube and Zoom as well as in-person, beginning with a prelude leading up to 10:30am. Registration is no longer required for in-person worship, but proof of vaccination must be shown each time. Further details about in-person worship can be found here.

Today we mark Remembrance Sunday with two minutes of silence, as well as in music, readings and prayers.

Our music includes a virtual choir project with a beautiful arrangement of “Abide With Me” accompanied by piano and trumpet. Our hymns carry the theme of peace and we will close hearing Stephen Chatman’s “Remember.”

Our scripture includes a verses from Micah, sharing a vision from peace, and a gospel story. The readings will also include “In Flanders Fields.”

The Stories and Makers Nest

Today we continue hearing the story of Moses. For today’s craft we will need a plastic cup, an exacto knife or scissors (and a grown up nearby), construction paper, tape, and markers.

Watch the Stories and Makers Nest at 9:55am on Zoom, or any time on YouTube.

.
Next Sunday

November 14th our focus is The Song of Hannah – another lesser heard passage of scripture (like Naomi and Ruth a few weeks ago and David and Jonathan in June). As we listen to Hannah’s song we might begin to anticipate how it will be echoed by Mary’s song (the Magnificat), beginning to point us toward Advent.

We will be sharing more about Advent and Christmas soon, as we look forward to ways to worship together inside, outside, and online!

Remembrance Sunday – November 7th, 2021

This Sunday November 7th will be our Remembrance Sunday service, with our next virtual choir project of the fall as well as two minutes of silence.

You can participate in-person with COVID guidelines in place (see list of guidelines here) with no capacity limits and no registration required.

And/or you can watch the Livestream service on YouTube, click here starting at 10:25am. The service will be recorded and made available to watch afterwards if you are not available to watch the Livestream, you will be able to see it on your schedule at the Leaside United YouTube channel here.

And you can gather on Zoom to watch with others. The children’s program Stories and Maker’s Nest will begin at 9:55am and Worship will begin at 10:30am. If you would like to jump on Zoom for conversation you are welcome to connect to Zoom after the service (watch your email for Zoom link, if you are not signed up please use the eNewsletter link here on the website to sign up).

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

All Saints Day Memorial Service

All Saints COVID-19 Memorial Service – featuring music from Leaside United Chancel Choir, Leads and Director of Music, Matthew Boutda.

Livestreamed earlier today: