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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
Advent Evening Prayer
Christmas 2022
Morning Prayer
Thank you from Our Place
Lutheran Faith Formation
Multfaith Centre at UVic
View of snow covered hills
2023 Offering Envelopes
Reading Centre
Thank you letter
Christmas 2022 Issue of St. Luke's Prescription
Advent 2022
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A Christmas Message from Bishop Susan Johnson and Archbishop Linda Nicholls
LWF: Making God's Invisible Love Visible
WCC: "The Love of God in Christ is Meant Indeed for All People, for the Whole of Creation"
In-Person Worship
Read Ahead
This Week at Church of the Cross
The deadline for all Crossroads submissions is Wednesday at 12 noon.
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Advent Evening Prayer: Darkness Is Holy
Thursdays in Advent
December 1, 8, 15, 22, 7 PM PST
Church of the Cross
In-person & Livestream at LutheranVictoria.ca
Join us for a contemplative service during a busy time of year. Sit, prayer, and sing into the anticipation of the Advent season. In this liturgy we lift up the theme “Darkness Is Holy,” remembering the ways that darkness and light interplay, both needing the other for revealing God’s holiness.
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Christmas 2022
Church of the Cross
In-person & Livestream at LutheranVictoria.ca
Christmas Eve, 5 PM, Carols & Candelight
Christmas Eve, 7 PM, Carols, Candelight, & Holy Communion
Christmas Day, 10 AM, Carols & Holy Communion
New Year's Day, 10 AM, Carols & Holy Communion
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No Morning Prayer this Tuesday, December 27.
Morning Prayer resumes Tuesday, January 3, 8 AM PST.
Blessings to everyone this Christmas season.
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Thank you from Our Place
Our Place thanks the donors and volunteers who helped make their holiday celebrations a huge success! The Angel Gifts were received with much gratitude, and for many of the recipients, this would be the only gift received this year.
494 gifts were collected, and parties were held at 6 separate locations, making for an easy destination for anyone wanting to attend.
Maria, the Our Place Angel Gift coordinator sends this special message: “We have angels walking among us, spreading holiday cheer!”
Thank you!
Social Justice Committee
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By Heart: Lutheran Faith Formation
We’ve heard people express interest in us offering something on Lutheran faith formation. People who are both newer to the Lutheran tradition and for others who have been in the Lutheran church longer are wanting to deepen their understanding of the tradition. Maybe this includes you. Why join this conversation group around this book in the New Year? It’s about building community and exploring a resource together that offers Lutheran theology. It also talks about personal prayer and corporate worship. You can dive deep or skim the surface. It has something for everyone and you come as you are. No prior knowledge or experience needed. We’ll be exploring days and times that work for folks in January. We’ll also be placing a group order of the participant books in early January. They are about $25 each plus shipping. Let us know if you’re interested by contacting the church office at lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca
Talk to Pr. Lyle or Pr. Lyndon for more info. Growing together, deepening our spiritual practices and faith formation, is a lifelong pursuit as followers of Jesus.
Check out a sample of “By Heart” here.
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Multfaith Centre at UVic on CHEK News
Check out this clip about the Multifaith Centre at UVic. Multifaith is also home to Inclusive Christians which Church of the Cross supports as part of campus ministry through the work of Pr. Lyndon and Pr. Lyle and others. Spiritual care representatives featured in the clip include Ruth Dantzer, an Anglican priest, Peter Scales, a Unitarian chaplain, and Gulsen Cok, the Muslim spiritual care representative.
Watch the CHEK News clip here.
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View of snow covered hills from Lennor
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2023 Offering Envelopes
 For those families utilizing weekly or monthly offering envelopes you will find them in your church mailbox this Sunday. Due to the number of people using direct deposit and electronic giving the number of envelopes needed has been greatly reduced in the past 2 years. This has resulted the need to change the envelope numbers for some members. If anyone wants to change their regular giving method in 2023 and needs different envelopes or has any questions please contact the Financial Secretary Barry Walker at bhwalker@shaw.ca Home 250-381-1698 or leave a note with the church office and Barry will be in contact.
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Reading Centre
 The cupboard is getting bare. Do you have a book to share?
The Reading Centre is located in the Upper Hall of the church. It is curated by friends of the TRC committee to highlight books with an Indigenous focus. Speak with Bob or Craig for more information.
Visit the Reading Centre during Coffee Hour following worship on Sunday.
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Shelbourne Community Kitchen will be closed on Dec. 22nd through to and including January 3rd, 2023.
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Link to the Christmas 2022 Issue of St. Luke's Prescription
The Christmas 2022 Issue of St. Luke's Prescription is now posted at the Prescription page of St. Luke’s website: Click Here.
Please feel free to pass this link along to anyone who might be interested.
All the best for a Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2023!
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Advent 2022
Join This Week's Final Conversation on The Cost of Discipleship with ACC Primate and Archbishop Linda Nicholls
Join in this concluding week's conversation! This Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST, join The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, in conversation with Rev. Dr. Robert Faris, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada about the church's public witness in a rapidly changing social and political context in Canada. If you haven't signed up yet in our What Are We Waiting For? Advent mediation and conversation series, please click here.
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A Christmas Message from Bishop Susan Johnson and Archbishop Linda Nicholls
In Photo: ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson (left) and ACC Archbishop and Primate Linda Nicholls, delivering a Christmas message from the Manger Square.
A Christmas message from Manger Square, the city centre of Bethlehem, by National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Archbishop and Primate Linda Nicholls of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC). Watch the video message online either on YouTube or Vimeo. You may download the video for offline viewing in congregations and other gatherings.
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LWF: Making God's Invisible Love Visible
Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus. Photo: LWF/A. Danielsson (photo courtesy of LWF website)
In his Christmas message, the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Archbishop Dr. Panti Filibus Musa invites Christians worldwide to consider "the astonishing truth" that in the face of a newborn baby in Bethlehem, "we can see the image of God" and "his unending relationship of love" for all creation.
Reflecting on the words of St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, 'Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation', the LWF leader notes that for many people, the nativity scene, with animals, shepherds, and angels welcoming the birth of Mary's son, is among "our earliest and fondest memories of learning about our faith."
To read the full message, please click here.
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WCC: "The Love of God in Christ is Meant Indeed for All People, for the Whole of Creation"
Traditional Ethiopian Orthodox icon from Lalibela. Photo: Philippe Lissac/Godong (photo courtesy of the WCC website)
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Christmas message, signed by WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, reflects on the love of Christ - a love that is for all. "The joyful message of the first Christmas states that the love of God in Christ is meant indeed for all people, for the whole of creation," reads the message. "Our time is a time of fear."
Some fear the climate emergency, the message acknowledges. "Many are afraid today that they will no longer be able to feed their children tomorrow," the message laments. "Others are afraid that military conflicts may cause nuclear disasters."
To read the full message, please click here.
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In-Person Worship, Sunday, December 25, 10 AM PST
Covid-19 and Worship
- We offer worship in both live (in-person) and livestream (online) formats.
- We rejoice in the gift of vaccination and encourage everyone to be / stay vaccinated & boosted if you are eligible.
- To protect vulnerable persons, we currently encourage the wearing of masks during worship, especially while singing.
- If you test positive, or have symptoms for Covid-19, please stay home (and worship via live-stream)!
- The Church Council reviews our COVID protocols and practices on a regular basis and will amend them when needed.
Church Council
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Read ahead:
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2022 Isaiah 9:2-7
Luke 2:1-20
Christmas Day
December 25, 2022 Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-12
John 1:1-14
Worship Bulletin: CLICK HERE for Worship Bulletin
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