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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
Orange Shirt Sunday, September 27
Virtual Coffee Hour Special Guest
Dessert & Dialogue
Covid-19 Update/In-person Worship continues
Holy Communion every Sunday
Denise's call story and a poem
Tuesday Morning Prayer
An Invitation
Karren Stinson bursary
Wedding, Friday October 9 – 7 PM PDT
Seeking the 'owners' of white sheets
Eradicating a Culture of Fear with Understanding
Women In Faith Book Group
Blessing of Denise Pawliuk
Welcoming those who are new – Reformation Sunday
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Season of Creation Devotions
Kairos Climate Action Month
Video Study Group “Pro-Future Faith” Tuesdays
Season of Creation Devotions
Kairos Climate Action Month
Video Study Group “Pro-Future Faith” Tuesdays
You are invited to a year of reading the Bible!
CLWR's urgent appeal: COVID-19 hunger crisis
Continuing Ways to join worship on-line
Read ahead
This Week at Church of the Cross
The deadline for all Crossroads submissions is Wednesday at noon. Thank you.
Please visit our website for more information about us and our events.
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Orange Shirt Sunday, September 27
 In worship this Sunday, September 27, 10 AM PDT, Church of the Cross will be honouring Orange Shirt Sunday with special guest Carolyn Klaassen. Carolyn will be preaching, leading prayer and song together with guest percussionist/singer, Shannon Ingersoll.
“Carolyn Klaassen is deeply committed to working within the church on its journey towards Reconciliation. A member of First Lutheran Church in Vancouver. A graduate from Vancouver School of Theology with a certificate in Indigenous Theological studies and currently enrolled in the Indigenous Masters of Divinity Program at VST. Carolyn raises awareness of Indigenous ceremonial customs through participation in a congregation’s worship service.”
While Orange Shirt Day in BC is held on September 30, we want to lift up the Sunday prior, remembering the history of residential schools, their ongoing impact, and our commitments as Christians to reconciliation with Indigenous people.
The TRC Committee has applied for a synod grant to help host this special Sunday.
Looking for an Orange Shirt? You can buy one either on-line from the official supplier:
https://victoriaorangeshirtday.com/vosd-store/
You can also buy a shirt in person in at Cafe Fantastico on the corner of Quadra and Kings or Big Wheel Burger, all Victoria locations.
Further background on Orange Shirt Day from the BC Synod:
https://bcsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Orange-Shirt-Day-2020.pdf
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Virtual Coffee Hour Special Guest, Sept. 27, 2020, following worship
Carolyn Klaassen, who will be preaching and put together the liturgy for Orange Shirt Sunday, will join for an informal chat and answer questions you may have about worship, including smudging, music, her studies at VST, and more. We will have a number of guests participating in worship this Sunday, so good to give us 15 min. to transition between saying good-bye to folks and joining the coffee hour.
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Dessert & Dialogue, Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 7 PM
 In Conversation with Carolyn Klaassen: Journeying Towards Reconciliation
Carolyn Klaassen, who will be preaching and leading worship on Orange Shirt Sunday, will share more of her story as an Indigenous woman who was adopted into a white family as part of the 60’s scoop. We will also have an opportunity to touch on broader topics around reconciliation and ways forward as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Christians. Carolyn is current a student in the Indigenous Masters of Divinity Program at Vancouver School of Theology. Conversation hosted by TRC, Church of the Cross.
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Covid-19 Update/In-person Worship continues – Sunday, September 27 at 10 AM
 Worship continues to be limited to 35 people in the congregation plus those leading and assisting. Last Sunday there were a total of 27 so there is lots of room for those who wish to join in-person worship. Please email or call the church office, and pastorlyle@shaw.ca, pastorlylndon@shaw.ca to indicate your intention to be present. Worship will continue to be livestreamed as well.
Those who join in worship should expect the following:
- Everyone is asked to wear a mask while in the church building, if you do not have one, one will be provided.
- You may have to line up at the front doors as you arrive using the spacing marked on chalk on the walkway.
- You will be asked to sanitize your hands, sign in, and then be ushered to a seat in the sanctuary
- Seating will be distanced except among family/contact groups
- A worship folder will be provided including the text of the songs. The congregation is asked not to sing, but welcome to hum the melodies. It is an opportunity to meditate/reflect on the words being sung.
- At the time of Holy Communion, the presider(s) will go out to wash their hands. Ushers will invite you forward if you wish to commune, the bread will be placed in your hands by the presider, and you will be invited to pick-up a glass of wine/grape juice which are spaced in the trays. The empty glasses are then placed in the next tray before you return to your seat.
- At the end of worship, you will be ushered outside where people may visit at a distance, if they wish.
The Covid-19 Leadership Team continues to monitor the local conditions and recommendations of the Health Authorities and to adjust our practices as needed.
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Holy Communion every Sunday
Worship now includes Holy Communion every Sunday. Those who  wish to join in celebrating Holy Communion at home are invited to prepare a small amount of bread and wine (or grape juice if required) on a plate and in a cup, prior to worship. You may also wish to light a candle(s) as part of worshipping at home. At the time of Holy Communion, you are invited to have the elements in front of you, join in the words of thanksgiving and to lift the bread and wine at the same time as the presiding minister. At the time of Communing, share the bread with yourself or with one another with the words: “The body of Christ given for you.” and “The blood of Christ shed for you.” After Communing, or following worship, please consume the remaining bread and wine. This invitation is for those who wish to and feel comfortable joining in Communion at home during worship. Those who do not feel comfortable are welcome to observe Holy Communion celebrated at the church as we trust in God’s Spirit and gifts of grace offered to all as and where we are. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact the Church office or Pastor Lyndon or Pastor Lyle.
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Denise's call story and a poem
Denise Pawliuk, called to be a Deacon
 What is a call? How do you know you are called? What is my call? Each of us, through our baptism are all called to serve God. Some serve in positions that seem more obvious and direct such as: pastors, musicians, Sunday school teachers, or church council members. But others, their service is more nebulous perhaps even more covert.
In 2015 I had the opportunity to talk with Kathy Martin as part of my discernment process. It was an informal conversation at Sorrento Centre while we were both attending Godly Play training during the joyous summer programs.
I remember she used the metaphor of riding a motorcycle. To her, pastoral ministry was like riding a motorcycle. Pastoral ministry was fast moving, fast paced, and the thrill and excitement called to her. However, when she talked about diaconal ministry she did not feel that same thrill, rush, and excitement.
As we sat chatting the metaphor of the motorcycle resonated with me. This was unusual because I am NOT a motorcycle enthusiast. But the idea of a ministry focused on word and service, not work and sacrament resonated for me. That type of ministry was my motorcycle.
Diaconal ministry. It is an illusive and somewhat unknown ministry for many within the Lutheran tradition and faith. Deacons fulfill their call doing many things. Some are therapists or counselors, teachers, health care assistants, spiritual directors, some work with the homeless or people struggling with addiction, and others work with youth.
My call has yet to be fully formed but it includes working with young children, their families, faith formation education, and writing poetry.
I appreciate the support from the pastors, council, and members of Lutheran Church of the Cross as I embark on this journey to fulfill a call God planted while I was in confirmation. As I hop onto my motorcycle of diaconal ministry and learn to balance and ride well, may God guide me and remind me to signal when turning, to refuel when needed, and turn off the engine when I am weary.
Denise Pawliuk
The Prayer of the Confined – Denise Pawliuk
mercifully divine
jar awake
unresponsive bodies soaked in lethargy
pull us from the voyeurism of electronic connections
wrench our eyes away from the comforting warm, blue light
enable us to follow the octothorpe stayathome
bring us to the present
where we can see the dark liminal space
bound by disruption and chaos
send a whale to devour us
to keep us still
melting away our carapace as we wait
wailing not
instead confident in your abounding grace
in our homes
we sit and gaze out windows
aware
so much has happened
enough to fill a paperback, or two
still
we trust in the simple beauty
of gull white clouds
invisible breath brushing wind chimes
because the absence of faith renders us empty
leaving only the peristeronic mysteries to be investigated
longing for answers remind us
Freud may have told us that an eggplant is never truly an eggplant
but belief in the resurrection of the body
is not an erotic confusion between muscle, sinew, and bone
it is a celestial gift you spoke through the prophets
as we wait for doctors to pick up the Rod of Asclepius
to part the Corona Sea
and place physical distancing in the bin
may we remember eating at your table
where the wine and bread is shared in communion with others
because the bootlegging sacrament we practice now is hallow
nudge us to remember that you
Mothering God
perceive the world through a creator lens
seeing sadness, and bliss, in the gray emerging dawn
hearing anger, and exaltation, in the song of a bird’s halleluiah chorus
tasting wine, and vinegar, in crushed grapes
be with us now
as we sit in the valley
awaiting the breaking open of the world
Amen
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Tuesday Morning Prayer Livestream Now on Web-site
The Tuesday Morning Prayer Livestream, 8:30 AM PDT, can now be viewed on the church web-site, lutheranv ictoria.ca, as well as the church Facebook page. You can find the morning prayer livestream the same way you find the Sunday worship livestream on the web-site, simply by going to the homepage and clicking on Worship Livestream. If you are having trouble please contact the church office or Pr. Lyndon at pastorlyndon@shaw.ca and we can help troubleshoot during church office hours (Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 3 PM).
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An Invitation
 Reconciliation is an important theme and action for our world, earth and, for our lives. But what does it mean to reconcile the earth? According to Rev. Kenn Ward, editor of the ELCIC Canada Lutheran Magazine, reconciling is about “reconnecting people or things in ways that they were meant to be.” The August 2019 issue of the magazine explored that theme and actions taken by the National Convention that year and invited us to “journey together” toward healing.
As the Social Justice Committee, we have endeavored to include climate and earth justice in our goals, but 2020 delayed some of our plans and shifted priorities. As the world, Canada, and BC make their way toward a cautious recovery, the SJC tentatively resumed discussions on how to proceed with reconciling actions in a meaningful way.
Currently, the SJC in partnership with the congregation, is in the process of reregistering LCC with the ELICIC as a Greening Faith Community. As stated on the form, being a part of a Greening Faith Community means:
- Setting annual goals to encourage stewardship of creation
- Doing an annual review of environmental stewardship goals
- Sharing storied, insights, resources
- Registering with the ELCIC
- Encouraging other faith communities to consider stewardship of creation initiatives or registering with the ELCIC Greening Faith Community
I would like to extend an invitation to those interested in forming a subcommittee with me, to talk about what a healthy, sustainable faith community looks like and to stimulate ways of working toward that vision. You can contact me, Susan Beiderwieden, at 250-533-9075 or, by email at susandb@telus.net or through the church office.
Finally, I wish you a blessed fall and in these remaining weeks in the Time of Creation, encourage you to learn more about the Greening Initiative at www.elcic.ca/GreeningFaithCommunities
Susan B, The Social Justice Committee
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Karren Stinson bursary
We celebrate the 30th.  Anniversary of the Karren Stinson Bursary this year. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed since its inception. The first applicant to receive the bursary was our own bishop, Susan Johnson. Since that time, awards have been made to deserving candidates in memory and honour of Karren Louise Stinson.
Karren was the parish worker at church of the cross for six years. She resigned that position to enter the University of Victoria’s school of social work. Unfortunately, her dream was quickly dashed at the age of 32 years when she was stricken with a burst aneurysm, just as she had begun her studies. To honour Karren’s dedicated spirit, a bursary was established in her memory.
The Bursary Committee invites the congregation to tell friends, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, etc. About the bursary. Encourage them to seek an application. Applications can be obtained from the church office or from the church website. All applications must be received by October 31st.
Blessings and with thanks,
Catherine Krock
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Wedding, Friday October 9 – 7 PM PDT
Holly Cochrane and Braeden McKenzie will celebrate their marriage  on Friday, October 9 at 7 PM PDT at Lutheran Church of the Cross. The in-person worship is limited to a small number of invited family and friends, but you are invited to join the livestream of the worship by visiting the Church website www.lutheranvictoria.ca for the link. Please contact the church office of you have any questions.
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Social Justice Committee is seeking the owners of white tablecloths on loan to us
Th e Social Justice Committee has several white tablecloths that were on loan to us for use as table coverings for the Jewellery & Accessories sale. The remaining tablecloths do not have a name on them so I can't return the sheet(s) to the rightful owner. Please contact Susanne Standeven standeven3525@gmail.com or 250-721-9770 or the church office if the tablecloths belong to you and you would like them returned. Thank you!
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Eradicating a Culture of Fear with Understanding
Intercommunity Dialogue Zoominar September 26 @ 7:00 pm Pacific Time
St. Bakhita Anakdiar Peace foundation in coordination with African Heritage Association has extended an invitation to members of diverse communities, to participate, learn, share and discourse on the following topics.
• A glimpse at White Supremacy, Corporations, beneficiaries and refugees
• The Ethnocentrism and Ethno relativism
• Detrimental effect of white supremacy on mental health of Afro Canadians and the people of African Descent & lack of accountability
Keynote panelists: Dr. Oscar Perez de Tagle, Dr. Lisa Gunderson, Dr. Moussa Magassa
Link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqcOGgrDMuG9yb5NEE50RFiAUKxU2K5xZc
Or use ID & password to login
Meeting ID: 817 7882 8418 & Passcode 732745
Questions: Contact William Goldiet for more information: wgoldiet22@gmail.com
Tel: 250- 818-6228 for more information
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Wo men In Faith Book Group
The Book Group will be meeting on Wednesday, September 30th at 1:30 pm by Zoom. We will be discussing Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. If you have any questions, please contact Janice Nelson.
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Welcoming those who are new – Reformation Sunday, October 25 – 10 AM
 One of the many challenges of the pandemic has been a delay in recognizing and welcoming those who are new and wish to join the community of Church of the Cross. Two or three times a year, we have provided this opportunity though Affirmation of Baptism together. Having not been able to do so yet in 2020, we want to begin preparing for this in October. If you would like to be part of joining the congregation through Affirmation of Baptism, or if you have not been Baptized and wish to be, or if you have any questions, please contact Pastor Lyndon or Pastor Lyle. Everyone who shares a sense of connection and belonging in this community is welcome.
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Season of Creation Devotions by the Leaders of Four Churches
The leaders of the Episcopal Church (US), the Evang elical Lutheran Church in America, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared Sunday devotions for the Season of Creation. You can find more information and a link to the devotions here: https://www.elcic.ca/news.cfm?article=575
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Kairos Climate Action Month
Resiliency and hope are the driving messages of KAIROS' second annual Climate Action Month, which began on September 1. Each day this month, KAIROS will focus on an aspect of the climate crisis, sharing resources, events, stories from our members and global partners, and actions for climate justice. The calendar will focus on five weekly themes: Season of Creation, Just Transition, Indigenous Rights, Global Climate Justice, and Water. Interested in receiving more information via weekly e-blasts during Climate Action Month? Please sign up on our online form and click Ecological Justice.
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Video Study Group “Pro-Future Faith” Tuesdays - 7PM on Zoom
Those who are interested can still join the video study group,  Tuesdays at 7 PM on Zoom for an 8-session course titled, “ProFuture Faith – the Prodigal Species Comes Home” with lecturer Rev. Michael Dowd. A sample lecture is available here https://vimeo.com/322942900. To register, contact the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Lyle or Pastor Lyndon. Past and new participants including people not previously connected to the congregation are all welcome.
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You are invited to a year of reading the Bible!
ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson invites you to form a Bible Book Club with members of your church, your friends, family or others from your community as a way to study scripture and discuss the Bible together.
September 2020 marks the second year of the Living our Faith initiative, to which our emphasis has shifted from prayer to reading. Each month we will focus together on a different book of the Bible. Our first month, September, has us reading the book of Genesis. Form your Bible Book Club, use the introduction taken from the Lutheran Study Bible, read the appointed book, download the prepared questions and join in the discussion.
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CLWR's urgent appeal: COVID-19 hunger crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing alarming levels o f hunger for many of the world's most vulnerable people. If we don't act soon, the coronavirus pandemic could turn into a catastrophic hunger crisis that will last for years. Through Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), you can make sure fewer families go hungry. For more information, please go to the following website at: https://www.clwr.org/news-events/covid-19-hunger-crisis
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Continuing Ways to join worship on-line:
Sunday Worship Livestream, 10 AM PDT:
Go to website: www.lutheranvictoria.ca and click on the livestream link.
Copies of the bulletin/worship order for each Sunday are available for download, and printing if you wish, on the website.
View past worship videos by visiting “About/Videos” tab of the website:
https://www.lutheranvictoria.ca/about
View Sunday School videos and activities here:
https://www.lutheranvictoria.ca/kids-youth-students/childrens-ministry-sunday-school
Tuesday Morning Prayer continues each week at 8:30 AM PDT
On Facebook Live and you can view past videos here:
https://www.facebook.com/lutheranvictoria/
You do not need a Facebook account to view the church page.
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Read ahead: Season of Creation - 17th Sunday after Pentecost
- Sunday, September 27, 2020 Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
2 Corinthians 5:16-20
Matthew 21:23-32
Worship Bulletin: CLICK HERE for Worship Bulletin
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This Week at Church of the Cross
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