Thoughts, prayers, anecdotes, opinions, and personal reflections of CCS staff
In a recent community update, to advertise the upcoming farewell to Charlotte gathering, Marc posted some bird pictures and invited readers to name the bird (Charlotte is an avid bird-watcher). The winner was Barbara Barnett. The was a prize (a $25 gift certificate), and also, in Barbara’s words, a price… The price was Marc’s invitation…
In Beth’s words: “ My name is Beth Baskin and I graduated from CCS in Toronto in 1990 as an Anglican with a specialty in Youth Ministry. Of the last 21 years of paid professional lay ministry I have managed to be employed for seven and a bit years within the Anglican Church, twelve within…
We will keep practicing love until we get it right: Drawn to the round table, living in life-centered diversity of community We will keep celebrating the sacred until we embody it. In authenticity and prayer, an embodiment of Christ, an embodiment of spirituality We will keep calling for justice until it prevails. As a critical…
The Integrating Year Learning Circle starts tomorrow as final year CCS students enter their last two weeks before graduation. Next week Thursday the Educational Ministry Learning Circle will arrive for two weeks of learning. That Friday (April 1, no joke) the members of the CCS Central Council will be gathering in Winnipeg for two days…
From Wednesday morning staff worship, February 9, 2011 Background The first recorded person of African heritage to set foot in what would become Canada arrived on our shores some 400 years ago. It is believed that, in 1604, Mathieu Da Costa arrived with the French explorers Pierre Du Gua De Monts and Samuel de Champlain….
Reflection by Charlotte: It is Monday morning. Coffee in hand, I opened the CCS website this morning to get a piece of information I needed. I was taken aback to see an ad by google on our search results page offering sexual “fun.” This was not what I was looking for! Scott has now discovered…
From this morning’s staff worship at CCS: Hymn: All Creatures of Our God (Voices United #217) All creatures of our God, come sing, with hoof and scale and fur and wing: Hallelujah, hallelujah! Bright burning sun with golden beam, soft shining moon with silver gleam, sing praises, sing praises, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! Scripture: Enter the…
The Centre for Christian Studies is about preparing women and men for ministry. You may be curious where students end up after they graduate. In the last decade over seventy CCS grads have entered into a variety of forms of diaconal ministry. Many serve in rural congregations (34). A number minister in urban teams (16). Some…
Today after our staff meeting we all sat down to enjoy a lunch provided by an anonymous donor. This has happened a number of times before around the Christmas season – the folks at Food For Thought (a local catering company) phone us up to tell us that someone has donated a lunch to the…
This story was passed on to us by one of our students, Kimiko Karpoff. It is a re-write of one of her grandmother’s memories from her time in Oyen, Alberta in the early 1940s. Kimiko’s grandmother, Florence Karpoff, was a deaconess, and later a minister’s wife. But, as Kimiko says, “her deaconess-ness never really left her.” Enjoy….
Here are some advent candle prayers I wrote a number of years ago. They won’t be much use for this year but maybe some other time. Advent 1 – Hope Luke 1: 35-38, Matthew 1:20-23, Luke 1: 46-55, Luke 1: 76-79 Advent is a time of waiting. With anticipation, we await the coming birth. With…
Thanksgiving for Revelation Creator God genesis of the universe in midnight northern lights in the brooks and birds in meadow=s hush in rainbow colour You come moving over the face of creation. Divine Star maker source of being in beauty in nature in wonder You come as the one who has created and is creating….
Litany for Christian Education Friday morning, Week One Introduction to Educational Ministry Fiery, cloudy pillar, you guide our lives. As learners and leaders, may we remember our story of community and liberation. God of the prophets, you demand of us justice. As teachers and ministers, may we embody our call and covenant. Holy Wisdom,…
From staff worship: Oh most blessed light, fill the innermost hearts of your faithful. Without your power, nothing in in humans, nothing innocent. Clean what is dirty, water what is dry, heal what is wounded. Bend what is rigid, heat what is cold, lead what has gone astray. (From the Latin, 13th Century) O lux…
In the midst of routine and rest of sabbath and sunsets of travel and time off of contemplation and calm In the complex mix of our days of agendas and appointments of time zones and to do lists of stress and schedules we gather to do the work of this organization. In the complicated muddle…