PALM SUNDAY
April 13, 2025
St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Toronto Islands
www.standrewbythelake.com
Priest-in-Charge: Alison Hari Singh (416-203-0873 or [email protected])
Wardens: Bella Beazer and Loretta Ryan
Treasurer: Jane Davidson-Neville ([email protected])
Deputy Warden: David Ulbrych
Synod Rep: Billy J. Choi-Gekas
Musicians: Jennifer Wakefield and Jane Davidson-Neville
Musical Selections: Jennifer Wakefield and Alison Hari Singh
The service begins outside (weather permitting). Please stand, as you are able.
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE
We give thanks to our Creator for the earth we share with all creatures, and we acknowledge that we are here on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, and we seek to live respectfully with each other and with the earth. We pray for healing between our cultures and healing from the legacy of colonialism. We believe that Black Lives Matter and that Every Child Matters. We know that love is love, and we welcome everyone who desires to join us in worship. You are a beloved creation of God, and you are most welcome in this place.
Celebrant: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
People: Hosanna in the highest!
Processional Hosanna (by Carl Tuttle)
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise:
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Hosanna in the highest! (2x)
Celebrant: Dear friends in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery. On this day our Lord Jesus Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph. The people welcomed him with palms and shouts of praise, but the path before him led to self-giving, suffering, and death. Today we greet him as our King, although we know his crown is thorns and his throne a cross. We follow him this week from the glory of the palms to the glory of the resurrection by way of the dark road of suffering and death. United with him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Assist us mercifully with your help, Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy into the celebration of those mighty acts whereby you give us life and immortality, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The congregation lifts their palm leaves.
The One we have long awaited, the Messiah, has come.
Hosanna! Save us!
Riding into Jerusalem, not on a warhorse, but on a young donkey,
Hosanna! Save us!
The Prince of Peace has come, the one who heals our wounds.
Hosanna! Save us!
Everything that was foretold, Christ has fulfilled.
We offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
We set up a banquet, and pour costly perfume at His feet.
He is worthy of our thanksgivings and praise.
This is Jesus
Whose name is glorified
This is Jesus
High and lifted up
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
The congregation processes into the church waving their palm leaves and singing.
REFRAIN Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise:
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Hosanna in the highest! (2x)
Please stand, as you are able.
Opening Hymn All Glory, Laud, and Honour (Common Praise #181, vs. 1, 3-5)
Celebrant: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Almighty God,
All: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Holy and immortal God, open our hearts to the Blessed One, so that we may enter the gates of your justice, confessing in our words and in our deeds that Jesus is Lord, now and for ever. Amen.
Please be seated.
First Reading
Reader: A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? [ISAIAH 50:4-9A]
Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
PSALM 118:1-2, 19-29: A Responsorial Setting (Psalms for All Seasons #118G)
REFRAIN This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures for ever.
Let God’s people now proclaim,
"God’s mercy endures for ever."
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
"This is the gate of the Lord;
he who is righteous may enter." REFRAIN
I will give thanks to you,
for you answered me and have become my salvation.
The same stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing,
and it is marvellous in our eyes. REFRAIN
On this day the Lord has acted;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, Lord, Hosanna!
Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
we bless you from the house of the Lord.
God is the Lord; he has shined upon us;
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
"You are my God, and I will thank you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you."
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures for ever. REFRAIN
As you are able, please stand.
Gospel Acclamation Listen in the Silence (by Linea Good)
Refrain Listen in the silence; listen in the noise;
Listen for the sound of the Spirit’s voice. (repeat 3 xs)
Reader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Reader: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." [LUKE 19:28-40]
Reader: The Gospel of Christ.
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Acclamation (Reprise)
Refrain Listen in the silence; listen in the noise;
Listen for the sound of the Spirit’s voice.
Homily The Rev. Alison Hari Singh
I speak to you in the name of God: eternal Source, incarnate Word, and life-giving Spirit. Amen.
This morning I’d like to invite you to consider the significance of Palm Sunday from the perspective of the disciples. The disciples were rather ordinary people. They hailed from Galilee in the north of ancient Palestine and many of them (e.g., Simon, Andrew, James and John) earned a modest living from fishing the Sea of Galilee. It was one day while fishing with his brother Andrew that Simon, for example, first met Jesus. Perhaps they had already heard something about Jesus, who at that point wasn’t too well known. But when Jesus called Simon and Andrew, they couldn’t resist. We’re told that they immediately left their fishing nets behind and followed him.
Life for the disciples was not easy. The Romans were occupying their homeland and were exacting taxes that left people like the Simon and Andrew, James and John, with meager leftovers. Long hours were spent in all kinds of weather hauling in fish. Life was unsatisfying. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Like all observant Jews of that time, the disciples hoped for the coming of the Messiah, the one who would reconcile the people to God and each other, fulfilling the ultimate hopes of so many for justice and peace, free of Roman control. Unfortunately, the religious leaders of the disciple’s day—the priests, scribes, Pharisees—were more concerned with keeping the Romans pacified. They were suspicious of upstart figures who stirred up the people with messianic fervor. Roman forces could be brutal, and they wouldn’t hesitate to execute anyone who threatened their social order.
Initially, when the disciples first became part of Jesus’ inner circle of followers, some of them were not very sure about his messianic identity. Even the great prophet John the Baptizer, that eccentric and fiery preacher who was baptizing people in the Jordan River—until his imprisonment—was unsure if Jesus was really the Messiah. But the longer the disciples followed Jesus, the more convinced they became. Jesus had a certain authority, a divine authority. He performed incredible works of healing. He taught at length about the kingdom of God, which he insisted had already arrived. Jesus had all the time in the world for outcasts, but he had no time at all for religious elites who were all about maintaining the status quo. In fact, Jesus would frequently go head-to-head with the religious elites, publicly shaming them for their hypocrisy. Consequently, Jesus became persona non grata, even though large crowds would follow him as he moved around Galilee from town to town.
After two years with Jesus, their feelings of uncertainty began to change. Simon, for example, was totally convinced. Jesus was “the one,” the long-awaited Messiah. When Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, it was Simon who seized the opportunity to answer: “You are the Messiah,” he declared, “the Son of the living God.” Jesus praised Simon for this declaration. He even gave Simon a new name—Peter, meaning “rock.” Upon the rock of Simon’s statement Jesus would build his church. In Greek, the term for church (ekklesia) literally means “those called out”—that is, those set apart to usher in the messianic age.
But even though the disciples were becoming more convinced that Jesus was “the one”, Jesus would still say things that didn’t seem right. Jesus would tell his closest confidants that his days were numbered; that he was going to die. It was “the rock” – Simon – who tried to reassure Jesus that it wouldn’t happen, but Jesus rebuked him sternly. This confused him and the rest of the disciples. Yes, the religious elites were deeply threatened by Jesus. Yes, they wanted him dead, or at the very least silenced. But how could such a threat even matter? The disciples had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. God would see to it that the messianic age would be established, despite any threat, and, the disciples, for the most part, were committed to join Jesus in making that happen.
When Jesus told his disciples that they would go down to Jerusalem for Passover, I think they knew deep down that more was at stake. Jesus was compelled to go to Jerusalem for two reasons. First, he wanted to extend his prophetic ministry into the “city of peace” (the literal meaning of Jerusalem) which had lost its way because of Roman imperial control and spiritual apathy; and second, Jesus wanted the Temple to return to its original purpose—to be a house of prayer, not a cesspool of extortion where many weren’t able to afford even the cost of a dove to sacrifice. For the disciples, especially Simon Peter, this meant that history had reached a turning point. The messianic age was about to triumph in its fullness. And he was ready to do his part to make it happen, sword in hand.
Well, things didn’t play out the way the disciples expected. Jesus entered Jerusalem not on a high horse, but on a borrowed donkey that had never been ridden before. Jesus didn’t even have a proper saddle; his followers had to spread their coats on the animal so that he could ride and not be uncomfortable. A crowd welcomed his entry into Jerusalem, shouting “Hosanna!”—which literally means “save us.” They were desperate to be liberated from Rome. This raised the disciples’ hopes. The next day, they watched Jesus, in a moment of righteous indignation, disrupt Temple activities, driving out the money changers and vendors. That episode, which Jesus’ disciples celebrated, nonetheless sealed his fate—which is the story of the rest of Holy Week. All of the disciples’ hopes and confidence, Simon’s bravado, all of it evaporated in a few short days. They had misunderstood Jesus all along. At the end, the disciples were confused, devastated, and fearful that they too might suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Is there a lesson in all of this for us today? I think one major lesson is that we must hold to our faith lightly and with humility. Simon, for example, the one who would go on to build the church—walked and talked with Jesus in person, and STILL had it all wrong. Jesus’ kingdom was not going to be established by force and triumph. It was going to be defined by identifying with the margins, by loving one’s enemies, by turning the other cheek even while speaking the truth.
Have you ever considered that what you believe about Jesus, or even what the church has told you to believe, is perhaps mistaken? Do Christians have all the answers? Many Christians think they do. But if Jesus’ closest followers and friends could be mistaken, how much more might we be 2000 years on? It’s unsettling to consider, but that possibility, I think, is what Holy Week is intended to set before us. Palm Sunday shatters our confidence, our expectations of who we think Jesus is. It forces us to hear Jesus’ words afresh, especially what he says to his followers during his final hours before his arrest.
In light of this, I invite you to join us in this week’s journey; participate in the Virtual Stations of the Cross, and return here for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, when we will continue the story in person. This Holy Week, let us embrace humility, let us listen afresh, and let us bless the one who saves us: for if we are silent, the very stones will cry out. Amen.
Silence is kept.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Intercessor: In order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission makes the following calls to action. Concerning health:
20. In order to address the jurisdictional disputes concerning Indigenous people who do not reside on reserves, we call upon the federal government to recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Indigenous peoples.
Intercessor: Remembering this call to action, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
For all people in their daily life, work, and play. As we enter the spring season, we pray for Toronto Island residents and all those visiting this “thin place” – may each one reconnect with the earth and be refreshed and renewed;
People: For our families, friends, and neighbours, and for all those who are alone.
Intercessor: We pray for all in political leadership, especially those running in the upcoming federal election. We give thanks for our democracy and we pray that our leaders remember to prioritize the needs of those they govern, especially those most vulnerable and marginalized. For this community, our country, and the world;
People: For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
Intercessor: We remember the conflicts taking place all over the world: Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, Gaza and the West Bank. Once again, we pray for a permanent ceasefire in the land where Jesus walked. May there be peace in our world and the just and proper use of your creation;
People: For the victims of war, hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
Intercessor: For all who are in danger, sorrow, captivity, or any kind of trouble;
People: For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
Intercessor: For the peace and unity of the Church of God. In our Anglican Communion Cycle of prayer, we pray for The Church of England. In our diocesan cycle, we pray for assurance as we journey with Jesus to the cross – may we once again find his tomb empty;
People: For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
Intercessor: For Andrew our Diocesan Bishop and Kevin our area Bishop, for Bishop Riscylla, and all Bishops and other ministers;
People: For all who serve God in his Church.
Intercessor: We pray for those who have asked for our prayers including Tony, Douglas, Nancy, Willy, James, Mary-Ann, Alison, Michael, Graham, Billy, Wendy, Bella, Margaret, Peter, Raj, Mary, Donna, Enid, Freda, Charlotte and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud...[pause]…hear us, Lord.
People: For your mercy is great.
Intercessor: We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life; I invite your own thanksgivings either silently or out loud...[pause]...We will exalt you, O God our King;
People: And praise your name for ever and ever.
Intercessor: We pray for all those who have died in the peace of Christ, and for those whose faith is known to you alone, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom. We pray for Nancy, Michael, Lynne, Helen, Tim, Marjorie, Ann, Gail, Muriel, Stephen and I invite your prayers for any others on your heart either silently or out loud...[pause]...Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
People: Who put their trust in you.
Intercessor: We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
People: Have mercy upon us, most merciful God; in your compassion, forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honour and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Gracious God, you have heard the prayers of your faithful people; you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking. Grant our requests as may be best for us. This we ask in the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Offertory I Have Called You by Your Name (More Voices #161)
Cantor I have called you by your name, you are mine;
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you; all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called, and chosen; you are mine.
All I will help you learn my name as you go;
read it written in my people, help them grow.
Pour the water in my name,
speak the word your soul can claim,
offer Jesus’ body given long ago.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
As you are able, please remain standing for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant: Let us pray.
God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant: It is indeed right that we should praise you, gracious God, for you created all things. You created us and formed us in your own image. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people. You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation. Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (Common Praise #689)
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant: Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Creator of all. He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will. On the night he freely gave himself to death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Celebrant: Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Celebrant: Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety. As we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant: We break this bread,
All: Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Celebrant: Let your Church be the wheat which bears its fruit in dying.
All: If we have died with him, we shall live with him; if we hold firm, we shall reign with him.
Celebrant: The gifts of God, for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Agnus Dei Lamb of God (Common Praise #690)
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Come up to the altar following the lead of those ahead of you. If you would like a blessing, as well as, or in place of the bread, indicate this to the priest.
Communion Music Bless the Lord, My Soul (Common Praise #360)
The Silence
A long silence is kept for listening and reflection.
Prayer after Communion
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Compassionate God, you have fed us with the bread of heaven. Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage; may our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Blessing
Celebrant: Whatever wilderness the Spirit has brought you to: walk in boldness, as a beloved child of God; walk in peace, under the shelter of the Most High;
walk in faith, knowing Christ walks with you. Amen.
Closing Hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Common Praise #386)
Celebrant: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Liturgical Note
The Liturgy of the Palms has been adapted from Fran Pratt’s “Litany for Palm Sunday: Fulfillment” (https://www.franpratt.com/litanies/2016/3/11/lent-series). Rev. Fran is a pastor at Peace of Christ Church in Round Rock, Texas.
Holy Week Services
TODAY! Palm Sunday – April 13th @ 10:30 am (with Liturgy of the Palms)
Holy Wednesday – April 16th @7:30 pm (Virtual Stations of the Cross)
Maundy Thursday – April 17th @ 6:15 pm (with Lectio Divina and Tenebrae)
Good Friday – April 18th @ 10:30 am (with the Passion Narrative, featuring Máchari)
Easter Sunday – April 20th @ 11:00 am (with the New Fire of Easter)
Lenten Compline – Virtual Stations of the Cross
Join Rev. Alison and Michael Burtt online on Wednesday, April 16th @ 7:30 pm as we spend time meditating on Jesus’ journey to the cross and ours with him. We will combine time for meditation, responsive prayer, and “movement.” The zoom link to join in is below, but will also be posted on the SABTL website.
Topic: SABTL - Virtual Stations of the Cross
Time: Apr 16, 2025, 07:30 PM America/Toronto
Join Zoom Meeting
https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/82219853839
Meeting ID: 822 1985 3839
Development and Peace (Caritas Canada)
Through Lent we are collecting names on behalf of Development and Peace – Caritas Canada to send to Canadian MPs and policy writers requesting them act to end international debt injustice. There is a hard copy form to sign in the narthex or you can sign online. For more information, go to
https://devp.org/en/campaign/turn-debt-into-hope/act-debt-2025/.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
We have come to our third reading of the 94 Calls to Action of the TRCC. These Calls to Action were published in 2015. There has been little movement by government and other institutions on most of these action points, thus, the status quo remains (see https://yellowheadinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/YI-TRC-C2A-2023-Special-Report-compressed.pdf). Please note: language has changed over the last nine years. Use of the term “Aboriginal” has been updated with the term “Indigenous” which is a term of self-identification for many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Turtle Island and across the world.
Ministry of Healing and Reconciliation
On April 27th the clergy at St. Andrew’s will be offering the sacrament of unction with the anointing of oil alongside the Eucharist. This sacrament will continue to be offered on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Making Church
Now that Michael is back, we are taking some time to discern and regroup regarding the project’s next steps. If you would like to send Michael a note about your thoughts and hopes for Making Church, please contact him at: [email protected].
Facebook Page for St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Come and visit and contribute to the St. Andrew by-the-Lake Facebook page. Search for: St. Andrews by-the-Lake Church (make sure you don’t get St. Andrews Golf Course). Look on the page for “Follow”. Click on that. You will then receive notices, pictures of your community, and a place for discussion. Any questions? Email Laura Cooper [email protected].
COVID19 Guidelines
Ferry Schedule
The Spring schedule begins on April 11th – more ways to visit Toronto Island. Here’s a link to the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/ferry.
The church van continues to pick up passengers at 9:45 am on Sunday mornings at the Ward’s Island ferry dock.
Supporting St. Andrew’s
April 13, 2025
St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Toronto Islands
www.standrewbythelake.com
Priest-in-Charge: Alison Hari Singh (416-203-0873 or [email protected])
Wardens: Bella Beazer and Loretta Ryan
Treasurer: Jane Davidson-Neville ([email protected])
Deputy Warden: David Ulbrych
Synod Rep: Billy J. Choi-Gekas
Musicians: Jennifer Wakefield and Jane Davidson-Neville
Musical Selections: Jennifer Wakefield and Alison Hari Singh
The service begins outside (weather permitting). Please stand, as you are able.
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE
We give thanks to our Creator for the earth we share with all creatures, and we acknowledge that we are here on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, and we seek to live respectfully with each other and with the earth. We pray for healing between our cultures and healing from the legacy of colonialism. We believe that Black Lives Matter and that Every Child Matters. We know that love is love, and we welcome everyone who desires to join us in worship. You are a beloved creation of God, and you are most welcome in this place.
Celebrant: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
People: Hosanna in the highest!
Processional Hosanna (by Carl Tuttle)
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise:
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Hosanna in the highest! (2x)
Celebrant: Dear friends in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery. On this day our Lord Jesus Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph. The people welcomed him with palms and shouts of praise, but the path before him led to self-giving, suffering, and death. Today we greet him as our King, although we know his crown is thorns and his throne a cross. We follow him this week from the glory of the palms to the glory of the resurrection by way of the dark road of suffering and death. United with him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Assist us mercifully with your help, Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy into the celebration of those mighty acts whereby you give us life and immortality, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The congregation lifts their palm leaves.
The One we have long awaited, the Messiah, has come.
Hosanna! Save us!
Riding into Jerusalem, not on a warhorse, but on a young donkey,
Hosanna! Save us!
The Prince of Peace has come, the one who heals our wounds.
Hosanna! Save us!
Everything that was foretold, Christ has fulfilled.
We offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
We set up a banquet, and pour costly perfume at His feet.
He is worthy of our thanksgivings and praise.
This is Jesus
Whose name is glorified
This is Jesus
High and lifted up
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
The congregation processes into the church waving their palm leaves and singing.
REFRAIN Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise:
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Hosanna in the highest! (2x)
Please stand, as you are able.
Opening Hymn All Glory, Laud, and Honour (Common Praise #181, vs. 1, 3-5)
Celebrant: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Almighty God,
All: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Holy and immortal God, open our hearts to the Blessed One, so that we may enter the gates of your justice, confessing in our words and in our deeds that Jesus is Lord, now and for ever. Amen.
Please be seated.
First Reading
Reader: A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? [ISAIAH 50:4-9A]
Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
PSALM 118:1-2, 19-29: A Responsorial Setting (Psalms for All Seasons #118G)
REFRAIN This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures for ever.
Let God’s people now proclaim,
"God’s mercy endures for ever."
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
"This is the gate of the Lord;
he who is righteous may enter." REFRAIN
I will give thanks to you,
for you answered me and have become my salvation.
The same stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing,
and it is marvellous in our eyes. REFRAIN
On this day the Lord has acted;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, Lord, Hosanna!
Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
we bless you from the house of the Lord.
God is the Lord; he has shined upon us;
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
"You are my God, and I will thank you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you."
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures for ever. REFRAIN
As you are able, please stand.
Gospel Acclamation Listen in the Silence (by Linea Good)
Refrain Listen in the silence; listen in the noise;
Listen for the sound of the Spirit’s voice. (repeat 3 xs)
Reader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Reader: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." [LUKE 19:28-40]
Reader: The Gospel of Christ.
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Acclamation (Reprise)
Refrain Listen in the silence; listen in the noise;
Listen for the sound of the Spirit’s voice.
Homily The Rev. Alison Hari Singh
I speak to you in the name of God: eternal Source, incarnate Word, and life-giving Spirit. Amen.
This morning I’d like to invite you to consider the significance of Palm Sunday from the perspective of the disciples. The disciples were rather ordinary people. They hailed from Galilee in the north of ancient Palestine and many of them (e.g., Simon, Andrew, James and John) earned a modest living from fishing the Sea of Galilee. It was one day while fishing with his brother Andrew that Simon, for example, first met Jesus. Perhaps they had already heard something about Jesus, who at that point wasn’t too well known. But when Jesus called Simon and Andrew, they couldn’t resist. We’re told that they immediately left their fishing nets behind and followed him.
Life for the disciples was not easy. The Romans were occupying their homeland and were exacting taxes that left people like the Simon and Andrew, James and John, with meager leftovers. Long hours were spent in all kinds of weather hauling in fish. Life was unsatisfying. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Like all observant Jews of that time, the disciples hoped for the coming of the Messiah, the one who would reconcile the people to God and each other, fulfilling the ultimate hopes of so many for justice and peace, free of Roman control. Unfortunately, the religious leaders of the disciple’s day—the priests, scribes, Pharisees—were more concerned with keeping the Romans pacified. They were suspicious of upstart figures who stirred up the people with messianic fervor. Roman forces could be brutal, and they wouldn’t hesitate to execute anyone who threatened their social order.
Initially, when the disciples first became part of Jesus’ inner circle of followers, some of them were not very sure about his messianic identity. Even the great prophet John the Baptizer, that eccentric and fiery preacher who was baptizing people in the Jordan River—until his imprisonment—was unsure if Jesus was really the Messiah. But the longer the disciples followed Jesus, the more convinced they became. Jesus had a certain authority, a divine authority. He performed incredible works of healing. He taught at length about the kingdom of God, which he insisted had already arrived. Jesus had all the time in the world for outcasts, but he had no time at all for religious elites who were all about maintaining the status quo. In fact, Jesus would frequently go head-to-head with the religious elites, publicly shaming them for their hypocrisy. Consequently, Jesus became persona non grata, even though large crowds would follow him as he moved around Galilee from town to town.
After two years with Jesus, their feelings of uncertainty began to change. Simon, for example, was totally convinced. Jesus was “the one,” the long-awaited Messiah. When Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, it was Simon who seized the opportunity to answer: “You are the Messiah,” he declared, “the Son of the living God.” Jesus praised Simon for this declaration. He even gave Simon a new name—Peter, meaning “rock.” Upon the rock of Simon’s statement Jesus would build his church. In Greek, the term for church (ekklesia) literally means “those called out”—that is, those set apart to usher in the messianic age.
But even though the disciples were becoming more convinced that Jesus was “the one”, Jesus would still say things that didn’t seem right. Jesus would tell his closest confidants that his days were numbered; that he was going to die. It was “the rock” – Simon – who tried to reassure Jesus that it wouldn’t happen, but Jesus rebuked him sternly. This confused him and the rest of the disciples. Yes, the religious elites were deeply threatened by Jesus. Yes, they wanted him dead, or at the very least silenced. But how could such a threat even matter? The disciples had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. God would see to it that the messianic age would be established, despite any threat, and, the disciples, for the most part, were committed to join Jesus in making that happen.
When Jesus told his disciples that they would go down to Jerusalem for Passover, I think they knew deep down that more was at stake. Jesus was compelled to go to Jerusalem for two reasons. First, he wanted to extend his prophetic ministry into the “city of peace” (the literal meaning of Jerusalem) which had lost its way because of Roman imperial control and spiritual apathy; and second, Jesus wanted the Temple to return to its original purpose—to be a house of prayer, not a cesspool of extortion where many weren’t able to afford even the cost of a dove to sacrifice. For the disciples, especially Simon Peter, this meant that history had reached a turning point. The messianic age was about to triumph in its fullness. And he was ready to do his part to make it happen, sword in hand.
Well, things didn’t play out the way the disciples expected. Jesus entered Jerusalem not on a high horse, but on a borrowed donkey that had never been ridden before. Jesus didn’t even have a proper saddle; his followers had to spread their coats on the animal so that he could ride and not be uncomfortable. A crowd welcomed his entry into Jerusalem, shouting “Hosanna!”—which literally means “save us.” They were desperate to be liberated from Rome. This raised the disciples’ hopes. The next day, they watched Jesus, in a moment of righteous indignation, disrupt Temple activities, driving out the money changers and vendors. That episode, which Jesus’ disciples celebrated, nonetheless sealed his fate—which is the story of the rest of Holy Week. All of the disciples’ hopes and confidence, Simon’s bravado, all of it evaporated in a few short days. They had misunderstood Jesus all along. At the end, the disciples were confused, devastated, and fearful that they too might suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Is there a lesson in all of this for us today? I think one major lesson is that we must hold to our faith lightly and with humility. Simon, for example, the one who would go on to build the church—walked and talked with Jesus in person, and STILL had it all wrong. Jesus’ kingdom was not going to be established by force and triumph. It was going to be defined by identifying with the margins, by loving one’s enemies, by turning the other cheek even while speaking the truth.
Have you ever considered that what you believe about Jesus, or even what the church has told you to believe, is perhaps mistaken? Do Christians have all the answers? Many Christians think they do. But if Jesus’ closest followers and friends could be mistaken, how much more might we be 2000 years on? It’s unsettling to consider, but that possibility, I think, is what Holy Week is intended to set before us. Palm Sunday shatters our confidence, our expectations of who we think Jesus is. It forces us to hear Jesus’ words afresh, especially what he says to his followers during his final hours before his arrest.
In light of this, I invite you to join us in this week’s journey; participate in the Virtual Stations of the Cross, and return here for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, when we will continue the story in person. This Holy Week, let us embrace humility, let us listen afresh, and let us bless the one who saves us: for if we are silent, the very stones will cry out. Amen.
Silence is kept.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Intercessor: In order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission makes the following calls to action. Concerning health:
20. In order to address the jurisdictional disputes concerning Indigenous people who do not reside on reserves, we call upon the federal government to recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Indigenous peoples.
Intercessor: Remembering this call to action, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
For all people in their daily life, work, and play. As we enter the spring season, we pray for Toronto Island residents and all those visiting this “thin place” – may each one reconnect with the earth and be refreshed and renewed;
People: For our families, friends, and neighbours, and for all those who are alone.
Intercessor: We pray for all in political leadership, especially those running in the upcoming federal election. We give thanks for our democracy and we pray that our leaders remember to prioritize the needs of those they govern, especially those most vulnerable and marginalized. For this community, our country, and the world;
People: For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
Intercessor: We remember the conflicts taking place all over the world: Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, Gaza and the West Bank. Once again, we pray for a permanent ceasefire in the land where Jesus walked. May there be peace in our world and the just and proper use of your creation;
People: For the victims of war, hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
Intercessor: For all who are in danger, sorrow, captivity, or any kind of trouble;
People: For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
Intercessor: For the peace and unity of the Church of God. In our Anglican Communion Cycle of prayer, we pray for The Church of England. In our diocesan cycle, we pray for assurance as we journey with Jesus to the cross – may we once again find his tomb empty;
People: For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
Intercessor: For Andrew our Diocesan Bishop and Kevin our area Bishop, for Bishop Riscylla, and all Bishops and other ministers;
People: For all who serve God in his Church.
Intercessor: We pray for those who have asked for our prayers including Tony, Douglas, Nancy, Willy, James, Mary-Ann, Alison, Michael, Graham, Billy, Wendy, Bella, Margaret, Peter, Raj, Mary, Donna, Enid, Freda, Charlotte and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud...[pause]…hear us, Lord.
People: For your mercy is great.
Intercessor: We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life; I invite your own thanksgivings either silently or out loud...[pause]...We will exalt you, O God our King;
People: And praise your name for ever and ever.
Intercessor: We pray for all those who have died in the peace of Christ, and for those whose faith is known to you alone, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom. We pray for Nancy, Michael, Lynne, Helen, Tim, Marjorie, Ann, Gail, Muriel, Stephen and I invite your prayers for any others on your heart either silently or out loud...[pause]...Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
People: Who put their trust in you.
Intercessor: We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
People: Have mercy upon us, most merciful God; in your compassion, forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honour and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Gracious God, you have heard the prayers of your faithful people; you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking. Grant our requests as may be best for us. This we ask in the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Offertory I Have Called You by Your Name (More Voices #161)
Cantor I have called you by your name, you are mine;
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you; all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called, and chosen; you are mine.
All I will help you learn my name as you go;
read it written in my people, help them grow.
Pour the water in my name,
speak the word your soul can claim,
offer Jesus’ body given long ago.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
As you are able, please remain standing for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant: Let us pray.
God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant: It is indeed right that we should praise you, gracious God, for you created all things. You created us and formed us in your own image. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people. You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation. Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (Common Praise #689)
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant: Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Creator of all. He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will. On the night he freely gave himself to death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Celebrant: Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Celebrant: Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety. As we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant: We break this bread,
All: Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Celebrant: Let your Church be the wheat which bears its fruit in dying.
All: If we have died with him, we shall live with him; if we hold firm, we shall reign with him.
Celebrant: The gifts of God, for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Agnus Dei Lamb of God (Common Praise #690)
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Come up to the altar following the lead of those ahead of you. If you would like a blessing, as well as, or in place of the bread, indicate this to the priest.
Communion Music Bless the Lord, My Soul (Common Praise #360)
The Silence
A long silence is kept for listening and reflection.
Prayer after Communion
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Compassionate God, you have fed us with the bread of heaven. Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage; may our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Blessing
Celebrant: Whatever wilderness the Spirit has brought you to: walk in boldness, as a beloved child of God; walk in peace, under the shelter of the Most High;
walk in faith, knowing Christ walks with you. Amen.
Closing Hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Common Praise #386)
Celebrant: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Liturgical Note
The Liturgy of the Palms has been adapted from Fran Pratt’s “Litany for Palm Sunday: Fulfillment” (https://www.franpratt.com/litanies/2016/3/11/lent-series). Rev. Fran is a pastor at Peace of Christ Church in Round Rock, Texas.
Holy Week Services
TODAY! Palm Sunday – April 13th @ 10:30 am (with Liturgy of the Palms)
Holy Wednesday – April 16th @7:30 pm (Virtual Stations of the Cross)
Maundy Thursday – April 17th @ 6:15 pm (with Lectio Divina and Tenebrae)
Good Friday – April 18th @ 10:30 am (with the Passion Narrative, featuring Máchari)
Easter Sunday – April 20th @ 11:00 am (with the New Fire of Easter)
Lenten Compline – Virtual Stations of the Cross
Join Rev. Alison and Michael Burtt online on Wednesday, April 16th @ 7:30 pm as we spend time meditating on Jesus’ journey to the cross and ours with him. We will combine time for meditation, responsive prayer, and “movement.” The zoom link to join in is below, but will also be posted on the SABTL website.
Topic: SABTL - Virtual Stations of the Cross
Time: Apr 16, 2025, 07:30 PM America/Toronto
Join Zoom Meeting
https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/82219853839
Meeting ID: 822 1985 3839
Development and Peace (Caritas Canada)
Through Lent we are collecting names on behalf of Development and Peace – Caritas Canada to send to Canadian MPs and policy writers requesting them act to end international debt injustice. There is a hard copy form to sign in the narthex or you can sign online. For more information, go to
https://devp.org/en/campaign/turn-debt-into-hope/act-debt-2025/.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
We have come to our third reading of the 94 Calls to Action of the TRCC. These Calls to Action were published in 2015. There has been little movement by government and other institutions on most of these action points, thus, the status quo remains (see https://yellowheadinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/YI-TRC-C2A-2023-Special-Report-compressed.pdf). Please note: language has changed over the last nine years. Use of the term “Aboriginal” has been updated with the term “Indigenous” which is a term of self-identification for many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Turtle Island and across the world.
Ministry of Healing and Reconciliation
On April 27th the clergy at St. Andrew’s will be offering the sacrament of unction with the anointing of oil alongside the Eucharist. This sacrament will continue to be offered on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Making Church
Now that Michael is back, we are taking some time to discern and regroup regarding the project’s next steps. If you would like to send Michael a note about your thoughts and hopes for Making Church, please contact him at: [email protected].
Facebook Page for St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Come and visit and contribute to the St. Andrew by-the-Lake Facebook page. Search for: St. Andrews by-the-Lake Church (make sure you don’t get St. Andrews Golf Course). Look on the page for “Follow”. Click on that. You will then receive notices, pictures of your community, and a place for discussion. Any questions? Email Laura Cooper [email protected].
COVID19 Guidelines
- Masking is optional
- You may sit where you are comfortable – please allow space to those who desire it
- Use hand sanitizer before and after taking the Eucharist (note: intinction – dipping the bread in the wine – is not permitted by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto)
Ferry Schedule
The Spring schedule begins on April 11th – more ways to visit Toronto Island. Here’s a link to the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/ferry.
The church van continues to pick up passengers at 9:45 am on Sunday mornings at the Ward’s Island ferry dock.
Supporting St. Andrew’s
- The collection plate – located on the table at the back; envelops are available for one-time and regular offerings
- E-Transfer – email: [email protected]
- PAR - Pre-Authorized Remittance. You direct your bank to deposit your donation into the church account on the 20th of each month. To set up PAR contact Jane Davidson-Neville at [email protected].
- Canada Helps – Visit the church website www.standrewbythelake.com and click on the Donate button or click on the QR code below.
- Bring a friend