We are grateful to have Ryan McDonald (TEMC, alto) curate a meaningful Maundy Thursday musical reflection for us once again—now for the third time. Read the program note and join us on Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. for an evening of inspiring music and thoughtful messages as we prepare our hearts and minds in prayer during Holy Week.
– Elaine Choi, Jason Byassee
Guest blog post by Ryan McDonald
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be introducing the TEMC book club to some new selections. I truly hope we can start to encourage people from beyond our congregation to attend. Thus, I was very intentional in selecting books that can spark discussions and while featuring spiritual or theological or even philosophical themes will also be accessible to everyone.
Near where we now live in the Annex is a church building you probably know as the Hare Krishna Church. I was stunned to discover recently that two giants in Canadian church history once preached there. Charles Templeton took over a building abandoned by Avenue Road United Church and converted it into a fast-growing evangelical church, before later losing his own faith. A.W. Tozer pastored it as Avenue Road Alliance Church while becoming one of the Canadian church’s best-selling authors.
By Dr. Elaine Choi
Music Through the Storm: Elaine in Ottawa Choir Festival
On February 26, the eve of my last chemo session, I had the privilege of working with over 120 students from the Ottawa-Gatineau region at a choir festival hosted by the University of Ottawa.
(Gen. 12:1, Mt. 28:19) – One generational shift at our church is that we cannot assume everyone’s life revolves around the calendar of the school year or seasonal living for the weather. Once, many Torontonians could afford a shack up north, but those houses are often now as expensive as these in the GTA. Families look different now, and so do our socio-economic brackets. My predecessors often took the summer away, inviting in excellent summer preachers, and in Andy Lawson’s case, even writing his sermons for the next year!
It’s a common scam: find the leader of a do-gooder organization. Change your display-name so that an email looks like it’s coming from that executive to their staff. Ask the colleague not to phone, but rather communicate only by email, since the senior minister is 1-in a meeting 2-at prayer or 3-otherwise occupied, and request gift cards. My staff knew to call or email me anyway and ask if this was really me. They prepared a warning for others.
Written by Dr. Elaine Choi
A few weeks ago, I cried in front of my adorable two and a half year-old niece, and she sat on my lap, gently dabbing tears off my face, and said, “Don’t cry goo ma, why you crying goo ma* [ 姑媽 ]?” Listening to her sweet voice, I cried more! (How could you not?!).
I can’t recall a time I’ve been more proud of a ministry supported by Timothy Eaton Memorial Church than after visiting New Circles.
“You’re here?!”
I get this response a fair bit when I’m at church on a Sunday when I’m not preaching. I suppose people have seen on the sign or the eblast that Dayle or a guest is preaching and figured that means I’m out of town. I still am tempted to tease the surprised person: yeah, I do have to show up for work occasionally!
Friends: you may have noticed some new faces in our official leadership ranks. They’re not all unfamiliar: Olivia LaPointe has sung for us for years, and has just moved back from New Brunswick. But Fraser Elsdon and Matthew Coulthard are brand new to us. Here is a bit about them. Note: always feed the interns! Seriously, they’re eager to get to know you, so ask them to coffee or meals and get to know them! - Jason