Special Services
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Come early and get a seat! The darkened church, decorated with poinsettias and garlands, is illuminated with the glow of candles. The service follows the form first sung in King’s College Chapel (Cambridge, England) in 1918, and through the reading of nine lessons, tells the story of the first days of man’s life on earth through to the glorious Redemption brought us by the birth of Christ. The readings are interspersed with appropriate choir carols and familiar Christmas hymns. Afterwards, everyone adjourns to the Parish Hall for a Wassail reception.
Sermons specially for Children
On the first Sunday of the month, all the children gather at the front of the church for a special time with the Priest. Often he asks them questions which prompt the kind of delightful answers only children can give – innocent yet penetrating, naive yet bluntly honest. The adults often enjoy the process as much as the children, and sometimes end up seeing matters of faith in a refreshing new light.
Nativity Pageant
Every year on Christmas Eve the children of our Sunday School stage the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. This pageant is given in the context of a late-afternoon Christmas Eucharist. See calendar for exact time.
Ash Wednesday
This first day of Lent has a particularly serious tone: recognizing how we have fallen short of loving one another and making a commitment to turn onto a new path that leads to life and wholeness. The 7:30 p.m. service makes use of the “imposition of ashes,” where the ashes of burned palm leaves are applied to the foreheads of those who choose to come forward for this rite. This dark uneven cross marks a recognition of the broken parts of our lives so that we can move forward to grow with hope.
Maundy Thursday
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus had supper with his disciples, one account of which describes him as washing his followers’ feet as if he were their slave. On this evening at 7:30 p.m., as part of the careful build-up before Easter, St. George’s has a service of Holy Communion in which the Priest washes the feet of certain selected parish leaders. When the service has ended, the church is stripped of all decoration, and people depart in silence.
Good Friday
There are two services on this day: a service of prayer and reflection on the meaning of the Cross of Christ, and the Stations of the Cross. In the latter service, the congregation goes to 14 different places in the building, stopping at artistic representations of the last hours in Jesus’ earthly life. This service is an excellent family observance for Good Friday, because children are asked to give readings at the various stations. See calendar for exact times.
Harvest Thanksgiving
On the Thanksgiving long weekend, we decorate our worship space with wheat and pumpkins and other symbols of the harvest. Prayers give heartfelt thanks for all God’s goodness. There is a Procession and music filled with sentiments of thankfulness. As well, on that day we make a special effort to bring donations of food for distribution to the poor and hungry of our city.
Remembrance Sunday
On the Sunday closest to Remembrance Day, the names of parish members who died in past wars and conflicts are read out, and there is a period of silence followed by the time-honoured pledge to remember (“They shall grow not old…”). As well, the national anthem is sung, and prayers are offered for world peace, for our country, and for the peaceful repose of all who perish in acts of war.
