Don Austin

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St. Anne's is sad to announce that long-time member, Don Austin, passed away on December 11th. He was surrounded by family and died peacefully.


The funeral service will be held at St. Anne's on the morning of Saturday, December 19, time TBA. Obituary notice will appear in Sunday's Pioneer Press.


Rest eternal grant to Don, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

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How to kneel

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Unos, dos, tres, catorce!

Lights go down it's dark
The jungle is your head
Can't rule your heart
A feeling so much
Stronger than a thought
Your eyes are wide and though
Your soul it can't be bought
Your mind can wander

Hello hello
(Hola)
I'm at a place called Vertigo
(Donde esta?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
Except you give me something
I can feel, feel





The night is full of holes
As bullets rip the sky
Of ink with gold
They twinkle as the
Boys play rock and roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know

I can't stand the beats
I'm asking for the cheque
The girl with crimson nails
Has Jesus 'round her neck
Swinging to the music
Swinging to the music

Hello hello
(Hola)
I'm at a place called Vertigo
(Donde esta?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
But you give me something
I can feel, feel

All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
Just give me what I want
And no one gets hurt

Hello hello
(Hola)
We're at a place called Vertigo
(Donde esta?)
Lights go down and all I know
Is that you give me something

I can feel your love teaching me how
Your love is teaching me how
How to kneel, kneel

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In the Darkness of Advent

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Longing for the Hush

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Longing for the Hush


Earlier and earlier stores press their limits
as traditional holiday music, like Gene Autry and Bing
drift through tinny sounding speakers.
Retailers seek the blackest of black ink for their bottom line—
"Ah, the joyous season of giving!"

In the mist of it all,
cynicism crept in and almost stole from me
the revered moments of hushed, silent bliss
when my heart and God’s connect in this solemn season,
immersed in salvation through the hope of a blanketed savior child.

- Cari Spears


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Are you, too, longing for the hush?

In this busy time of year, perhaps the best gift the church can offer is quiet, slower-paced space and time to rest and reflect. Each Wednesday of Advent, St. Anne's sanctuary will be available as a quiet space for meditation and prayer, from 5:00-9:00 PM beginning December 2. Stop in any time, stay for as long as you'd like. All are welcome.

God Would Kneel Down

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GOD WOULD KNEEL DOWN

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I think God might be a little prejudiced.

For once He asked me to join Him on a walk through this world,

and we gazed into every heart on this earth,
and I noticed He lingered a bit longer

before any face that was weeping,

and before any eyes that were laughing.

And sometimes when we passed
a soul in worship

God too would kneel down.

I have come to learn:
God
adores
His
creation.


~*~

- St. Francis of Assisi

(as translated by Daniel Ladinsky)

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We Are Standing On Holy Ground

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Blessing of the Animals

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God bless the animals.

Let us remember to give thanks for all of the significant animals in our lives, past and present, and for the wonderful lessons we learn from all of your wondrous creatures.

Give us, God, the gentleness of the rabbit,
the working ability of the beaver, the courage of the lion,
the cunning of the fox,
the bravery of the tiger
and the fortitude and resiliency of the coyote.

May we always have the lovely family life of the wolf,
whose members care for one another with sincere devotion.

Grant us the common sense of the horse,
the strength of the ox
and especially, God,
we ask for the humor, comedy and playfulness
of the sea otters and the squirrels.

Bless us each with the mastery of good grooming and relaxation of our cats
and with the loyalty and devotion of our dogs.

Best of all, God, fill us with the sheer joy of the songbirds at dawn,
heralding a new day and forgetting the past.


Help us to awaken to and learn from their wisdom
and their sweetness,
their loyalty
and particularly
their seeming inability to judge human beings unkindly.

Amen.

- by The Rev. Lauren McLaughlin
from the book Blessing the Animals: Prayers and Ceremonies to Celebrate God’s Creatures, Wild and Tame. Edited by Lynn L. Caruso

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