emerge

no gatherings at the Undercroft

2011-03-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

the emerge community is no longer gathering weekly at the Undercroft.

many emergers are currently joining with St. Stephen's, Westmount, where former emerge pastor, Nick Brotherwood, is now the pastor.

sunday january 30th messymerge!

2011-01-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

messymerge!

story, song, craft activities, food

4-6 pm sunday jan. 30th

St. Stephen's House

1 Weredale Park

metro Atwater

2011-01-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

five short pieces for Christmas

2010-12-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.rejesus.co.uk/site/module/nativity_icon/

stumbled across these five short pieces for Christmas, which I thought were really useful in helping us focus on aspects of Jesus' birth that somehow often get lost in the shuffle. see what you think!

Christmas Day & Boxing Day there will be no emerge gatherings at the Undercroft, so please celebrate Jesus' birth heartily with your friends,families, and the local Christian community wherever you find yourself this time of the year!

have a very Merry Christmas and a God-filled New Year!

christmas eve december 24th

2010-12-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

we are invited to join with our friends at St. Stephen's Church, Westmount, at 4.30 pm on Christmas Eve for their relaxed, informal and often touching, Carols by Candlelight event. it's a great way to start the celebration of Jesus' birth especially for those unfamiliar with the story. there's a party afterwards at their house next door. they tell us that everyone is welcome, and they really mean it!

Christmas Day & Boxing Day there will be no emerge gatherings at the Undercroft, so please celebrate Jesus' birth with your friends,families, and the local Christian community wherever you find yourself this time of the year!

Christ is coming

2010-12-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

Christ is coming - An Advent Meditation

A beautiful advent meditation, well worth spending a quiet five minutes of your time watching and listening.

2010-12-12T20:47:00.005-05:00

...always together in Christ our Lord

Slideshow with past and present members and friends of Emerge.

sunday december 12th

2010-12-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

I will finish my time as Bishop's Missioner to Young Adults at the end of this year, and commence a new role at St. Stephen's Church, Westmount, as half-time priest-in-charge on January 1st! So, the end of a chapter for both emerge and myself, and the start of new ones.

Sue & I would love it if you could be with us on Dec. 12th.

Please RSVP by clicking http://emergecelebration.eventbrite.com

sunday december 5th

2010-12-02T15:26:00.000-05:00

celebrate the feast!

something we have not done for a while.

gathered together on a sunday evening, to eat, talk, and to celebrate the Lord's Supper in an unfussy way! so along with catching up with one another, and taking some time to talk about the future, we will "celebrate the feast" emerge style.

meet 5.00 pm in the Undercroft.

hope to see you there!

saturday december 4th

2010-11-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

You are invited to an evening of prayer, food and Christmas festivities!

Curieux and emerge have joined more than 150 communities of faith all over the world to launch a new book of prayers edited by Shane Claiborne, Enuma Okoro and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove,called "Common Prayer".

All of these parties are taking place from December 1st - 5th,and ours will be on Saturday, December 4th.

emerge and curieux are collaborating to celebrate this exciting new book AND the upcoming Christmas season. What better way than with a prayer party?!

So bring some food to share and come, slow down and create some space for The Divine as we enter Advent.

Check out the following link for more information on the concept of the
Common Prayer Parties being hosted globally:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhopwX4lRI

WHERE: St. Stephen's House, 1 Weredale Park, Westmount, QC, (Atwater
metro)
WHEN: Saturday, December 4th at 18:00
RSVP: Click to register
EMAIL: montrealcommonprayerparty@gmail.com with any questions

Hope to see you there!

******************************************

A word from Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove :

"After several years of working with scores of communities, liturgy
experts, artists, and musicians, we’re excited to announce that Common
Prayer: Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals will be out in time for Advent.
It’s more than a book… it’s a way of life. We’re excited to share it
with you.

We’re so excited, in fact, that we’ve been working with friends
across the country and around the globe to plan nearly 150 release
parties. (We hope you can find one near you.) We wish we could be at
every one of them (and, with a little technical assistance, we might be
able say hi). But more importantly, we want you to come and see the
beautiful art that’s been created for this project. We want you to have a
chance to pray these prayers with a gathering of friends. We want you
to sing these songs and take them home with you, knowing that you’re not
alone, but part of an incredible family of fellow travelers that stretches all the way back to Abraham and Sarah."-- Shane Claiborne and
Jonathan

sunday november 28th messymerge!

2010-11-24T16:11:00.006-05:00

the last messymerge before Christmas will be taking place at the Undercroft between 4 and 6pm. Potluck as usual and fun crafts and songs! Kids and big people alike very welcome!

See you there!

sunday november 21st

2010-11-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

sunday november 14th

2010-11-10T13:59:00.004-05:00

some people (you may be one of them) might want to put a question mark after the title of this week's chapter in TGBG. that would be understandable given the world we live in.

this week's soul training is to make a list of the many things for which we are grateful to God. mine includes soccer and soul music so its obviously not an exclusively "religious" list.

what's yours going to have in it?

to find out what others have included in their list, and to share yours, gather at the Undecroft at 5.00 pm for bread, soup, coffee, conversation, and possibly a little music!

sunday november 7th

2010-11-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

hi there!

my October wanderings are over! I had a good time racking up the Aeroplan miles.
after last sunday's costumed messymerge,complete with cookie making & pumpkin decorating, we resume reading 'The Good & Beautiful God' together. you can read the Introduction, Chapter 1, and a few pages of Chapter 2 at the link.

we are going to be focusing on the chapter, "God is good", which brings up lots of conflicting ideas about suffering etc. so, read the chapter, do the soul training, and come along this sunday ready to share your experience and to learn from one another. don't forget to try to learn the first four verses of Colossians 2, yes, by heart!

don't worry if you haven't been reading the chapters, come anyway!!!

Sunday 31 October 2010 MESSYMERGE!

2010-10-26T19:10:00.003-04:00

A COSTUME Messymerge will be taking place at the Undercroft between 4 and 6. Potluck as usual and fun crafts and songs! Kids and big people alike very welcome to dress up! See you there!

sunday october 24th

2010-10-22T10:35:00.000-04:00

GBG Chapter 1: What are you seeking?

In preparation for this sunday's gathering, read the Introduction, How to get the most out of this book, and most of Chapter one, here.

a bunch of us are reading this together, there are some more copies available for those who want them.

there will be bread & soup gather at 5.00pm at the Undercroft.

see you there!

sunday october 17th

2010-10-13T14:41:00.002-04:00

the emerge community it's about to try and do what it has never been able to do before! read a "The Good and Beautiful God" and discuss it as a community (or as near to one as we can get!) hopefully be our focus of our sunday gatherings for the rest of the year with the exception of messymerge sundays and Christmas/New Year. we are asking each other to read a chapter, do the "soul training" exercise, and come to the sunday gathering ready to share your experience. in this way we hope to grow as followers of Jesus at a time when it is not fashionable to be one.

the sunday gatherings will feature bread & soup as usual, after which we will focus on our experience with the chapter for the previous week. so for this sunday, please read the Introduction and Chapter One. if you need a copy, I have some, they are $16.86 each. you need to be quick, I leave for Calgary Thursday evening, but I'll do my best to get one to you before I go. I'll also make sure there are some at the Undercroft on sunday for those who are not able to contact me before I leave.

sunday october 10th

2010-10-06T10:57:00.000-04:00

this sunday sees us gather in preparation for our reading of the book "The good and beautiful God". the plan is to read a chapter by ourselves, and then on sundays come together to discuss our experience of reading the chapter and of doing the soul training exercise. I'll have copies of the book for you to buy, and we'll also have some thanksgiving appropriate food!

see you at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft!

happy thanksgiving!

sunday october 3rd

2010-09-30T13:37:00.003-04:00

last sunday we had an exceptional messymerge with members of curieux plus visitors.

this week the idea is to join with other Christians in a tri-lingual celebration called Christ Awakening. that means there will be no gathering at the Undercroft this week. Christ Awakening runs 1.30-5.00pm on Sunday, in Lasalle. if you need a ride, meet at 1.00pm sharp at the Undercroft and we'll give you a ride, alternatively make your own way by bus and metro. either way, if you intend to go you must email me your name so I can put you on the guest list, otherwise you may not get in!

I think this is going to be good, and joining with other Christians in a multi-lingual celebration sounds like fun to me. BTW I am playing in the band for this event!

sunday september 26th

2010-09-24T11:49:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, we're meeting with Curieux at 4pm at the Undercroft for another Messymerge evening entirely devoted to kids! This time, We're gonna explore Jesus' story of the lost sheep (it might be a bit nostalgic for the parents...) As usual, there will be craft stations and activities related to the story and some songs. For supper, there will be some corn on the cob, but we ask you to bring some side dishes or drink to go with it.

A reminder that Messymerge is open to everybody, so even if you don't have kids, please come!

See you Sunday!

Ce dimanche, on rejoint le groupe Curieux à 16h00 à l'Undercroft pour une autre soirée Messymerge entièrement dédiée aux enfants! Cette fois, nous explorerons l'histoire de la brebis perdue et retrouvée (ça risque d'être nostalgique pour les parents!) Comme d'habitude, il y aura des activités bricolages en lien avec l'histoire et quelques chansons à la guitare pour les petits et les petites. Pour le souper, il y aura du blé d'inde de fourni, mais on demande quand même aux gens d'apporter des plats ou des breuvages pour compléter.

Je vous rappelle que tout le monde est invité à Messymerge, alors même si vous n'avez pas d'enfants, venez faire un tour quand même.

À dimanche!

sunday september 19th

2010-09-16T09:54:00.009-04:00

photos by Julia Smith Brake

"paraclete"
this summer emerger Julia Smith Brake spent a week in Haiti as part of the Quebec response to the large scale disruption caused by the January earthquake. she is going to give us a taste of her experience, in words, pictures, music & food!

5-7 pm the Undercroft.

thursday september 23rd
guerilla bible study 6.30-8.30pm the Undercroft.

sunday september 12th

2010-09-10T15:50:00.005-04:00

lost is not just the name of one of the most popular television series of the last six years, it's also the experience of having lost something that Jesus talks about in two of his best known stories.

what's it like to find something important you have lost?

what have you lost then found recently?

this sunday we'll gather in the Undercroft at 5.00 pm. there will be soup to eat, music, talk, prayer, and plenty of time to catch up after the summer! hope to see you there!

praying by colours

2010-09-03T15:17:00.004-04:00

sunday september 5th

seems like there is never enough time to pray. so we thought we'd make prayer the major focus of this sunday's gathering. praying that is, not simply talking about praying. to help us do that we are going to use five headings-

thanks
mercy
peace
healing
justice

and we're asking people to bring something that symbolises one of those headings. then we're going to pray, on our own, together, silently, out loud, in writing, in fact any way you want!

5.00pm at the Undercroft.please bring something to eat and to share!

see you then.

sunday august 29

2010-08-29T13:51:00.003-04:00

so, having been decidedly unlucky with the weather last sunday, and as the number of predictably sunny days is on the decline, let's go see how the McGill field has stood up to Frosh 2010. this sunday august 29th, meet at 5.00pm at the Undercroft, then we'll hike up to McGill together. bring something to eat and to share. we can also check out how Emma's vegetables are doing! a chance to catch up, read, think, talk & pray together. if it rains (which it won't) we'll just stay in the Undercroft! even though it's the last sunday in the month it won't be a messymerge this time, as all of our younger members and friends from curieux.ca are doing others things!

Griffintown à pieds

2010-08-16T12:45:00.010-04:00

sunday august 22nd

Jesus spent much of his time walking the backroads of 1st century Israel with his friends. we are going to walk some of the streets of 21st century Montreal, with an eye to looking at this historic district, it's history and possible future, in a slightly different way.

what do we see?

what might Jesus see?

we'll walk first then eat later.

so wear comfortable shoes for walking, and bring some food to eat and to share.

Taika will be our travel guide.

rendez-vous 5.00 pm sharp at the Lionel Groulx Metro Station

a little improv anyone?

2010-08-12T12:27:00.015-04:00

this is us improvising our version of Luke 15.11-32
photo by Joan Lillo

sunday august 15th
ever got annoyed with a movie because something in it was unrealistic?
ever wanted to take a play or story in a different direction?
this is your chance!

we are going to do a bit of interactive, improv theatre with a story many of us know well, just to see where it takes us! bring your imagination and be prepared to participate and have fun!
5.00pm the Undercroft. this will be a piece of "after dinner theatre" so please bring some food to eat and to share!

celebrate the feast!

2010-08-06T14:14:00.008-04:00

sunday august 8th

it's been a while since we celebrated the Lord's Supper together. so when we gather this sunday that's one of the things we'll do. we will also eat, talk, think, listen, read, pray together. please bring some food to eat yourself and some to share.

we meet at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm, and if it's fine, (which it should be), we'll meander up to the McGill field for our time together.

under an open sky

2010-07-29T16:04:00.004-04:00

sunday august 1st
a new month!
another chance to meet together.
meet at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm, then we walk to the McGill field, to eat, talk, think, pray together. bring yourself, some food to eat and to share.

messymerge!

2010-07-23T11:27:00.005-04:00

sunday july 25th
messymerge is a more kid-friendly way to gather as the emerge community. song, story, messy activity, and of course food, all combine to create an enriching time for all ages. we'll meet at 4.00pm at the Undercroft, and then walk up to the McGill field. don't forget to bring some food to eat and to share, maybe a blanket to sit on, and be prepared to get messy! we will wrap things up at 6.00pm, so you will have the whole evening free. contact Nick for more details.

photos from messymerge! by Joan

2010-07-18T21:46:00.007-04:00

The Guerrilla Bible Study

Update: It's happening every Thursday

Hello Emergers,

We are starting a new bible study program, every Thursday evening at the Undercroft. This will be a time for meditating together over the Scriptures, a time of fulfilling silence and a nurturing time of prayer.

We invite you to come along on Thursday nights to this new initiative. As we saw that many of us have hectic lives, we decided to have a Two-Track System. Our program is designed so that some of us can attend every two weeks (2^nd and 4^th Thursday of the month), and others can attend weekly.

MEETING: Every Thursday

LOCATION: The Undercroft

TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Guerrilla leaders: Emilie, Ondrej, Joan and Julie-Maud

Guerrilla participants: Anyone

SUMMER SCHEDULE – BOOK OF DANIEL

July 21 (Ondrej: Bible Study) Daniel Chapters 1 - 3

July 29 (Emilie: Bible Study) Chapters 4 -6

August 4 (Ondrej craft/activity/sermon)

August 12 (Joan: Bible study) Chapter 7 - 9

August 19 (Emilie: craft/activity/sermon)

August 26 (Julie-Maud: Bible study) Chapters 10 - 12

September 2 (Joan: craft/activity/sermon)

Structure of the Guerrilla Bible Study will be:

(6:30pm -8:30pm)

1) Welcome

2) Song (Taizé songbook)

3) Opening Prayer

4) 15-20 minutes presentation on a specific passage of the Bible, which will be assigned beforehand.

5) Discussion period

6) Prayer + silence

7) Closing song (Taizé songbook)

*This structure will be followed every Thursday.

Structure of the (Craft/Activity) Guerrilla Bible Study will be:

1) Welcome

2) Song (Taizé)

3) Opening Prayer

4) 5 minute presentation of the craft

5) 20-30 minute craft/activity/sermon

6) Discussion period

7) Prayer + silence

8) Closing song (Taizé songbook)

We hope you’ll have fun and make this gathering of discussion, learning and prayer a fulfilling way to share time with God and your friends in Christ.

The Guerrilla team

sunday july 18th

2010-07-15T15:43:00.007-04:00

looks as though sunday should be nice, so we are going to plan to meet at 5.00pm at the Undercroft, then we'll walk up to the McGill field, (behind the construction site), for a picnic, a time to catch up, and time to talk about following Jesus in the workplace. don't forget to bring food & drink for yourself and something to share! also a photo of yourself at the place you work!

picture by Vicki Swords

2010-07-15T14:39:00.004-04:00

seventeen of us, including four I had never met before, plus people from curieux & emerge, gathered in our backyard last sunday, for a post World Cup Final barbeque. some actually watched the game! it was a good time together, especially if you were rooting for Spain!

this sunday july 11th

2010-07-06T13:16:00.007-04:00

it's only once every four years!
so we thought that this sunday july 11th, we'd have a curieux & emerge World Cup Final watching party and post-game barbeque to round off the four week festival of soccer that is the World Cup. it'll be a chance to catch up with one another, and if you can't stand soccer (we'll pray for you) you can always chill in our backyard. children are more than welcome. we'll provide burgers (meat & veggie),you bring a salad, or something to drink or munch. things'll get started at 2.00pm, 3498 Harvard in NDG is the place.

no gathering at the Undercroft this week.

2010-06-30T12:21:00.003-04:00

some of the talk from the arts-based community development workshop revolved around the time of the sunday gathering, with some people suggesting that a sunday morning slot might be better for people. so to test out that theory we are going to gather on sunday july 4th at 10.00am at I, Weredale Park, Westmount. that's the house were St. Stephen's Church meets, and this sunday they have asked me to be there to help them kick-start their seven week series using the Student Alpha videos. {"Student Alpha is a seven week course introducing people to the Christian faith. Over the last ten years Student Alpha has proved to be one of the most effective tools for university students and young adults to explore the Christian faith, with over 600 courses now running worldwide. Its simple format has seen courses run everywhere from churches and halls, to McDonalds restaurants, curry houses and night clubs! It contains the same material as ‘classic’ Alpha, except that it’s been ‘squeezed’ (into seven weeks), ‘squashed’ (into thirty minute talks) and ‘spiced’ (with multi-media ingredients)."} I said I would, if it was OK to bring my emerge friends. they said that was fine, so we are all invited to a relaxed morning worship and excellent video presentation, followed by a delicious lunch, and you don't even have to bring anything to share!

messymerge was great last sunday with a bunch of curieux and emergers of all ages exploring "Jesus' surprise picnic" in bilingual song and story-telling, fun activities, and (of course) yummy food! we said au revoir to Catou & Daphne, and ate chocolate cake. a special thank you to those emergers without young children who came and got involved. way to go!

there are wild rumours circulating about a wordXchange revival possibly taking place in the Plateau. watch carefully as these subversive groups have been known to spring up in the strangest places and at the weirdest times. "where two or three gather in my name..." weird things can happen! let me know if there is a danger of a wordXchange erupting in your area.

this sunday

2010-06-18T13:49:00.006-04:00

sunday june 20th

at the end of may, Audrey animated an arts-based community development workshop in which 18 emergers participated. this sunday we want to revist what that workshop produced and continue the conversation. it would be great if as many of that 18 as possible plus other emergers could be there to ensure the conversation involves as many people as possible. things start at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft, and include live music, worship.

please bring some food to both eat and share.

this weekend

2010-06-10T09:32:00.008-04:00

friday june 11 sees a bunch of us head up to Oka to do a few nights camping, should be fun.

sunday june 13 we head back to Montreal to rendez-vous at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm to "celebrate the feast!" our way of being obedient to Jesus' command to "do this in rememberance of me." so bring yourself, bring some food to enjoy and share, and bring something to be thankful for! I am sure you have lots of those.

sunday june 6th

2010-06-04T12:12:00.002-04:00

I have arranged for emerge to repeat something we did in the earlier days, visiting the ladies at the Fulford Residence, playing some music, and talking one on one with them. It was an excellent way of doing something for others. We will meet at the residence at 3.00 pm and spend a couple of hours with them. There will be no meeting at the Undercroft.

people, get messy!

2010-05-29T10:52:00.005-04:00

Messymerge is happening this Sunday, May 30th at the Undercroft.

Please join us for some definitely NOT neat and tidy action, following the theme of "Jesus and His Young Friends Have a Play-Date" (Matthew 19:13-15) There will be music, and paint will be spilled, and a good time will be had by all.

This evening is geared to the younger ones of us but EVERYONE is welcome and encouraged to participate.

Kick off is 4 p.m. sharp, and we wrap things up with a potluck supper so please bring something to share!

this sunday may 23rd

2010-05-21T11:36:00.006-04:00

an arts based community development workshop
is a hands-on way to find out about what people value about their community, and where they would like to see it headed. we are going to use this workshop to help us get abetter handle on our own emerge community. Audrey is going to lead us in this very interactive (and sometimes messy) workshop!

5.00 pm at the Undercroft. please bring some food to eat and share!

This Sunday May 16th...

2010-05-11T22:07:00.011-04:00

Get out your most comfortable sneakers or your bike from the garage and let's warm up our voices(example here) for a nice talk!

We'll be meeting at the Undercroft and walk to the Mountain.

Time 5pm/17 hrs sharp!

The idea is simple: Get together, and walk, ride, talk about Emerge in an honest, non filtered way. Let's do a retrospect of these past 7 years and look to ourselves then and now as a Christian community to finalize our evening with a group prayer at the bottom of the Cross.

Picnic: bring something to share.

Destination: behind the Belvedere lookout (Map)

With your presence this experience will be more than fun, will be EPIC!!

See you there!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

IMPORTANT: Since weather has been unpredictable these days , in case of rain keep your spirits high because we'll be doing the picnic at the Undercroft and we'll walk in circles till we get the 3 km or so. ha-ha! no escape for that workout Eh?!

Joan

nxt 7

2010-05-06T13:29:00.003-04:00

condition:critical is the name we have given to the time between now and the end of June, which we want to devote to an evaluation of where we are as a community, and to come to decisions about our future. we hope you will involve yourself in this important process, by participating in the different Sunday gatherings where we will discuss where we are, also in an online survey which will go out to everyone on the emergemontreal Yahoo!groups list whether or not they are currently actively involved in emerge. it is important that we get the input from past as well as present members of emerge.

as today’s community, we will need to come to some decisions about our future that may be difficult, and will require us to be honest about our commitment to the mission, vision, and values of emerge.

please pray for God’s guidance as we enter this time of reflection and decision-making together.

this sunday may 9th we will gather at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm to begin this process, and discuss how it might best proceed. as we do so we meet in the context of the Lord's Supper, conscious of Jesus' presence with us as we gather in his name, and fo his promise to be with us always. so come, bring your ideas and insights, and maybe even something that symbolises how you feel about emerge. hope to see you there!

sunday may 2nd

2010-04-29T09:33:00.007-04:00

not exactly drops in a bucket, but drops on a table top!

add your "drop" this sunday may 2nd, 5.00 pm the Undercroft. we're having a potluck hosted by Ondrej, which guarantees the conversation will be good! come ready to eat, think, talk, pray.

last sunday

2010-04-27T11:54:00.005-04:00

twenty eight of us of all ages got messy last sunday in the Undercroft. paper boats were made and decorated; wondrous windmills were constructed; worm jello was crafted into fish shapes before being consumed; water was splashed liberally! "wake up Jesus!" was our cry as we explored the boat ride that went pear-shaped, as recorded by Mark. friends from curieux.ca joined a bunch of emergers to spend a joyful couple of hours, including a yummy potluck supper. thanks to you if you were a part of the gathering!

next messymerge, may 30th

sunday april 18th

2010-04-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

we haven't celebrated the Lord's Supper for ages, so tonight as well as eating together, having some live music from Tanya, and looking together at some final instructions that Jesus left us, we'll celebrate, his victory over sin & death and his continuing presence with us, in the way he told us to. so do your best to get down to the Undercroft for 5.00 pm today. I know some of you are facing crunch time and can't make it, please know we will be praying for you.

emerge planning team meets tomorrow night (monday) at 8.00 pm, so please let me know if there are particular things would like us to discuss.

nxt 7

2010-04-09T14:11:00.006-04:00

celebrating Easter in Havana, Cuba, as I did, was unusual to say the least. joining with other Christians last Saturday night, in a darkened Plaza de la Catedral around a flaming brazier, and then entering the Catedral with lighted candles, was a wonderfully dramatic way to commerate Jesus' rising from the dead.

wherever or however you celebrate it, the resurrection of Jesus is an amazing fact if history. the difficult thing is living in the ongoing reality of its happening. it was the event that transformed one hundred and twenty-odd scared and despairing disciples into a dynamic missional people. it potentially can do the same today.

sunday april 11th we gather at the Undercroft at 5.00pm to celebrate, to remember, and to examine how we are (or are not) living in the reality of Jesus' resurrection. food, drink, friends, scripture, worship, will all feature. see you there!

messymerge

2010-03-28T23:56:00.012-04:00

family fun!

Remembering Jesus triumphant entrance to Jerusalem on Easter Sunday, making chocolate nests, finding easter eggs and painting crosses with the little ones.

The Story of Stuff at Emerge

2010-03-28T21:35:00.010-04:00

On Sunday March 14th some of us gathered at the Undercroft for some tasty popcorn to watch an animated film that depicted our habits of buying stuff and the impact in our ecosystem.

It was a thoughtful evening with a good discussion, some of us got this impression of the evening:

"I found it useful in helping me to remember why cheap stuff is usually bad, and why I should (and how to) change some of my North American consumer habits." -Laurel

When we buy things we see the little picture, the intended image of what we want to buy, but we miss the whole scope and impact of our purchase. We damage the ecosystem by ignorance and we became part of the problem. Environment exploitation and human rights abuses are some of the consequences of buying "cheap goods". We go for the instant gratification and do not question why this product is cheaper here in our Country than the place is assembled or fabricated.

So many good words came up that evening like; Tend, keep, dominate (depending what version of the bible you read) regarding the creation of God, and the one that stuck on my brain personally was "stewardship". We have to have always present whom is the owner of the planet, read Psalm 24:1

Then if God retains ownership, what means mankind has a dominion on earth?

Jesus parable of talents in Matthew 25:14-28 describes a more clear picture of stewardship and how to take care and use what was entrusted to us.

Humankind was given a special mission on earth, it was ordained by God. He takes care not only to us but to every breathing thing on the planet: Psalm 104:10-13

Things to ponder:

We are forgetful of God's love for his creation, so we forget to take care of it. God love us dearly and He call us to love one another as well his creation.

readings:

Genesis 1:26-28

Psalm 8:6-8

Exodus 23:10-11

Leviticus 25:1-7

2 Peter 3:10-13

Revelations 21:1

There is multiple conclusion to take from watching The Story of Stuff and reading the Bible.

Perhaps one verse may help us understand the respect we owed to God's creation:

Colossians 1:16 "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him"

Joan Daniel

no sunday gathering...

2010-03-18T10:24:00.006-04:00

...because this week we will be gathering on saturday march 20th, at Morin Heights in the Laurentians, at the rustic cabin of some members of the emerge community, to celebrate God's goodness and the approach of spring, in appropriate last-day-of-winter style!

interested in joining us?

email the address to the right and below the map.

nxt 7

2010-03-10T14:48:00.008-05:00

sunday march 14th
with popcorn in one hand and Bible in the other, we'll watch this provocative movie together, then discuss if and how the film's core message conflicts with, or compliments, Biblical themes.

come to watch.
come to talk.
come to think.

5.00 pm the Undercroft

nxt 7

2010-03-04T14:46:00.006-05:00

is following Jesus in 2010 an undertaking of Olympic proportions?

sometimes it certainly feels like it. how does the powerful images of Olympic achievement we have been exposed to for the past two weeks jive with Biblical motifs for living life Jesus' way?

sunday march 7th
let's get together over bread & soup, with friends and music to try and get things into a more Biblical proportion.
5.00 pm the Undercroft

nxt7

2010-02-25T10:53:00.007-05:00

yes at last! an idea that surfaced on a sunday evening earlier this year is being implemented!
the idea was to gather in a more kid friendly way (on the floor?) and do stuff that will be accessible to our younger emergers. meeting at 4.00pm should make it easier for families with young children, doing hands-on stuff (making puppets, acting out a story with the puppets and videoing it!) some special songs, then ending by eating a pot-luck supper together.finishing by 6.00 pm so people can head off to put the kids to bed, or head off for a coffee or a beer, or head off to watch the hockey (or possibly all three!)

so let your friends know about this especially if they have young children, and don't forget to come yourself and bring food for the pot-luck!!!

see you sunday!

nxt 7

2010-02-19T09:18:00.008-05:00

while you were most probably sleeping we slipped gently into the season of Lent. some people love it, some loathe it , some just plain don't understand it! maybe one way to approach the season is to see it as an invitation to do some kind of reset on ourselves as whole life followers of Jesus. on Sunday we are going to play around with some possibilities, and see what we can cook up in terms of devising a recipe for a Lent reset.

so in the company of bread, soup, music, friends and worship you are invited to gather sunday february 21st at 5.00pm in the Undercroft. please don't forget to bring your imagination!

nxt 7

2010-02-12T11:09:00.004-05:00

sunday february 14th

I guess it comes as no surprise to learn that the word 'love', occurs 687 (but who's counting?) times in the Bible. so what could be more appropriate for our Valentine's Day gathering than to examine love from a variety angles. maybe you have your own favourite description of love,(a song, poem, photograph, etc.) if so, bring it along with you and share it with us. there will be soup, bread, coffee, tea, great people, live music, prayer, talk and worship. it all starts at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft. hope to see you there!

nxt 7

2010-02-05T15:26:00.004-05:00

spent last sunday evening at the Royal Vic having my cracked rib diagnosed. only took 2.5 hours, thanks to Canada's brilliant health care system!, so I missed all the fun in the Undercroft. so this sunday february 7th I intend to avoid patches of ice and make my way carefully down to the Undercroft for 5.00pm. we gather to celebrate the feast of God's victory, in bread & wine, with an accompanyment of coffee, tea, and music. all in the company of friends old and not so old! it was lonely sitting in Emergency last week, when I would rather have been sitting with the emerge community. missed you guys!

nxt 7

2010-01-29T13:00:00.006-05:00

sunday january 31
one month down, eleven to go!
here are three new year's resolutions someone I know made,"Explore God’s mercy. Practice random acts of kindness. Pray for someone to become a Christian." I wonder how they are doing at keeping them? how are you doing at keeping yours, if you made any that is? this sunday's gathering at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft gives us a chance to check in with one another, eat together, laugh together, hear what Ondrej's new year thoughts are. accompanied by live music, prayer and scripture. hope you will make it down!

nxt 7

2010-01-14T15:30:00.005-05:00

when disaster strikes...where is God?
the emerging horror of the earthquake thirteen kilometres from the capital of Haiti, the full extent of which will not be known for weeks, brings up uncomfortable questions. there will be time to discuss those questions, but for now this is the time to respond to a situation of extreme human tradegy. this is the time to get out the credit card, to make a donation, to pray for the people of Haiti, to contact that friend with family in Haiti. this is a time for compassion in action. this sunday january 17th 5.00 pm we will gather in the Undercroft, in safety, with food, with water, with sadness too for the people of Haiti. we will collect money if you don't have or don't want to use a credit card, and we'll add our little drop to the bucketful of human compassion.

nxt 7

2010-01-08T12:07:00.003-05:00

sunday january 10
the question of identity seems pretty important these days. how do we see ourselves? how we see others? this sunday this issue comes up again as we reflect on the significance of Jesus' baptism. 5.00 pm the Undercroft, complete with bread & soup, music, great people, and guess what? you are invited!

nxt 7

2009-12-22T14:48:00.006-05:00

the feast we know as Christmas celebrates the moment at which "The Word became flesh and blood,and moved into the neighborhood." (John 1.14 The Message) such a big idea, such a small beginning. we are fortunate in having multiple ways of celebrating the small beginning!

thursday december 24th
4.30 pm Carols by Candlelight at St. Stephen's Church, Rene Levesque & Atwater

christmas day december 25th
help serve Christmas lunch to hungry people at The Open Door contact Nick for details at email address on the right

sunday december 27th
5.00 pm the Undercroft
"celebrate the feast", but quietly! share the Lord's Supper and ponder what it might mean to live incarnationally!

wherever you are this Christmas, celebrate the event and live out its meaning all year long ( and next year too!)

nxt7

2009-12-17T10:47:00.008-05:00

sunday december 20th
Choeur à Coeur at 3 p.m Under the direction of Paul Belzile, at LA CHAPELLE NOTRE-DAME-DE-BON-SECOURS,
400 Saint Paul Street East, Montreal. the idea would be to meet outside the chapel at 2.45pm for this concert of Christmas music, and then go for coffee, whatever, in the Old Port! bring yourself, bring a friend or two!

no gathering at the Undercroft this week

nxt 7

2009-12-10T15:42:00.008-05:00

sunday december 13th
christmas is for many people a time to get together with family. we'll do a little of that with some people who are family to us. members of curieux are joining us at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm for a potluck supper, to be followed by "a walking tour of Christmas!" we get to encounter the story of God becoming one of us in the neo-Gothic surroundings of Christchurch Cathedral, in word, action, music and surprise! suitable for all ages, (strollers welcome!) bring a flash light!!

photo:Joan Lillo

nxt 7

2009-12-04T13:34:00.009-05:00

sunday december 6th
twenty years after one of the most horrific days in Montreal's 367 year history, we take time out to remember the evil that sometimes lurks in the human heart, and the fourteen women's lives taken on that day. we will gather at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm for bread & soup as usual, then at 6.00 pm we will go upstairs to join in the service of remembrance at Christchurch Cathedral.

nxt 7

2009-11-26T09:14:00.006-05:00

thursday november 26th
Knit-Chat-Crafty evening. 7 to 9 pm
Bring your craft and food if you are on the run.
There will be some nice warm tea and something baked and sweet! Joan & Tanya's place.

sunday november 29
happy new year!
church year that is, and we're starting it off with
an emerge arts-based community workshop! a chance to step back and look at our selves, and see what kind of community we have become and are still becoming in the seven short years of our existence. audrey will be animating our time together, using picture as well as word. be part of the process!

5.00 pm the Undercroft for bread & soup, 5.30 pm workshop begins!

2009-11-20T00:26:00.003-05:00

friday november 20th
a prayer seminar on human trafficking at 7:30p.m. It will be held at the Undercroft and will be led by Jason Parks of Exodus Cry Canada. This is the first step in a partnership between Chab Dai and Exodus Cry and hopefully there will be more workshops, both in French and English, in the future. This seminar will be given in English.

sunday november 22nd
"celebrate the feast!"
as we come to the end of the church's year we celebrate Jesus' kingship of our lives and renew our committment to seeing his kingdom come in all its fullness. so with bread & soup, laughter and conversation, music & coffee, but most especially in the Lord's Supper, we'll celebrate his continuing presence in our lives! 5.00 pm the Undercroft.

nxt7

2009-11-13T21:07:00.004-05:00

sunday november 15

"the word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood"

if we claim to be followers of Jesus, then they way he lived his life on this planet presumably has huge implications for the way we live our lives. this sunday we continue our exploration of some of those. live music, soup & bread, coffee, tea, good conversation, great people!
5.00 pm the Undercroft

nxt 7

2009-11-06T12:41:00.004-05:00

spent a couple of days in Toronto this past week, speaking to various people and teaching a class on church planting at Wycliffe Colege. thank you to those of you who prayed for me while I was away. last week we talked about the people who have supported and encouraged us in following in the Jesus way, and also how we could be people who support and encourage people in the same way. praying to God on behalf of others seems a basic thing most of us could manage. expressing our hopes as well as our concern for other followers of Jesus needn't be so hard or as mysterious as it sometimes seems to be.

sunday november 8

we gather at the Undercroft at 5.00pm to eat bread & soup, catch up with one another, listen to some live music, and importantly spend some extended time praying using a variety of styles. it would be great to see you there. so think about people and concerns you'd like to pray for, and about creative ways in which you could do that!

nxt 7

2009-10-30T15:07:00.006-04:00

The challenge of sainthood
is to go where love takes me.

sunday november 1st
all saints day

sometimes it's hard to remember that everyone who ends up memorialised in a stained glass window starts off as a real live human being like us! it's funny how we often turn 3 dimensional people into 2 dimensional "saints", something always seems to get lost in the process! so today we'll talk about who are our heroes of the Jesus Way. there'll be food, friends, music, all the things you'd expect to find where people gather around Jesus!

5.00pm the Undercroft

nxt7

2009-10-23T11:01:00.003-04:00

for the last couple of days I have been up in Sault Ste Marie spending time with the anglican diocese of Algoma. I've had a lot of fun meeting loads of really interesting people and talking about Fresh Expressions. I get back to Montreal late friday night.

sunday october 25
"celebrate the feast!"
we often find ourselves hemmed in by various kinds of barriers, stopping us from getting where we would like to get to. in addition to celebrating the Lord's Supper together we will be looking at the barriers that people have that prevent them from checking out Jesus, with the aid of the experience of a 1st century formerly blind beggar! we start at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft, with bread & soup, hopefully some live music, interesting people, and plenty of conversation. hope to see you there!

nxt7

2009-10-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

saturday october 17th 20.30 Yellow Door Montreal, Quebec, Tanya Nielsen and musicians play "firefly"

sunday october 18th
Matthew Brotherwood has been a member of emerge since the beginning. two years ago he spent monday-thursday of each of six summer weeks in Toronto doing animation at the NFB's downtown studio. this sunday we get a sneak preview of the results.we will get a chance to see an almost-finished copy of the movie. the trailer can be seen here . things start at 5.00 pm in the Undercroft with bread & soup, and continue with live music, conversation, and of course the movie! this would be a great opportunity to invite and bring a friend with you.

thursday october 22nd
20.00 Shaika Cafe Montreal, Quebec, Tanya Nielsen plays "firefly"

nxt7

2009-10-07T16:27:00.004-04:00

yes, thanksgiving day really is next monday. seems to me the time between labour day and thanksgiving gets shorter each year! it's always a good time to get together with family and friends, and I expect many of you will be doing so this coming weekend, which will take some of you out of town. but by the same token that means some of us will be in Montreal. so this sunday october 11th, we are going to gather in the Undercroft at 5.00pm to enjoy a Thanksgiving Poutine together, and share times when we have felt especially thankful. feel free to bring a favourite poem, psalm, song, whatever, that expresses what you feel, and of course be ready to share it!

nxt7

2009-10-02T15:41:00.007-04:00

welcome to a new month!
shorter days, longer nights.
31 days in which to engage with God and others.
enjoy!
sunday october 4th
station to station
(no, not that kind of station)

simply a series of generally quiet places, that offer us ways to turn our hearts towards God that do not rely on words only. the invitation is to look, touch, taste, hear, smell.

5.00pm the Undercroft
accompanied by bread, soup, things to drink, people to talk to, and some live music.

nxt7

2009-09-25T09:59:00.009-04:00

sunday september 27
sees two exciting events take place.

at 10.00 am in Phillips Square sees the start of the Stop Child Trafficking Walk fundraiser.

then at 5.00 pm we gather in the Undercroft to celebrate God's love for us and to baptise our youngest emerger!

a baptism gives us an opportunity to look at some of the core issues involved in being followers of Jesus. if you come on sunday, and I very much hope you do, you will be asked the question, "Will you...do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?" the "persons" here are not just the one being baptised, but also their parents, and godparents. it is a really good question, and one that is worth taking some time to think about before we blurt out the enthusiastic response, "We will." what may constitute support for these friends now and in the future? what does supporting someone in their life in Christ involve? baptism seems to be very much about setting a direction for life, about a desire to live life in Jesus' distinctive way.

I have a friend for whom alchohol has been a formidable foe. I recognise and support their determination to struggle against its power. and so I attended their celebration of several years of sobriety, it was one way in which I could support them. however inviting them to a pub (ordinarily a perfectly okay thing to do) would probably not have been a supportive act, because it didn't respect their commitment to sobriety. so being supportive includes positive as well as negative elements. doing certain things that would be helpful and not doing other things that would not be helpful. as we think about supporting one another in our life in Christ, we need to consider both forms.

tuesday september 29
hear the silence see below for details

nxt7

2009-09-18T10:30:00.004-04:00

last sunday we got into an interesting discussion after watching Rob Bell's nooma video "Corners". monday evening our house smelt wonderful when a few emergers got together to do some bottling of aubergines, can hardly wait to sample the results!

sunday september 20
"celebrate the feast"
we are going to gather in the Undercroft at 5 pm to eat together, as well as celebrate the Lord's Supper together. there'll be live music and wonderful people too! hope you can make it down.

sunday september 27
Slide 3

Stop Child Trafficking WALK!
10am Phillip's Square, Downtown Montreal

Route: St-Catherine and Maisonneuve Street.

Length: The walk will be about 3km long

seren's baptism at 5 pm in the Undercroft, a chance to commit or recommit ourselves to following Jesus

tuesday september 29
“Hear the Silence” with Jamie Howison and Gord Johnson of St. Benedict’s Table, Winnipeg. A meditative liturgy for the evening hour. A time of worship built around music, prayer, readings and stillness. At St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, 4006 boul Dorchester W. (at Atwater), from 7:30 to 9 pm.

nxt7

2009-09-11T13:36:00.007-04:00

first week after Labour Day and we are still being taunted by summer weather (where were you in July when we really needed you? sigh!) still it's nice while it lasts. fortunately God's love is not like the weather in that respect, it is predictable and reliable. thing is, how are we going to respond to it?

sunday september 13
this sunday we are going to be at the Undercroft at 5.00 pm to eat together, talk, think, (aided by a movie from Rob Bell), pray. complete with live music, coffee, tea etc. see you there?

monday september 14
bottling with Sue!
contact us for details

nxt7

2009-09-04T12:25:00.008-04:00

basically any excuse to have a picture of loons is a good one!
one of the many things I like about loons, apart from their appearance, their cries, etc.) is their unpredictability. when they dive, it is impossible to predict just where they will surface. of course "we shall not live by unpredictability alone..." but in a world that sometimes seems oh-so-predictable, it's great to be surprised by a splash of water and a growing ripple from an unexpected direction!

sunday september 6
no gathering at the Undercroft this week, instead you are invited up to Nick & Su's cabin in the woods. the idea is to arrive mid-morning, enjoy the delights of the Laurentians, help us furnish & eat a barbeque, and return to the city in the evening! sounds good? you need to let us know if you are coming. so email me at the address on the right asap.

happy Labour Day!

Defibrulator

2009-08-31T13:47:00.004-04:00

In the past sometimes a song which is brought to emerge by the musicians may have meaning or motivation that sparks discussion; this is a great thing. We decided to give a little blurb once in a while on here, about our particular connection with a song we've brought to emerge.

Here is a link to my blurb about Lanois' The Maker.

This time I wanted to mention the song "There is a kingdom" by Nick Cave.

Catou actually asked us to play it for Daphne's christening and although we couldn't learn it in time it has become a favorite.

Just like a bird that sings up the sun
In a dawn so very dark
Such is my faith for you
Such is my faith
And all the world's darkness can't swallow up
A single spark
Such is my love for you
Such is my love

There is a kingdom
There is a king
And he lives without
And he lives within

The starry heavens above me
The moral law within
So the world appears
So the world appears
This day so sweet
It will never come again
So the world appears
Through this mist of tears

There is a kingdom
There is a king
And he lives within
And he is everything

It's unusual to me to have such a simple declaration of faith presented in such original and beautiful wording. The musical arrangement is similarly dead simple yet lush and memorable. In a rare Cave song that doesn't involve cathartic violence of some sort, (not your everyday contemplative sing-a-long), this is to me one of the most easily singable yet profound and moving songs to do as a group. Thanks Catou!

nxt7

2009-08-27T11:42:00.004-04:00

with descending temperatures it really feels that this year's version of "summer" is quickly coming to a close, not that I am trying to hasten it's demise of course. I am a big fan of summer after all! people have been travelling to exotic places, renewing friendships , meeting new family members, or just dodging the storms. the emerge community has spent a lot of time away from the Undercroft in the past few months, flying kites at the Old Port, picnicing & discussing scripture on the McGill field, celebrating the feast on Mont Royal, meeting in "house churches", and serving supper at the Old Brewery Mission!

sunday august 30
as some of us head back to school ( some people just can't get enough!) we head back to the Undercroft this sunday for a "welcome back corn roast!" to say farewell to summer and hello again to one another. a good time to catch up on one another's summers and what's been happening. so 5.00 pm is the time, bring yourself and maybe a friend. we'll provide the corn, butter, napkins, drinks, and hopefully some live music!

nxt7

2009-08-22T10:32:00.004-04:00

sunday august 23

no gathering at the Undercroft again this sunday. one of the things we wanted to try out this summer was to try meeting in three different homes as "house churches" on the same sunday, but at different times, in different parts of the city. so tomorrow we will all be interacting with Acts 2.41-47, looking for similarities and differences between the first community of 1st century followers of Jesus, and us. so taking a look at the passage before you meet would really help! contact us at the address to the right to find the "house church" nearest you.

nxt7

2009-08-13T14:11:00.005-04:00

sunday august 16
a bunch of emergers will be helping to serve supper to over 300 hungry people at the Old Brewery Mission. We will meet at 4.15 pm at metro Place d'Armes, St. Urbain Street exit, and walk over to the OBM at 915 Clark & St. Antoine. It would be great if you could make it, they even give us supper with the volunteers and staff after we serve the others! It's usually finished by 6.30 pm so you still have your evening.

update! four emergers helped serve over three hundred people with a meal!

God gave as a break after all!!

2009-08-03T21:31:00.008-04:00

Kite flying
"God opened the sky with a shining sun and a perfect breeze. A beautiful evening for flying KITES"

nxt7

2009-07-31T13:37:00.009-04:00

sunday august 2nd
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Jesus in John 3.8. TNIV

« Le vent souffle où il veut, tu en entends le bruit, mais tu ne sais ni d'où il vient ni où il va. Il en est ainsi pour quiconque est né de l'Esprit. » Jésus dans Jean 3:8 (La Bible du Semeur)

Change of plan!
ride the wind! it's raining again so meet at the Undercroft, to eat, talk, catch up. bring friends and family to join in the fun. Bring food to share and enjoy

sunday august 9
"diving into..."
meet 5.00pm at the Undercroft or 5.30 pm at the McGill field to eat, talk, pray and discuss a juicy piece of scripture together, under a open sky! bring some food to eat & share.

nxt 7

2009-07-23T15:02:00.004-04:00

sunday july 26
vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish:"
it's not just about seeing what is there, but about what could be there.
we'll explore the whole question of vision with the help of the film "the man who planted trees" and of course the words of scripture. we'll meet at 5.00 pm at the Undercroft and have an indoor picnic! so bring food for yourself as well as something to share!

nxt7

2009-07-17T13:15:00.005-04:00

sunday july 19
supper on the mountain

two basic options exist, meet at 5.00pm at the Undercroft and we'll walk up to the Mont Royal Kondiaronk Lookout, or take the bike/bus/car to the mountain, then head for the grassy area behind the Chalet where we'll rendez-vous at 5.30-6.00 pm to picnic and celebrate the Lord's Supper together. it's a "bring your own picnic plus something to share" deal, you may also want to bring something to sit on as the grass may be a little damp! of course if it is raining we'll end up staying at the Undercroft!

tuesday july 21
emerge at the movies

to see "Act of God" a movie by Canadian filmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes)we aim to catch the 7.40 pm show at the AMC Forum, and grab a coffee afterwards to talk about it.

nxt7

2009-07-10T13:44:00.002-04:00

sunday july 12
somehow I've become convinced "God loves jazz", well maybe not every single piece that claims the title but the idea of jazz. so this sunday we'll gather at 5.00 pm on the McGill field to explore what evidence I can bring to support my assertion! let's do the bring-your-own-picnic-plus-a-little-extra-to-share thing, it seemed to work well last time. that will leave plenty of time for those who want to to catch the Ben Harper play the closing show of the Jazz Festival at 9.00 pm.

nxt7

2009-07-02T12:12:00.004-04:00

sunday july 5th

Ondrej and Emilie will be hosting our gathering, as Nick and Sue will be celebrating their daughter Katie's wedding (congratulations!). We will get a chance to see Katie for her photo session above the Undercroft, around 6:30, to congratulate her in person.

The plan for Sunday night is to focus on a reading from Nehemiah, a prophetic leader in the old testament.

We would encourage you to think, in preparation for Sunday evening, about a project that would unite us (and how it would unite us), just like the building of the walls of Jerusalem united the "exiles" (we will find out more about this in the reading).

What project would help us define our Christian identity as a group and individually? Ondrej and Em think that: a project that would unanimously (in one spirit) agree to would be a glorification of God - a project that would build us up as a community, relationally rather than the usual consumer-me-and-only-me-egocentrism. What does this mean practically? What shape would it take?

Come hungry!

Ondrej will prepare sabjee (Indian vegetarian stew) and rice. Emilie will prepare something (she doesn't know what yet - a desert and/or soup).

See you Sunday!

nxt7

2009-06-26T15:39:00.005-04:00

this is an exciting time of year in Montreal. we've already celebrated the summer solstice & St. Jean Baptiste's Day, and now we gird our loins (whatever that means) for the upcoming Jazz Festival which opens tuesday night with Stevie Wonder (yes, that Stevie Wonder) in a free concert. aren't you just green with envy?

last sunday Charlie & Julia delighted our taste buds with some colourful south asian cuisine, and engaged our minds with their adventures in Phnom Penh including the darker sides of life there and here.

sunday june 28th
if it's fine we will gather on the McGill field at 5.00 pm for a picnic (see photo) and word on the grass, but if it's raining you'll find us at the Undercroft. give me a call if you can't find us! BTW please "bring your own picnic and something to share"!

after our gathering there's some Irish storytelling at Hurley's!

nxt7

2009-06-18T22:16:00.005-04:00

sunday june 21st midsummer's day
Recently back from Cambodia, Charlie and Julia will be sharing about the work they did there for 6 months. They will share about Chab Dai, the organization they worked for while they were there, and about how this experience has brought about a goal to work towards ending sexual exploitation and trafficking here in Canada. And they're bringing yummy food! 5.00 pm the Undercroft

nxt7

2009-06-11T14:20:00.003-04:00

sunday june 14
midsummer music
we are going to have our own musical feast, including, french horn, saxophone, flute, whistles, guitar, piano, drums & voices. as we arrive at the middle of the year and the day with the most hours of daylight, we also celebrate the fullness of God displayed in Jesus Christ. we'll also get to eat together, talk, pray and encourage one another. 5.00 pm the Undercroft

nxt7

2009-06-04T16:44:00.004-04:00

last Sunday’s free museum day didn’t exactly work as planned, eight of us met in 2nd Cup on McGill College, and five of us were my family! Ah well, we tried something different. Things have been busy for me with a visit to Oshawa and a day for clergy & lay leaders in Loblaws LaSalle! Busy & good though.

Sally sent me this in response to the flash mob guerilla worship video I forwarded,

"Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning
from Aurora Leigh, Seventh Book

sunday june 7
being part of the Diocese of Montreal is a funny thing, but sometimes it has it's perks...such as
11am Diocesan Brunch outside the Cathedral, it's free, there will be veggie burgers as well as beef, and we're all invited!
1pm Diocesan Eucharist: Guest Speaker: Bishop Mark MacDonald. Theme: “Hear What the Spirit is Saying to the Church.”
Bishop Barry is asking us to come together as a Diocesan family. Mark is National Indigenous Bishop and is well worth meeting! (That's his photo at the top)

later that same day… and as if that were not enough, we will get together in the Undercroft to do something we haven’t done for quite a while, share the Lord’s Supper together, plus soup & bread, live music, friends, conversation around “where do you see God’s Spirit at work?” 5.00 pm

wednesday june 10

musicians & singers want to get something special going for june 14 so we’ll get together to rehearse at Sue & Nick’s 7.30 pm

nxt7

2009-05-28T15:17:00.006-04:00

sunday may 31-pentecost
montreal museums day

when Montreal's 30 museums are freee! 9am-6pm. so let's take advantage of this opportunity and get out there! the idea is to check out a museum or two, preferably with a couple of other emergers, and then get together at the Second Cup at 2200 McGill College & President Kennedy at 6.30 pm to debrief. we know that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world, so we need to pay attention to see what the Spirit is up to! so check out the museums, choose one or two to visit with some friends, then get yourself to 2nd Cup! call me if you get lost!

the Jesus Way reading group continues to meet at Julie-Maud's place.

please give thanks for... Tanya & Joan's successful show last saturday; the imminent arrival of summer; the affluence we enjoy in Canada; life and freedom; relationships with God and with others;...

please pray for... those looking for work; those feeling helpless; the majority of people around the world who can never hope to have a little of what we so easily take for granted; Nick presenting to Toronto synod.

nxt 7

2009-05-15T14:49:00.000-04:00

sunday may 17th

we have spent the past few sunday evenings thinking about some of the appearances of Jesus after being raised from the dead. this sunday we come to one of the last appearances, recorded this time by Matthew, during which Jesus tells his disciples what they are supposed to be getting on with. we will have a look at how we are doing at being about what Jesus told us to be about!
soup, bread, boissons, friends, hopefully music too, and as always prayer! hope to see you there! 5.00 pm the Undercroft

have a great Fete des Patriotes/Victoria Day weekend if I don't see you!

nxt7

2009-05-08T10:33:00.002-04:00

"these are a few of my favourite things..."

sunday may 10
a chance to share a part of the Bible that has impacted our lives, to listen, to look for any common threads...5.00 pm the Undercroft, soup & bread, live music, coffee, friends, talk, prayer.

nxt7

2009-05-01T14:39:00.004-04:00

the last two sunday evening gatherings have seen us "marinating" in some of the resurrection appearances of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. last sunday we were flies on the wall as Jesus met with the disciples without & with Thomas. is it possible to live as resurrection-shaped people? can we "soak" it in?

Tanya's listening party included an impromptu acoustic set on a chilly sidewalk in front of Shaika's last wednesday, complete with her cousin Ronnie on guitar. listen to some of her cd "Firefly" here.

sunday may 3rd

Patrick's last sunday gathering before he goes home to Brazil and guess what? he's making soup! so be sure to catch Patrick and his soup, plus coffee, live music, spoken word, friends, conversation, prayer, etc. "guys' night out on lake rescued from disaster by mysterious stranger..." well, what do you make of it? read. think. respond.

not sure when exactly, but the Plateau Jesus Way group goes on meeting at Julie-Maud's. must get down there one time!

nxt7

2009-04-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

sunday april 26 "missing!"

confusion and despair have often been the experience of the church, even from its very earliest days. check out the later parts of John 20! how do we respond to the experience of the same things? over bread & soup, around tables, to the sounds of live music, in conversation, prayer and silence. the Undercroft 5.00 pm

wednesday april 29 musicians & singers
get together. let's try 7.30 pm at 3498 Harvard, NDG.

nxt7

2009-04-17T12:32:00.003-04:00

sunday april 19
last sunday the doors to Promenades Cathedrale & the Undercroft were locked, but not so this sunday! the events of last sunday started out badly, quickly got worse, but then something totally without precedent happened...so, this sunday we get to commemorate, celebrate, and consider the momentous implications of those events! join us at the Undercroft 5.00 pm for soup & bread, live music, friends, prayer!

painting:"Emaús" (Lucas 24, 30), Fray Gabriel

no gathering this sunday

2009-04-10T16:06:00.008-04:00

paintings by Greig Leach

a quote from a favourite writer of mine, Lesslie Newbigin, that seemed especially fitting this Good Friday.
"He (Jesus) does not leave behind an ideal or a program. He leaves behind a community--the Church. This community exists not because of decisions its members have made. It is not constituted by the faith, insight, or moral excellence of its members. It exists because God has called its members out of the world by his own action and given them to Jesus." (The Light Has come;Grand Rapids 1987 p.228)

a very small part of that community got together last night in the Undercroft for "a meal with friends". To eat and talk together, but also to read Matthew's account of the Last Supper, betrayal, arrest of Jesus, the dispersal of the disciples, and finally to share the Lord's Supper together on the night that commemorates Jesus' last supper. It was a poignant evening.

Today, Good Friday, gives us the chance to walk once again through the harrowing events of that day, before we wait, through the hours of gloomy saturday to the surprise and shock of the empty tomb on Easter morning. quite a journey!

we won't be gathering at the Undercroft this sunday for a number of reasons, Promenades Cathedrale is closed for Easter, many emergers are out of town with family. so celebrate Jesus being raised from the dead with friends, family, a local church, whatever. but make sure you reflect on the outrageous turnaround that God engineers, that absolutely no one expected. it's the same God who calls us into relationship with him through his son Jesus. It's the same God who has made us a part of his community!

Have a good Friday and a joyous Easter Sunday when it arrives!

nxt7

2009-04-02T20:10:00.004-04:00

sunday april 5th
5.00pm meet at the Undercroft for soup & bread together, then around 6.00pm head down to Reggie's at Concordia's Hall Building, (de Maisonneuve & Mackay) to join with the Living Room, who have asked Nick to speak at their Palm Sunday gathering. this will be a great opportunity to hang with some other followers of Jesus.

thursday april 9th (aka Maundy Thursday)
"a meal with friends" is what Jesus had the night before he was executed. so let's gather at the Undercroft at 6.00pm for a pot luck supper with friends, before many of us head off to celebrate Jesus' resuurection with family on Easter Sunday. it will give us time time to walk through the events of that fateful day, and to celebrate appropriately the cost of Jesus' victory over sin & death.

nxt7

2009-03-25T13:54:00.006-04:00

human trafficking

a presentation by
Sally Richmond

sunday march 29th, 5.00 pm
the Undercroft,
halfway down the stairs
at the Ste. Catherine & University
entrance to Promenades Cathedrale

more information? call 514-246 5796

nxt7

2009-03-22T11:12:00.001-04:00

sunday march 22
"celebrate the feast!" last week we thought about Jesus' remark to his followers that they were both "the salt of the earth" as well as "the light of the world", and talked long about what that might mean. we continue focussing on his teaching to his disciples on the mountainside that Matthew records. Tanya has some songs, there will be soup (mystery soup maker), bread, tea, coffee, etc. and we will celebrate Jesus' victory over sin and death by a simple sharing of the Lord's Supper. it would be great to see you! 5.00 pm the Undercroft.

sunday march 29
"humantrafficking" better known perhaps as "slavery", is sadly all too alive and well in the 21st century. Sally Richmond of 10,000 Villages, NDG. will bring us up to speed on the growing problem which largely involves women and children, as well as outlining some initiatives that are being taken to counter this disturbing trend. accompanied by the usual live music, food, conversation, etc. a good evening to come with a friend!

defibrulator

2009-03-16T20:55:00.006-04:00

The Maker - Daniel Lanois

Last Sunday a couple of people were wondering about the song The Maker which Didier, Nick and I have played at emerge gatherings from time to time. This made me realize it might be interesting if one of us occaisonnaly posted something about a tune we've brought to the Sunday gatherings and why. So, here goes: Daniel Lanois' The Maker from Acadie (1989)

Oh, oh deep water
Black and cold like the night
I stand with arms wide open
I've run a twisted line
I'm a stranger in the eyes of the Maker

I could not see for the fog in my eyes
I could not feel for the fear in my life
From across the great divide
In the distance I saw a light
Of Jean Baptiste he's walking to me with the Maker

My body my body is bent and broken
By long and dangerous sleep
I can't work the fields of Abraham
And turn my head away
I'm not a stranger in the hands of the Maker

Brother John, have you seen the homeless daughters
Standing there with broken wings
I have seen the flaming swords
There over east of eden
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker

Oh, river rise from your sleep

For me it's important that an artist not have the answers, and that a song be more about the ups and downs of the journey than a list of declarations or certainties.

So in The Maker, Lanois seems to be doing all the things that I love in a spiritual song: wondering, contradicting himself, asking. I love how he feels like a stranger when he's trying to make dangerous leaps across the dark water, and then is no longer a stranger when he puts himself in the hands of the Maker and working His fields.

I also find profound the first question that comes out of his mouth when he sees John, which is that he wonders about suffering. And John points to the Fall and the swords over Eden.

For me a questing, questioning song like this can mean a lot to a large amount of people, whereas songs which seem to have all the answers are limited in scope to those who happen to have also found those exact same answers.

nxt7

2009-03-04T16:15:00.005-05:00

sunday march 8
"sitting at Jesus' feet"

after last sunday's outdoor exertions, we are back inside the Undercroft at 5.00pm to eat, drink, talk, think, pray, worship, & listen together. to face up together to Jesus' challenging teaching on the mountain.

monday march 9
east of St. Laurent "Jesus Way" reading group meets at 7.00pm chez Julie-Maud

tuesday march 10
NDG "Jesus Way" reading group meets at 7.00pm, Shaika ,Sherbrooke & Old Orchard.