St. Aidan’s Church, Ottawa, was the setting April 26 and 27 of a Quiet Time led by Sister Elizabeth Ann of the Anglican Sisters of St. John the Divine. Her theme “Living in Age of the Spirit” encouraged us to reflect on images of the Holy Spirit and to listen for the leading of the Spirit in our lives. We were challenged to consider what we need to let go and what we need to keep in order to be the Church in today’s world. How is the Spirit calling us to respond to the needs of the world, and where are the signs of hope? Participants had time for quiet reflection, for walking the labyrinth, for writing a prayer, and for conversations over lunch. We enjoyed learning more about the Sisterhood. About 30 participants came from several parishes in our diocese.
Before she entered the convent, Sister Elizabeth Ann studied forestry and worked in horticulture. This background helped her bring alive the Sunday morning Gospel at St. John the Evangelist, Ottawa, where she was the guest preacher. Jesus’ words “I am the vine, you are the branches” came alive for the congregation. After the Eucharist, congregation members had the opportunity to visit with Sister Elizabeth Ann and learn a little more about life in the Anglican Sisterhood.
The event was sponsored by the Ottawa group of Associates of the Sisterhood. The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, founded in Toronto in 1884, is a monastic community within the Anglican Church of Canada. It is a community shaped by a life of prayer, community and service. Over the 140 years, the Sisterhood has worked in variety of settings—hospitals, schools, spiritual direction—responsive to the needs of the world. The Convent in Toronto hosts retreats and quiet days, and the Sisters have an active ministry of prayer and service. Associates are men and women, lay and ordained, who are members of a parish community and who seek to deepen their life in Christ by following a Rule of Life in association with the Sisters. The Rule of Life is a framework of prayer, worship, study and service to help us live out the promises made at our baptism. There are Associates all across Canada, including here in Ottawa. Look for a display about the Sisterhood at Diocesan Synod.
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.”