WEYBURN (Qu’A) — On the very last day of the church year, Nov. 30, parishioners and clergy from Weyburn, Estevan and Regina came together for an Advent retreat in the hall of All Saints Anglican Church. The cold weather was challenging and prevented some people from attending, but there were a number of hearty souls who came together from all three communities.
The purpose of the retreat was to celebrate and consider Luke’s Gospel, which is the liturgical focus for Year C, which began in Advent and continues in 2025.
Rev. Christine Burton led an engaging and entertaining discussion and review of Luke’s gospel. This included a multimedia presentation, a shared reading and discussion of the gospel, a meal, scavenger hunt, and prayers.
Throughout the retreat there were different references to St. Luke, who is often represented by a winged bull. The bull is symbolic of sacrifice, and especially of Christ’s self-sacrifice. For the first contest, Burton asked how a can of Red Bull energy drink related to the discussion. Of course the answer was, “Red Bull gives you wings.”
Luke is the patron saint of physicians, artists, bachelors, notaries, butchers, brewers and lace makers. These were represented in the meal, which included beef soup, “brewed” apple cider, quilled pasta (penne “the pen”) and buns served on a lace doily.
There were paints and drawing materials available for crafting, and one table was decorated with a child’s stethoscope and other medical tools,
The retreat was informative and offered community, fellowship and learning for everyone who attended.
After the retreat in Weyburn, both those who attended and some who were not able to come due to the weather, expressed interest in having another retreat on Luke’s Gospel in the new year in Regina. At press time, plans were being developed. If you are interested, please contact Rev. Christine Burton at [email protected].
