St. Philip's Anglican Church, Etobicoke - Room for All and a Place for You

Spirituality and the Arts

At St. Philip’s we believe that the arts, music in particular, allow us to express, experience and engage our spirituality and that of others.

When musicians connect to make music, when performers and audience interact in playing and listening, when audience members respond to the music and each other then the Spirit is present.

At St. Philip’s we believe that artists are essential members of a healthy vibrant, caring society. Artists deserve a level of income which respects their contributions and gives them enough financial security for making and developing their art. At St. Philip’s we pay special Sunday, Recital, and Jazz Vespers musicians.

At St. Philip’s we believe that all people should have access to art and to artists regardless of their own economic circumstance. Our doors are open to all and no one is turned away.

Admission to our special events is by donation. If you have little, give what you can. If that’s nothing, come in and take your seat. If you have enough, or more than enough, give what seems fitting and fair.

Recitals

St. Philip’s Recitals began in the summer of 2018 as small intimate-interactive concerts in the living room of the Rectory adjacent to the church. Seating was limited to 20.

Over the next two seasons ambitions and expectations grew. Then came the pandemic, and we were unable to continue.

Post-pandemic, we have been able to re-boot the recital series, maintaining an intimate-interactive setting; but with some changes. Changes for the better, we think.

We’ve changed the venue from the rectory to the church. The chancel acoustics delight performers and audiences alike. Seating at the foot of the chancel steps retains all the intimacy of the Rectory Recitals while accommodating a larger audience in greater comfort.

There are no tickets. No one is excluded because they can’t afford to attend. However, we want to pay our musicians properly and so really appreciate your donations at the door, without which we would be unable to host the recital series.

Jazz Vespers

Jazz Vespers links the deep spirituality of jazz with the worship tradition of the Church. From September to May, we hold a Jazz Vespers on the last Sunday of the month from 4-5pm. The service consists of short prayers and reflection – but mainly music. We are blessed that Toronto is home to some of the best jazz musicians in the world, and even more blessed that we are able to invite them to share their music with us at St. Philip’s. There is no entrance fee for Jazz Vespers, but we do appreciate donations at the door to help us offset the cost of paying for our musicians. To see who is coming next to Jazz Vespers, click here.

Centering Prayer

Silence, it has been said, is the first language of God. It is in silence that we most easily find ourselves present to “all that is”: to the world around us in all of its pain and joy; to the physical space we inhabit; to the fullness of our own selves; and to the presence of God, who breathes silently into our hearts.

At St. Philip’s we value silence and include quiet moments of reflection in our worship services. We have a beautiful and sacred church building that offers a quiet place for prayer and reflection. We also share in the practice of silent prayer each Friday morning from 9:30-10:30 on Zoom, where a group meets weekly to share in 20 minutes of silent prayer followed by lectio divina (a reflective form of Bible study). For the link to our Friday morning Centering Prayer, click here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/94311712016?pwd=N2xTbTVtVlphRDBQN3QyTTN6cjQ0UT09

Spirituality through Symbol

There are some things that are simply beyond our ability to express in words. There are some things symbolic actions can express far more deeply than an explanation.

 

Our worship life is filled with symbols that point us toward the deepest truths of God’s presence with us. In fact, they convey that truth to us. The reading of the gospel from the centre of the church symbolizes the living Word of God in our midst. The Easter candle glows with the promise of new life. Sharing in Holy Communion at the altar symbolizes and makes real the abiding presence of Christ with us, among us and within us.

Come and experience the power of symbol in our worship any Sunday morning!

Spirituality through Practice

“Practice makes perfect!” – perhaps you’re familiar with that old adage. I don’t know about perfect, but if you’re learning a piece of music or preparing for a sporting event, practice is an essential.

When we talk of spiritual practice, though, it isn’t so much about practicing to get better at something, but practicing to go deeper – to journey further along the spiritual path you are on.

At St. Philip’s, we share in numerous practices that help us draw closer to God in and through a relationship with Christ. Our regular worship together is the backbone of our spiritual practice, but as a Church community we practice our faith in many other ways: personal daily prayer and meditation; donating to the food bank; visiting the sick and homebound; working for justice and peace; supporting refugees; challenging ourselves to deal with homelessness, poverty and climate change – to name just a few of our spiritual practices.

At St. Philip’s we practice our faith in all of these ways and more, both together and as individuals: journeying together as we draw closer to God day by day.