Rector:  The Reverend Gregor Sneddon  

Ordained by Bishop John Chapman in 2008, Gregor Sneddon served as Assistant Curate in the Parish of March.  From January - April 2007, one of Gregor's Postluancy Placements was here at St. Luke's so we are delighted to welcome Fr. Gregor as our new rector. 
 

Born to a Scottish/Irish family, Gregor grew up in Ottawa and was baptized and confirmed at the Ashbury College Chapel in 1983.  During his teenage years, Gregor was involved in acting, performing in various theatre and television productions.  His acting career was eclipsed, however,  by his love for music and the Blues, playing locally with several bands and eventually leading him to travel to New Orleans where he lived as a musician and toured throughout the US, Canada, and Europe.

Always a seeker, Gregor travelled beyond the church and was keenly interested in the East.  He lived for several years in an intentional community in British Columbia, a student of Murat Yagan, an elder steeped in his ancestral tradition ‘Ahmsta Kebzeh’ and Sufism.  Gregor achieved a degree in Business Administration at Okanagan University College (UBC) and became an entrepreneur, running businesses and later with College Pro Painters and the Franchise Company.

After a ‘dark night of the soul’, Gregor returned to his baptismal roots in the Anglican Church.  Drawn to the Desert Mothers and Fathers and the rich mystical Christian tradition, he became involved with Contemplative Outreach and continues to lead retreats and workshops on Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina and the Christian Contemplative life.  He attended St Paul University (Ottawa) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology and Masters in Pastoral Theology.

His dreams of becoming a monk were put to rest when he fell in love with his beloved, Amanda.  Gregor was ordained and married in 2008, and served as Assistant Curate for the Parish of March (Kanata) and continues his work as Chaplain to Centre 454.  Gregor still likes to pick up his guitar from time to time or can be found fly-fishing or cookin’ up somethin’ tasty. Amanda and Gregor are the proud parents of William, soon to be one year old!

Message from Rev. Gregor:

Prayer is not asking.  It is a longing of the soul.  It is daily admission of one's weakness.  It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
- Mahatma Gandhi

I love these words of Gandhi.  To me they capture the essence of faith.  Often, church, faith, liturgy and dare I say, even prayer can become another ‘doing.’  An activity which occupies the mind, the body and even the emotions.  It can become a vehicle to find some consolation in the joyful and painful mystery of life.  We can find association and friendship with a larger group and feel part of something greater than ourselves. We can also get involved with wonderful programs of charity and helping others in our local or worldwide community and we can participate in worship as a community.

And these are all good things, yet, I think our journey of faith first calls us to address or perhaps respond to something greater.  The indicator, the voice which calls is our longing – our yearning for that which we cannot name.  Some might say that this longing is our God’s indwelling longing for us – and it is spoken of only in the language of art, poetry or music – often in a romantic or erotic way – for it is the language of love.  In this language, the finite world of reason is transcended:  love, lover and beloved lose their separate identities and join together in one beautiful harmony.

The other language, sometimes called God’s first language is silence.  We can all learn to speak this language and is another way to pray.  Prayer in the sense of relationship, of consenting, being present to, surrendering to, being with beyond any thought or emotion, attending as a handmaid to her maiden. Being Still and Knowing…

It is the regular participation in stillness, contemplative prayer or other mindful activities that we cultivate this relationship with this deep yearning within and out of which naturally flows the fruit of the Spirit as noted in the 5th Chapter of Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Although one may suggest this kind of prayer is an individualistic approach, one will find that it is in removing the obstacles of self-possessiveness that we discover a profound unity and communion with all of life, with Christ.

Indeed sometimes our religious life can become another ‘doing,’ yet if we can be intentional about our spiritual life, our ‘in-breath’ - grounding our activity in prayer and stillness of the heart, our ‘out-breath’ becomes less about our will, and more about THY will.  Our hearts become God’s heart and so do our hands.

Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

- Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Robert Jones has served as organist and choir director of St. Luke's since October 1999.  Bob began his church career as a chorister in the men and boys' choir of All Saints' Anglican Church in Windsor, Ontario when he was 6 years old.  As well as studying at the University of Windsor (B. Mus.) and London's University of Western Ontario (M. Mus.) Bob studied twice at the Royal School of Church Music in Croydon, England.  Bob has earned the Associateship and Choir Master diplomas from the Royal Canadian College of Organists.  From 1982-99 he served as Director of Music of Central United Church in Sault Ste. Marie.  Since 2004 Robert Jones has also served as conductor of two community choirs:  the Seaway Valley Singers and Ottawa's Bytown Voices.  He also conducts the two handbell choirs at Winchester United Church.  Bob is active in the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (http://www.rcco-ottawa.ca), serving on the executive as convenor of Student Concerns.

Parish Secretary and Cleaner

Debbie Dugas, our secretary,  was raised in the parish.  Debbie has served as our secretary since 1992.  She is also our church cleaner.

Programme Co-ordinator,

St. Luke's Lunch Club and Drop-In Centre:  Maxine Stata