Slideshow image

Every weekend during the summer, thousands of people converge on Calgary's Heritage Park to learn about and celebrate the history of our city and on Sundays, a couple dozen of them pop into historic St. Martin's Church for a 30-minute mid-day prayer service led by St. Peter’s clergy.

The pews are often packed with locals and visitors from other provinces and countries as we begin our service at 1 p.m. A few might be drawn in by the banjo-strumming preacherman who often calls people to worship with some instrumental music before the service. Some are probably just grateful for a shady spot to sit down, while others pop in for a glimpse at how people worshipped in the olden days. (Imagine their surprise when we tell them that the Book of Common Prayer we use in St. Martin's is still the primary Anglican prayer book in Canada...)

But whatever brings them in, most of them stay for the whole service! And they participate, too. They say the prayers, read the psalms, sing enthusiastically with the hymns and listen attentively to the four-minute sermon shared by the preacher.

Some of the participants are Christians from various denominations, but others have very little experience with faith. Who knows what seeds are being planted through this wonderful outreach opportunity!

If you find yourself in Heritage Park on a Sunday between now and mid-October, be sure to join us at 1 p.m. It really is a blessed, holy and fun worship experience! In the meantime, watch this highlight reel from the July 28 service, when Rev. Rob read and preached on Ephesians 3:14-21.