http://www.azdiocese.org/dfc/newsdetail_2/1039
thanks to Keith
Showing posts with label Anglican church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anglican church. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Hate is not a Christian Value
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Not sure how this is going to go over
July 30, 2009
Loving your Neighbor as you love Yourself: Responding to H1N1
When the Synod of the Province of Rupert’s Land met in Calgary in June a Motion was passed expressing concern for the communities affected by the current flu pandemic. The H1N1 flu has seriously afflicted many First Nations communities in the northern parts of our country, and is beginning to appear in more southern towns and cities. I am sure that you are aware of this concern and are remembering our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Prayers of the People each time you gather to express your love for the Lord our God.
However I am writing to you at this time to bring to your attention steps which you can take to physically protect yourself and all who come to our church buildings for worship and fellowship. To undertake these simple acts will be an expression of your love for your neighbor even as you love yourself.
1. Hand-washing
There should be signage with clear instructions in church washrooms and kitchens instructing people to wash their hands with soap and hot water. Kitchen users should develop the habit of first washing their hands before they begin handling food and beverage. Altar Guild members should wash their hands before they begin the work of preparing the altar. Is there soap, water, and paper towels available in these areas in the church building?
2. Hand-cleanser
Our churches and halls are open to the Public. Making an antiseptic hand-sanitizer available at the entrances to the building, washrooms, meeting rooms with a Sign asking people to make use of it is a positive preventive act.
3. Distributing Holy Communion
Everyone who will be touching the bread and wine in the preparation of the altar during the service and in the distribution of the consecrated elements should use a hand-sanitizer immediately prior to assisting with the preparation and distribution.
4. Receiving Holy Communion
It is recommended that hand-sanitizer be available for people to use as they come forward to receive Holy Communion.
Intinction (dipping the bread into the chalice) is not to be practiced. In concert with other dioceses intinction is no longer an acceptable practice in the Diocese of Calgary since it is a significant health hazard. Research, though limited, has indicated the use of the common cup generally poses less risk of transferring bacteria than the practice of intinction.
If a person is concerned about receiving the common cup they are to be assured that communion in one kind, receiving the bread only, is an acceptable tradition within the Anglican Church. They could be instructed to simple touch the base of the chalice as the words of administration are said.
The use of a silver chalice, wine with an alcohol content of at least 12% or higher, and a clean purificator provide some protection to the less virulent bacteria that are constantly with us; however, H1N1 is an uncommon strain and therefore extra precautions must be taken.
5. Exchange of the Peace
As one diocese has announced, “social distancing is NOT to be discouraged”. Much as we may desire to greet each other with a hug it is best to refrain from doing so. Although a hand-shake is still an acceptable form of greeting, if H1N1 becomes more active we will have to curtail even a hand-shake and simply greet each other with eye-contact, a smile, a bow, or some such peace greeting sign.
6. Church Attendance
If you are not feeling well, have flu-like symptoms, or think that you might be coming down with something, the loving act is to stay home and take care of yourself. Be sure to let your minister know so that your church family can be supportive.
7. Pastoral Visits
Clergy and laity who make home visits on behalf of the parish should carry a hand-sanitizer with them and use it at the beginning and at the end of a visit. If you are visiting a person who is under the care of a health practitioner, you will of course follow their instructions in order to protect both the patient and yourself.
During the month of August the Diocese will be developing a pandemic response policy and this will be circulated to all parishes.
Much of what I have written is common sense and you are already doing it. Some of the items may be new and I ask that you begin to put them into practice. We are indeed commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and taking precautions to guard against the spread of H1N1 is one way in which we can honor our Lord’s Summary of the Law.
God be with you,
+Derek
The Rt. Rev. Derek Hoskin
Bishop of Calgary
180, 1209 59 Avenue SE
Calgary AB T2H 2P6
Loving your Neighbor as you love Yourself: Responding to H1N1
When the Synod of the Province of Rupert’s Land met in Calgary in June a Motion was passed expressing concern for the communities affected by the current flu pandemic. The H1N1 flu has seriously afflicted many First Nations communities in the northern parts of our country, and is beginning to appear in more southern towns and cities. I am sure that you are aware of this concern and are remembering our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Prayers of the People each time you gather to express your love for the Lord our God.
However I am writing to you at this time to bring to your attention steps which you can take to physically protect yourself and all who come to our church buildings for worship and fellowship. To undertake these simple acts will be an expression of your love for your neighbor even as you love yourself.
1. Hand-washing
There should be signage with clear instructions in church washrooms and kitchens instructing people to wash their hands with soap and hot water. Kitchen users should develop the habit of first washing their hands before they begin handling food and beverage. Altar Guild members should wash their hands before they begin the work of preparing the altar. Is there soap, water, and paper towels available in these areas in the church building?
2. Hand-cleanser
Our churches and halls are open to the Public. Making an antiseptic hand-sanitizer available at the entrances to the building, washrooms, meeting rooms with a Sign asking people to make use of it is a positive preventive act.
3. Distributing Holy Communion
Everyone who will be touching the bread and wine in the preparation of the altar during the service and in the distribution of the consecrated elements should use a hand-sanitizer immediately prior to assisting with the preparation and distribution.
4. Receiving Holy Communion
It is recommended that hand-sanitizer be available for people to use as they come forward to receive Holy Communion.
Intinction (dipping the bread into the chalice) is not to be practiced. In concert with other dioceses intinction is no longer an acceptable practice in the Diocese of Calgary since it is a significant health hazard. Research, though limited, has indicated the use of the common cup generally poses less risk of transferring bacteria than the practice of intinction.
If a person is concerned about receiving the common cup they are to be assured that communion in one kind, receiving the bread only, is an acceptable tradition within the Anglican Church. They could be instructed to simple touch the base of the chalice as the words of administration are said.
The use of a silver chalice, wine with an alcohol content of at least 12% or higher, and a clean purificator provide some protection to the less virulent bacteria that are constantly with us; however, H1N1 is an uncommon strain and therefore extra precautions must be taken.
5. Exchange of the Peace
As one diocese has announced, “social distancing is NOT to be discouraged”. Much as we may desire to greet each other with a hug it is best to refrain from doing so. Although a hand-shake is still an acceptable form of greeting, if H1N1 becomes more active we will have to curtail even a hand-shake and simply greet each other with eye-contact, a smile, a bow, or some such peace greeting sign.
6. Church Attendance
If you are not feeling well, have flu-like symptoms, or think that you might be coming down with something, the loving act is to stay home and take care of yourself. Be sure to let your minister know so that your church family can be supportive.
7. Pastoral Visits
Clergy and laity who make home visits on behalf of the parish should carry a hand-sanitizer with them and use it at the beginning and at the end of a visit. If you are visiting a person who is under the care of a health practitioner, you will of course follow their instructions in order to protect both the patient and yourself.
During the month of August the Diocese will be developing a pandemic response policy and this will be circulated to all parishes.
Much of what I have written is common sense and you are already doing it. Some of the items may be new and I ask that you begin to put them into practice. We are indeed commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and taking precautions to guard against the spread of H1N1 is one way in which we can honor our Lord’s Summary of the Law.
God be with you,
+Derek
The Rt. Rev. Derek Hoskin
Bishop of Calgary
180, 1209 59 Avenue SE
Calgary AB T2H 2P6
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Twenty Years Ago Today
Barbara Harris was the first woman consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal Church USA. She has always been a hero of mine!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Pray for peace
January 5, 2009 -- Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has issued the following statement on the current situation in Gaza.
It is with a great deal of sadness and alarm that the world has observed, over the past 10 days, an appalling escalation of violence in Gaza. There has been loss of life and many of those slain, according to news reports, have been civilians, including many women and children.
I join other leaders of churches and leaders of many of the nations who have called for an immediate cessation to the horrific violence. I urge resumption of diplomatic negotiations as the means of reconciling the historic tensions between the peoples of Israel and Palestine. I issue this statement in the name of him whose birth the church is celebrating in this holy season of Christmas and Epiphany, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
I call on all Anglicans from coast to coast to coast to pray with special intention for the peoples of Palestine and Israel at this time. I commend the prayer for peace in the world as found in the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray thee, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
+Fred
The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz
Primate, The Anglican Church of Canada
It is with a great deal of sadness and alarm that the world has observed, over the past 10 days, an appalling escalation of violence in Gaza. There has been loss of life and many of those slain, according to news reports, have been civilians, including many women and children.
I join other leaders of churches and leaders of many of the nations who have called for an immediate cessation to the horrific violence. I urge resumption of diplomatic negotiations as the means of reconciling the historic tensions between the peoples of Israel and Palestine. I issue this statement in the name of him whose birth the church is celebrating in this holy season of Christmas and Epiphany, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
I call on all Anglicans from coast to coast to coast to pray with special intention for the peoples of Palestine and Israel at this time. I commend the prayer for peace in the world as found in the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray thee, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
+Fred
The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz
Primate, The Anglican Church of Canada
Monday, December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day
===================================
a c c w e b n e w s
The Anglican Church of Canada
http://www.anglican.ca/
===================================
Archbishop of Canterbury's World AIDS Day video
Anglican Communion News Service
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams has recorded a video message to mark the 20th annual World AIDS day on December 1, 2008. There are currently 30 million people worldwide living with HIV.
The video sees the Archbishop talk about the Church's worldwide involvement in care and education surrounding HIV and AIDS, and calls for faith leaders to "encourage and support" what is being done by listening to those who work on the front lines. He says "Our hope and our prayer today is that the excellent work that's done, not just in developing countries but here at home too by the Churches will continue and deepen and be strengthened by our prayer and our commitment."
"Recognizing that people living with HIV is us not them, whether it's leaders and congregations, congregations and 'outsiders'-it's us. It's all of our business...Church leaders and Church congregations taking responsibility for educating the wider public."
Prayer for World AIDS day
Pray for greater awareness of HIV and AIDS,
For greater dignity and rights of people living with HIV and AIDS,
For more compassion and care,
For the rejection of discrimination and stigmatization,
For wider prevention activities that address root causes of vulnerability,
For efficient mobilization of resources and treatments,
For increased access to treatments and care,
For support for those left behind to grieve the loss of their loved ones,
For trust and hope in our God.
Lord hear our prayer.
(Taken from: The Mothers' Union, Living Positively, "Prayers and Reflections")
a c c w e b n e w s
The Anglican Church of Canada
http://www.anglican.ca/
===================================
Archbishop of Canterbury's World AIDS Day video
Anglican Communion News Service
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams has recorded a video message to mark the 20th annual World AIDS day on December 1, 2008. There are currently 30 million people worldwide living with HIV.
The video sees the Archbishop talk about the Church's worldwide involvement in care and education surrounding HIV and AIDS, and calls for faith leaders to "encourage and support" what is being done by listening to those who work on the front lines. He says "Our hope and our prayer today is that the excellent work that's done, not just in developing countries but here at home too by the Churches will continue and deepen and be strengthened by our prayer and our commitment."
"Recognizing that people living with HIV is us not them, whether it's leaders and congregations, congregations and 'outsiders'-it's us. It's all of our business...Church leaders and Church congregations taking responsibility for educating the wider public."
Prayer for World AIDS day
Pray for greater awareness of HIV and AIDS,
For greater dignity and rights of people living with HIV and AIDS,
For more compassion and care,
For the rejection of discrimination and stigmatization,
For wider prevention activities that address root causes of vulnerability,
For efficient mobilization of resources and treatments,
For increased access to treatments and care,
For support for those left behind to grieve the loss of their loved ones,
For trust and hope in our God.
Lord hear our prayer.
(Taken from: The Mothers' Union, Living Positively, "Prayers and Reflections")
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Happy Birthday Desmond Tutu
Today is Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 77th birthday! Happy Birthday!
Archbishop Tutu is one of my heroes in the faith. I was fortunate to hear him preach the week he was given an honourary doctorate by Oxford University in 1990. He was an incredible preacher, captivating the packed church.
There is a wonderful story about him on Telling Secrets. Enjoy!
Archbishop Tutu is one of my heroes in the faith. I was fortunate to hear him preach the week he was given an honourary doctorate by Oxford University in 1990. He was an incredible preacher, captivating the packed church.
There is a wonderful story about him on Telling Secrets. Enjoy!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Disparities in the Family
Yesterday I spoke at the ACW regional meeting at St. Paul and St. Thomas parish in Cardston. Well, the church is actually on the Blood reserve on the edge of town. Driving back yesterday I thought about what I had said in my talk. I spoke about the picture of the church in the Book of Acts and how the wealthy sold property to care for the poor of the community. My main point was that the church is a family and in passing said that in families some members don't eat steak while others eat hamburger.
Nice idea but as I was driving home I realized that in our church some of us are eating steak while others are eating worse than hamburger. Some of our parishes have beautiful buildings, resident clergy, and resources for music and children's programmes. Many of our rural parishes and especially our aboriginal parishes struggle without regular clergy, have old buildings they can't afford to maintain, and have few resources.
Worldly economic theory says that these parishes should close, that their members are few, that they aren't self-supporting or anything like self-supporting, and that the resources of the church would be better spent on building or expanding churches in the booming suburbs of our cities or their satellite communities. But what of the people in these communities?
I have spoken to people working in our rural communities, people aware of the rural crisis, the closing of post offices, schools and community centres. They speak of the pain in many rural communities as people lose family farms, as they see their children leave the community never to return except for a visit. I was preaching in one small church where there are about 20 people on a Sunday morning but where the church is used almost every day by community groups who couldn't afford to meet anywhere else. I spoke with one young woman after the service about the future of this little church. Where will these people go if the church closes their doors she asked. Good question.
And what about our reserves. There are four reserves in our diocese, each with a long history of Anglican presence, each still with functioning Anglican parishes. Yet we have one full time priest to serve these four communities. And these are hurting communities. They need help, they need support, they need the church.
This isn't just an Anglican problem. As a chaplain for four denominations I get to visit many of the churches in South Alberta and I know it is a problem for other denominations as well. So what are we going to do? Are we going to continue to eat steak while our brothers and sisters struggle to put something, anything on the table?
Nice idea but as I was driving home I realized that in our church some of us are eating steak while others are eating worse than hamburger. Some of our parishes have beautiful buildings, resident clergy, and resources for music and children's programmes. Many of our rural parishes and especially our aboriginal parishes struggle without regular clergy, have old buildings they can't afford to maintain, and have few resources.
Worldly economic theory says that these parishes should close, that their members are few, that they aren't self-supporting or anything like self-supporting, and that the resources of the church would be better spent on building or expanding churches in the booming suburbs of our cities or their satellite communities. But what of the people in these communities?
I have spoken to people working in our rural communities, people aware of the rural crisis, the closing of post offices, schools and community centres. They speak of the pain in many rural communities as people lose family farms, as they see their children leave the community never to return except for a visit. I was preaching in one small church where there are about 20 people on a Sunday morning but where the church is used almost every day by community groups who couldn't afford to meet anywhere else. I spoke with one young woman after the service about the future of this little church. Where will these people go if the church closes their doors she asked. Good question.
And what about our reserves. There are four reserves in our diocese, each with a long history of Anglican presence, each still with functioning Anglican parishes. Yet we have one full time priest to serve these four communities. And these are hurting communities. They need help, they need support, they need the church.
This isn't just an Anglican problem. As a chaplain for four denominations I get to visit many of the churches in South Alberta and I know it is a problem for other denominations as well. So what are we going to do? Are we going to continue to eat steak while our brothers and sisters struggle to put something, anything on the table?
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Spirit Blows
I've made two trips in two days to one of our parishes on the neighbouring reserve and I had a lot a post coming together out of those visits but in the meantime I just read this post and loved it. Under the Overpasses is a fascinating blog but for someone who lives in one of the windiest parts of North America this posting on the Spirit blowing really blew me away.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday Morning in Brocket and Cardston
The view of the Rockies from St. Cyprian's, Brocket, the Piikani nation. (with a funny filter on).
St. Cyprian's...this building was moved onto the reserve about ten years ago to replace the old, historic, freezing cold in the winter church that is still on the highway. The priest of this parish, Sidney Black, is also the Archdeacon for aboriginal ministry in our diocese and a wonderful man. I bring my youth out here and they love it. The Sunday in the year when we make the road trip out (a little over an hour from Coaldale - 50 mins from Lethbridge) is one of their favourite. The people are very friendly and my kids love the music that they do - mostly older praise songs. I never lack for adults willing to drive either. My little parish really feels connected to this little parish. I'm looking forward to returning later this summer.
This was my first time in St. Paul's, Cardston. One of the men told me that the church used to be at the residential school on the reserve (the Kainai nation is right next to Cardston). In the '70s he said it got moved to Cardston where it is just a few blocks from the very imposing LDS Temple. I loved their altar but the nave is very long and when people sit in the back pews they are reeeaaaallly far away. I love Anglicans! We had to race from St. Cyprian's so they put food plates together for us and then there was a delicious potluck at St. Paul's so we enjoyed wonderful hospitality.
The view of the Canola fields driving back to Lethbridge was gorgeous. I didn't stop again to take pictures of the windmills but they are pretty spectacular along this highway.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Why Anglican
We just finished our annual clergy study conference for the diocese of Calgary. Our topic was 'Why Anglican?' and our speaker tried to argue for the importance of the catholic, evangelical, and broad streams of the tradition. Unfortunately when you ask the question, 'why anglican' you have to expect that people might respond, 'why indeed.' I don't think this week brought us any closer together. When the Lutherans did their study conference this year they focused on preaching and friends told me that sharing a focus that they all cared about actually did bring together people with very different views. I don't know that things were any worse for us at the end of this week but I'm fairly certain they weren't any better.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Reflection in the Chalice
Aaron, over at Aaron's Head and I share an anniversary. We were both priested on the Second Sunday of Advent. I was ordained five years ago on what was also the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aaron this Sunday. He's written a wonderful post about celebrating his first Eucharist and catching a glimpse of himself and others in the reflection of the chalice as he elevates it. I loved what he said about that. I too was struck when I began to celebrate when I saw myself and the window in the chalice. His words are poetic and can be read here.
I am not sure what to consider my first Eucharist. We ran out of wine the night of my ordination (about 90 of us were shoehorned into the church which holds 70 and another 90-100 were in the hall watching on a video feed so it was kind of hard for the bishop to estimate numbers) so I had to do the quick prayer of consecration for more wine. So I guess that was it.
I am not sure what to consider my first Eucharist. We ran out of wine the night of my ordination (about 90 of us were shoehorned into the church which holds 70 and another 90-100 were in the hall watching on a video feed so it was kind of hard for the bishop to estimate numbers) so I had to do the quick prayer of consecration for more wine. So I guess that was it.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Faithfulness that inspires and that which doesn't
There is quite a lot of talk in the Anglican blogsphere about the Nigerian bishop who apparently said that gays and lesbians were inhuman and not fit to live. I don't comment on my blog very often about the argument that is going on in the church right now because I don't find much of it very edifying. These words are so awful, however, that it felt important to say something. But what? The last time I felt this physically ill when reading about the words/actions of Christians is when I read a news report about a RC priest facing prosecution for war crimes during the Rwandan genocide. How anyone could justify the dehumanization of a group of people or acts of violence towards them and think that it is done in the name of Jesus is incomprehensible to me.
This weekend I rewatched Entertaining Angels. It is an okay movie about an amazing saint, Dorothy Day. She was a communist journalist who came to faith because of the way she saw the church care for the poor. Her commitment to the poor and oppressed took on a whole new dimension as she lived a voluntary life of poverty creating soup kitchens and homes of hospitality through the depression. Later she was active in the civil rights movement and then the anti-nuclear movement. She was getting arrested for demonstrating into her 70s and continued to inspire generations of young people to spend time in Catholic Worker houses serving the poor. Her courage and faithfulness has always made me really uncomfortable with the comfort I live in.
I was mindful of her witness as I read Tobias Haller's latest posting on the Martyrs of Memphis. His very moving account of the witness of these people who cared for the sick in the midst of a Yellow Fever epidemic makes a really important point about what the virtue of fortitude looks like in the face of danger. We may be called on to commit spontaneous acts of courage but we are certainly called on to make those long term commitments of courage to serve those who are in need. Again, his posting made me uncomfortable with my life of comfort. This is a very different kind of discomfort than that produced by reading the reports from Nigeria.
This weekend I rewatched Entertaining Angels. It is an okay movie about an amazing saint, Dorothy Day. She was a communist journalist who came to faith because of the way she saw the church care for the poor. Her commitment to the poor and oppressed took on a whole new dimension as she lived a voluntary life of poverty creating soup kitchens and homes of hospitality through the depression. Later she was active in the civil rights movement and then the anti-nuclear movement. She was getting arrested for demonstrating into her 70s and continued to inspire generations of young people to spend time in Catholic Worker houses serving the poor. Her courage and faithfulness has always made me really uncomfortable with the comfort I live in.
I was mindful of her witness as I read Tobias Haller's latest posting on the Martyrs of Memphis. His very moving account of the witness of these people who cared for the sick in the midst of a Yellow Fever epidemic makes a really important point about what the virtue of fortitude looks like in the face of danger. We may be called on to commit spontaneous acts of courage but we are certainly called on to make those long term commitments of courage to serve those who are in need. Again, his posting made me uncomfortable with my life of comfort. This is a very different kind of discomfort than that produced by reading the reports from Nigeria.
Jesus said, whoever serves me must follow me — and sometimes that following will be the headlong leaping to cover a grenade with ones’ own body, or to enter an inferno and throw someone else to safety even as one perishes; sometimes that following will be a sudden bare-handed wrenching apart of the lethal mass that threatens life and limb — but more often, that following will be the slow and deliberate way of service to others, the way that with hands busy putting others first, sets the self down unselfconsciously on the shelf, sometimes misplacing it, and sometimes losing it. The way that follows Jesus is the way of the cross. Whoever serves him must follow him, and like it or not, that is the way he went, and that is what he carried.
Whether on the road to Jerusalem or the road to Memphis, Jesus goes before us, bearing his cross, and where he is, there will his servant be.+
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sunday at St. Theodore's
I went out to Taber this morning to take the services at St. Theodore's and enjoyed it as I always do. They are a very warm parish and I miss going out there regularly. When they were without a priest I was out there about once a month and really enjoyed myself. This morning the music at the 10:30 service was especially wonderful.
One of the things I love about them is that they always welcome Robbie. He is pretty good about sitting up in a pew and listening to the service. As he's getting older he doesn't settle as well as he used to though and I worry more about him being a distraction. He loves it there though and I so enjoy seeing him enjoying being with people. Knowing that his time is limited makes these moment even more precious to me.
The Gospel this morning was the Lord's Prayer and I preached on the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread." As a part of my sermon I talked about Sara Miles' book, Take This Bread. I had read some reviews of this book and some discussion of it over on Father Jake's blog so ordered it. It came this week and I couldn't bear to put it down. It is a powerful story of a woman, left-wing, secular, journalist, gay, who walks into an Episcopal church on a whim, takes communion and is converted. She makes a deep connection between the food she had shared with the poor when she was working as a journalist in Central America, the Eucharist, and sharing food with the poor living in the area around the church. She starts a Food Pantry, which distributes groceries to over 200 people a week at the church. When she starts receiving major money to support the work she starts more Pantries in the neighbourhood. It is an amazing story.
Fr. Jake posted this quotation from the book:
You can see why I couldn't put it down. I made the link between Miles' experience of working at the Pantry with my own experience of feeding students at the college and university. St. Theo's has helped us with that by providing campus care parcels every term. In fact, they provide as many bags as they have people in church - pretty amazing participation.
So it has been a good day and now I'm going to read Descarte's Meditations for Paul's class on theodicy.
One of the things I love about them is that they always welcome Robbie. He is pretty good about sitting up in a pew and listening to the service. As he's getting older he doesn't settle as well as he used to though and I worry more about him being a distraction. He loves it there though and I so enjoy seeing him enjoying being with people. Knowing that his time is limited makes these moment even more precious to me.
The Gospel this morning was the Lord's Prayer and I preached on the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread." As a part of my sermon I talked about Sara Miles' book, Take This Bread. I had read some reviews of this book and some discussion of it over on Father Jake's blog so ordered it. It came this week and I couldn't bear to put it down. It is a powerful story of a woman, left-wing, secular, journalist, gay, who walks into an Episcopal church on a whim, takes communion and is converted. She makes a deep connection between the food she had shared with the poor when she was working as a journalist in Central America, the Eucharist, and sharing food with the poor living in the area around the church. She starts a Food Pantry, which distributes groceries to over 200 people a week at the church. When she starts receiving major money to support the work she starts more Pantries in the neighbourhood. It is an amazing story.
Fr. Jake posted this quotation from the book:
...Service is thanksgiving, because it means not only giving freely, but understanding how greatly we’re loved. I remember an afternoon at the food pantry when I was trying to open up, while an impatient throng of people shouted at me and at each other in three languages. I’d been unloading crates of oranges as fast as I could, and bossing the volunteers around, but we were still behind schedule. We were short a crate of snacks, and the two old Cuban sisters who always show up hours early were out front, bickering noisily. Three hyper little kids were pestering me for candy, and the crazy guy with apocalyptic theories kept trying to corner me and explain the secret messages he’d received. Some visiting minister was standing around, but I couldn’t get a minute to talk to him; new volunteers kept asking me what to do, but somehow nothing was getting done. Everything felt hectic and irritating and on the verge of chaos, and my feet hurt. I was sick of poor people, sick of church people, utterly sick of myself.
And then a woman pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She was Chinese, with a quilted jacket, and she was thrusting a package at me. I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say, but she kept smiling and coming closer. “Here,” she said, and handed me a piece of fish wrapped in waxed paper, still warm. “Food, for you”...
You can see why I couldn't put it down. I made the link between Miles' experience of working at the Pantry with my own experience of feeding students at the college and university. St. Theo's has helped us with that by providing campus care parcels every term. In fact, they provide as many bags as they have people in church - pretty amazing participation.
So it has been a good day and now I'm going to read Descarte's Meditations for Paul's class on theodicy.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
No One is Happy
Having looked over some of the blogsphere it would seem no one is particularly happy with the decisions of either General Synod of the ACC or the National Convention of the ELCIC. A divorce seems likely.
On the home front my next door neighbour is building a new house and we discovered last night that he and I share the same sewer line. We discovered this when he cut into it. So the city came by today and told me I can have a new sewer line and it will only cost me $200-300 and ripping up some lawn or moving everything in storage in my basement so that they can come through there. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. I didn't have a problem with my sewer line two days ago. My neighbour has offered to pay half the costs if they can do it easily and all the costs if I have to empty my basement. He's being really nice about it but then as he said, he's the one causing the trouble.
Houseprices are going up about 3% a month in Lethbridge so buying a house four years ago was the smartest move I could have made financially. Owning a house does have its downside though.
Oh well. I have indoor plumbing and clean water which means I'm more fortunate than most of the world's population. And my friends would say I needed to clean out the basement anyway.
On the home front my next door neighbour is building a new house and we discovered last night that he and I share the same sewer line. We discovered this when he cut into it. So the city came by today and told me I can have a new sewer line and it will only cost me $200-300 and ripping up some lawn or moving everything in storage in my basement so that they can come through there. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. I didn't have a problem with my sewer line two days ago. My neighbour has offered to pay half the costs if they can do it easily and all the costs if I have to empty my basement. He's being really nice about it but then as he said, he's the one causing the trouble.
Houseprices are going up about 3% a month in Lethbridge so buying a house four years ago was the smartest move I could have made financially. Owning a house does have its downside though.
Oh well. I have indoor plumbing and clean water which means I'm more fortunate than most of the world's population. And my friends would say I needed to clean out the basement anyway.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Blessing of Same Sex Motion Defeated
Winnipeg, June 24, 2007 -- The General Synod of the Anglican Church of
Canada has narrowly defeated a resolution that would have allowed dioceses
to decide for themselves whether or not to bless same-sex unions.
Lay delegates voted 78 to 59 in favor of the motion and clergy voted 63 to
53 in favor But the House of Bishops voted 21-19 against it. As a result the
motion was defeated, since it required approval by each of the three orders
to pass.
The motion read:
"That this General Synod affirm the authority and jurisdiction of any
diocesan synod,
1. with the concurrence of the diocesan bishop, and
2. in a manner which respects the conscience of the incumbent and the
will of the parish,
to authorize the blessing of committed same-sex unions."
The results aren't surprising and will probably disappoint most people. People opposed to same sex blessings will be unhappy that the majority of people were in fact in favour and the issue isn't going to go away. People in favour of the motion will be disappointed that it failed to go through. On the other hand, while this puts the issue off for another three years it seems it will eventually pass.
There are some interesting comments over at Father Jake's site interpreting the fact that the clergy and laity were in favour but the bishops weren't. The Anglican Church in Canada's polity gives every active bishop a vote but clergy and lay delegates are chosen proportionally to represent their diocese. So the larger, urban, more liberal dioceses get more lay and clergy delegates but the same episcopal representation as the smaller rural and northern dioceses which tend to be more conservative on this issue.
On a happier note we had our Sunday School picnic this morning after an outdoor Eucharist. It was a blast until our Sunday School superintendent yelled out to all the kids with water balloons in their hands, 'let's baptize the minister!' :-) I got drenched! Good thing it was a warm day. We are blessed with some really committed teachers and a wonderful group of kids. They did the readings, prayers, music and helped with the sermon. Love it!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Bible Study
I've been reading reports from General Synod taking place this week in Winnipeg. I'd love to be in Winnipeg visiting friends but I'm glad I'm not at the meetings. I really don't enjoy meetings unless they are very action oriented and short. These kinds of meetings bring out every ADD cell in my body.
It is much more satisfying to spend my time like I did last night. We had our last Revelation bible study and while most of them still aren't so keen on the book we did have a really interesting discussion. I had read Barbara Rossing's excellent book The Rapture Exposed and she convinced me that the fundamental message of the book is one of hope but my parishioners remain unconvinced. The thing is that they are such kind, gentle people that they can't really believe God can be wrathful.
It is hard to do justice to the Book of Revelation in three sessions but on the other hand I didn't want us to get lost in it either. Not with summer coming on. It took us two years to do our study of Mark. I learned a lot from that but it is a long time to do one thing. In the fall we are going to do some study of the Torah which should be interesting. Like many Anglicans they have a better knowledge and appreciation of the New Testament than the Old Testament.
I'm looking forward to preaching on some of the challenging texts of the Torah in our Unchurch service in the fall. My friend Becky and I are doing some planning for the service and I'm getting really excited about it. Here is the blurb she wrote to explain who we are and what we are doing:
It is much more satisfying to spend my time like I did last night. We had our last Revelation bible study and while most of them still aren't so keen on the book we did have a really interesting discussion. I had read Barbara Rossing's excellent book The Rapture Exposed and she convinced me that the fundamental message of the book is one of hope but my parishioners remain unconvinced. The thing is that they are such kind, gentle people that they can't really believe God can be wrathful.
It is hard to do justice to the Book of Revelation in three sessions but on the other hand I didn't want us to get lost in it either. Not with summer coming on. It took us two years to do our study of Mark. I learned a lot from that but it is a long time to do one thing. In the fall we are going to do some study of the Torah which should be interesting. Like many Anglicans they have a better knowledge and appreciation of the New Testament than the Old Testament.
I'm looking forward to preaching on some of the challenging texts of the Torah in our Unchurch service in the fall. My friend Becky and I are doing some planning for the service and I'm getting really excited about it. Here is the blurb she wrote to explain who we are and what we are doing:
We are a community of people who wonder who Jesus Christ is for us today. Some of us are Christians and are active members of Christian churches. Some of us are not Christian, but continue to find merit in wondering what value Jesus’ message and life have for us and our world. We meet weekly for study and discussion led by those steeped in the Christian tradition, but the aim is neither to push people towards faith nor away from faith. Our goals are explicitly spiritual: what beliefs and actions will increase our love towards others, peace within ourselves, and peace for the world? We are inclusive: if you share these goals you are welcome here. We also believe that our learning occurs not only through thought but also experience and so worship and the worship arts will also be present in our community.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Wheels and Pup
Well my van is running beautifully and it was only $1000 more than we originally thought it would be...choke...but it is running beautifully and safely so alles gut. And best of all Robbie is doing really well, hardly coughing at all. It is amazing how that puts everything else in perspective.
Tomorrow is ECM's big fundraising golf tournament so I'm running around today getting some stuff ready for it. We have an amazing group of volunteers who have been working on it for months to get it all together and it should be a blast. My job is to bless the golfers on the first tee and take their team pictures. Best of all tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day.
If you get the chance be sure to check out this great video on how to select a new Primate for the Anglican Church in Canada. Preludium has the video uploaded on his blog but I'm dealing with dial up right now so just follow the link or check out his blog.
I'm not looking forward to the General Synod because I don't enjoy what's happening in the church right now. Mostly I want to keep focused on my parish life which is full of joy and good energy. I know these issues are important and that I should probably engage in them more but I also find they suck the life right out of me. I go through times when for the sake of my spiritual life I have to give up reading Anglican blogs. Working also for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada I'm getting a double dose of it and some of the Lutheran conversations I've been a part of have been even more unpleasant. So mostly I'm trying to do my own work faithfully and to love the people in my life faithfully and that's enough for me right now.
Tomorrow is ECM's big fundraising golf tournament so I'm running around today getting some stuff ready for it. We have an amazing group of volunteers who have been working on it for months to get it all together and it should be a blast. My job is to bless the golfers on the first tee and take their team pictures. Best of all tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day.
If you get the chance be sure to check out this great video on how to select a new Primate for the Anglican Church in Canada. Preludium has the video uploaded on his blog but I'm dealing with dial up right now so just follow the link or check out his blog.
I'm not looking forward to the General Synod because I don't enjoy what's happening in the church right now. Mostly I want to keep focused on my parish life which is full of joy and good energy. I know these issues are important and that I should probably engage in them more but I also find they suck the life right out of me. I go through times when for the sake of my spiritual life I have to give up reading Anglican blogs. Working also for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada I'm getting a double dose of it and some of the Lutheran conversations I've been a part of have been even more unpleasant. So mostly I'm trying to do my own work faithfully and to love the people in my life faithfully and that's enough for me right now.
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