Anglican Life February 2010

1ANGLICANLife February 2010

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SERVING THE ANGLICAN DIOCESES OF WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND + CENTRAL NEWFOUNDLAND + EASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

FEBRUARY 2010A Section of the

ANGLICAN JOURNALin NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

LENTEN JOURNEYGod of the day and of the night, in me there is darkness, but with you there is light. I am alone, but you will not leave me. I am weak, but you will come to my help. I am restless, but you are my peace.I am in haste, but you are the God of infinite patience. I am confused and lost, but you are eternal wisdom and you direct my path; now and for ever. Amen

–Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1906-1945

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Towards an indigenousnorthern Ont. diocese

The Northern OntarioRegion of the diocese ofKeewatin took another steptoward establishing its ownindigenous diocese in No-vember when its GeneralAssembly met to decidehow to elect its own bishopin November. Sixteen com-munities in the region havebeen working towards thegoal of having their owndiocese since 2006, usingtheir own financial re-sources to hold meetings intcommunities only accessi-ble by air. The way forwardbecame clearer at the Junesynod of the ecclesiasticalprovince of Rupert’s Landwhen the canon wasamended to allow alternatemethods of electing abishop. In October, anotherpreliminary step was takenwhen a “bishop’s fund “wasestablished at an elders’ fo-rum.

The Keewatin

New church hall inFredericton

With the help of a$115,000 loan from the An-glican Foundation, the con-gregation at St. John the

Evangelist in Frederictonhas started construction ofa new church hall. The newfacility will contain offices,a professional kitchen anda large hall. While themaximum loan amountgranted by the AnglicanFoundation loan is$100,000, this was in-creased after financial mar-ket turmoil left St. John$15,000 short of the fund-ing required.

The New BrunswickAnglican

Raising the roof atCamp Caledonia

Renovations at CampCaledonia are progressingon budget. Four campercabins that were sitting ondecaying wooden founda-tions have been raised,squared up and set down onconcrete foundations. Theyhave been stripped of theold bunks, re-wired, re-in-sulated and re-fitted withenergy efficient windows.The staff house has alsobeen gutted and redesigned,and will be equipped witha kitchen and wheelchairaccessible bathroom. Onecabin will also be wheel-chair accessible. The 2010

camping season will beshortened to allow for com-pletion before camping be-gins in August.

Caledonia Times

Ministry at Sask.Penitentiary

Correctional ServicesCanada selected the dioceseof Saskatchewan to providechaplaincy services at theSaskatchewan Penitentiary.Rev. Joanne Beacon hasbeen appointed to the min-istry. “Over the past year,we have provided worshipand communion at the Sas-katchewan Penitentiary andthe Prince Albert Correc-tional Centre,” Bishop GregKerr-Wilson reported inhis charge to the diocese ofSaskatchewan synod in thefall. “Some of our memberswere involved in a very suc-cessful Alpha program atthe Riverbend Institution,”he said. The diocese alsoreceived a $6,000 grantfrom the New EnglandCompany to assist withprison ministry.

The SaskatchewanAnglican

News from the Canadian Church A unique Nativity scene

For the past 30 years, St. George’s Anglican Church in Cormackhas displayed an unusual nativity scene. Designed andconstructed by Warwick Hewitt (pictured above), a member ofthe congregation and a graduate of the Nova Scotia College ofArt and Design, these figures made of chicken wire and plasterof Paris were presented to the church in 1979 as a Christmas gift.This original work of art adds greatly to the awe and wonder ofthe Christmas season. Warwick is quoted as saying that eachpiece was made with the utmost reverence and love for theLord. Submitted by Mona Edwards.

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Hospitality - a home in the world of worship

Kevin Smith

stewardship

Kevin Smith is the giftplanning consultant for theAnglican Church of Canada.He can be contacted at(709) 739-5667 or by [email protected]

It’s quite common inour churches to have a cupof tea or coffee after a serv-ice. It usually gives somequality time for parishion-ers to chat with their fellowworshipers. However, I re-cently read an article thattakes this fellowship themeand expands it considerably.

The article, written byHenry G. Brinton in USAUSAUSAUSAUSATodayTodayTodayTodayToday, suggests thatchurches are rediscoveringthe power of hospitalitywhich goes back thousandsof years bringing up imagesof Jesus feeding the 5000people by the Sea of Galilee.But Brinton wonders whathappened along the way:“Christianity suddenly be-came a more intellectualenterprise after the Protes-tant Reformation, whenchurches split into different

denominations over theo-logical issues. Preachersand teachers tried to attractfollowers with compellinginsights and ideas. The fo-cus of the faith shifted fromthe heart to the head, leav-ing the stomach behind.”

Rev. Brinton goes on tosay that congregations aretrying to provide more thanintellectual nourishment byputting restaurants and cof-fee bars in their buildings.He says, “In our polarizedand fractured society, peo-ple of different backgrounds are invited to cometogether in these houses ofGod to have conversationover a meal or a drink – inspite of their differences.”

He quotes ChristinePohl, author of MakingRoom: Recovering Hospi-tality as a Christian Tradi-

tion, “When we welcomeother people into our lives,we create space in whicheach person’s gifts andinsights can be shared.”

As I read that article, Icould not help but reflect onthe webpage of the ParishParishParishParishParishof the Resurrection:of the Resurrection:of the Resurrection:of the Resurrection:of the Resurrection: “TheEmmaus Room Cafe is opendaily to the community andwider region from 11am to2pm serving lunch and re-freshments. Breakfast isserved every Sunday morn-ing at 9am. We host a Sen-ior’s Cafe the 1st Thursdayof each month beginning at2pm; and a youth Cafe the1st & 3rd Saturday’s of eachmonth. Wireless internet isavailable. All are welcome.”

Much the same goes forthe Congregation of St.Congregation of St.Congregation of St.Congregation of St.Congregation of St.ThomasThomasThomasThomasThomas who hosts a com-munity dinner following the

Christmas morning churchservice. Their web pagestates: “This is a chance foranyone in the community toreceive a free Christmasdinner with lots of fellow-ship and musical entertain-ment. This takes place inthe Canon Wood Hall. Res-ervations must always bemade to ensure we haveenough food and space foreveryone.”

Rev. Brinton cautions:“Clearly, shared meals arenot a quick fix for the divi-sions we face in church andsociety. Theological de-bates will continue, misun-derstandings will still vexus, and not all church-basedrestaurants will serve agreater good. But everytime people sit down to eatand drink together, there isthe possibility that commu-

nity will grow and peoplewill be reconciled to oneanother.”

I agree with Rev.Brinton that there is muchpotential of such meals, andcertainly something we canall raise a glass to toast.

St. Mark’s welcomes rector The Rev’d Wayne Short (centre) isinducted as Rector of the Parish of St.Mark the Evangelist

On 3 December 2009, St. Mark the Evangelistwelcomed the Rev. Dr. G. Wayne Short at thecelebration and service of Induction andCovenanting with The Rt. Rev. Cyrus Pitman,Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.The guest preacher was The Rev. Canon RalphBillard. The worship concluded with lunchprepared by the A.C.W. and fellowship. Theparish warmly welcomes Rev. Wayne, Sheila andtheir son, Peter, to this church family.

Submitted by Stella EvansPhoto by Kevin Smith


ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is thenewspaper of the Anglican Church in the Province ofNewfoundland and Labrador. A co-operative effort of thethree Dioceses in Newfoundland and Labrador, it ispublished monthly, except July and August, with anindependent editorial policy.

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ANGLICANLifein NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

guest editorialDo not makeassumptions

On February 2nd wecommemorate the first timethe infant Jesus was broughtto church! The Holy Spirithad told a devout mannamed Simeon that hewould not die without see-ing Christ. Simeon lookedat Jesus in the Temple andthen said to God, “my eyeshave seen your salvation.”

For twenty centuries,the Church has existed forthis one reason: to showChrist to the world. TheChurch shows Christ so thatpeople will see the self–de-feating emptiness of exist-ence without God, will in-stead “have life and have itabundantly” (John 10.10),will “die to sin” (stop beingseparated from God) andbecome “alive to God inChrist Jesus” (Romans 6.11),and will be able to say withSt. Paul that “it is no longerI who live, but Christ wholives in me” (Galatians2.20).

Bishop DennisDrainville of Quebec saidrecently that while the An-glican Church retains the

essence of Christ’s risen life,“we don’t know how topresent this to society” (An-glican Journal, December2009). We do not presentChrist in a way that leadsthose outside the Church towhat the Bishop called a“transformational relation-ship with God.”

The Anglican Churchhas, historically, perpetu-ated itself by passing on itsfaith and customs to the nextgeneration as a matter ofcultural identity and socialorder. Attendance atChurch was an inherent so-cial good and morally nec-essary to the unity and pres-ervation of society. Butnow, as commitment tocommon social values is re-placed by commitment topersonal autonomy, this wayof perpetuating the Churchfails.

The principal action ofthe Anglican Church is eu-charistic worship. A veryhigh degree of Christianunderstanding and commit-ment is assumed at Sundayworship. The liturgy speaks

to people who know Godand it speaks for those peo-ple to God. But the liturgydoes not speak to peoplewho do not know God. Theliturgy is not designed forthis purpose. But theChurch’s mission is topresent Christ to the worldso that people outside theChurch can have a life–transforming experience ofGod!

With the demise of theAnglican Church a very realand present danger, we arefinally forced to re–con-sider our purpose and ourpractices. We must bewilling to participate in andcontribute to radical andwide–ranging change inhow we understand our-selves, our faith, and themission of the Church or wewill forfeit our God–givenreason to exist. “May we,who share His body, liveHis risen life; we, who drinkHis cup, bring life to oth-ers; we, whom the Spiritlights, give light to theworld” (BAS 214).

The Rev. Timothy ParkerRector of Carbonear

On 9 January 2010, the Cursillistas from the Parish of Botwood came together for a CursilloGroup Reunion Workshop presented by Mrs. Sylvia Moss and Mr. Norman Purchase (Parish ofSalvage). The workshop opened with prayers and singing. All members were reminded ofwhat it means to be cursillistas and of the guidelines that would ensure the success of groupreunions. A very inspiring talk was given by Ms. Linda Newhook (Parish of Salvage), on thebenefits of being a member of a Cursillo Group Reunion. An interesting sharing session, goodfellowship and a delicious lunch was enjoyed by all. It was very refreshing to come togetherwith other Cursillistas to praise the Lord and to experience the presence and love of JesusChrist. Submitted by Daphne and Myles Parsons. Photo by Marilyn Chatman.

Cursillo workshop in Botwood


Christian apologetics

The Rev. Greg Mercer

straight talk

Christian apologeticsmay be defined as thatbranch of Christian theol-ogy which seeks to providerational warrant for Chris-tianity’s truth claims. Es-sentially it is a rational de-fence of the Christian faithagainst critics. Those whoargue the truth of Christi-anity and recommend theirfaith to outsiders are calledapologists.

Christian apologeticshave taken many forms overthe centuries starting withPaul of Tarsus (ApostlePaul). Tertullian (ca 155-230), one of the earliestChristian apologists, wasthe first who qualifiedChristianity as the ‘verareligio’ (“True Religion”)over against other accepted

cults and religious practicesof his day. Twentieth cen-tury author and apologist,C.S. Lewis, made a similarclaim. In his defence of theperson of Jesus Christ heargued that he was either alunatic or the person heclaimed to be, the Son ofGod. There is no half meas-ure. Either you believe itor you don’t.

It seems that today inthis post modern, pluralis-tic society in which we livethis message has gotten wa-tered down, diluted, semi-tasteless. In our attempts tobe polite and to be politi-cally correct – dare we of-fend anyone! – The truth(s)of Christianity has becomean ‘idea’, one claim amongmany. After all, we all be-

lieve in the one God, do we?My argument is that wedon’t.

Christ has revealed to ussuch a radical nature ofGod’s grace, forgiveness,compassion and mercy thatno other religion stands tocompare. While there areelements of all major reli-gions that overlap, Christi-anity is unique in manyways. Religion by its verynature is ‘exclusive’, i.e.,you do it our way and abideby our rules. Those who doare in and those who do notare out. This is not the na-ture of God manifested inChrist. Christianity is ‘in-clusive’ and has alwaysbeen. Jesus rejected no one,absolutely NO one. Thepoor, the persecuted, the

prostitute, the leper, themarginalized, the demonpossessed, you name them,they all found acceptancethrough the grace of Christ.Jesus’ battled religiousexclusivism. The only peo-ple Jesus encountered andwere in opposition to werethose who adhered to reli-gious rules and regulations(barriers) at the exclusion ofothers seeking God. Andthe amazing thing is that hestill loved them; still he for-gave them. “Father forgivethem for they know notwhat they do.”

I am all for ecumenismand interfaith dialogue.Talk we must to learn fromand about each other, to ap-preciate each other’s reli-gion and to remove any sus-

picion that may give rise tothreat. And cooperate wemust, especially on thoseevils that destroy God’screation – poverty, terror-ism, etc. But let’s notapologize for what we be-lieve, but rather, be dulyprepared at all times to de-fend our faith in the truespirit of ChristianApologetics.

Mombasa, Kenya - Ring-ing in the New Year took onspecial importance forHMCS Fredericton. On Janu-ary 1st, during a port visit toMombasa, Kenya, 30 mem-bers of Fredericton startedtheir year by volunteering tohelp out at a girl’s hostel inneed of help.

Run by the Mother’s Un-ion, an international Chris-tian women’s organization,the hostel was founded in1996 to create a safe placewhere girls could stay inMombasa while receiving aneducation. Traditionally,Kenyan girls are often mar-ried at a very young age orsent to the cities to look for

work as a housekeeper.Many end up living on thestreets and become sex tradeworkers.

In 2004, a cornerstonewas laid for a two-storey hos-tel. Theground floorwas com-pleted andhouses 32girls. The sec-ond storey wasbuilt, but nothabitable. TheMother’s Un-ion did nothave themoney andasked variouslevels of government for sup-port; their requests wereturned down. That is whereFredericton stepped in.

Using funds designed to

advance the Government ofCanada’s fostering of goodgovernance, development,reconstruction and humani-tarian assistance, Frederictonrequested and received the

necessary money to help.This project was identified asit will have far reaching im-pacts in Mombasa and for thegirls living at the shelter for

years to come.On New Year’s Day, vol-

unteers from the ship arrivedat the hostel, armed withscrapers, paint, rollers andbrushes and all set to work.

The walls were prepared,plastered, primed andpainted. By the end of the day,eight rooms were in “movein” condition. The Ship’s

Company also donated sev-eral boxes of gifts, items fromthe canteen as well as per-sonal items for the girls whenthey returned after their NewYear’s break.

However, much morework remained to be done.Using additional funds,Fredericton’s Logistics Of-ficer, Lieutenant (Navy)Chris Grant, organized addi-tional projects with a localcontractor for the hostel, fo-cused on safety and hygieneitems. Projects will includecompletion of all washroomplumbing and ceramics,electrical conduits, a septicfield, windows, doors andlocks, anti-malarial mos-quito netting, and painting ofground floor rooms.

And to make life a littlemore comfortable, the shippurchased 64 new mat-tresses, pillows and linen andan additional 32 solidwooden bed frames for thegirls. This means that whenall this work is finished, 64young girls will have a safeplace to stay, to go to school,and become productivemembers of their communi-ties.

The staff at the hostel wasoverjoyed at the work al-ready accomplished andwhat is yet to be done. Thematron describedFredericton as an “answer toprayer” and that they re-ceived their very own mira-cle on the first day of 2010.The members of the ship’scompany who volunteereddescribed the day as a mostfitting way to begin 2010.

ArticlePadre Lt(N) Jennifer Gosse

and Lt(N) Chris Grant

HMCS Fredericton - an answer to prayer


Multi-generationalbaptism Article and Photo

Rev’d Canon John Meade

Three generations baptized in one day: The Rev’d Canon John Meade (right) of the Parish ofDeer Lake had the honour of baptizinginfant Luke, his father, Winston and his great-grandmother,Shirley.

On Sunday, December20th, St. Michael’s and AllAngels, Deer Lake was thescene for the Sacrament ofHoly Baptism with multi-generational candidates, allfrom the same family. Along with the infant Luke,

his father, Winston and hisgreat-grandmother, Shirley,were presented and bap-tised. What a moving ex-perience this was, not onlyfor the immediate family,but also our entire Churchfamily. Such an event is

uncommon, thus we givethe Holy Spirit thanks andpraise for bringing each ofthese candidates to the wa-ters of baptism and into thehousehold of God.

Five generations of faith

Five Generations: (left to right) Gladys Brophy (95) Formerly of Daniel’s Harbour, NL nowresiding at the Interfaith Home in Corner Brook, Inez Hall, Daniel’s Harbour, NL, Lorraine Dimmer,Pasadena, NL, Robyn Dimmer, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Bella Stevie Brake (6 Months), Sylvan Lake,Alberta. Bella Stevie Brake was Baptised atHoly Trinity Anglican Church in Meadows on January3rd, 2010 wearing her Great-Great Grandmother Gladys Brophy’s 95 year old Christening gown.Submitted by Lorraine Dimmer.

St. Michael’sOlympians

St. Michael’s Olympians: Parishioners of the Church of St. Michael& All Angels in St. John’s, Phyllis Weir and Egbert Walters wereselected as Torch Bearers when the Olympic Torch relay came tothe Capitol City. Phyllis ran from the Basilica to Rawlins’s Cross,and Egbert ran the last challenging stretch up Signal Hill to CabotTower. Submitted by Georgia LeMessurier.

St. Thomas’Christmas Dinner

Wow, what a party washeld at St. Thomas’ ParishHall on Christmas Day tocelebrate Christ’s Birthday. Itwas truly amazing! Wecould all feel the spirit ofwarmth, hospitality, laugh-ter, music and kindness.

For the last eight years,St. Thomas’ Church on Mili-tary Road in St. John’s hashosted a community Christ-mas Dinner following theirChristmas morning churchservice.

This is a wonderful op-portunity for anyone in thecommunity to receive a freeChristmas dinner, on Christ-mas Day, with lots of fellow-

ship and musical entertain-ment. It is also an opportu-nity for spiritual fellowshipand the need we all have atthis time of the year for hu-man contact.

This year 393 dinnerswere served either on loca-tion in Canon Wood Hall ordelivered to people in theirhomes, hospitals, hotelrooms, or boarding houses.

The success of thisoutreach ministry is depend-ent solely upon our dedicatedvolunteers and donationsfrom the community-at-large, both individuals andbusinesses.

Article & PhotoJean White-Coady


New Layreaderin King’s Cove

40 years a priestArticle and Photo

Stella Walsh

On Sunday, November29, 2009, St. Martin’s Ca-thedral in Gander held acelebration service and cupof tea to mark ReverendHarvey Bullen’s fortiethanniversary in the Priest-hood.

Experiencing a call toserve the Lord while still ayouth is one of the factorsthat contributed to Rever-end Bullen’s many years ofdedicated work in ministry.Others include being raisedin a very supportive envi-ronment, being encouragedand supported by his wifeand children, and stayingcentered in knowing thatservice is a vocation of fol-lowing Jesus.

Reverend Bullen wasdeaconed on September 22,1968 and priested on May15, 1969. He began his serv-ice in Flowers Cove (1968-1970), and then moved toGander, where he remained.During the seventies, heserved as the Priest-in-charge (Pro-tem) for theparishes of Gambo,Lewisporte and GanderBay.

During his forty yearsof service, Reverend Bullenhas been involved in manyand varied ministries, some

of which were consideredfairly innovative at thetime. One such position in-volved working with theGander school board as Su-pervisor of Religious Edu-cation.

The congregation of St.Martin’s was delighted tocelebrate this milestonewith Reverend Harvey. He

is a strong and calm anchorin the sometimes-turbulentwaters of church life. Hisfamily and friends want tothank him for all of hisyears of dedication and wishhim every blessing in thefuture.

The Rev’d Harvey Bullen

ArticleColleen Abbott

Newly commissioned Lay Minister Colleen Abbott (left) standswith her priest The Rev’d Jim Pollard and her son Joshua.

Rev’d Jim Pollard, thePriest in Charge in the Par-ish of King’s Cove, commis-sioned Colleen Abbott as thefirst Lay Minister in that par-ish on The Third Sunday ofAdvent (December 13, 2009)at her home congregation ofSt. Mark’s Church inSummerville. She was pre-sented with her scarf by her

PhotoPaul Abbott

son, Joshua and her husband,Paul. Joshua has cerebralpalsy but is a very importantpart of the congregation of St.Mark’s. Joyce Fry, also of St.Mark’s congregation pre-sented Colleen with her cer-tificate. May God’s blessingbe with her as she ministersHis way to the people in thisParish.

Prayer is on the menu in Rocky HarbourArticle and PhotoShirley Dominie

For the past five years,a group of women, led byDoris Pittman, have beenmeeting monthly in thebasement of St. Matthew’schurch for a prayer brunch.

Each month, we gatherto read scripture, singhymns and pray. We havea special time of prayerwhere we go around the ta-ble and each person has anopportunity to pray forfriends and family. Thereis a time for sharing as well.We bring little things thathave caught our attention.It might be a short story, apoem or a joke. We haveshared laughs and tears overthe years.

Attendance ranges fromtwelve to twenty-five dur-ing any given month. Wehave welcomed womenfrom other congregations aswell. There is no commit-ment demanded. No one isasked to “join” something.All are welcome to attendone brunch or every brunch.

We meet at 11 am andbreak for lunch at about 12noon. Our time togetheroffers a wonderful opportu-nity for all to share in fel-lowship as well as a meal

We are grateful toDoris Pittman for her lead-ership and for searching outnew materials on prayer forus to use.


Becoming an Anglican - part 1Article

Debbie Kaba

The Rev. Joe Burton, re-tired United Church pastor,has observed my transitionfrom non-denominational,charismatic Holy Roller toAnglican wannabe and sug-gested I use the writingskills God has blessed mewith to reflect on this. Hereminded me that during the70s, many people migratedfrom mainline denomina-tions to non-denomina-tional churches; during thiscurrent decade God is call-ing many people back. Thisarticle depicts a small partof my personal journey. Myprayer is that my wordsmay build bridges of under-standing and acceptancewithin the Christian com-munity.

I didn’t push open theheavy, glass door becauseFather Westcott was al-ready opening it as he of-fered me a big smile, a hand-shake, a hug and whatseemed like sincere joy thatI was there. After talkingto me a few minutes, heasked one of the women toshow me around. Havingarrived early, I sat quietlyin the beautiful oratory ex-periencing the solitude yetfeeling a bit of discomfortat the strange surroundings.A couple moved into thepew behind me and afterprayer, introduced them-selves. When I told themthis was my first time in anAnglican church; theymoved beside me and of-fered to help me find myplace in the printed liturgyhand-out. The first severalweeks, Ruth and Bill Wells,took this charge seriouslyand greeted me, sat by me,helped me find my place inthe liturgy hand-out, en-couraged me and answeredquestion after question. Thegift of their time and atten-tion may have felt like aminor thing to them; but itwas major for me. The lit-urgy is now on multimediapresentation so newcomersdon’t need so much hands-on training. After each lit-urgy, people came up,shook my hand, looked mein the face and showed a

sincere interest in me. Fromthe very first day, I felt val-ued as a person and at homein the parish. I felt loved,accepted and not recruited.I wanted more of that ac-ceptance and love; not onlybecause it made me feelgood; but I wanted to learnby exam-ple how togive God’slove toothers.

WhenI first feltGod lead-ing mefrom ac h a r i s -m a t i cchurch toParish ofthe Resur-rection, Iwonderedhow I’dever adaptto the ritu-als of thel i t u r g y .Would Ia l w a y sfeel lostand need-ing othersto help mefind myplace on the hand-out?Would the liturgy movefrom the hand-out to heart-felt? Would I becomebored? How long would Isense God after the weeklyroutine became familiar?Would my spirituality dryup and die? Would I feel Ihad a niche in the liturgicalchurch community orwould I feel like a round

peg in a square hole? Couldthey accept some of my“weirdness” and awkward-ness as I adapted? Couldthey accept any “weirdness”if there were areas where Icouldn’t adapt? Could I ac-cept their opinions, ritualsand beliefs? Would my

change to Anglican causeme to lose my friends fromthe charismatic church? Af-ter two years of being ac-tive in the parish, I can onlysay God is doing a miracle.God feels more alive in myheart and I believe He’sgrowing my faith to newheights through the Angli-can Church and the liturgy.

At times I felt like a

preschooler because most ofmy conversations startedwith “Why?” But each pa-tiently supplied answerdeepened my understandingof the Anglican experience.As I grasped the elementaryelements of the liturgy, Ihad the choice to observe by

rote or discover ways toparticipate with intention-ality. Below are several ofthe answers to my questionsthat enriched my experienceof the liturgy:

One of my first ques-tions was “Why do peopletouch the baptismal water?”I was told it was a way torenew and recommit to ourbaptismal vows. Of course,

This is the first in a three-part series of one woman’sjourney into the AnglicanChurch through participatingin the Liturgy.

I needed to ask what vows.I’d heard of the Apostle’sCreed so I looked it up onthe Internet and printed itout. I loved the words andread them several times aweek so when I’d touch thewater, I realized my act ofrecommitment when I

would pray for agreater faith to be-lieve the creed andto have it activelygrowing andworking in my life.This is now oneway I intentionallyprepare my heartto receive thegraces of the lit-urgy. As I touch thewater and cross myforehead with it, Iam also declaringmyself God’s ownas is done duringbaptism. Touchingthe water whenleaving the oratoryreminds me thatmy “service” doesnot end when theliturgy is completebut through the lit-urgy, my service toGod and to othersis refreshed, re-newed and ready to

begin again with new vigor.I have attended liturgy inAnglican parishes that donot have an open font; how-ever, when I see the font, itis my signal to mentally re-commit and renew my bap-tismal vows and to chooseto intentionally participatein my spiritual journey.

The entrance to the Oratory of the Church of the Resurrection in South River


The Rev. Everett HobbsA Rule of Life

30 Roe Avenue, P.O. Box 348,Gander, NL A1V 1W7Telephone: (709) 651-4100Fax: (709) 256-2957email: [email protected]

let us pray

columnist

The Rev. Michael Li

Sharing God’s love

Living your Baptismrequires a life-long com-mitment, a plan and a dis-cipline. A Rule of Life is aform of discipline to helpyou follow Jesus and be-come his disciples. It pro-vides a context and createsan atmosphere to help youimitate Christ. It is not justa set of rules: it is a personalcovenant with God to liveyour baptism step by step.It is a decision to live yourlife under God in inten-tional and specific ways. Itconsists of promises youmake to God to undertakethis way of living aided byhis grace.

You can make a Rule fora set time, e.g. six months,

and at the end review andgauge your faithfulness to it.You may then renew yourRule keeping it the same orreducing it if it has provedtoo demanding or expand-ing it if you want to takeanother step.

The Rule attempts togive direction to your lifeto ensure balance and to beas inclusive as possible.Here are some suggestionsto consider: Worship andprayer; Bible and spiritualreading; ministry/service reparish, workplace, commu-nity and use of your skills/gifts; good health re exer-cise, diet and leisure; usingyour intellect re reading,radio, television, courses

and computer; witnessing toyour faith; social justice is-sues; relationships re fam-ily, friends, others; moral-ity and ethics re values,temptations, integrity; jour-nal and dream work; stew-ardship, retreat, solitude,fasting, soul friend, care ofthe environment.

Here is an example ofHere is an example ofHere is an example ofHere is an example ofHere is an example ofhow to make a Rule:how to make a Rule:how to make a Rule:how to make a Rule:how to make a Rule:

• I will worship at leastonce a Sunday; I will praydaily (at set times);

• I will read the Bibledaily; I will do other spir-itual reading;

• I will serve in the par-ish;

• I will volunteer in thecommunity;

• I will exercise ___minutes/hours a day;

• I will make Sunday aday of rest;

• I will engage in onecreative activity

• I will read one hour aday

• I will witness to Jesusby...

• I will support at leastone initiative re social jus-tice

• I will keep regularcontact with family andfriends

• I will examine mymoral values in light ofGod’s purpose and will, andact on them

• I will make an annualbudget, and give ___% of

my income to Church andcharities

• I will protect the en-vironment.

• Your signature andthe date.

Include any of the abovethat are relevant. Don’t trytoo much first time. Whynot do it for Lent? Remem-ber the words of ThomasMerton:”To obey it is notnecessary to love, but tolove it is necessary to obey.”Some books: The Cost ofDiscipleship (DietrichBonheoffer); Discipleship(David Watson); St Ben-edict’s Toolbox (JaneTomaine).

Love is the greatestthing in the world. Wew r i t eabout it,talk aboutit, and singabout it. “Love is asstrong asd e a t h ”(Song ofS o n g s8:6). Whocan resistthe powerof truelove?

N o teverybodye x p e r i -ences orexercisestrue love. We may love oth-ers because they onceshowed love to us. We may

love others because wewant them to love us in the

future. We may love thosewho are attractive. Wemay love those who agree

with us. But true love is un-selfish, unconditional, and

sacrificial. It has to dowith God.

T r u elove is afree giftfrom Godto unmer-ited peo-ple. Godloves allpeople eve-rywhere ,not just thef a v o u r e dethnic orr e l i g i o u sg r o u p s . U n f o r t u -n a t e l y

many people do not believethat God really loves them. They need to take a few

minutes to read the parablesof the lost sheep, the lostcoin, and the lost son (Luke15:3-32). In these parables,Jesus illustrated God’s lovefor us.

Jesus showed us how tolove. While He was onearth He cared when peoplewere hungry or thirsty. Hesaw people both as souls tobe saved and persons to beserved. His fourfold min-istry of preaching, teaching,healing, and redeeming wasGod’s love in action.

Jesus showed us how tolive. He gave us life be-yond death. Beyond thegrave He gave us hope: “Be-cause I live, you will livealso” (John 14:19b). He alsoshowed us the immortalityof God’s love. Our eternalhome is a gift of God’s

love. God provided the giftof eternal life for those whowould believe (John 3:16).

Some Christians aresaid to be so spirituallyminded that they are not ofany earthly good. In otherwords, they do not havetime to love or care becausethey have their heads in theclouds. We should not becloud sitting. We shouldshare God’s love with oth-ers.

God loves us first. Weare employed in the busi-ness of sharing God’s lovewith others. Our responseto God’s love leads to ac-tion. Love is eager to serveand to give. We may takespecial care to love ourneighbour, or to nurture aspecial love for our friendsor the members of ourhousehold. Indeed, withGod’s love flowing throughus, we can build homes,churches, and communities,and live in harmony withGod and each other.

No one is perfect. Noone loves and cares all thetime. The real issue iswanting to love more andcare more today than we didyesterday. Let us continueto share God’s love withothers in God’s world!


David Davis

Thomas Grantham - yet againThe DocumentOur History

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The document belowwas found by the writerwhile looking at the Soci-ety for the Propagation ofthe Gospel (SPG) NovaScotia records on microfilmat the Provincial Archives/the Rooms. In a previousarticle in this publication(March 2007) we were in-troduced to Mr. Thomas A.Grantham who was meantto be the missionary atPlacentia. However, thatmission had virtually noAnglicans and there was astrong desire by the peoplefor a mission at Burin,across Placentia Bay. Mr.Grantham was chosen to goto Burin (c.1816-17).

Mr. Grantham did notstay long at Burin because

he didn’t think the peoplewere supportive of his ef-forts. So he obtained amove to the mission of Yar-mouth, on the southern tipof Nova Scotia, almost inthe Tropics. Mr. Granthamcame to St John’s on his wayto Yarmouth and agreed tofill in for the missionarythere so that he could go onleave to England.

However, Mr.Grantham had developedthe habit of spending moneybefore the parishes and theSPG had approved. Theseexpenditures seem to havestarted in Burin and mayhave been why Mr.Grantham stayed there onlya couple of years. The treas-urer of the SPG challenged

some of his spending andthe way he drew his salary.He soon built up £120 inexpenses that were beingchallenged.

There seems to be an-other issue: Mr. Granthamhad left St John’s before thenew missionary, Mr. JohnCarrington arrived. Therewas probably an under-standing that Mr. Granthamwould not leave St. John’swithout a priest. This mayhave raised issues about Mr.Grantham’s drawing his sal-ary in advance.

All this trouble and Mr.Grantham had not reachedYarmouth. The steps in hisprogress from Burin to StJohn’s to Halifax onlycaused him more grief.

Halifax, Nova ScotiaJuly 14th, 1819Dear SirIt is with much concern I continue to avail myself of the indulgencegranted to me by the Board - Removals are very expensive andI was obliged to add to it by coming to this place - I have drawnfor the half year’s Salary in advance - I wrote to you from StJohn’s stating the account I received from the Treasurer whoappears to be unacquainted with the circumstances and theallowances granted to me by the Board for my removals - Youwill have the kindness to explain two him & lay before the Societymy grateful thanks for their liberalityMr. Carrington was daily expected when I left St John’s on the16th of last month - I was obliged to take this place on my way toYarmouth - there was no probability of a vessel direct & I amnow delayed here from the same cause - I was one & twentydays upon the Passage - I hope & trust I shall not be detained forany considerable timeI have the honor to beDear Sir - Yours Obed’llyThos. A Grantham

How important isprayer on your faith jour-ney? As believers, we surelycannot live without thatconnection with our Heav-enly Father.

In the Old Testament,David asked for courage tofight Goliath; he asked forforgiveness for his adulteryaffair with Bathsheba. AlsoDaniel prayed to God on aregular time each day eventhough it was forbidden topray.

In Thessalonians 5: 17,the early Christians weretold to pray without ceas-ing. Jesus would go to aquiet place and spend timetalking to His HeavenlyFather.

Here at All SaintsChurch in Conception BaySouth, we have three PrayerTeams. The first group iscalled the “Along-Siders.”They are senior members ofour congregation. Some areactive workers and some areunable to attend Church. Alist of activities in the Par-ish is passed to this groupfor prayer.

The Second group is the“Parish Prayer Group.”They are contacted by

phone. Each request ispassed on to one anothermaking up a Prayer Chain.Knowing that a person isprayed for is very comfort-ing to that individual.

At 10:00 a.m. Sundaymorning, there is anotherprayer ministry. It is called“The Chapel Prayer.” Allare welcomed! Each who at-tends participates in a spe-cial time of prayer for theworship that morning, foreach one who will lead inthe service and pray for thesick. We also pray forworldwide leaders of ourChurch, for our congrega-tion and youth/children.Sometimes there may evenbe a crisis that morning andso this request is given untothe Lord. Some may wish tobe quiet and pray alone.

The music, the laughterof the people coming in forworship, gives us such ajoyful feeling. What a giftif the chapel is full - but justone will be so welcome!

Prayer is the foundationof our Christian walk. Itenables us to keep strivingto love the Lord with all ourheart and mind and bodyand to show His love forothers.

Another vital ministryat All Saints’ Church is our

visitation to the PersonalCare Homes in the area.We are in our 27th year ofactive ministry. Isn’t itamazing how God contin-ues to use us when we arewilling to give ourselves toHim in service to others?

Our weekly visits takeus to one of the thirteenhomes in Conception BaySouth. Some residents havebeen here since I was a lit-tle girl.

In 1981 I felt God wascalling me to active minis-try to those people. For meit is living out the instruc-tions that Jesus gave to Hisdisciples in the Beatitudes(Matthew 5) and as believ-ers today this should still bepart of your mission.

“Jesus said blessed arethe poor in spirit, for theirsis the kingdom ofheaven...Blessed are the

peacemakers for they shallbe called the children ofGod”

When we arrive at thehome, the residents are atthe door or looking out thewindow waiting for us. See-ing their faces when we singa favourite hymn or read afamiliar Bible passage, youknow they have beenblessed. Some may nodtheir heads or fall asleep,some may not be attentiveto the worship, but whenthe Eucharist is given out,it is received with such hu-mility. When possible, weare joined by a member ofone of our praise bands.This certainly adds to thepleasure.

We usually end with acouple of “hand-clappers.”Sometimes before we leave,some will want you to cometo their room to show you

ArticleMona Caines

their latest gift or some pic-tures from their family. Ifthere is someone too mis-erable to get out of bed, theyexpect you to say hello andhave a prayer.

Prayer and Visitationare just two of the many im-portant ministries in ourParish of All Saints. Bothare truly rewarding and weare blessed by God to serveHim in these ways.

Prayer and visitation vital to All Saints’, CBS


Unto the least of these... columnist

Ronald Clarke

Organist retires after 50 years

Retirement presents somany opportunities to enjoyservice to others. Servingothers, as I discovered,brings as much joy to theone serving as to thoseserved. I have had amazingexperiences myself.

As a “Friendly Visitor”I see many wonderful peo-ple in the hospitals and sen-ior’s homes each week. Thesick, lonely, and elderlyresidents respond sowarmly to a “Friendly Visi-tor.” Leaving them with asmile is, I believe, a majorachievement.

Often a visit to the sickcan provide an unexpectedspiritual experience. I wantto share with you this per-sonal encounter.

One afternoon whilevisiting patients at the Wa-terford, I entered a small

room where a middle-agewoman was laying on a sin-gle bed. I was told that thislady could not speak.

I approached her smil-ing warmly but she keptstaring straight ahead. Shegave me no response. Ispoke kindly to her, butagain no response. I held herhand and the same non-re-action.

After a while I decidedto leave to make visits to theother Wards. As I walkedaway, I had an urge to goback to this lady, so I did.Still there was no response.

I left again. I got to herdoor when it seemed that avoice in my head told me togo back to her once more.

I felt I was wasting timeand I that I should be visit-ing the other residents. ButI went back. When I spoke

to her this time, the ladycried heavily. I tried tocomfort her, as if she was achild. I embraced her as shesobbed. I wiped away hertears.

Then she looked straightinto me it seemed. Her eyesbored into my soul. Shelicked her lips, I asked ifshe was thirsty. She nod-ded yes. On a small tablenearby there was a glass ofjuice. I held it to her mouthand she gulped it down.

The she looked at mewith the most radiant smile,as her eyes glowed.

I hugged her and hur-ried towards the door con-cerned that I must now visitothers before closing time.My thoughts were of theother residents I had tovisit.

Then that same voice

stopped me in my tracks. Itsaid clearly, “In as much asyou have done it unto oneof the least of these, youhave done it unto Me.” Itook Jesus’ statement liter-ally.

Looking back at thewoman I thought that as Icomforted her, I was com-forting Jesus himself. I haveHim a drink when He wasvery thirsty. I was youmight say “transfixed.” Thisfeeling went through methat still defies descriptionand has stayed with me fora long time.

You might be thinkingthat I have a hyperactiveimagination. Perhaps so.At the time however I wasnot really thinking aboutJesus. I was anxious aboutbeing late to the otherWards.

Sharing a very personalexperience like this can bedifficult. But it does clearlyimply that visiting theneedy is a Godly thing to do.The rewards to the giver aretruly substantial and worth-while.

You may be thinking, “Ican’t do that!” But you can!All you need is a genuinelove for others. I am certainthat God will tell you whatto do or say. Just show peo-ple that you love them.

Mrs. Pearl Kean ofPound Cove, BonavistaBay recently retired as or-ganist of St. Mary’sChurch after 50 years ofplaying and serving theLord.

Pearl is a very activemember of her parish andshe is involved in every ca-pacity of Church life.From Superintendant ofSunday School to a long

time member of ACW,Pearl could be counted onfor anything.

When not in Church,Pearl could be seen play-ing her guitar and singinghymns to other seniorswhile visiting retirementhome. She is an inspira-tion to everyone whoknows and her faith andbelief in God shows in eve-rything she does. Her eld-

est son George said,“When we were younglads, Mom would makesure we attended Churchin morning and afternoon.If there was Church some-where else in the night wewere required to go beforewe went out anywhere.”

Her ministry as organ-ist will be surely missed.

Article & PhotoGeorge Kean

Pearl Kean


You hYou hYou hYou hYou hLifeyouth ministry news

Wanted: Children in Church?

Allison Billard

We are all familiarwith the “traditional” wayof things, service for theadults, nursery for the littleones and Sunday school or“children’s church” for thebigger ones – until they’reold enough to be quiet dur-ing the service.

I know it may seem out-landish, but maybe we’dbest move on from the sen-timent that children shouldbe seen and not heard inchurch. We are all calledto worship, and the childrenare an important part of thefamily of God.

I read a lot about whatis happening in the more,shall I say, contemporaryrealm of churchgoing. I readan interesting article re-cently all about the place ofchildren in the church serv-ice. The writer commentedon some of the things shediscovered churches are do-ing to help integrate chil-dren into worship, ratherthan sending them off toplay while the adults havea more solemn service.

We don’t have to dumbdown the whole service, butrather fashion it to be ateaching experience for eve-ryone – I’ve seen our bishopdo this very nicely with his

message during a confirma-tion service, explaining justwhat all those prayers andstuff means – I think I evenlearned a thing or two!

A service incorporatingchildren doesn’t necessarilyhave to be entertainmentoriented with projectionscreens and guitars andsongs with actions. Onechurch learned that just byhaving multiple shortermessages rather than a sin-gle long sermon everyonewas more engaged. And it’sreally easy to have childrentake part in the service do-ing some of the readings.

My favorite suggestionhad to be this one: mentionchildren’s concerns in theprayers along with those ofadults. That’s brilliant! Itwill help to demonstrate thevalue placed on all God’schildren, and let the kidsknow that all of theirprayers and concerns areheard.

Ok, I know you mightbe thinking that this is a bitradical. Don’t get mewrong - I love the tradi-tional form of service too,but in order to appeal tothose young families we allwant to see join the churchwe will have to embrace

new ideas. I’m not sayingthese things would workeverywhere, and certainlychurches don’t have tochange all their services toa new model, but it’s timewe start thinking outsidethe box. Maybe it’s time fora new service, at a differenttime (like those Saturdayservices we’ve heard somuch about) or maybe it’ssomething we could tryonce a month during a tra-ditional Sunday servicetime. There are lots of op-tions; we just need to ex-plore them.

There is one thing Iknow for sure: the segrega-tion must end. Being a partof the service will help thelittle ones and their familiesto grow together in God’slove and form a right rela-tionship with Him – which,after all, is part of the man-date of the Church, right?

Confirmation in Lark Harbour

Don’t dropyour cupcake!

The traditional Christmas Pageant is alive and well at St.Augustine’s Church in Margaree - Fox Roost. On December 20,2009, the church full was filled with children dressed in their finestto entertain family and friends with songs and a skit. In the abovephoto, Emma examines her cupcake while sister Hayley ensuresshe doesn’t drop it. Submitted by Karen Simon.

Dear GOD, Did you mean for the giraffe to look likethat or was it an accident? -Norma

Dear GOD, Instead of letting people die and havingto make new ones, why don’t You just keep the onesYou have now? -Jane

Dear GOD, Who draws the lines around the countries?- Kim

Dear GOD, I went to this wedding and they kissedright in church. Is that okay? -Neil

Dear GOD, What does it mean You are a JealousGod? I thought You had everything. -Jane

Dear God, Did you really mean “do unto others asthey do unto you”? Because if you did, then I’m goingto fix my brother! -Darla

Dear GOD, Thank you for the baby brother, but whatI prayed for was a puppy. -Joyce

Dear GOD, It rained for our whole vacation and ismy father mad! He said some things about You thatpeople are not supposed to say, but I hope You willnot hurt him anyway. Your friend. (But I am not goingto tell you who I am)

Dear GOD, My brother is a rat. You should give hima tail. Ha ha. -Danny

Questions for God

Anglican Life February 2010

Documents

Transcript of Anglican Life February 2010