FEBRUARY 2013

RupeRt’s Land NewsPUBlishEd BY thE diocEsE oF RUPERt’s lAnd – A sEction oF thE AnglicAn joURnAl

2On being disciples Learning, moving and growing

3From the Bishop A disciple – who me?

6To be a deacon Maylanne Maybee chose her own path

7Generations Find the purpose in aging

PREsEntAtion oF thE loRd – FEB 2

sEE PAgE 6sEE PAgE 4 & 5

Parishioners of St Clements, Mapleton enjoy a toboggan party on the banks of the Red River in February 2012.

The beauty of holinessNew fabric at St Luke’s

Called to serveNew priests in Central Buganda

Midwinter frolic

2 Rupert’s land news SFebruary 2013disciPlEs

One of the best ways for Christians to describe ourselves

is as “disciples.” The word is derived from the Latin word discipulus, corresponding to the Greek mathetes, a pupil or apprentice, and so it brings with it this sense of our being people who still have much to learn. We tend to hear the word and think of the twelve disciples called by Jesus, yet not only does Jesus call the twelve both disciples and apostles (Luke 6:13), but at various points others are also called disciples. In Luke 6:17, for instance, we read that Jesus “stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples,” while in Acts 6:1 we hear of how “the disciples were increasing in number.” It would seem that from

At an annual meeting of the community of saint benedict’s

table last year, a theme kept emerging; we wanted to ‘go deeper’ spiritually, and we wanted to f ind ways to strengthen bonds of fellowship within our community. We wanted ’discipleship’. Of course! Isn’t

very early on this was a preferred word for members of the Jesus movement. Check your concordance or do a quick online search and see how often the word “Christian” appears in the biblical text… it appears not a single time. I really like how Hauerwas and Wil l imon draw on the idea of discipleship in their book Resident Aliens. Faced with the prospect of leading yet another round of confirmation classes for young people, they decided that they were not interested in attempting to merely cover off the content of faith. “What we need is people who will follow Jesus, who will be the church. Besides, how many of us are in the church because we were put

this, one of the main reasons we are drawn to Church in the first place? However, as I reflect upon this a little bit, I find it quite marvelous. Surely it is the Spirit of God, who leads us in all truth, leading believers to seek ways to grow in, and share, their faith. After all, we live in a busy

through a series of classes?” Instead they suggest that, “Confirmation has as its goal discipleship, the production of people who more closely resemble, in their life-style, beliefs, and values, disciples of Jesus.” I f yo u a r e t e m p t e d to imagine that cal l ing ourselves disciples is a bit presumptuous, try to name the original twelve disciples. You’ll probably come up with Peter (a robust figure, who had a gift for putting his foot squarely in his mouth and who denied even knowing his teacher on the night of the arrest), James and John. Maybe you’ll be able to add Philip, Matthew, and Andrew, but chances are that at that point you will run out of names. Chances

world, our lives a constant jugg le of infor mation, demands upon our time, and activities. We work, we clean, we shop, we return calls, we schedule, we meet needs, and we try to find time for people we care about – and even for ourselves – in the midst of it all. If being part of a church was simply about having a place to be social with likeminded people, sing a few songs, and go home, many of us would opt out – and indeed, some do. Life is ‘full’ enough. Those of us who are experi-encing the transformation of God through the work of the Holy Spirit, however, desire discipleship in some form or another. The Spirit makes

are also really good that you didn’t list Judas, that most complicated, difficult, and even tragic member of the original group. Given the rag-tag nature of that original circle, we should find it a little humbling—maybe a little sobering—to be counted as disciples. They are as human, fallible, and complicated as any of us will ever be. And then there is that other word that appears in the New Testament to describe not only the original twelve, but also the one anointed to replace Judas (Acts 1:21-26) as well as the Apostle Paul (who in 1 Cor. 15:9 calls himself “the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle”). The word “apostle” is from the Greek apostello, meaning “to

us aware of a ‘hunger’ that nothing can fill but the God of Truth. We look to our spiritual activities, namely through our involvement in Church, to sustain and strengthen us. Furthermore, as we grow in God, early spiritual ‘milk’, as Paul describes, is not enough. We crave ‘solid food’. As we feast upon the Word, experiencing the convicting inspiration of the Spirit, we bubble over, drawing others to the meal. Of course, there are diverse experiences that can be shared around this, but by-and-large, healthy churches seek ways to bring spiritual sustenance to the table. What this ‘looks like’, I believe, should, by necessity, be unique to every church. We are called to keenly study the scriptures, but the express ions of our testimonies as churches, and

send forth” or “to dispatch,” and that too needs to be a part of our identity. In our church structures we can get rather formal with notions of what is called the “apostolic succession of bishops,” but here I think we need to pay attention to the more literal sense of the word, namely that we are all to be disciples who like apprentices learn from the master, and who are also “dispatched” to actually use and share of our learnings. None of this is particularly new or innovative. It is as old as the Gospel itself. Yet when taken up anew, the Gospel is always as fresh as it was on the day it was written. So accept for yourself the label of disciple… but keep on learning, moving, and growing.

the means of discipleship, can be delightfully different. The bible is clear that a functioning body draws upon all of its members. So, while popular study resources can be fantastic ‘springboards’, what are the latent gifts within the community? At saint benedict’s table, rather than building programs then expecting people will come, we have formed discipleship groups based upon our unique people. For now this looks like a developing mosaic – one piece, a regular morning book club, another a mental wellness group, another a dinner and bible study group, and so forth. There is no formula in this, and what we do in our church now may look quite different in a few years as we grow together in Christ. But we are guided by a creative, spectacular God. How marvelous!

On being disciples

The many forms of discipleship

By jAmiE howison

By jAYlEnE johnson

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Rupert’s land news 3February 20131 FRom thE BishoP

the Right Reverend donAld PhilliPs

Bishop of Rupert’s land

Hopefully you have already read the helpful article on

the page opposite entitled, “On Being Disciples”, by Jamie Howison. It provides a very good introduction to the term ‘disciple’ and challenges us to begin to see ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ. If you were asked what is the fundamental attribute that Christians are to exemplify in their lives, you would probably say ‘love’ – whether you were recalling Jesus’ Great Commandment, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another…”, [John 13:34a] or the popular l a t e - twent i e th cen tur y song, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” And you would be correct. In the very next verse of John’s Gospel Jesus says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” [John 13:35] Do you identify as easily with the label “disciple” as you do the attribute of love? We do come across the word ‘disciple’ in mainstream literature. Often it is used of a person who has chosen to order their life after someone they highly esteem. This could be a world leader, a revolutionary, a tireless

worker with the poor, or even a musician or other artist. And in the vast majority of these instances, the subject of the person’s discipleship has already died – leaving behind them a legacy of admirable actions, statements, and writings expressing their philosophies, values and pursuit of truth. This kind of disciple is attempting to model their life after the one they esteem – learning as much about them as possible from their writings as well as the works others have written about them. But ultimately they are creating and following a “picture” of the one whose disciple they are, and that picture will be finite and limited – both by the available sources and by the bounds of their own rational thinking processes. Sadly, this is the approach that many members of our Church take to their discipleship of Jesus Christ. They faithfully belong to a local church; they attend worship serv ices ; hear Scripture read; and try to glean what they can from the preacher’s sermon which makes connections between the “ideal Christian life” of the New Testament and the reality that they face daily. And when they get into very

difficult or tragic circum-stances – they pray to God for wisdom, help and mercy. In their minds, Jesus is God’s ideal human example after which they are to try and pattern their life. The problem with this approach is that it completely ignores the fact that the Teacher whose disciples we are is living! We do not simply follow the teachings of an admirable leader who tried to make a difference in the world two thousand years ago. We are disciples of the living, risen and ascended Jesus Christ. At the conclusion o f Mat thew’s Gospe l , Jesus states, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:18-20] There is no other way to be a Christian except to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be an Anglican than to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be a member of your local congregation than to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is nothing

presumptuous, ostentatious, or otherwise offensive about being identified as a disciple of Jesus Christ – unless, of course, it brings you into a confrontation with a competing world view that does not support the practice of love, justice and mercy for all of creation. When we pledge ourselves to another with solemn vows in a public ceremony, we often proudly wear a ring on the fourth finger of our left hand, and we identify ourselves as “married.” We faithfully order our lives around this exclusive relationship and we are quick to identify ourselves, either with rings or words, with the label “married.” When we become baptized into Christ and live out our membership in the Church, we have entered into an even more profound, life-defining covenant – as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Just as we make sure we are not “shy” about being identified as married, and we know that this

relationship requires constant attention and energy; being a disciple of Jesus Christ should be equally obvious, and requires constant attention and energy. The good news is that we are not called to be disciples in isolation. In the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, there are ten times as many uses of the plural “disciples” as of the singular “disciple.” We are called to live our discipleship with other disciples in the communion of the Body of Christ we call the Church. It is not just for support and familiarity that this is so. It is because the living Christ becomes more clearly known and understood through the sharing of our knowledge and experience of Him together – through prayer, worship, learning and fellowship. That “signing with the Cross” on your forehead in baptism marked you as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Wear it with pride.

A Disciple – who me?

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4 Rupert’s land news SFebruary 2013 hAngings

We h a v e t w o forms of altar antependia in St

Luke’s. The coloured one at the chancel altar is called a supra-frontal. These are the narrow ones, their colours fol lowing the l i turgical seasons. The nave altar also has a supra frontal, which follow the colours of the liturgical season.

We are incredibly fortunate to have gifted people who are willing to donate the fabrics and their time for the creation of these wonderful things. Many of the hangings we use at St Luke’s were given to the parish as memorials. One purple altar supra-frontal dates from 1946, but age and ‘critters’ have damaged these beautiful things. They have

been carefully repaired by St Luke’s parishioner, Crystal Monteiro. To decorate the church for worship, we wrap a white frontal around three sides of the nave altar. It reaches to the floor and hides the plainness of the table beneath. The carving on the front of the chancel altar is considered a ‘frontal’ in its own right, so it is never covered. Supra frontals – coloured fabric on top of the frontal – are used on both altars. Crystal has undertaken to make all new supra frontals, in all the liturgical colours, for the nave altar. So far, green, red and white supra-frontals are in use. Purple was completed in time for Advent. She also made the white frontal for the nave altar. T h i s mammoth t a s k involves not only the altar frontals, but also the pulpit fall and for the rector’s and assistant curate’s prayer desk.

Crystal makes a connection between the embroidered designs and the designs in the stained glass windows. The white pulpit fall, for example, has the cross rising from a crown. The same motif is at the very top of the Madonna and Child window. Likewise the assistant curate’s prayer desk’s white fall, has three blue lilies piercing a crown. The same motif is found in the first (south-east) window. The material, threads and decorations (fringes) etc are extremely fine, hence expensive, and the majority of the decoration is hand done. Delicate silks and embroidery with gold thread are worked into traditional and specific patterns and designs, but the embroiderer is free to improvise. As in many specialized fields of endeavor, altar guild and sacristan work has its own special language, some of the words coming from

the Latin, and all sounding rather mys ter ious and intriguing. Antependium (singular) simply derives from ante (in front of or before) and pend, (hang). Technically any textile which hangs down in front of the altar, lectern, credence table or shelf is a type of antependium, but it is the altar frontal which is usually thought of first in connection with the word. Paraments are decorations. The word comes from the Latin parare, to adorn. The history of paraments or antependia is probably lost in time, but during a period known as the “Liturgical Movement” in the 1800s and 1900s, both Protestants and Catholics discovered a renewed interest in traditions of the early church, including use of banners and paraments. We worship God not only in the beauty of holiness, but in the holiness of beauty.

By shEilA wElBERgEn

Parishioners restore the hangings

Nave altar with frontal. Supra frontal is white for festivals.

Nave altar in purple

Purple supra frontal on the nave altar (detail)

The traditional altar hangings at St Luke’s have been restored where age has caused

damage. New ones in all the liturgical colours have been made for both the nave altar and the Soldiers’ Chapel altar. Details

from windows have been used for both traditional and modern designs.

St Luke’s – The beauty of holiness

Rupert’s land news 5February 20131 hAngings

Because St Luke’s is a traditional church, as opposed to being

built in a modern style, the forms and styles of these decorations on the antependia and paraments are also in a traditional style. I embroidered antependia and burses and veils in contemporary style for the architectural ly modern Soldiers’ Chapel at St Luke’s. I made a pall for an Urn, because the Soldiers’ Chapel is also the site of St Luke’s Columbarium. The pall for the urn is white linen lined with gold silk, colours appropriate to the time of Easter and the theme of resurrection. What lies on top of the urn is a branch with reference to “out of the stump of Jesse…” and perched on that is a butterfly, a traditional symbol of resurrection and new life. These two symbols carry over to the altar frontal. Made of white linen, it is appliquéd with white silk and satin. On the stump is a cocoon, s ignifying our human state awaiting transformation. The butterfly is there as well, representing Jesus’ incarnation as well as our transformed being. In addition to these elements are three poppies and stones that echo elements in the stained glass in the chapel as well as our earth-bound state of sleep. Each of the supra frontals interacts with the frontal

relative to the season’s stories. Beginning with Advent in deep blue, a series of four stars set on the horizontal beam of the white ribbon cross cover the butterfly on the frontal. The shape and colours echo the stars and clouds of the window as well as indicating the four weeks of Advent: Jesus’ birth took place in time as well as in our lives. What is visible in the frontal are the stump and the cocoon reflecting the stance of waiting and expectation of this season. The monogram of Jesus forms the central motif for both Christmas and Easter. At another level, there is a cycle described on the frontal : the death and sleep of the poppies, the potential in the cocoon and the transformation of the butterfly. The two side panels and the stitching in the center panel reflect this circular movement, into which Jesus appears in the straight lines and monogram of the center panel. The Lenten supra frontal relies heavily on texture with the under panel being of purple linen quilted in lines representing the 40 days of this season. As in Advent, the butterfly is covered. The center panel, which comes down between the poppies and the stump and cocoon, has the crown of thorns applied over a white cross, this time with the vertical beam dominant.

Pentecost is all f lames and movement. The supra frontal is seven panels of red organza with flames appliquéd. The panels are set so that the butterfly and stump are both visible with the cross in the center. With the light weight of the fabric, it is intended to move with air currents, much as the Spirit

moves where She will. The supra frontal for Trinity is based on Jesus’ words: “I am the Vine, you are the branches,” suggesting that the Church is an organic part of creation. Again, all symbols on the frontal are visible. The burse and veil for each of the seasons: Advent,

Lent, Easter/Christmas, Pentecost and Trinity, take for their inspiration a major symbol in the corresponding supra frontal. Thus, the star appears on Advent; Jesus’ monogram on Easter/Christmas: the forty days quilted into Lent behind the crown of thorns; the multiple flames for Pentecost; and the leaves for Trinity.

By mElodY nEwcomB

Modern look for the Soldiers’ Chapel

White frontal and red supra frontal in the Chapel.

White frontal and blue supra frontal in the chapel.

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Modern purple pulpit fall.

Purple supra frontal on the nave altar (detail)

6 Rupert’s land news 'deFebruary 2013ministRY

Although the Centre for Christian Studies on Maryland Avenue

is a combined Anglican/United Church College, the majority of students come from a United Church tradition. A little over a year ago Maylanne Maybee, an Anglican deacon for over 30 years, was appointed principal of CCS. Rupert’s Land diocese has been renewing the order of deacons. Up until about five years ago, when six deacons were ordained in the diocese, Rupert’s Land remained a place where most deacons were on their way to the priesthood, even though there was a large and growing interest in the diaconate. By the time Maylanne Maybee felt a powerful calling to be a deacon, she had finished an undergraduate

degree in language and history, had gone to Oxford for a certificate in education, and a diploma in theology. By 1982 she had completed a Masters of Divinity. When Maylanne approached her bishop about ordination as a deacon, she was told that the Church had little use for deacons, unless of course they decided to move on to the priesthood. The Provincial House of Bishops in Ontario had declared a moratorium against ordaining anyone to the diaconate. She went to teach religious education at St Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ontario. Her bishop agreed to ordain her, but she was told that the diocese would not be responsible for her continued employment, and she would be exempted from the clergy pension plan.

A conference at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana which was co-sponsored by the National Center for the Diaconate and the Associated Parishes, Inc. was a turning point for Maylanne. Finally, that day, she received not only the affirmation she needed, but a new awakening and grounding in the message she heard. There were lots of obstacles but Maylanne continued with her commitment to be a deacon. In her thesis on the diaconate, she challenged the assumption that in order to exercise the priesthood one has to be ordained a priest. She pointed out that all of us become part of the priesthood of Christ at our baptism. As well, she argued that ordination to the diaconate is not just an apprenticeship to

becoming a priest. Instead, it is the Church’s way of giving sacramental authority and visibility to its “horizontal” ministry of diakonia into which we are all baptized. She spoke of the power in the diaconate and what can happen when the church is at work in the world. Maylanne moved with her family to Toronto. For almost ten years, she served on the staff of the Urban Core Support Network, a Canada-wide ecumenical network of people engaged in inner city ministry and social housing. She worked for 14 years in mission and justice education for the Anglican Church’s General Synod until they downsized in 2010. Maylanne was hired as principal by the Center for Christian Studies in 2011 with a platform to reclaim

the Anglican heritage of the college for ministry and the diaconate. We, in the diocese of Rupert’s Land are honoured and thrilled to have Maylanne in our midst, and look forward to the enrichment she will bring both in the education as well as the encouragement of deacons to serve and live out their calling in the church and in the world.

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To be a deaconMaylanne Maybee refused to be discouraged

Bishop Matovu giving some instructions to Rev. Paul Mukiibi at the ordination service.

Scores and scores of Christians from the var ious p laces o f

Central Buganda diocese and other distant areas thronged St John’s Cathedral Kasaka on Dec 9, 2012 to witness the installation of three canons, priesting of eight deacons and the commissioning of 11 lay readers.

All these men and women of God first took a week in a retreat that was led by the Rev. Canon Henry Segawa the principal of Uganda Martyrs’ Seminary Namugongo and his wife Catherine. Canon Henry also preached at the Dec 9 service. He explained that these

By mUlondo lEzhEin PEkER, cEntRAl BUgAndA diocEsE

We are all called to serve Goddays very few people would want to join church ministry for fear of being financially crippled and for living the tight church ethics. Church ministers are paid almost peanuts and are housed in simple houses. Often they fail to take their children to good schools. But he quickly added that to serve God is a calling

and a sacrifice. It is not at all about gaining material things because it is useless to accumulate wealth and in the end you miss eternal life (Mark 8:36). He appealed especially to the young to respond to the call when they hear it. They shouldn’t give excuses as Moses first did when God called him to lead His people out of Egypt (Exodus 4:10) or like what Jeremiah did (Jer:1:6). “When God chooses you to do his work, He definitely has good plans for you ahead,” he said. Tu r n i n g t o t h e l a y Christians, Canon Segawa told them that serving God is not for the ordained and lay readers only. These people are called to serve God as spiritual leaders but “We are all called to serve Him because we are all workers in God’s Vineyard through our different capacities like supporting His work by giving money in church, building church projects or offering your various expertise to the church.” He concluded that we are all called to follow and abide with

the Great Commandment (Mat.28:19-20) At the end of the occasion, Bishop Matovu congratulated all those who had attained the different levels of the church that day and called upon them to live to what they had achieved. “Don’t do things which are contrary to your calling because if you do you will be a disgrace to the church,” he told them. He then appealed to the Christians among whom the church ministers were going to work to help them by giving them the support which they will need to do their work efficiently. He further told them that the diocese was in a shortage of clergy and even many of those serving today were approaching retirement and soon will need to be replaced but the problem was that paying for the training of a clergy or a lay reader had become too expensive for his diocese whose income is very low. So, he appealed to the Christians to come out and assist in paying fees for a student or two of his diocese at theological institutions.

Rupert’s land news 7February 20131

RUPERt’s lAnd nEws

Publisher The Right Reverend Donald Phillips, Bishop of Rupert’s LandAdvisory Group Len carlson, Lorraine West and Rev. Jamie HowisonEditor Terence Moore Layout and Design gwendolyn Penner

Subscription $20 per year Printer Webnews Printing Inc., North York, ONChange of Address Notify your parish or write to Rupert’s Land News, c/o anglican Journal, 80 Hayden St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 3g2 or email circulation@national.anglican.caMarch deadline The deadline for the March edition of the Rupert’s Land News is February 1, 2013The Rupert’s Land News is published as a section of the Anglican JournalPhone 1-204-992-4205 Fax 1-204-992-4219 Email rlnews@rupertsland.ca

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nAncY PhilliPs

Several family visits recently have re- minded me of the

progression of genera-tions and my own place in the evolution of family life. I find myself straddling generational challenges: rejoicing with our son and his wife who are expecting a first child, sympathising with morning sickness and offering the best remedies from my own experi-ence; while tending to my mother-in-law, Joan, who is currently in hospital recovering from a nasty fall which left her with a fractured arm. The oft used term “the sandwich generation” seems fitting. With each succeeding birthday, we begin to recognize that we have reached a point of begin-ning to see life from the perspective of the amount of time left, rather than the amount of time already lived and the possibility of facing the remaining years of life. This experience of feeling “sandwiched” between generations seems an excellent place to spend time becoming aware of how God’s call to us to live in the midst of our circumstances changes over time. The unbridled joy and generativity of the younger generation is no more rich and vital than

the dimensions of old age. Taking time to focus our attention on each life stage brings a new sense of the treasure of each age. The caricature of the older generation we so often see portrayed in media is that of being “past their prime” or “retired from the race of life” – simply out of the loop and biding time until the end. Yet, in a recent address at the Trinity Institute in New York, Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister identified the post 65 years as being the most important genera-tion. Chittister believes that the older generation have gained experience and developed wisdom and that sharing these attributes is the gift of their years. Chittister tells us that the most important dimen-sion of aging well lies in the awareness that there is a purpose to aging. She stresses that the last stage of life is not non-life, it is a new stage of life – that these remaining years when medical advances have allowed us to be “reasonably active,

mentally alert, experi-enced and curious” are a time of social importance and spiritual significance, meant to be good years. The purpose of the later years is not simply to endure the coming of the end of time, but to come alive in ways we have never been alive before. This last period of life is an opportunity to assimilate all the previous periods of life. In her book, The Gift of Years: Growing Older Grace-fully, Chittister looks at the many dimensions of the aging process, iden-tifying both the burdens and the blessings. As we think about the process of aging, several dimensions might spring to mind easily. Such issues as an experience of regret, fear, loneliness, forgiveness, nostalgia, appreciation, legacy, or sadness seem to find their place in our thinking about aging. But what about dimensions such as joy, transforma-tion, possibility, success, or spirituality? How do we view these elements from the perspective of aging?

For many, the experi-ence of retiring provides a sense of freedom from rigid schedules and responsibilities. It pres-ents the possibility of space and time. Yet in a society that is so focussed on productivity, this time can be seen as a negative – a new burden to endure. Chittister explains that the true burden of these years is to fail to get beyond the bitterness of having been displaced, and to not see that to be moved quietly off all the platforms of life is also to be free of the stagecraft that goes with them. The blessing, then, is to wake up one morning and find ourselves drunk with the very thought of being alive. Then, Chit-tister says, wherever we go we will spread the joy we have finally been able to find in ourselves. The problem with the preparation for aging, Chittister tells us, is that our modern world seems to be concentrated almost entirely on buying anti-wrinkle creams and joining a health club. The truth, she states, is that what must be transformed

Find the purpose in aginggEnERAtions

The Rupert’s Land News welcomes spontaneous expressions from readers relating to our church, our diocese and our common life together. If you hear someone in your parish tell a story or describe a feeling that you think should be heard across the diocese, encourage them to write it down and send it to the Rupert’s Land News. Observations received before the end of February may be used in the April paper.

now is not so much the way we look to other people, as the way we look at life. Age is the moment we come to terms with ourselves. The burden of aging, Chittister asserts, is the possibility that I might stay more buried in my losses than aware of my gains. The blessing is the transformation of the self to be, at long last, the self I have been becoming all my life – an oasis of serenity in a world gone sour on age, the very acme of life. The spirituality of this final stage of life Chit-tister identifies as the opportunity to face what it is in us that has been enslaving us, and to let our spirit fly free of what-ever has been tying it to the Earth all these years. At the final stage of our lives, we must respond to God’s holy invitation to us to become more than we are – to leave creation more than we found it. As the transformative power of this genera-tion is unleashed on the church and the world, we are all blessed by the gifts of this age.

Observer

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8 Rupert’s land news February 2013PARish liFE

Jamie Howison, rector of st benedict’s table, has contributed a book

to the growing literature on theology and the arts. God’s Mind in That Music explores the substantial theological insight expressed in the music of jazz legend John Coltrane. Focus ing on e ight o f Coltrane’s pieces, themes under consideration include lament (“Alabama”), improvi-sation (“My Favorite Things” and “Ascension”), grace (“A Love Supreme”), and the Trinity (“The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost”). B y a t t e n d i n g t o t h e traditions of theology and of jazz criticism, and through a series of interviews with musicians, theologians, and

jazz writers, Jamie Howison draws the worlds of theology and jazz into an active and vibrant conversation with each other. Built around a focused listening to John Coltrane’s music as heard against the background of his life and social context, and interacting with the work of a range of writers including James Baldwin, Dorothee Soelle, Jeremy Begbie, and James Cone, God’s Mind in that Music will be of interest not only to those concerned with the intersection of music and theology, but also to Coltrane fans, students of jazz studies, and anyone who believes that music matters.

st benedict's tableTheology of jazz

St John’s CathedralFilling the masonry gaps

The Cathedral Church of St John has begun undertaking some

critical repairs to the exterior of the church to protect the

building from further deteri-oration and address some long standing foundation seepage problems. In October and November, new larger capacity eaves troughs and downspouts were installed to improve drainage. Also, some masonry repairs were made to the stonework on the Emslie St. side of the building near the entrance to the chapel to close some large gaps where the grout had fallen away. This project is a continuation of an ongoing effort to restore the exterior of the building which was begun in 2008 with the replacement and re-insulation of the roof. The repointing of the stonework will continue in the spring addressing at least three other priority areas when warmer temperatures permit the resumption of work. T h i s w o rk i s b e i n g generously supported by three grants confirmed to date totaling $65,000.

The Sir Thomas Cropo Foundation is funding the cost of the eaves trough and downspout replacement. The Winnipeg Foundation and the Province of Manitoba, Designated Building Grants Prog ram are supporting the repointing of the stonework and other repairs to the exterior of the building. Additionally, the Cathedral Church of St John Building Fund is contributing to the project which is being overseen by the Cathedral’s ministry of

property management. Our cathedral, constructed in 1926, and the fourth church to be constructed on the site since 1822, is a designated provincial heritage building. All the

work being carried out will ensure that its heritage character is maintained according to guidelines set out and in consultation with the Province of Manitoba, Historic Resources Branch.

By mAUREEn dolYniUk

New downspouts

New eavestrough

Masonry gaps

Masonry repairs, new downspout

Old eavestrough

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