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Transcript of June 2016 Anglican Life
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An Interview with Retiring BishopDavid TorravilleArticle byEmily F. Rowe
Anglican Life : How
do you feel about yourdecision to retire, andwhat are you mostlooking forward tobeing able to do?
I w a s a c t u a l l yeligible for retirementlast year but knew Iwas not ready. At thispoint I am. I’m lookingforward to a little “downtime”, some time to sitaround in the morningand do some reading.I am looking forward to
not being scheduled,to not knowing what Iwill do next week.
An g l i c a n L i f e :What were the biggestchallenges that you
faced during your timeas Bishop of CentralNewfoundland?
T h e b i g g e s tchal lenges local lyhave been aroundpersonnel issues withclergy and dealing withhurt and disappointedparishioners. I havenot always felt that Icould do what peoplewished and in such asmall and close knitdiocese that often
meant disappointing,and even angeringcolleagues, friends andacquaintances.
O u r c o n c e r n saround sexuality havebeen challenging.In the early days ofmy episcopate theseconversations werevery angry, with peoplequestioning why thechurch would evenconsider changes.More recently any
conversations I havehad, have been moremeasured. While it is
not the most pressingissue raised in Diocesangatherings, it is a matter
of discord and deeppain for people withdiffering points of view.
Anglican Life : Howhas the job of Bishopchanged since in thetime that you have heldthe position?
I don’t know somuch that the job haschanged as much asmy perception has.Perhaps it was always
so but I think the churchis reecting the widerculture and in someways we are becomingmore puritanical andsimplistic. Many of us,representing all pointsof view, seem moredeeply convincedthan ever that the onlypoint of view whichhas much validity is theone which we hold. Ihave not always beensuccessful, but I believe
that it is important togive others the benetof the doubt. One doesnot have to go very faronline on church sitesto see how naive thathas become. We seemto be growing so muchmore intolerant of oneanother, and are all tooquick to question theintelligence, the faith,and the motivation ofthose who disagreewith us. We expectGod and our leaders to
do what we want, andwhen they don’t wequestion the existenceof one and the integrityof the other.
A ng l i c a n L i fe :What are some of thehappiest memoriesthat you have from your time as Bishop?
There are so many.At Lambeth 2008 I wasseated within a coupleof metres of the altar forthe Lambeth service;the ma ss ive p ipeorgan, the incredible
c a t h e d r a l c h o i r ,cassock and surplice,and traditional music—
then the Melanesianbrothers and sistersin traditional dress,dancing the gospelprocession, to a southpacific drum beat,carrying the bible ina canoe to the middleof the congregation. Itwas a moment of aweand wonder. On a visitto Tanzania, there wasmeeting Bishop FrancisLoyo of the SouthSudan, a man who hadbeen imprisoned and
tortured and separatedfor seven years from hisfamily during the civilwar, whose smile lightsa room, and whoselaughter proclaimsthe joy of the gospelmore strongly than anysermon I have everheard—or preached.Then, there have beenthe Sundays whichmy wife, Karen and Ispent in congregationsaround the Diocese,
sharing worship, cupsof tea and marvelousconversation. SinceKaren retired, she hastaken up photographyand it is such fun tosee her pictures ofchurches—of windows,a n d s h a d o w s , o ftextures and interestingelements that thepeople who worshipthere weekly oftenmiss but are delightedto see as she showsthem. Karen and I have
met such faith anddevotion; people whoare so committed totheir various ministriesand service; clergy andlayity, young and old.I can have a troublingweek at the ofce andthen on Sunday wemeet devoted sidespeople, the smilingteen passing out thebulletins, the smallchild intrigued by thatfunny hat, and all I cando is give God thanksthat somehow this iswhere God put me.
Anglican Life : In thearticle in the Anglican Journal, you expressed
a desire to go back to parish ministry. Wil lthat be a short “ llingin” position, or would you prefer a longer placement?
When I felt the callto ordained ministry,it was a call to parishminist ry . Recent lyI wa s b le sse d tospend Good Fridaythrough Easter in BayL’Argent parish whereI had the opportunity
to do several homecommunions. Here Iwas, a stranger, invitedinto homes to share theEucharist to hear storiesof joy and sorrow, tobe blessed by faithfulpeople caring for oneanother and findingthe presence of thechurch a comfort atthis point in their lives.I would like to spendsome time in a parishto build those kinds
of relationships, tocelebrate the cycle ofthe church year.
Anglican Life : Whatdo you think that the Ang li ca n Chur ch ofCanada might looklike in ten years? Whatmight the Church inNewfoundland looklike?
I am an optimistby nature; I just don’t
see the up side ofbeing a pessimisticChristian. The Churchis God’s, whether it isthe Anglican Church ofCanada or the Churchi n N e w f o u n d l a n dand God will find away to be Church.N e w f o u n d l a n di s c h a n g i n g , o u rpopulation is shiftinga n d w e n e e d t odevelop our ministryboth to respond tothose communitieswhich are growingsmaller and to thosewhich are growinglarger. I think we havesome church credibility
Bishop DavidTorraville, of theDiocese of CentralNewfoundland,is about to retire.Before we let himoff the hook, forhis fnal columnin Anglican Life,Bishop Torravilleagreed to aninterview, allowingus all to learn a littlebit more about him.
Photo Copyright: Robert Young Photography
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P h o t o b y E m i l y F . R o w e
Bishop Torraville, taken at St. Martin’s in Gander, just minutes before the electoral Synod began on April 30th.
in that generally theAnglican Church isthe last institutionalpresence in manysmaller communities.How can we resourceand offer effectivemin is t ry in dy ingcommunities? At thesame time there are
growth areas even inrural regions and weare faced with the samechallenges; how dowe resource and offereffective ministries incommunities wherethe population levelsare stable or growing?We are going to needto work with otherchurches and groups,we are going to haveto learn better how toengage with peopleof different faiths
and with people whohave no faith as wellas with people whoexpress their faith inways we may not easilyrecognize. In Gander,f o r i n s t a n c e , t h eCathedral is partneringwith a secular musicaland drama revue toprovide a wonderfulmusical program at thechurch. Congregationsin Gander, Grand FallsWindsor and Bishop’s
Falls are working inp a r t n e r s h i p w i t hcommunity groupsto support refugeesponsorships.
Anglican Life: Whatwill you miss aboutbeing the DiocesanBishop?
I am going to missthe thrill of workingwith the some of thefinest, most talented
people I have ever met,whether that is in theHouse of Bishops, orat the Board of PWRDF,or gathered around atable helping to writealternate collects withthe National ChurchLiturgy Committee. Iam going to miss myinteractions with theNational Church Ofce.I wish all of you couldmeet the staff at ChurchHouse—the Primate
and Primate’s Officestaff, the Directors,and AdministrativeAssistants, the staff ofPWRDF. I will miss theweek by week visits
All of us in the province ofNewfoundlandand Labrador wishBishop David allthe very best in hisretirement!
around the Diocese.I will, of course, missworking closely withour own Diocesanl e a d e r s h i p — t h eDiocesan Executive,Synod Office Staff,our clergy and layleadership. It hasbeen possible to bebishop for these yearsbecause of the people,present and past,who have been in theDiocese and at SynodOffice to supportand encourage aswell as to instructa n d c o r r e c t m ethese past ten years.Finally, few peopleknow how lonely theoffice of bishop can
be and how specialthe re lat ionshipsamong the bishopsof Newfoundlandand Labrador havebeen. How often haveI called the other NLbishops for advice,to test an idea or for ju st a chat . I hav ebeen very grateful fortheir friendship andsupport and I will missthose professional butfriendly relationships.
A n g l i c a n L i f e :Please share with ourreaders some of your priestly or episcopalaccompl ishments
of w h i c h y ou a r eespecially proud.
I hope that both aspriest and bishop I havealways been availableto people, to walk withthem and listen as theSpirit leads.
Bishop Torraville at the ordination of Tryphena Vallis
P h o t o b y E m i l y F . R o w e
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On the left we can see the many pieces of shing equipment that were broughtinto the church for the service of Blessing the Fleet. Above we can see Everett Russell and several paintings, done by local artists,which depict the shing life.
Article and photographs byThe Rev’d Shaun O’Connor
Blessing of the Fleet in BonavistaOn April 10th, just after Easter and before the shing season started, Christ Church, Bonavista, had a Blessing of the Fleet service
to honour its shers and sh-plant workers, and to glorify God for his generosity to us and ask his blessing of safety. Various piecesof shing gear including nets, traps, buoys, and oars were displayed, as well ship models and local paintings. Reg Butler, our own‘St. Peter’, explained the purpose of each of the shing items. Rev’d Shaun also explained how toilet plungers are used by shermen
on Lake Galilee, in Israel, to make a ‘popping’ sound to scare sh into their
nets. From the Gospel of John that day, we learned that trying to do things ourown way as a church does work very well, but when we do things God’s way, itresults in overwhelming success.
Easter Tea PartyArticle and photographs byThe Rev’d Jolene Peters
A Ladies‘ Night EasterTea Party was held onThursday, March 31st inthe parish of LabradorWest. A great evening offellowship was had by all.
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A Fond Farewell for Rev’d Paul
ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaperof the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundlandand Labrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses inNewfoundland and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues eachcalendar year with an independent editorial policy.
Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal
Editor:Mrs. Emily F. Rowe9 Darling StreetSt. John’s, NLA1B 1V7Email: [email protected]
Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:Bishop Donald Young34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8
Phone: (709) 256-7701Email: [email protected] Paid Subscription Rates:Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00Outside the province: $20.00International: $25.00
New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address shouldbe sent to:Circulation The Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy)80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2(416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax)Email: [email protected]
Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscriptionlist - please notify your parish ofce of any changes. Changes sentto parish ofces may take months to take effect. Please also sendyour updated information to Circulation at the Anglican Journal(above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road, Gander NL A1V 2E8.
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Letters to the Editor:Send to the Editor, (address as above). All letters must includethe writer’s name, address, and telephone number. Telephone
numbers will not be published. Anglican Life does not publishletters under nom de plume. Letters should not exceed 300words (one double spaced typewritten page), and are subject toediting at the discretion of the editor.
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Article and photographs byLorelie Cull
On April 3rd, St.Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in St. Anthony bid a sadfarewell to the Rev’d Paul Findlay, who has been the Rector for nearly
four years. After the morning service, a pot luck meal was served in thehall downstairs for Father Paul and the congregation. On behalf of thecongregation, gifts of a hooked wall hanging (showing St. Anthony’sLighthouse), and a picture of the church were presented by Robert Mesher(the Rector’s Warden) and Lorelie Cull (the People’s Warden). A homemadequilt was presented on behalf of the ACW by Evelyn Rumbolt and RubyJohnson. We wish him well in the Parish of White Bay.
Rev’d Paul performing for his 24th, and last time with the band “Glad Tidings Guitar Group.”Pictured are Letty Noble, Paul Findlay, Linda Cofn, Albert Kinsella, and Gail Hancock.
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The Obvious
Ron Clarke
Columnist
Be Still and Know That I Am GodNora Shears
Columnist Spring has arrived the
days are longer, moresunlight brightens thehome, and windows canbe ung open to let freshair circulate. But all thelight and fresh air revealswhat I did not noticeduring the dark, colddays of winter. My houseneeds a good dustinga little decluttering andcleaning. Isn’t that howour lives feel sometimes:cluttered and stale,and we see that wehave allowed too manythings in and we havebecome too busy tocare for the soul? Therehave just been too many
commitments, too muchtime pursuing hobbies,and all of a sudden webecome a little cranky,and out of sorts.
T o b e h e a l t h y ,spiritually and physicallywhole, we need to createbalance in our lives.
L i k e m y h o u s eneeding a good springcleaning, I feel the needto start nurturing myconnection with God. Totake more time for quietreflection, more studyof the Holy Scripture.Maybe I can eliminatesome of the clutter in mylife and create space forwhat’s truly important.
Maybe I need to be alittle more creative inhow I prioritize my time.Spring is the perfecttime for renewing andrecharging, everywherewe look we see new life.The trees and flowersare out in bud, birdsare building nests. It is atime for new beginningsputting aside all thatwhich h ind ers andstarting fresh; time tolook for opportunities inwhich to serve Christ andhis church.
The promises wemake in our BaptismalCovenant are remindersthat we are not yet
perfect, that we arecalled to move deeperin our faith and make adifference in our world.
When we considert h e w h o l e h u m a ncommunity strugglingto come to terms witha g lob a l economy ,ecological crisis, and thecurrent issues our ownAnglican community isfacing, there is certainlya need to make roomfor prayer, for quietreflection and worshipso that wonder may bereborn as God is knownand experienced anew.
One o f my v eryfavourite bible verses is,
“Be still and know thatI am God,” from Psalm46, verse 10. The act ofbeing still and gettingquiet is a challenge in ourhectic world. We are soused to constant activityand sound that even tobe still for 60 secondsseems an eternity. Godasks us to be still forour benefit, so we canreceive his spiritual calm,peace and guidance.This spiritual calm doesnot come from lackof troubles; but fromknowing that God is onthis journey with us andthat all will be well.
One day Uncle Johnwas trying very hardto explain somethingdifficult to his favouritegrandson. Usually, UncleJohn is very, very patient,especially with “youngRoss,” but because
the boy was so slow incomprehending, andbecause young Rosskept peppering himwith questions, UncleJohn nally exploded inexasperation: “Why, meson, it’s as plain as thenose on your face!”
“But, Grandad,” theboy protested, “I can’tsee the nose on my face—
unless I cock one eye andlook sideways or I look ina mirror!”
R o s s ’ s a m u s i n greply to his grandfathere m p h a s i z e s a v e r yimportant fact that wemight al l do well toremember: how easy itis not to see the obvious.
How easy it is, forexample, to look up intothe night sky and notsee God. Up in the deep
dark blue, one can seeperhaps a billion stars,each a vast giant dwarngour pygmy earth. Whosehandiwork are thosedistant wonders? Howawesome must be thepower and the glory oftheir Creator. Yet howoften do we worshipthe Creator when wegaze into his incredible
handiwork? Isn’t it strangethat every time we comeacross a good new bookwe want to know whowrote it? And could wemeet the author, wewould probably praisehim profusely. Yet weperceive the vast universeof God with mundanematter-of-factness.
Again, how easy it isto pluck a uffy dandelionthat has gone to seed,
to scatter its dozens ofparachuted seeds with asingle breath, to ip awaythe empty stalk, and to seenothing of the handiworkof God in that insignicantcreation. How easy it isnot to comprehend themiracle of the little wind-borne seed lodging bya roadside, germinatingin the spring rain and
sunshine, maturing intoa golden flower that isa miniature chemicalfactory, drawing nutrientsfrom the soil , usingsunlight and chlorophyllto produce its life-givingsubstances. The miracleof the dandelion is asobvious “as the nose onyour face,” yet, scarcelynoticing, we walk overthem and on them allsummer long.
Life is so crammedwith obvious miracles:the miracle of birth andrenewal, the miracleof the human body (soamazingly complex, andbeautifully functional), themiracle of each day, themiracle of the seasons,the miracle of humanity,which through the graceof God has achieved,
technically and artisticallyamazing things. All thesewe usually accept witha myopic pragmatismthat fails to recognize thedivine grace underlyingand motivating it all.
“Eyes they have andsee not,” the scripturesremind us—and thatpar t icu l ar sc r ip tur eapplies to almost allof us. We go throughour miraculous l ivesignoring, doubting, oreven denying the realityof God. Far too many of
us behave as if God doesnot exist. Yet in us andaround us daily, thereexists enough evidenceof our Creator for anyintelligent questioner.
I n a m u s e u m i nAmsterdam many yearsago, I stood in front ofRembrandt’s The NightWatch. Nobody had totell me that Rembrandtwas a great artist; nobodyhad to prove to methat the painting was amasterpiece. The picture,the art ist ’s creation,spoke for itself. So God’smasterpiece, ourselvesand our universe, dailydeclare the greatnessand the glory of the God-Creator. It’s as plain as thenose on your face.
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Celebrating Life
The editor and readers of Anglican Life would like to take this time to thank The Rev’d Everett Hobbs and The Rev’d Greg Mercer fortheir contributions to our lives through their writings in this publication. Both of these columnists have informed the editor of theirdesire to retire from writing their columns, and I know that we wish them both all the very best in the future.
Thank you!
The Rev’d Everett HobbsColumnist
The Rev’d Gregory Mercer
Columnist
Keep Death Daily Before Your Eyes
Behind the altar ina certain Benedictinemonastery, there hangsa simple wooden cross.It will remain there until itis taken down to mark thegrave of the next brotherto die. It will them bereplaced by another. It isa reminder to the monksof their own impendingdeath.
In the Rule of Benedictwe read, “Keep death
daily before your eyes.”To keep death before oureyes is not to be alwaysthinking about dying.It is a reminder that weare mortal and that weneed to make the mostof our time here. Youmay feel that thinkingabout death is morbidand depressing. No so!Rather it is an incentive tolive fully.
Life and death areinseparabl e: we are
born to die. Jesus talksabout needing to diein order to live, andhe makes this clear toNicodemus. Learning todie now gives us accessto the new life of theSpirit and also preparesus for our actual deathat the end of our earthlylife. Paul connects thiswith Baptism, by whichwe can share in the deathand resurrection of Jesus,even in this present life.To remind ourselvesof the shortness and
uncertainty of humanlife is an incentive to livein the present moment.
Keeping death beforeour eyes is a remindernot to postpone ordelay what requires ourattention now, to benot procrastinating. Itgrounds us in the hereand now, and urges us toget on with living fully. Itis also about learning todie daily, about lettinggo of that which needs to
die in us. Paul counselsus to die daily, especiallyto sin.
Keeping death beforeour eyes reminds us thatwe will die too—and it maybe today. In the midstof life we are in death.The Psalmist tells us tonumber our days, thatwe may apply our heartsunto wisdom, especiallyabout our choices anddecisions.
If we live our baptism,we are already dead inChrist. Our physica l
death will just be the nalsurrender. Therefore,we can welcome andembrace death. This isthe view of Francis ofAssisi in “the Canticle ofthe Sun”when he refersto Sister Death. We cansee our mortality as alienand enemy, or we cansee it as our friend andsister.
Keeping death beforeour eyes is a remindert o m a k e p r a c t i c a l
preparation for dying.We all should have a will.Over 50% of Canadiansdie without one. Withouta wi l l , Governmentregulations decide whathappens next. This canresult in extra legal bills,family disputes, andlong legal battles. All inall, this is unnecessarydistress. Also we cangive away some of ourestate while still alivewhen it is more benecialto the recipients.
P rearrange y our
funeral. This covers boththe arrangements andthe payment choice.Doing it this way givesyou some control, andsaves the family having todo it when death occurs.Burial or cremation? Bothcontribute to pollution.For burial it comes fromconcrete and steel vaults,hardwood caskets withpreservatives and metal,and embalming fluids.Cremation contributes
to greenhouse gases.A third choice is a‘green’ funeral where abiodegradable coffin,shroud or blanket is used.
Even after death ourb o d y c a n b e n e f i tothers. We can donateour organs–make sureothers know our wish.We can donate our bodyto medical science:telephone (709) 777 8369(Faculty of Medicine).How we deal with deathis a continuation of ourcalling to serve others.
“God is the Authorof life and of everythinggood. God alone is at thetop, hence, to God aloneis due the entire devotionof a person’s life—bothworship and service.”You may recognize thisquote from my articlelast month on Piety and
Service.God indeed is theauthor of life. Scripturetells us that we are madein the image of God. Ona more personal note,
this life of mine is a giftfrom God. Every morselof my being and everygift I possess comes fromGod and is an act ofGod’s grace. I have beenuniquely gifted (as we allare) and yet I am quiteaware that I have yet toreach my full capacityas the person God has
created me to be. All thisis simply to say that Godwants us to experience
joy and abundance, andto reach the potential hehas created in each ofus, and to celebrate thisprecious gift we call life.
The Christian life, thenis cause for celebration.But sometimes we don’tfeel like celebrating. In alittle devotional entitledMan of Prayer (article: TheWisdom to Celebrate)the author writes: “Whenthe weight of the world
seems to bear downupon our shoulders,celebration may be thelast thing on our mind.”This is only natural andwe shouldn’t try to mask
how we feel by puttinga smile on our face forothers, or any other actof pretence. Some daysit hurts too much to dootherwise. But in spiteof those “foggy days,”which we call them asNewfoundlanders, thefact is that we are allblessed beyond measure
on good days and bad.Life is a precious gift.Every day is a preciousgift. This day is a preciousgift and once it is gone itis gone forever—it is anon-renewable resource.You cannot take it back.So celebrate it and makegood use of it everymoment of every day.Start by giving thanks tothe One who has givenyou everything, “Countyour blessings,” as theysay, and trust in yourheart that God wants to
give you so much more.In every circumstancestrive to celebrate the lifeGod has given you andpraise his Holy name.Amen.
This is my last article as a regular columnist to Anglican Life as I contemplate other writing projects. But I do want to thank all my readersfor their wonderful words of appreciation formy articles. Many of you have found comfortin them, others have been challenged, and
some found them “down to earth.” Regardlessof how they spoke to you, I hope that we haveall grown IN our relationship to God and in ourunderstanding and appreciation for His church.
And wherever you nd yourself on a Sunday,do take the time to pray and listen to/read theGospel. Better still, attend church where you areneeded. As I always say, if the Church is goodenough for Jesus Christ who founded it, it is
good enough for me.
Bless all of you.
The Reverend Gregory Mercer
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Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor: All letters must includethe writer’s name and address. Anglican Life
does not publish letters from anonymoussources. As with all submissions, they aresubject to editing, and are published at thediscretion of the editor.
Dear Editor,I enjoyed and identied with Bishop Torraville’s Easter Message. I remember
observing a pre-celebration of a wedding of another culture a couple of years ago.As the ceremony was taking place almost everyone (including the attendants),except for the bride and groom, were videotaping the events.
I was thinking to myself that all anyone was going to see on the video waseveryone videotaping. It looked really silly and they were missing what washappening right in front of their eyes.
I nd that sometimes I get caught up in what I am doing (my role) instead of
what I actually see and what is being said and how I feel about it. I am not in themoment. I think it is very important to enjoy the moment, see, and feel what isactually happening in front of me.
Linda King
Confrmation at the Ascension, Mount PearlArticle and photographs byKimberley Pope
For many years, ithas been our traditionto hold the Serviceof Conf i rmation onAscension Day, which is avery opportune time fora Parish named after theAscension. This year, onAscension Day—May 1st—our confirmation classof 2016 along with theirfamily, friends, teachersand church fami ly ,gathered together tomark this very specialmilestone. However, therite of conrmation is notcompleted in isolation.It is not a destinationbut part of an ongoingfaith journey. It is alsoa celebration precededby years of nurturingand for the last numberof months, learning,preparation, and growthin faith. On Sunday, April17th, following their lastclass, our confirmationcandidates, their familiesand teachers gatheredf o r a n I n s t r u c t e dEucharist where theygathered around thealtar for the EucharisticPrayer. Following theserv ice , the Men ’sService Club hosted a
family social. Our churchfamily is blessed to sharethese moments on thefaith journey of theParish of the AscensionConfirmation Class of2016. We pray theycontinue to grow in loveto serve the Lord.
Above : The congregation atthe Instructed Eucharist
Middle : The Rev’d David
Burrows presides at theInstructed Eucharist
Below : Enjoying the family social, provided by the Men’sService Club
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Evangelism
Allison Billard
Columnist
ACW Spring Fellowship in Foxtrap
The parishes of the Avalon West Deanery ACWgathered at All Saints Parish, Foxtrap, on April 17,2016 for their annual ACW Spring fellowship. From
4:00pm – 4:45pm, entertainment was provided bySaints Alive Band. Following the entertainment, adelicious cold plate supper, a dessert, and tea andcoffee were served. A short meeting was held, andit was followed by a church service held at 6:30pm.It was a great afternoon of fun and fellowship.
Article and photographs bySandra Taylor
The band, Saints Alive, performing at the ACW spring fellowship
Members of the Avalon West Deanery ACW gather together for a meal
Why is it such a dirtyword? Why do people getso uncomfortable talkingabout evangelism?
I a m a l i f e l o n gAnglican. I grew up in
a fairly conservativeAnglican parish. And Ibelieve we, as Anglicansand not of an evangelicalbackground, generally
give evangelism a badname simply because wedon’t understand it.
Wikipedia says:
“Evangelism is the
preaching of the gospelor the practice of giv-ing information abouta particular doctrine or
set of beliefs to otherswith the intention ofconverting others to theChristian faith.”
As with anything elseon the Internet, this issubject to interpretationand cr i t ica l rev iew,however, a generalconsensus seems tosettle on the idea thatevangelism involves
sharing one’s faith inthe hopes that othersmight at least considerbecoming Christian.
Some things that I’ve
encountered do troubleme. In one instance Ifelt like evangelism wasbeing pitched as anulterior motive to beinga decent human being.As in, be nice to your
neighbours so that asthey come to like you,you can then invite themto church and convincethem to be Christians.
I know I’m not theonly one who thinks thatbeing a decent human isat the forefront of beingChristian regardless ofwhether we proceedto talk about our faith.Jesus cared for thosein need, loved theunloved, and soughtsocial justice, whetherothers believed in him
or not. Certainly his goalwas to bring everyoneinto a relationship withthe Father, but it didn’tstop him to know that it
was fairly unlikely.I’ve heard some ask
whether evangelismis even possible ordesirable in today’ssecular, technological,society? I can see where
they’re coming from,but I would argue thatnow more than ever it isurgent and necessary. Ina time where nearly allthe news is sad, peopleneed to hear the GoodNews and they need tohear it in terms of thehuman experience.
We have always beenand evermore shall bea storytelling people.Why should God’s loveand His Good News beany different? In order toappreciate the wonder
(and the contradiction)that is Christianity, we allneed to tell our stories.Everyone is different. Butall of us on the journey
have a story, and it isvaluable and important,and worth telling. We areso eager to talk about somany things, our kids,our stuff, all the gossip,and all the miserable
things happening in theworld, so why are we soreluctant to share thegreatest story? Is it fear?Of rejection? Of ridicule?Or are we afraid thatwe might actually piquesomeone’s interest andthen have to answerquestions?
My favourite verse,and one of my favouritehymns says “Be not afraid,I go before you always.”Trust that you havesomething important tosay and God will help
you say it if only you havefaith in Him.Who are you going
to tell?
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Article and photographs by
Harvey Locke
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Synod in The Diocese ofWestern NewfoundlandArticle by
The Ven. John D. Meade
@anglicanlife
The Most Rev’d PercyD. Coffin summoned
his clergy and parishrepresentatives to the37th (5th Biennial) Sessionof the Diocesan Synod ofWestern Newfoundland,held April 14–16 at theCorner Brook CivicCentre.
Everyone gatheredThursday evening at theHall of the Cathedral ofSt. John the Evangelist forregistration and dinner.This was followed by theOpening Worship at whichHis Grace challenged usto realign our mission
and ministry with thatof the followers of “TheWay,” and to embrace thechanging world around usso that we may become amore relevant beacon ofhope, light and grace asGod calls us to be. Thismessage was particularlydirected to The Rev’d KayShort, who was ordainedto the Sacred Order ofPriests during the liturgy.She is Priest-in-Chargeof the recently clusteredParishes of Bonne BayNorth and South.
The usual businessof Diocesan Synod wasundertaken Friday andSaturday, incorporatingreports of the manyand varied ministriesongoing throughout ourDiocese, nancial reports,constitutional revisions,
the introduction of theVocational Diaconate asa supplemental modelof ministry, an update onthe resolution coming to
General Synod regardingchanges to the MarriageC a n o n , a n d o t h e rdeliberations. All of thiswas couched by dailydevotions highlightingour theme, “The Marks ofMission of the WorldwideAnglican Communion.”Included in our devotionswere presentations oneach of the five Marksof Mission given by Dr.Rick Singleton of Queen’sCol lege; The Rev’dElsie Rose, a VocationalDeacon; Mr. Dave Chafe;
Mrs. Cynthia Haines-Turner, Acting Prolocutorof General Synod; andThe Rev’d Canon Dr. ToddTownshend of HuronCollege. These talks wereenlightening, inspiring,and kept us focused onthe real reason for whichwe were gathered: to beinformed, equipped, andempowered to live out theMarks of Mission.
There were threesignificant resolutionsarising from the oor ofDiocesan Synod 2016. The
rst asked the Archbishopto establish a ConrmationCommittee. It will reviewpresent and recommendnew guidelines on theS a c r a m e n t o f H o l yConfirmat ion whichwill consider worship
attendance, the level ofpreparedness and thegenuine desire of peoplewanting Holy Conrmationas opposed to those who
want their children and/orgrandchildren conrmedas a “Rite of Passage.”.The second was thatthe funding allocatedin our Diocesan Budgetfor “Ministry Training”continue to balancethe financial needs ofrecent Ordinands andfuture seminarians withthe needs of Queen’sCollege when allocatingresources for theologicaleducation. And, the thirdrequests The AnglicanCharitable Foundation for
Children to increase theannual monetary grantsto children and youth; towiden the criteria for grantsto include opportunitiesfor sports, music, andother extra-curricularactivities; and to reflecttheologically on whetheror not recipients must bebaptized Anglicans, or ifpastoral exceptions canbe accommodated.
Diocesan Synod 2016concluded with worshipat All Saints Church.Although the Synod was
formally adjourned, manylay delegates and clergystayed on to attend themorning worship at St.Michael and All Angels atwhich The Rev’d JenniferRenouf was ordained as atransitional Deacon.
The Rev’d GeorgeSpencer RetiresSunday, April24, 2016was a day of
goodbyesfor the Rev’dGeorgeSpencer asthe eighty-somethingyear old priesttraveled thelong road thatconnects thecongregationsat St.Aidan’s (PortBlandford), St.Mary the Virgin(Burgoyne’sCove), and AllSaints (Petley)to visit andcelebrate
Holy Communion for his last time as Rector of theParish. ‘Rev’d George’, as he prefers to be called,was rector of the parish for the last year and ahalf or so and during that time won the affectionof many in the parish by his enthusiasm for hisministry, his fantastic work ethic, and his verypersonable nature permeated with warm humour.We wish him every blessing in his retirement.
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The Church Has Left the Building: Recognizingthe Gospel Beyond The Visible Church
Article byThe Rev’d Jolene Peters
A Report from the Synod of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador
The 29th session ofthe Diocesan Synod ofEastern Newfoundlandand Labrador took placefrom April 21st-24th at theParish of the Ascensionand at the Parish ofthe Good Shepherd,both in Mount Pearl.Despite a spring snow
storm that caused somedelays, Synod beganwith an opening serviceand the Ordination ofsix individuals to theDiaconate on Thursdayevening, April 21st. Synod2016 was quite different,and it had a major focuson the relationship ofour faith communitywith the wider worldand the way in which wepartner with others in ourmission of spreading theGood News. On Friday,eight different groups
from beyond our churchwere invited to givepresentations to Synoddelegates on how theirwork and the work of thechurch come together.
Our Synod welcomedtwo specia l guests .The rst was Ms. LeslieGiddings, who is theYouth and Adult LearningCoordinator from theDiocese of Ottawa, whofacilitated sessions onFriday and Saturday.The second was BishopLawrence Provenzanofrom the Diocese ofLong Island, New York,who shared an inspiringmessage at the Bishop’sDinner, and presided atour closing Eucharist.
On Saturday evening,Synod delegates andguests gathered at St.Mary the Virgin Churchfor the Bishop’s Dinneralong with special invitedguests for a wonderfulevening of celebration.Five individuals from thisDiocese received theBishop’s Award of Meritfor their commitment andwork both in the parishand at the diocesan level.The CLB were present,
and two Diocesan Videoswere ofcially released: “Opening Doors” and“Home Again FurnitureBank”. Sunday Morningbrought a close to Synodas the Bishop opened theoor for a time of sharingbefore giving his assentto Synod, thanking theclergy and people ofthis Diocese for theircontinued good workand support. An inspiringand uplifting closing
Eucharist was held atthe Parish of The GoodShepherd in Mount Pearlas the weekend came toan end.
Though there werethe regular businessportions of Synod, thisyear delegates lef tfeeling inspired, leftbeing challenged to goback to their parishes andcommunities and to seethe Gospel beyond thevisible church. We werechallenged to ventureout, to be innovative in
our approach to how wespread the good newsof the Gospel and torealize that our churchtoday is rapidly changingand the opportunitiesfor ministry, growth, andrelationships are endlessif we just step outsideand share our stories. AsBishop Geoff stated in hisCharge to Synod, “It hasfallen to our generationof the church to take wiseand courageous counselfor the future. A big partof our work is to decide
what we keep with us onthe journey forward andwhat we leave behind.An even bigger part of
the work before us is torecognize that God isshaping us for a worlddifferent from the oldone with new travellingcompanions”
The Church has leftthe building, we are beingcalled now to recognize
the Gospel beyond thevisible church! I believethere is so much to bethankful for and evenmore to be excited aboutas we go forward afterSynod 2016 creatingpartnerships, exploringthe endless possibilities,
Pictured on the left: fromthe closing Eucharist fromEastern Newfoundland andLabrador’s Synod, 2016,which took place at the parishof The Good Shepherd,Mount Pearl. Shown here,the new deacons enter thechurch in the procession.
Pictured above: Bishop Lawrence Provenzano of Long Island New York, and Ms. Leslie Giddings,entering The Good Shepherd church for the closing Eucharist.
Photographs used withpermission from
The Parish of The GoodShepherd
and spread ing theGospel message as wecontinue forward on our
journey. God’s Story isour Story…
Pictured on the left:Bishop Geoff Peddlewith the Abedhalemfamily, who werewelcomed at Synodon Saturday April 23rd.They are sponsored bythe Parish of The GoodShepherd with helpfrom St. Peter’s UpperGullies and the parish
of Labrador West.
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Article and photographs by
Harvey Locke
Conrmation Held in Parish of Smith SoundSt. Aidan’s Church,
Port Blandford, was nearits capacity on Sunday,Apri l 17th, 2016 asfamily, sponsors, prayer
partners, and friendsfrom all the churchesof the Parish of SmithSound gathered forthe Conrmation of tenof the Parish’s youngpeople. Two churchesof the Parish had youngpeople to receive theLaying on of Hands:Tiffany Cross, JasmineCross, Lucas Efford, JoeyEfford, Melanie Clouterand Zachary Rose from St.Aidan’s, Port Blandfordand Austin Rose, JulianRose, Brent Clarke,
and Jessica Andersonfrom St. Mary the Virgin,Burgoyne’s Cove. Theg a t h e r i n g a c t u a l l ybegan late on Sundayafternoon with a practicesession for the joint choir,which is composedof members from St.Aidan’s at Port Blandfordand St. Mary the Virginat Burgoyne’s Cove, anda little rehearsal for theten youth Conrmation
candidates. This wasfollowed by a pot lucksupper hosted by St.Aidan’s and St. Mary’sACW’s and some friends.Supper in the beautifullydecorated parish hall
served to fulll the realphysical need of havinga supper meal but wasalso an opportunity forfamilies, prayer partners,and sponsors to share ina time of fellowship witheach other, the Bishop,and clergy.
The service beganat seven in the evening,presided over by BishopDavid Torraville and theRector, the Rev’d GeorgeSpencer. The candidateswere offered a role inthe liturgy and, in spite
of the usual angst andnervousness, each of theten participated. LucasEfford, Brent Clarke andTiffany Cross participatedin the Proclamation of theWord while the offeringof the people wascollected and presentedby Austin Rose, JessicaAnd erson, Melan ieC l o u t e r , a n d J o e yEfford. The Eucharisticgifts were presented by
Jasmine Cross, Julian
Rose and Zachary Rose.It was a good and even joyful thing to have youthparticipating. It was alsoa hopeful sign that theSeed had indeed fallenon fertile soil.
T h i s p a r t i c u l a rConfirmation Service,wi th B i shop D av idp r e s i d i n g , w a s a nauspicious occasion;owing to Bishop David’simminent retirement,it was probably his lastvisit as the Bishop ofCentral Newfoundland.
In commemorat ion
of this , St . Aidan’sc o n g r e g a t i o n t o o kopportunity to presenthim with a retirementgift of an early twentiethcentury photograph ofSt. Aidan’s. It was a smalltoken of the high esteemin which he is held bythe congregation at St.Aidan’s and the rest ofthe Parish.
back row: Rev’d Bob Oldford, Bishop David Torraville, Rev’d George Spencer middle row: Brent Clarke, Julian Rose, Joey Efford, Lucas Efford, Austin Rosefront row : Jasmine Cross, Melanie Clouter, Jessica Anderson, Sachary Rose, Tiffany Cross
Bishop David Torraville is presented with a gift on theoccasion of his retirement by Reg Penney.
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Part five of the series on formation and theological education in our three dioceses:
Family Fun Day in Labrador WestArticle and photographs byThe Rev’d Jolene Peters
On Sunday April 17th, the Parish ofLabrador West held a Spring FamilyFun Day. All families who gatheredhad so much fun as we played games,decorated cookies, made bird feeders,painted pictures, and had our veryown face painting station.A lemonade stand was also set up,and through the donations we werepleased to be able to send $100.00to the Canadian Heart and StrokeFoundation.
Theological Education Made To Fit (Part Two)Tryphena Vallis
Guest Columnist Having completed
the first phase of theBachelor by Distanceprogram it was time tomove on to the second
phase. This required thatI move to St. John’s andcomplete an academicyear of full time study onsite at Queen’s. Duringthis time, I completednine three credit hourcourses in Homiletics,Theological Studies,Biblical Studies, LiturgicalStudies, Pastoral Studies,and Anglican ChurchHistory. These coursesbuilt on the previouss t u d i e s t h a t I h a ddone. In addition tothese there were threevocational developmentseminars. Another ofthe requirements for thisphase was pew sitting.This meant attendingworship in churches ofvarious denominations
around the city. This wasa thoroughly enjoyablelearning experienceas I saw first-hand howChristians of differentfaith traditions worshipGod. Apart from thecourse studies I had a
great opportunity forhands on experience. Iled worship on a weeklyb a s i s , o n o c c a s i o nprepared the altar forHoly Eucharist and readthe lessons at worship.The study in homileticsrequired that I prepareand deliver a numberof sermons. Studentswere expected to takecare of the sacristy andthe student commonroom and the professorsand students all cametogether to form a closeknit community, sharingmeals in the commonroom. Al l in al l , myexperience at Queen’swas a good one. I knowthat I have been wellprepared to meet the
challenges of parishministry.
In phase three of theBachelor by Distanceprogram, I was requiredto do four three credit-hour intensive coursesin Christian Education,
Systematic Theology,Moral Theology, andAdvanced Homiletics.Phase three also involveda Parish Internship and Iwas blessed to be placedat St. Martin’s Cathedralin Gander. This was anunbelievable learninge x p e r i e n c e a s S t .Martin’s is a vibrant faithcommunity. Apart frompreaching and leadingworship, I had opportunityto do pastoral visiting atthe local hospital and invarious seniors’ homes.I had opportunity to takepart in funeral liturgiesand to observe weddingceremonies and baptisms.I visited members of thecongregation in theirhomes. I attended bible
studies, youth groupmeetings, confirmationpreparation classes, ACWmeetings, and many othergatherings. I believe thatpart of being a parishpriest is to stay connectedto and be supportive of
all the various ministrieshappening in that parish.As I write this I am
only two days away frommy ordination. EarlierI spoke of my homechurch in Bel leoramwhere my faith journeybegan. After being away
for about forty years Ihave come full circle asI will be returning to myhome parish as Deacon-in-Charge and eventually,God willing, as Priest-in-Charge. Thanks to thetheological education
I received at Queen’sCollege I am ready to takeon this role. I know that inthis, as in my studies, Iam not alone, that Godis with me and I lookforward to serving Himin this capacity. Praise HisHoly Name!
Tryphena Vallis at her ordination, with Bishop Torraville
P h o t o b y E m i l y
F . R o w e
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Kevin Smith
Columnist
Kevin Smith is a gift planning consultant forthe Anglican Church ofCanada.He can be contacted at
709 739-5667or by email:[email protected]
Which Type of Bequest IsRight For You?
Queen’s CollegeLaunchesContinuing
Education ForClergySubmitted byDr. Rick Singleton
On April 26, Queen’sCol lege F acu l ty o fTheology was thrilledto launch a ContinuingEducation for ClergyProgram. The idea ofsuch a venture had beendiscussed many timesover the past severalyears, but came to theforefront with innovationsin technology andthe adoption of thenew Queen’s Collegewebsite.
Dr. Rick Singleton,Director of Studentprograms at Queen’s,s a i d “ … t h e r e a lmomentum came overthe past few months.It was ignited and putback on the front burnerfollowing a discussion
w i t h A r c h d e a c o nJohn Meade of theDiocese of WesternNewfound land andme about educationalopportunities for clergy.We developed a listof sample topics andchecked the interest. Itwas all very encouraging.”
Q u e e n ’ s t h e nestablished an AdvisoryCommittee to ensure theContinuing Educationfor Clergy Programfocuses on topics ofinterest for clergy in
parish and pastoralministry. The AdvisoryCommittee membersare the Reverend Dr.Joanne Mercer fromCentral Newfoundland,A r c h d e a c o n J o h nMead e o f WesternNewfoundland, andArchdeacon Sam Rose ofEastern Newfoundland &Labrador.
T h e c o n t i n u i n geducation sessions willbe available both byphysically attendingthe session at Queen’s
Col lege or throughonline attendance byan online service called“GoToMeeting”. Sessionswill be offered monthly.Each session will include
both theological andpastoral perspectiveson the selected topic.Participants in the onlinesessions require highspeed Internet and acomputer with audiocapacity.
Twenty-four peopleattended at Queen’s onApril 26, 14 attendedon-line. The sessionwas recorded and isavailable through theQueen’s website: http://queenscollegenl.ca andon Facebook. There wereover 300 hits in the rst12 hours, which is theacademic equivalent ofgoing viral!
The Reverend Dr.Alex Faseruk of Queen’sCol lege noted that
this initiative is part ofQueen College’s effortto continue to do what ithas done for the past 175years in strengtheningthe Church throughtheological educationand pastoral training thataddresses current issuesand prepares for thefuture. “It is exciting toapply new technologiesas well as learning andteaching models tobuild the Kingdom whileQueen’s continues tobe Christ-centered and
Spirit-lled.”Interest participantss h o u l d c h e c k t h eQueen’s College websitefor upcoming seminarswww.queenscollegenl.ca The second sessionsare being organizedfor May 18 and 19 toprovide resources toclergy and pastoralworkers who may beinvolved in World WarI and Beaumont HamelCommemorations andMemorial Services.
Fraser Green, of the
consulting companyGood Works, remindedme recently about theb e n e f i t o f n a m i n gres idua l g i f t s as abequest in our wills.He says that, “At firstglance, this type ofbequest is like havingshown up to someone’shouse as a d innerguest, and saying toyour host: ‘Don’t botherwith a plate for me.I’ll just have whateverthe others don’t nishon their plates.” He
s u gge s t s t h a t t h eaverage residual giftbequest is substantiallyhigher than that of thefixed number. I thinkthat this approach is agood way to look at ourestate management—no matter what the size.
When supporterst a l k t o u s a b o u tleaving bequests to
the Anglican Church
of Canada, they areo f t e n c o n c e r n e dabout the uncertaintysurrounding the size oftheir estates when theypass on.
After all, none ofus knows how muchlonger we’ll l ive—orwhat the value of ourestates will be when wepass from this world.
People are oftenhappy to nd out thatthey don’t have toleave a fixed amountof money. There are
two other ways to makebequests that ease theworry about estate sizeand the gift amount.
Many people chooseto make what are knownas “residual gifts.” Thistype of donation is infact the “leftovers” afterall of a person’s xedobligations are met. So,for example, someonecould leave a certaina m o u n t o f m o n e yto each ch i ld andgrandchild – and thenleave the remainder
to your parish, yourdiocese, the AnglicanChurch of Canada or thePrimate’s World Reliefa n d D e v e l o p m e n tFund.
Others prefer toleave a percentageof their estate to thechurch. For example,someone with threec h i l d r e n a n d f o u r
grandchildren might
d i v i d e h i s o r h e restate into eight equalportions. Each child andgrandchild will receivean equal portion – andthe nal portion mightbe split between thatperson’s local parish,your diocese or theAnglican Church ofCanada.
Gifts in wills areindeed sacricial gifts.But the sacrice neednot deprive those youlove most—nor shouldthey be a struggle for
you as you put youraffairs in order.Would you like to
talk about gift planningoptions? If you areinterested, please feelfree to contact me.
Photo Copyright: memphislibraryfoundation.org, found in creativecommons.org
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Beaumont Hamel: Memorial of Hope
The Rev’d CanonGerald Westcott
Columnist
I n t h i s 1 0 0 t hAnniversary year of theBattle of the Somme,Valerie and I have
had the privilege ofv i s i t i n g B e a u m o n tHamel Memorial Parkin Northern France. Inthe battle for BeaumontHamel, and because ofthe horrible losses to theregiment, communities,and families of the smallisland and nation ofNewfoundland in 1916,the identity of a peoplewas forged. “BeaumontHamel” is etched in thecollective memory of
every Newfoundlander.When Valerie and Iwalked into the elds ofBeaumont Hamel, it feltlike home. It felt like we,as Newfoundlanders,were part of that place.The iconic Cariboumemorial and the SaltBox style interpretationcentre certainly afrmedwhat we were feeling inour hearts. But lookingout unto the trenches,battleeld, and cemetery,the warm feeling ofhome was chilled by thememory of the brutalrealities of war. Standingnear the famous “DangerTree,” a landmark wheret h e r e g i m e n t w a sordered to gather, the
war cemetery loomedin the distance. We readthe names of many of thefallen Newfoundlanders’aloud as we prayerfullymoved over that holyground. And as we did,we had a great senseof being at one with theNewfoundlanders wholost their lives. At onewith them in the one Lifethat is God. These are ourdead. This is our land. Thisis our memorial. Yet as Iwas walking prayerfully
around this beautifuland at the same timehaunting memorial park,I was called to rememberthe German men wholost their lives there.At the far end of thememorial park, there isalso a Scottish memorialfor their fallen on thateld, and for those whoeventually won the smallplot of land. As I walkedand sat and reflected(the bronze cast at theentrance to the parkreads: “Tread softly here!Go reverently and slow”),I had an expandingsense of the tragedyand senseless loss oflife in war. And I hadan expanding sense of
being at one with not onlythe Newfoundlanderswho lost their lives, butalso with the Germans,t h e S c o t s , a n d a l lwho lost their lives atBeaumont Hamel. Muchhas changed in the worldsince 1916, yet the call toidentify with the union ofall souls and the respectfor all of life remains.Beaumont Hamel is ourenduring memorial tothat hope.
The Newfoundland caribou in Beaumont Hamel
The “Danger Tree”
The graves of fallen soldiers
Salt Box style interpretation centre
Another scene of the graves of Beaumont HamelThese photographs of Beaumont Hamel all taken by The Rev’d Canon Gerald Westcott
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Pray For General Synod
Cynthia Haines-Turner
Columnist At the D iocesan
S y n o d o f W e s t e r nNewfoundland, I spokeabout the upcomingGeneral Synod and theprocess around the vote
on the Marriage Canon—something that loomslarge and brings with itmuch anxiety. I endedwith a plea to thosegathered to upholdGeneral Synod, all whowill attend, and thosewho will inevitably feelhurt and alienated bywhatever the outcome is.It is a plea I would maketo this whole Church.
The General Synoditself, in our time together,will devote much time to
prayer. But what are weasking for as we pray?What does prayer ‘do’anyway?
I confess that over theyears, I have read manybooks and attended
many workshops onprayer, on what happenswhen we pray, ways topray, intercessory prayer,contemplative prayer,and I am still left withmany questions and fewanswers. Except this one:prayer is important—forthe individual and forthe community. Scripturecalls us to pray and topray without ceasing.Jesus told us to prayalways and not to loseheart. When someone weknow is going through a
difficult time, we knowthey are comforted byknowing that othersare praying for them. Iknow that when I feel Ihave no control over asituation, my instinct isto pray. Through prayer,we share with God whatis on our hearts. Maybethat is enough.
One of my favouritewriters is Edward Hays,who wrote much onprayer, including abook called “Pray All
Ways,” in which he talksabout being aware ofthe presence of God inall moments and in theordinary circumstancesof our lives. The prayerat the end of the book
uses these words “May Istrive each day to expandthe limits of my times ofprayer until that blessedtime when each hour—day or night, asleep aswell as awake—will bespent in awareness ofthe Mystery.” In one ofhis last blogs beforehe died, (which maybe found here: http://www.edwardhays.com/haystack-blog), he wroteagain about the value ofprayer for our souls.
I have never been
comfortable with the“prayer as a Santa Clauslist” idea, but have foundmyself more drawn tothe idea of prayer asa way of developing arelationship with Godand of a l igning mywill with God’s––≠ofaccessing the spiritwithin. I have also cometo the conclusion thatit is time that I stoppedlooking for answers, asthat is a distraction fromthe task at hand, which is
to pray.I truly believe that as
we approach GeneralSynod, our prayerswill be the one thingthat wil l strengthenour communion withone another. As ourrelationship with Goddeepens, as our wills alignwith God’s, as we seek toserve God’s mission for
our world, surely so willour relationship with oneanother deepen.
So please, pray forGeneral Synod and forthe Anglican Church ofCanada as an instrumentof God’s love in thisworld.
Submitted byThe Rev’d Dr. Alex Faseruk
The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education & Skills, signed the Proclamation for Queen’s College Week, May8-14, 2016, in honour of the College’s 175th Anniversary. Representing Queen’s were the Rev’d Dr. David Bell, Dean of Theology atQueen’s College, and Ms. Rebecca Pike, President of the Queen’s College Students Association.
Pictured left to right are Dean Bell, Ms. Pike, and Minister Byrne Photo by Emily F. Rowe
“Queen’s College Week” Proclamation Signed
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St. James’s Annual Spring Sale
On May 2nd, 2016, the ACW of St. James’s Anglican Church in Port aux Basques held their annual Spring Sale. Approximately 865cold plates were prepared for either take out or delivery. There was also a sale of knitted items and crafts, a bake sale table and awhite elephant table. A big thank you goes out to all the ACW members who helped to make this happen.