Anglican National News

Spanish lessons, road trips show commitment to Cuba

Ali Symons — 2012-02-03T08:00:00-05:00

On his annual trip to the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba, Feb. 1 to 13, the Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, brings several new and tangible examples of Canadian Anglicans' commitment to their Cuban partners.

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba have had a special relationship since the 1960s, when politics drove the Cuban and U.S. episcopal churches apart. The Cuban church is not a member of an Anglican Communion province, so the Canadian church assists with governance through the Metropolitan Council of Cuba (MCC), chaired by the Canadian Primate.

The partnership has also flourished in other ways, including through financial support and visits.

Several new partnership features will be unveiled at the church's annual synod in Havana, Feb. 2 to 4. Accompanying the Primate are Archdeacon Dr. Michael Pollesel, former General Secretary; Dr. Andrea Mann, global relations coordinator; and the new General Secretary of General Synod, Archdeacon Dr. Michael Thompson.

Mr. Thompson, who has visited Cuba several times, will preach his first sermon in Spanish. The 55-year-old has been taking Monday night Spanish lessons near General Synod offices in Toronto. He plans to keep it up long-term and at this stage is enjoying small victories like managing email correspondence.

"I think our church is going to have a long relationship with Cuba," said Mr. Thompson. "It's a focal point for our partnerships within the Anglican Communion and I think [learning Spanish] is a respectful thing to do."

Mr. Thompson, a priest in the Diocese of Niagara, is also pleased to announce at the synod a revitalized partnership between his diocese and Cuba. His former parish, St. Jude's, Oakville, Ont., has a relationship with Itabo, a church and community garden project formerly led by the current Cuban bishop, the Right Rev. Griselda Delgado del Carpio.

In September, a group from Niagara will visit Cuba and begin redefining the partnership, which began more than 15 years ago.

"I am excited about this in that it is an intentional move by a diocese in refreshing existing companionship that didn't ever officially close and end, but moved from a vital period into a quiet period," said Ms. Mann.

"Good reflection, intentional reflection was taken on where should this companionship go and we decided we are going to revitalize the relationship."

Also at synod, the Canadian delegation will announce two gifts given through the Canadian church's Gifts for Mission Gift Guide. Cuba-related items proved popular this year; Canadian Anglicans gave close to $1,200 for a diocesan music camp and more than $3,000 to buy two motorcycles for Cuban priests.

Finally, in their 2012 visit, Canadians offer a gift of time. After the synod the delegation will fly to Santiago de Cuba and visit parishes in the southeast corner of the country.

"For me, the value of parish visits is that it helps build a sense of genuine relationship," said the Primate in an interview before he left. "We spend some time seeing how people live and move. You feel connected."

Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate from 1986 to 2004, travelled extensively to parishes throughout the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba. Many in the Cuban church still remember his time with them.

Archbishop Hiltz, now on his fourth visit to Cuba, said he especially values the "little things" from his 2011 tour of Cuban parishes near Havana.

In Coliseo, he saw large church bells lying dormant in the backyard of a lay reader, Roberto. Roberto told the Primate that his dream was to repair his church so the bells could ring again.

The next week, the Primate was able to share Roberto's story at a re-dedication service for a new carillon in Stratford, Ont. He wants to inspire deeper connections like this between Canadian and Cuban ministry.

Canadian Anglicans provide ongoing governance support through the MCC, which meets yearly. Archbishop Hiltz is chair, Mr. Pollesel is secretary, and other members are leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Church of the West Indies.

The Canadian church also provides support through these yearly visits as well as regular conversations with Bishop Delgado.

The benefits of the partnership are deep on both sides.

"Everybody who's experienced the Cuban church reports a kind of incredible generosity and openness," said Mr. Thompson.

o Visit the Cuba hub to learn more about the Canada-Cuba relationship.

o Read about Canadian student's recent visit to Cuba.

o Read the blog from the Primate's 2011 trip to the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba.

o View photos from the 2011 visit.

Donors must see impact of national ministries

Ali Symons — 2012-02-02T08:00:00-05:00

As results tally up from the 2011 annual appeals that support national ministries, two things are clear: General Synod has many loyal donors, and the church needs to keep sharing with them its stories of vibrant ministry—from environmental advocacy to training young leaders.

One way the Resources for Mission Department is sharing these stories is through its first Ministry Report, which describes in narrative form how donors' gifts make a difference on the ground.

The report was distributed with the February edition of the Anglican Journal and is available online. Extra copies are being sent to diocesan centres and executive councils. They can also be ordered from Resources for Mission (see below).

"On behalf of everyone at Church House I am tremendously grateful that so many thousands of faithful people have responded to our invitations this year," said Michelle Hauser, manager of annual giving.

"With so many worthwhile causes that Anglicans are called to support, we cannot take this loyalty and faithfulness for granted," she added. "Our challenge and our opportunity is to strengthen our case for support, communicate it well, keep our loyal supporters engaged and attract new supporters."

Mixed results for appeals
In total, the three national appeals raised more than $1 million for mission work, a figure that while generous, was lower that had been hoped.

The Anglican Journal Appeal, which supports the Anglican Journal and which is shared with diocesan newspapers, raised more than $483,000—a result comparable with previous years.

However the Anglican Appeal—which supports General Synod's national ministries—continued to decline. In 2011, donors gave just more than $500,000 to the appeal—about $120,000 less than in previous years.

"The Anglican Appeal has struggled, particularly in the last few years with several rounds of budget cuts and staff layoffs at the General Synod," said Ms. Hauser.

"These cuts were required to achieve a balanced and sustainable budget and were made in the context of the priorities and practices of Vision 2019. But they also left some donors wondering what there is left to support at the national church."

In fact, Ms. Hauser says, as the Ministry Report demonstrates, General Synod's ministries are as numerous, as vibrant and as important to God's mission as ever.

Gifts for Mission, the church's creative gift guide, grew to more than $102,000 last year—an increase of approximately $13,000 from 2010, its inaugural year. The guide presented gifts from General Synod as well as other entities such as the Anglican Foundation and the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF).

Haiti, Indigenous ministry, popular this year
The most popular gift guide item was school lunches for children in Haiti (see video below), which brought in more than $12,900. Other popular PWRDF projects included support for HIV/AIDS orphans in South Africa and a seed multiplication project in Burundi.

The Anglican Foundation's furry Hope Bear also caught donors' attention. By purchasing $20 Hope Bears, the foundation raised more than $2,300 for children's ministry.

Donors also sent in more than $3,000 to buy motorcycles for the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba. This will equip two ministers with two machines.

One clear trend was donors' interest in Indigenous ministry. Donors supported northern clergy, the national Sacred Circle meeting, and the Suicide Prevention Program for northern Canada.

Ms. Hauser is already planning to expand the gift guide in 2012. She wants to develop a food ministry gift that groups creative bakery and food bank work in several dioceses. She may also seek larger partners to match gifts.

The gift guide also strengthens General Synod's storytelling by holding up discrete elements of the church's national work. It allows people to designate their gifts to specific ministries that interest them and to give easily online. So far the response has been good, especially from new donors.

"People are appreciative that we're finally doing a gift guide," said Ms. Hauser. "It's amazing. They write notes. They say ‘I wish I could give more this year.'"

Resources for Mission staff will continue to thank generous donors, with correspondence based on Philippians, which Ms. Hauser calls "the greatest thank you letter in the Bible."

Read the ministry report online or order copies from Resources for Mission by contacting Michelle Hauser by email or phone (416) 924-9199 ext. 326.
Watch a video to learn more about the most popular gift guide item, school lunches in Haiti.
Missed giving in 2011? You can still give through Gifts for Mission online.

Canon Kearon preaches on 350 years of the Book of Common Prayer

2012-01-31T08:00:00-05:00

The Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon, preaching earlier this month in Dublin’s Christ Church Cathedral on the topic of the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer, described it as an "iconic" Prayer Book that had shaped Anglican worship and teaching since 1662.

He said that the Reformation in continental Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries had caused "enormous religious turmoil and ferment in England and, to a lesser extent, in Ireland". Canon Kearon noted how, in England, Reformation principles eventually had been incorporated into Church life, with the Church seeking to preserve much of its ancient order, while also adopting many of the new religious ideas and concepts from continental Europe.

He continued: "Central to these reforms would be a common prayer book for all the people, expressed in the vernacular. While a noble ideal, the task proved to be far more difficult. Many versions and editions were put forward with varying degrees of success—most notably the prayer books of 1549 and 1552—but it was not until 1662 that a Book of Common Prayer emerged which met the needs and caught the imagination of those who sought to express the new reformed faith in a widely acceptable form of worship."

Addressing the questions of how the 1662 Prayer Book had achieved what had proved so difficult for previous generations, and what had made it not only acceptable in its own time but also a classic of liturgy which shaped worship and faith for centuries to come, Canon Kearon said three broad reasons could be given.

First, he referred to the way it had addressed matters of religious controversy at the time: "The Book of Common Prayer didn’t seek compromise between opposing positions; instead, it sought to include very diverse positions into one liturgical rite. The Book is profoundly inclusive," he observed.

Second, Canon Kearon described the Book of Common Prayer as "a very practical teaching and pastoral resource", citing the "simple, dignified language of the marriage service" as expressing Christian teaching on marriage "very succinctly".

Third, he said that the language of the 1662 Prayer Book "develops the imagination of the worshipper", and noted how the services of Morning and Evening Prayer "resonate with biblical imagery and phrases".

Canon Kearon noted how Anglicans describe the Book of Common Prayer as a ‘formulary’—that is, "a document which expresses the teaching and practice of the Church at the time".

He said it was a text to which reference was made when people sought to understand the history and nature of Anglicanism, continuing: "In most Anglican Churches around the world today, the use of the Book of Common Prayer in worship has been eclipsed by modern and more accurate liturgical translations and developments, but none of these are formularies—they don’t aspire to mould or express basic doctrinal truths as the Book of Common Prayer does. Yet the Book of Common Prayer never claimed to be, nor do others claim for it, the final word on anything liturgical or doctrinal."

While not doubting that during this 350th anniversary year reference would be made to the Book of Common Prayer as "one of the great classics of the English language", it was "far more" than this, Canon Kearon said, adding: "In its theology, it outlines a method which is profoundly inclusive; as liturgy, it gives substance to the integration of worship and teaching lex orandi, lex credendi (‘the language of worship is the language of belief’); and the way it uses words leads the worshipper into realms of religious imagination which are ultimately inexpressible."

Risking frostbite, Anglicans bless waters

Ali Symons — 2012-01-24T08:00:00-05:00

In most parts of Canada, January isn't the greatest time to hang out by open water. It's cold, it's windy, and if you stand still too long, your face will freeze.

Yet it's worth the discomfort if you're there for divine purposes. Such was the case for some Indigenous Anglicans who this year picked up the Eastern Orthodox tradition of the Great Blessing of Water. The outdoor event happens on or close to Jan. 19, the feast of Christ's baptism known as "Theophany."

The adaptation was led by National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald, who held two chilly services: one in Kingfisher Lake, Ont., and one in Toronto.

"The blessing of the water is a way of saying that the land is sacred and what happens in it is a sacred matter," said Bishop MacDonald.

When he served as bishop of Alaska Bishop MacDonald heard how this blessing resonated among Indigenous Orthodox. Church communities would trek out to rivers, lakes, and the ocean for special services, often bringing back water in bottles to bless homes.

At the time Bishop MacDonald was having his own experiences with outdoor winter liturgies, usually presiding at funerals, where men would spend hours digging graves through permafrost.

Now in his role as pastoral head to Indigenous Anglicans across Canada, a position he's held since 2007, Bishop MacDonald decided this year to try the tradition. He adapted an Orthodox blessing service and sent it out to his network across North America.

The Anglicans of Kingfisher Lake in northern Ontario were especially keen so Bishop MacDonald travelled north—450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay—on Jan. 18 to be with them.

The service began inside a cozy local radio station, where the liturgy was broadcast to the community of 400 by several bishops—Bishop MacDonald, Archbishop David Ashdown of Keewatin, and Bishop Lydia Mamakwa, area bishop of Northern Ontario.

Then they bundled up for the -40 weather and trekked out on the frozen lake with 20 others—everyone in snow pants, parkas, and fur-lined mittens. A local man had hacked a square to the fresh water and kept scraping with a shovel to keep the ice at bay.

"Blessed be God forever," said the gathered. Then they dipped a wooden cross into the lake three times to symbolize Christ's baptism. It came up coated in ice.

After two days and several flights—one delayed due to extreme cold—Bishop MacDonald stood on a west Toronto beach with the Rev. Andrew Wesley, a Cree priest in the Diocese of Toronto. It was cold for the city, about -15, though both men kept their hands and heads bare. To their left was the CN Tower and to their right, a cluster of lakeshore condos. A couple of dog walkers strolled past while the men read the Bible, sang, and prayed loudly over Lake Ontario. Mr. Wesley sprinkled tobacco on the ice as a sign of gratitude.

"Everything that was created by God has a spirit, even water," said Mr. Wesley after the service. "That's why it's so important that we have to acknowledge things that were given by the Creator."

The tradition of the Great Blessing syncs well with Indigenous cultures where the sacredness of water is acknowledged in different ways. In Mr. Wesley's Omushkego Cree community near James Bay there is a special prayer before fishing or boating.

Bishop MacDonald, who has also served as Bishop of Navajoland, said that many Navajos say a blessing when they pass open water.

The Orthodox tradition also acknowledges the inherent sacredness of the water. Some Orthodox theologians interpret Jesus's baptism as a moment when Jesus also baptized the waters. It is not that Jesus cleansed the water; he released something holy that was already there.

The Great Blessing of Water has started out small this year in Canadian Anglican communities, but Bishop MacDonald is confident the practice will catch on.

There is potential for these blessings to tie in more environmental activism. A 2011 service in Nondalton, Alaska, also served as a way to raise awareness about pollution from the nearby Pebble Mine.

Meanwhile, Anglicans are gradually learning about the liturgy, now available online. For next year Bishop Mamawka will translate the service into Oji-Cree for her ministers to use. Anglicans as far away as Santa Fe have already experimented with the liturgy.

Within Canada, however, the service certainly offers the novelty of bringing church language out into a wintry creation. Bishop MacDonald approaches it with a sense of delight.

"It was a big hit," said Bishop MacDonald after the Kingfisher blessing. "We all had goosebumps but we didn't know if it was the Spirit or the weather."

o Download the liturgy for "A Blessing of the Waters," an adaptation of the Orthodox tradition by National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald

o View a photo gallery of highlights from the Kingfisher Lake and Toronto blessings.

Classic Anglican videos available online

Ali Symons — 2012-01-20T08:00:00-05:00

Anglican Video has dug into its archives and digitized another batch of classic long and short features, each covering a different aspect of life in the Anglican Church of Canada. The videos—on baptism, Indigenous Peoples, sexual misconduct, and a former Primate—are available for free viewing through the Anglican Church of Canada's website. Several can also be downloaded and used as resources for local communities.

1. Michael Peers: Called to Be a Leader (2004)

This 52-minute documentary is about the life and career of Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada from 1986 to 2004. The years of Peers' primacy covered some of the most turbulent years in the history of the Canadian church. The documentary includes interviews with Archbishop Desmond Tutu; former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson; and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams.

2. Baptism: a Life-long Celebration (2004, available for download)

This 25-minute program is not a how-to video but an introduction to baptism within Anglican tradition and practice. It chronicles the journey of Naomi, an infant baptismal candidate, and Stan, a middle-aged convert to Christianity.

3. Sexual Misconduct: Learn to Spot It, Learn to Stop It (2001, available for download)

Using real-life scenarios, this 28-minute video shows clergy, staff, and laity how to recognize the various forms of sexual misconduct that can occur in a church community. Information in the video complies with Canadian legislation concerning sexual misconduct. This resource can be used in parishes, small groups, individuals, or in other education sessions.

4. Written on the Heart (2003, available for download)

This eight-part video series helps individuals and Bible study groups find ways to integrate Bible study into daily life. There are discussion starters and the series can be viewed in one session or over an eight-day or eight-week period. Written on the Heart features a range of interviews with theologians, educators, and Anglicans in the pew.

5. Search for Healing (1992)

This 23-minute video was the first in Canada to openly discuss residential schools and it reflects the courage of the Anglican Church of Canada at the time. While many fought to protect themselves from litigation, the Anglican Church of Canada produced this video, which was followed in 1993 by the official apology from then-Primate Archbishop Michael Peers. These events marked a turning point after which the church accepted responsibility for the past and a commitment to healing.

6. The Seventh Fire (1995)

This 30-minute documentary explores a First Nations prophecy that the time of the Seventh Fire will be when the reborn First Nations offer spiritual recovery to North Americans of European ancestry. Narrated by the late elder Vi Smith, The Seventh Fire chronicles the relationship of Indigenous Peoples and European settlers, with many interviews from residential school survivors.

Anglican Video is staffed by Senior Producer Lisa Barry and Production Manager Becky Boucher. As part of General Synod's Communications and Information Resources department, they produce video resources for parish and individual use as well as spiritual documentaries aimed at a broader audience. Anglican Video has won many national and international awards for its work.

o View a list of all Anglican Video productions available for viewing online

Of money and re-membering

The Ven. Dr. Michael Thompson, General Secretary — 2012-01-17T08:00:00-05:00

The Ven. Dr. Michael Thompson, General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, shared a comprehensive vision of stewardship within the context of the Baptismal Covenant at a recent synod of the Diocese of British Columbia. The text of his address follows.

Friends, fellow-members by baptism of the living, working Body of Christ and partners in God's transforming mission,

It is a pleasure to be here. Thank you, Bishop, for your invitation and hospitality.

Some of you will be aware that I regard the Baptismal Covenant as a foundational element in our common life. Its five promises...

...to continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers

...to persevere in resisting evil, and whenever we fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord

...to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ.

...to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbour as ourselves, and

...to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being,

Its five promises are at the heart of Christian discipleship, of our following Jesus as servants in God's mission. They are remarkably similar to the "Rule of Life" in the Prayer Book Catechism. There are listed the duties of "every Christian man or woman" :

Regularity of attendance at public worship
Private prayer, Bible-reading, and self-discipline
Bringing the teaching and example of Christ into everyday life
Boldness of spoken witness to one's faith in Christ
Personal service to Church and community

There is certainly a family resemblance, and there are significant differences. The Baptismal Covenant raises the bar on personal service , calling us through and beyond service "to strive for peace and justice," and "the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers" seems to cover two of the responsibilities outlined in the "Rule of Life."

But missing completely from the Baptismal Covenant is the specific mention of money. The Rule of Life in the Book of Common Prayer makes explicit an additional shared responsibility,

"the offering of money according to our means for the support of the work of the church."

I love the direct clarity of this sixth "mark of baptismal ministry." And I invite you to pay attention to the words. They matter, both for what they say and for what they don't say. They don't say, "the giving of money for the support of the Church." Instead, they say, "for the support of the work of the Church." There is a big difference between one and the other. And we might want to sharpen that distinction even farther, to say "to support the work of God through the ministry of God's church."

Over the past several years, this Diocese has done substantial and sometimes painful work in focusing on that distinction in discerning an appropriate use of resources. You have asked the question, "What is the work of God?" And you have, at no small cost, asked the next question, "How can we be the best stewards of the resources entrusted to our care to further that work?"

That is the money question, for the church and for its baptized members. Now let me pry that word "member" open just for a moment. In the culture around us, a "member" is someone who has attained a position within a group that entitles that person to certain privileges. They have paid their dues, either literally or figuratively, and "membership has its privileges." But there is an older and, for a group that understands itself as "a body," more vital meaning to the word. A "member" is an attached, living and purposeful part of the body. And the body is itself purposeful. The body has work to do. So when we talk, in the church of membership, we aren't talking about privileges and entitlements, but of capacity, purpose, and work.

As a member of the body of Christ, what constitutes my capacity or yours? What purpose do we serve, and what work do we undertake? And as the Body of Christ, gathered in a local community, what purpose do we serve, and what work is entrusted to our care?

I had the opportunity to read the last year's issues of your Diocesan Post as I was preparing to come here. And I read them through the lens of the Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion. Here's what I found. In the Diocesan Post from one year ago, January 2011, you could read about the following:

A Truth and Reconciliation Conference at the University of Victoria's "First Peoples' House," described by some participants as "the first time that church people had set aside the time to hear of the impact of these [Residential] schools upon those who attended. (Transform unjust structures of society)
An upcoming event, "Common Ground," described as "a five-day gathering for learning, growth and networking for people with a passion for mentoring youth and the journey of faith." (Teach, baptize and nurture new believers)
A description of the ministry of "Victoria Hospice" and a plea for financial support in the face of money challenges. (Respond to human need by loving service).
A meeting of folks from the Province of BC and Yukon to promote "a visible community presence" through community ministries (Proclaim the good news of the Kingdom)

In the February edition, an notice of "Hearing each other; healing the earth," a quiet day at St. John's House. (Safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth).

Here are some others:

Front page, December, The Red Ribbon Campaign for World AIDS Day (Respond to human need by loving service).
April (Easter edition) Front page, "Helping the Hungry in Victoria" (Respond to human need by loving service)
May 2011 Front Page: "Messy Church is here!" (teach, baptize and nurture new believers)
Front page, June, "New Citizen of the Year"—Harold Munn is honoured for his advocacy for the homeless. (Transform unjust structures of society)
September, page 9, "Cowichan region churches hold Foot-washing Clinic) in Warmland House shelter. (Human need, loving service)
In the same issue, page 11, a "Chocolate Lily Festival" at St Peter's Quamichan, in whose churchyard 50 of these now-rare plants flourish. (Safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth)"

This diocese develops and celebrates ministries that respond to and serve God's mission in the world, and in seeing those ministries as the essential focus for the use of resources. The choice for God's mission is obvious in the pages of your Diocesan Post.

And that choice makes it possible to talk in positive, faithful, and honest terms about the place and use of money in the lives of the baptized members of the living, working and purposeful Body of Christ here in the Diocese of British Columbia.

I wonder if you would take a moment now to reflect on two things. On one hand, can you identify a very positive experience you have had in relationship to money? And on the other, can you remember a very negative experience?

I wonder if I'm right that the positive experiences have to do with things like:

Confidence or affirmation that you made a good decision about using money
The unexpected, undeserved, and timely appearance of money in your life
A story of generosity—yours or someone else's—that made a difference in the world
Purpose, real connection with others, patient, deliberate choices
Wondering if there would be enough, and there was

And I wonder if some of the negative experiences had these characteristics:

Less about free and thoughtful choosing, more about being compelled
Disappointment with a decision that wasn't followed by the expected satisfaction
Feeling "taken" by someone making a less than honest pitch for a product, service or human need
The wasteful or indulgent use of money
Or, as a friend once described, just "too much month at the end of the money."

The reality is that most of us are "in" our money somewhere. It represents our gifts and our work, the grace we have received and the effort we have added to the grace. Money is a storage device for grace, time, and energy. Money is personal. It goes into the world as an expression somehow of who we are. It discloses what we believe about ourselves. That's why choices and purpose and freedom and giving and relationships characterize our positive experiences of money. When we are using money together in the spirit of these things, we are sending into the world an expression of good and healthy life within our own souls and in community.

How is it, then, that we spend so much of our lives in a quite different and much less satisfying relationship with money? Why is so much of our money life fraught with distrust, dissatisfaction, and disconnection, with compulsion and scarcity and worry?

In some cases, there is real poverty—circumstances, generated by a host of factors, most of them beyond personal control, can plunge a person or a household into poverty. There are many, many people in the human household who just plain don't have enough. That may be true for some people here today, but I am pretty sure it's not the case for most of us. And the reality of a world so deeply veined with such gross inequality is testimony to that fact that something is deeply wrong in our understanding and use of money.

That something, is, I think, a forgetfulness both natural and cultivated. Natural in that there is among us and within us a temptation to see the world in selfish terms. The number of young people drawn to the libertarian ideology of, for example, Ron Paul, with its absolute refusal to acknowledge the necessity of a common commitment to the common good, should give us pause and profound concern. Ayn Rand wrote to the shadow side of our relationship with money, to our selfish selves who willingly forget our truer and more generous origins in God' image and likeness.

And our natural forgetfulness—our innate fear and selfishness—is cultivated and compounded by a barrage of consumerism, by an economy that simply will fail to function (so we are told and so we believe) if we don't consume stuff, and consume it at an increasing rate. As citizens, we had perhaps some sense of responsibility for the common good, but as consumers and taxpayers, bring on the stuff, and bring down the taxes.

I owe to Archbishop John Privett the image of this forgetfulness as a kind of "dis-membering," imposing the recent heresy of individualism on the body so that its members no longer believe that we have a body, that together we are a body, and that each member serves the body's purpose by adopting it as one's own. We choose to separate ourselves from the body, we arms and legs and ears and whatnots, because we have allowed ourselves to be seduced by the vision of our own autonomy, to believe that isolated arms and legs and ears and whatnots can achieve a fuller humanity in competition with one another than in serving together a common purpose.

It's not, I think, that this actually works for very many people. Instead, it seems that many of us simply accept that it is so, that it cannot be otherwise. In response to this sense of fatalism or inevitability, our ancestors offer us the Christian virtue of hope. Hope calls us, sometimes against the grain of much evidence, "children of God" and "followers of Jesus." And we take up that hope when we allow ourselves not only to believe it, but to enact it. To believe and enact the truth about us and about the world, that God is at work for the transformation of the world, and that through our transformation at the hand of God, we can participate in what God is doing in the world. William Cavanagh defines imagination as "the drama in which bodies are invested." Far from wishful thinking, hope and imagination invite an investment on our part. In fact, without such an investment on our part, hope is reduced to wishful thinking and imagination to fantasy.

Here's a story that might give that some grounding. I wrote about it just over a year ago in the Anglican Journal. It is the story of a man and a woman. The woman is Griselda Delgado, the first woman diocesan bishop in Latin America, who was installed in December 2010 as Bishop of Cuba. But it doesn't start as the story of a bishop. Before that it's the story of a priest, appointed by her bishop to two churches in central western Cuba—one in the village of Itabo, the other in Coliseo. When Griselda arrived, both churches were in profound disrepair, close to falling in on themselves. Their had not been priestly ministry there for many years, and indeed it would take many years for her to gain trust and esteem in the communities, and to lead the renewal of those churches as companions in the divine mission. When Griselda arrived in Itabo, she found a gardener, who had for many years tended a small side flower garden beside the church. He believed so deeply that the mass would one day be celebrated again in la Iglesia de Santa Maria Virgen that he made sure that, when it happened, he would be able to decorate the altar with fresh flowers from that garden. That's hope.

To hope for, to imagine, a world of relationship, freedom, and purpose, a world in which generous actions ensure that there is enough, is to act according to our hope, to invest our bodies in the future we imagine. I believe that a key to our taking up that hope and investing in that imagined future is in unlocking the positive capacity of our money to change both us and the world. I think Jesus thought so, too, since after the Kingdom of God, more of his recorded conversation is about money than about anything else.

It seems to me that if there is a discipline in our lives about money, it's less likely to be about using it than about hanging on to it. But Jesus' discourse wasn't about hanging on to money. Evidently he realized that those committed to that practice were pretty good at it and didn't need a lot of encouragement. Instead, he talked about using it, setting it to some purpose, investing it. The man who builds a bigger barn to hold his harvest doesn't receive Jesus' commendation. Food is for a purpose. Food is for hungry people, not for hoarding. The slave who buries his master's gold doesn't receive Jesus' commendation. Money is stored grace, time, and energy, and it needs good work to do. Jesus does commend the Samaritan who spends his own money to care for a foreigner who probably despises him, and the woman who uses her valuable oil to anoint him for his death. The unnamed Samaritan and the unnamed woman read the purpose of their wealth in the cry of the world—a beaten man, and a man moving courageously and inexorably towards a painful death.

Somehow, around Jesus, there gathered a community of re-membering. (I love the Greek word for what we do at the heart of our eucharist—-anamnesis. It means remembering, but literally it is an-amnesis, "unforgetting.")

The decision to pool a significant proportion of the money entrusted to our care (not, that is to say, our money, but the money for whose use we are responsible) and to apply that pool of money to shared participation in the mission, the work of God is an act of unforgetting, and of freedom. It says that we are able to step back from the unreflective strewing of money according to the manufactured desire of consumerism, from the unreflective accumulation of money, and make decisions that deliberately and gladly invest whatever tithe we adopt in God's mission in the world.

The tithe we adopt is part of a more reflective and disciplined use of money. It is often the case that those who make glad and generous decisions to support the ministry of their church in service of God's mission tend to have a happier relationship with money overall. I remember when my wife Deborah left her job to pursue further formal education. Hers was by far the higher income. We had a Toronto mortgage, three children—child care, recreation, and all that—and now one income. I went to Business Depot and bought a ledger book to record everything we spent money on. Suddenly and dramatically our spending decreased. We hadn't thought of ourselves as careless, wasteful, or extravagant, but the introduction of a single discipline—recording our use of money—changed our lives. We lived with an income decrease of something like 35%. And I began to realize how much what seemed like the relatively paltry income of a parish priest could accomplish. Once we make it our practice to we get the hang of using a proportion of our money with care and purpose, we begin to see our other financial choices in that light.

Last winter, I traveled to Cuba, and had a conversation with Bishop Griselda about the parish in Itabo. During her more than twenty years as the pastor there, she had led the parish in the development of a sustainable agriculture project, because there was a bit of land around the church. Tomatoes and bananas, legumes and fruit trees. The parish I served in Oakville got involved in the expansion of the project into small animals—rabbits and chickens. Under the newly liberalized land-ownership laws of Cuba, land could be held and transferred privately, and the parish had received the gift of a small parcel of land a few years earlier. Now they had the opportunity to purchase four adjoining hectares, but time was short. I approached a generous disciple who I knew would embrace the opportunity to invest in God's mission in this way, and she gave the money for the parish to purchase the land. Last November, it was planted in beans. That's hope, too.

I wonder if you could dream with me of a future in which the hope of those who have been graced with wealth, people like you and me, could make common cause with the hope of those who sustain modest gardens along the sides of churches. I more than wonder that. I long for it, and for the transformation it could bring to all of us as we renew our investment in what God is doing in and for the world.

I believe we can be practitioners of that hope in your decisions about how to use money, and agents of that hope inviting others into that discipline. St. Francis of Assisi is reported to have said, "When we approach Paradise, our arms are laden, not with what we have accumulated, but with what we have given away. As we enter those gates, may we be bearing the weight (it's a word that also means "glory") of generous lives.

Justice Camp links rural and urban issues

Ali Symons — 2012-01-13T08:00:00-05:00

Mid-sized and close to the country, Peterborough was the obvious host for the Anglican Church of Canada's Justice Camp on the theme "Shalom: Uniting Us All—Urban and Rural." An expected 100 campers will visit the east-central Ontario city from Aug. 19 to 24 to learn Christian approaches to justice through workshops, worship, and hands-on learning.

"I'm unabashedly proud of my city of Peterborough," said Christian Harvey, Justice Camp co-chair. "I'm really excited for people to see what's happening in our community in regards to justice and advocacy."

The metropolitan area of 135,000 is home to Trent University, several large businesses including Pepsico Foods, and a busy arts scene. It also serves as a hub for the surrounding rural and farm communities.

Campers will explore justice issues in both worlds—urban and rural—during their time in the area. Each camper will choose a three-day immersion group and hone in on one subject: migrant workers, sustainable agriculture, violence, water quality, technology, and others.

Back together at camp, the themes will be tied together with worship, Bible study, and theological reflection guided by Sylvia Keesmaat, a University of Toronto professor and organic farmer.

Organizers named the camp "shalom" to capture this sense of intertwined, holistic justice. In the Bible "shalom" is used to describe peace and completeness in a variety of relationships including between God and humans and between countries.

"Often justice issues are dealt with individually," said Mr. Harvey, a parish youth worker and Trent-Durham youth social justice coordinator. "If Biblical shalom embraces all those things, then our justice work should look to bridge the gap to see how environment, poverty, Aboriginal issues, and others cross over."

Justice camps have been running in the Anglican Church of Canada since 2005. They are overseen by General Synod's Partners in Mission and Ecojustice Committee but are organized and run by local planning committees. The five previous camps have included a food justice camp in Winnipeg, Man., an advocacy camp in Ottawa, Ont., and an environment justice camp in Victoria, B.C.

They've steadily gained a reputation as excellent events. Co-chair Murray MacAdam, the Diocese of Toronto's social justice and advocacy consultant, said that the three justice camps he attended have been highlights of his 40-year career in activism.

"They're inspirational, they really reinforce you in your faith and there's a lot of learning, hands-on learning," he said, quickly adding, "They're also a lot of fun."

Justice Camps are designed for veteran activists like Mr. MacAdam as well as people new to the scene. The camp aims to have fifty per cent of participants between 16 and 35 as well as fifty per cent from outside the Diocese of Toronto, the official host. People from other denominations are welcome, especially full communion partners from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

Camps have the potential to be transformative for all who attend.

Mr. Harvey, 31, said the 2009 Halifax Justice Camp equipped him with practical skills for work he was already doing informally in Peterborough. He learned in unexpected places, including at a community baseball game where people of different income levels. Both co-chairs hope this experience will lead to new insights for others.

"We're hoping that people will go home equipped with new skills and new enthusiasm for working in their own parish and diocese and their own local communities on the issues they face," said Mr. MacAdam.

"I think it's true to say that no one ever leaves a justice camp in quite the same way as when they began."

The 2012 Justice Camp is financially supported by the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and FaithWorks, the annual appeal for the Diocese of Toronto.

o Register online now. Camp fees are $375, not including travel. For more information, contact Heather Burton, project manager, by email or phone: (905) 668-1558.

o Follow Justice Camp on Facebook.

o Learn more about the camp on their website.

Week of prayer helps thaw "ecumenical winter"

Ali Symons — 2012-01-11T08:00:00-05:00

The ecumenical climate may have cooled off since its initial flowering 50 years ago, but the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18 to 25, is still an important way for Christians to stay active, said Archdeacon Bruce Myers, the Anglican Church of Canada's new coordinator for ecumenical relations.

"We believe that prayer informs, inspires, and strengthens us in the work to which God calls us—and one of those tasks is bringing the church to a more visible unity," said Mr. Myers. "A good place to start is in common prayer."

Canadian Anglicans will mark the week by joining other Christians for special ecumenical services, cooperative mission or evangelism work, and pulpit swaps. Liturgical material is available, jointly prepared by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches, this year under the guidance of a delegation from Poland.

Started in 1908, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is one of the oldest ecumenical activities. It predates the 1948 creation of the World Council of Churches and all the Anglican Church of Canada's bilateral dialogues.

In short, the week of prayer has been a mainstay through what Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie in 1989 first called the "ecumenical winter"—a term that rankles ecumenists but remains in currency.

The "ecumenical spring," in contrast, was in the 1960s and 1970s, when churches first began to explore their commonalities. The Second Vatican Council opened up more opportunities for engagement with the Roman Catholic Church. The World Council of Churches broadened its membership. Across the world, churches began to set up bilateral dialogues. Here at home the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada considered forming one denomination.

Then seasons changed as the dialogues faced challenges. For Anglicans, a major obstacle arose in the 1980s when the agreements of the first phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission—on ministry, Eucharist, and authority—failed to gain traction at the local level. In 1975, the Anglican House of Bishops quashed plans for Anglican-United union. Further Anglican decisions around women's ordination and human sexuality made some ecumenical conversations more difficult.

"Initial enthusiasm for the movement was falling off after a generation," said the Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, director for Unity, Faith, and Order for the Anglican Communion. "Hard realities set in and institutions moved more slowly than people perhaps hoped for."

Ms. Barnett-Cowan has seen many changes in ecumenism over her lifetime. Growing up, she remembers that Anglicans and Roman Catholics would never attend each other's churches. By the time she was a young priest there was a newly formed Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada and she was invited to join. Years later, she led the Anglican Church of Canada's ecumenical work at General Synod, and now she staffs the Anglican Communion's ecumenical dialogues, where she has a bird's eye view of global ecumenical work.

Like many ecumenists, Ms. Barnett-Cowan finds the term "ecumenical winter" negative. She can point to much work that's steadily growing in this quieter period, including the third phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and the Anglican-Lutheran work that flourishes in places as far-flung as Hong Kong and Ecuador.

So a change in season is not a death knell.

"As Canadians, we know very well you don't just hibernate in winter. There are still things you can do in winter," said Mr. Myers, "The promise and the enthusiasm that we saw during the ecumenical spring may not be there but that doesn't necessarily condemn it to death or dormancy."

Mr. Myers references a gift of Nordic gloves that the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, gave to Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. Mr. Tveit's gift symbolized the continuing work in a colder season.

It seems appropriate that Canadians know how to work well in winter. The Anglican Church of Canada maintains various dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church and ecumenical councils and has re-engaged the United Church of Canada. Above all, its work with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada remains exemplary.

Since 2001, the two denominations have enjoyed a full communion relationship that means exchange of clergy and mutual recognition of baptismal vows. In 2013, they will meet jointly for the first time.

Mr. Myers and Ms. Barnett-Cowan hold up the Canadian Anglican-Lutheran relationship as an example of a bold union—especially at a time when some churches fret about declining attendance and the decrease in their "market share."

These ecumenists emphasize that all of these successes—perhaps slower in winter—are undergirded by prayer, a discipline that can be refocused in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

"The unity of the church is ultimately a gift from God and not something we create," said Ms. Barnett-Cowan. "We can only really come to be one in Christ when we are with Christ together in prayer."

o Access liturgical resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Share your two-minute Mission Moment

Ali Symons, General Synod Web Writer — 2012-01-03T08:00:00-05:00

God's mission is at work in your life. Will you share your story with the rest of the church?

You are invited to make a two-minute video for the Mission Moments website and talk about how God is working where you are. This is the latest—and most interactive—element in the Anglican Church of Canada's promotion of the Marks of Mission, five priorities used throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion. They are

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
To teach, baptize,and nurture new believers
To respond to human need by loving service
To seek to transform unjust structures of society
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Making a video is easy. You can record directly on to the website with your web cam, or you can upload a video that you have already recorded.

Stories don't have to explicitly reference the Marks of Mission. They can be general or specific stories of how God's mission is at work in your life.

Already the site is hosting videos made by people across the Anglican Church of Canada. An intern from the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund talks about how God has guided her in her life choices. A young priest in Montreal explains what ministry looks like in a shopping mall. A bishop shares what it was like to find God among some especially generous children.

This Mission Moments website is one way Canadian Anglicans can learn about the Marks of Mission. Already the initiative has included two contests: one on Sunday School curriculum and the other a song contest. The winners of the curriculum contest are currently developing their final product and the winning song was chosen in December 2011, with a release planned for later in 2012.

A third contest, focusing on art, will launch closer to the next national meeting, General Synod 2013.

As word gets out about the Marks of Mission, dioceses and parishes are using this framework to describe what God is doing in their area. If your church is using the Marks of Mission for resources, programs, or in any other way, please share this with the Marks of Mission team at General Synod.

Explore Mission Moments and record yours now

2011: Protestor, Survivor, Lover

2012-01-01T08:00:00-05:00

It is an annual New Year's Day tradition for the Anglican Primate to preach at Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa. This year Archbishop Fred Hiltz considers the significance of names and the nameless—from the protestor celebrated by Time magazine to those who call themselves survivors of the residential schools system. Finally, he considers how each Anglican can be a better Christian lover, both through work in Canada and by strengthening ties around the worldwide Anglican Communion.

New Year's 2012 Address

"To us a child is born
to us a son is given.
And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6)

On this eighth day of Christmas and the first of the new year, we celebrate the naming of the Christ Child.

Of this sacred moment Henri Nouwen writes, "Names tell stories, most of all the name which is above all, the name of Jesus, in whose name I am called to live."

The name of Jesus tells the story of divine love made known in the manger and on the cross. It tells the story of the Son of God coming to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. It tells of the Servant of God walking among the least and the last, feeding the hungry, healing the sick. It speaks of the Beloved of God drawing us into an abiding friendship one with another in his mission in the world.

As true as the statement "names tell stories" is of Jesus, so it is of others. Names tell the stories of the day and of the events of the year.

According to Time Magazine the person of the year 2011 was "Protestor." In Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and now Syria, we saw masses of people filling city squares protesting the oppression under which they lived for so long. Refusing to be suppressed any longer they demanded dictators step down and they called for democracy in the governance of their nations.

In Europe we saw massive protests in the wake of political turmoil and floundering economies in several countries.

In New York hundreds of protestors occupied Wall Street drawing worldwide attention to the ever growing gap between the wealthy and the poor. The Occupy Movement spread to cities all across North America and around the world.

Here in Ottawa, the Blanket Train made its way to The Hill protesting the lack of a comprehensive Government plan for addressing longstanding issues of injustice borne by the indigenous peoples of this land. The awful reality is that across this country there are many communities like Attawapiskat. The crisis in housing, access to fresh food and clean water, health care, and schooling cannot be ignored.

As a signatory to the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Government of Canada must address the crisis with renewed determination. The Church has a significant role to play here. It's the work of advocacy and public pressure, grounded in the justice of God.

The preaching of the Son of God, itself rooted rooted in the teaching of the prophets, calls us to the vision of "a truly, just, healthy and peaceful world." In the face of systemic injustices and the violation of human rights we must speak truth to power. We cannot and dare not remain silent.

If "Protestor" was the person of the year in 2011 I believe a very close second was "Survivor." We saw immense suffering through natural disasters — the cataclysmic tsunami in Japan, relentless flooding in India and Pakistan, earthquakes in Chile and New Zealand, and storms that battered the Philippines just before Christmas. We watched millions of people on the move, struggling to survive in their escape from the ravages of famine in the Horn of Africa. Canadian Anglicans channelled their compassion and extraordinary generosity through the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) working with Action by Churches Together (ACT).

Here at home through the National Events of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) we heard the story of survivors of the Indian Residential Schools. At the National North Event in Inuvik many of us were deeply moved by one man who when he finished telling his story got up from his chair, looked around at the Commissioners and everyone present and said, "now I know I am no longer #148. I am Paul and I have a right to be healthy and happy." Other survivors concluded their stories with words of apology to their own families. They said that in residential school they had lost the capacity to love and be loved and to enter into mature wholesome relationships in marriage and in parenting. Their words of confession and hope of forgiveness were accompanied by deep silences, many tears and prolonged embraces. I remain ever grateful for our Church's "in-for-the-long-haul" commitment to healing and reconciliation. Through many community based projects supported by our church, "healing is happening." One of the best good news stories is that there is solid evidence that the Suicide Prevention Program initiated by our church is having a positive impact. Counselling and peer support groups are making a real difference in the lives of many teens.

We are haunted by the face of other survivors, those who have suffered through gender-based violence and human trafficking. Tragically many young people are lured or snatched up for the sex trade. They become a commodity, goods delivered, damaged and then discarded. From the horrors of this violation of human dignity, we cannot turn our eyes. We must shout out our condemnation at all forms of sexual slavery and we must stand with those who would help people escape its bondage.

Abuse often has its seeds in bullying. Alarmingly this behaviour is learned at a very young age. Those who are bullied are often silenced sometimes to the desperate act of taking their own life. Thankfully however many young people themselves are taking initiatives to address this issue. Musical pop stars and sports celebrities are inspiring them in a shift from a climate of bullying to a culture of kindness. As a Church we must do everything we can to support and model that shift.

The ministry of the Servant of God, touched the suffering ones of his time. His eyes beheld them. His lips uttered words of compassion. He reached out to touch and comfort them and in his heart he carried them. After his example we are called to "go and do likewise."

As protestors summon our solidarity and survivors our compassion, our responses must be more than a political act. They must be acts of public witness to our faith.

Much of the work to which we are called in the world reflects a devotion to the Christ of the Synoptic Gospels — Matthew, Mark and Luke. To what work I wonder does the Johannine portrait of Christ call us? Implicit in that gospel and related writings is the beautiful image of Christ as the Beloved of God — sent from God not to condemn the world but to redeem it. The Beloved becomes very flesh and dwells among us. He draws us together as a community that abides in the mystery of the eucharist, the word of his peace and the command to love one another. "By this" he said, everyone will know that you are my disciples." (John 13:35)

Lovers? Is this how we are known — as lovers of God, lovers of one another, lovers of God's creation?

Is loving a theme in your life's story and mine? Is it a pervasive theme in the witness of our church? I hope that what people see and hear and experience in our church is a love revealed in genuine welcome and hospitality, a love informed by gospel values and oriented toward the world, a love inspired by the Beloved himself and then incarnated in our words and actions.

Inasmuch as I hope for such expressions of love I am much encouraged by what I hear and see in many places. Throughout our Church there is a deep commitment to the Marks of Mission proclaiming good news, growing disciples, serving the suffering, building just societies and caring for the earth. In 2011, these marks became household language in many of our parishes. They are informing diocesan ministry plans and they are certainly at the heart of Vision 2019 — a guide for the General Synod in setting its priorities for the next number of years.

I am also encouraged by evidence throughout the Anglican Communion of a new love, a new regard for one another in Christ, in gatherings that assume friendship in Him, and conversations marked by humility. The Archbishop of Canterbury recently reminded the primates that "we all live in imperfect churches," and that "drawing together in hope for the fuller presence of our Lord, we must be willing to receive from each other whatever gifts God has to give."

The Archbishop has also challenged the entire Communion to think about the nature of an "authentically biblical church.". He reminds us that such a church cannot be "vague or lukewarm about the unique miracle of the Word made flesh once and for all in Jesus of Nazareth or about the revolutionary demands it makes on individual lives and relationships." In this respect he says, we all need to be strive to being more authentically biblical.

One of the most beautiful expressions of our common life in the Communion is the Companion Diocese Program drawing people together across vast geographical, cultural and theological perspectives.

I am especially delighted to hear how the companionship of this diocese of Ottawa with the diocese of Jerusalem has come to bud and blossom in the past year. Likewise I am happy to have had a hand with Bishop Peter Coffin in the appointment of one our own, Major The Rev John Organ, as the next Chaplain to the Bishop of Jerusalem. General Synod's call for strengthened ties with the Church in the Holy Land is also reflected in the establishing of Canadian Companions of the Diocese of Jerusalem, a fellowship of Anglican across the country committed to supporting the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem in its ministries of hospitality, health care, education and reconciliation.

Finally dear friends, let us never lose sight of the love with which we are called to uphold one another in prayer. It is a gift whose blessing is beyond our capacity to imagine. In many places where there is civil war, suppression of the Church and persecution of Christians, we hear stories of faith and ministry that are nothing less than heroic. In times of grave need in places like Kenya, Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Pakistan, let us persevere in asking the strength of God for the Church's courageous witness.

As we take our first steps into this new year, with these names in mind — Protestor, Survivor, Lover and the stories they tell, let us never fail to reverence that name which is above all names, the holy name of Jesus, and the glorious story it tells.

With the Son of God,
let us stand with the oppressed.
With the Servant of God,
let us serve the suffering.
With the Beloved of God,
let us love and love again.
Amen.