The Rector's Blog

Swift to Love

2012-02-06T18:51:00.002-04:00

Jonathan Swift was an 18^th century writer whose most famous work is the novel,Gulliver's Travels. He also happened to be a member of the clergy and hesaid, “We have just enough religion to makeus hate but not enough to make us love.”

To say the least, itis disheartening to hear these words. But, it is truly maddening to know thatthese words, more often than not, reflect the truth. Sectarian discordthroughout the globe litters the front pages of our newspapers. All too oftenmisguided political gains are promoted in the name of religion. Many peopleblame religion and not the political forces that are really in control and soit’s no wonder they choose to abandon religion all together.

People can claim allthey want, that they are “spiritual, but not religious.” As if that were evenpossible. People of the Judean-Christian traditions are called into community.We are called to get along with one another. We are called to put asidepolitics and personal gain in the name of peace. We are called to have enoughreligion that will make us love.

The growth, in recentyears, of non-believing zealots, whose rhetoric and creedal statements verge onbeing anti-Christian, maybe an opportunity for us to re-evaluate whether weexpect enough of ourselves.

Do we expect enoughlove of ourselves?

Now I’m going to letall of you off of the hook on this one. I wouldn’t dare to ask that question ofanyone but myself. And it shouldn’t shock anyone that I failed myself. I needto pile more religion into me until I am, like Jesus, swift to love.

That’s the criteriathat matters. That’s true worship – loving others as God loves us.

There’s a Hole

2012-02-01T10:30:00.002-04:00

One of my secret joys is the music of Harry Belafonte. As a kid, I had a two album set of a live concert of his, and if memory severs, it was one my dad bought from Readers’ Digest. It was a well worn record because I listed to it so often.

Joining Belafonte in the concert were several guest performers, including Miriam Makeba (an African singer whose albums were banned by the South African government during apartheid she was exiled from her country). And another performer was Otetta, an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and human rights activist.

I even had the pleasure of seeing Belafonte in concert and hoped that Makeba and/or Otetta would join him in the concert that night. It wasn’t to be, but one of the most fun tracts from that live concert album was performed, the well know children’s song, “There’s a Hole in my Bucket.” I still laugh when I think of the exchange between Odetta and Belefonte in the middle of the song. Odetta, trying to talk the lazy Belafonte into fetching water says, “where there’s a will, there’s a way…” And Belafonte responding, “…you show me Will, and I’ll show him the way!”

Strange that I thought of that song when I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis this week, “There are two kinds of people: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’”

Strange too, that every story I can think of that involves a Genie or some other magical character granting wishes - that the wish somehow turns out all wrong. Henry’s life would have been much simpler and joyful if he’d just fixed the bucket and fetch the water. Maybe our lives would be much simpler and joyful if we just did God’s will.

Poor Rudolph

2012-01-25T09:09:00.002-04:00

The most memorable thing about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is that he has a red nose. And the most remarkable thing about him is that he saves Christmas, at least the most insignificant part of Christmas (gifts from a Coca Cola Santa). But the most sympathetic think about Rudolph is that he is excluded from the reindeer games.

It is perhaps this single fact that makes Rudolph’s story a life lesson and something for every follower of Christ to hold in their hearts. The thing that caused the other reindeer to exclude Rudolph was the very thing that saved Santa’s efforts on that foggy Christmas Eve. The thing that made Rudolph different and ripe for ridicule was the special quality that proved most useful at a time of crises. And we know, as outside observers, that all of the other reindeer were wrong, it was as plane as the nose on Rudolph’s face.

So, when you read today’s Gospel lesson don’t get the impression that it is just a story about the healing power of Jesus (Mark 1:21-28). It is a story about healing, but not just about an individual who gets better because of Jesus. It is a story about the healing of a community.

The actions of Jesus in the Gospel cause us to consider inclusion as the goal of healing. People who were thought to have a demonic possession were excluded from the community and the healing Jesus performs in the Gospel enables inclusion. That’s the goal, that’s the point.

Those who were invited to learn from Jesus included tax collectors and sinners, poor widows and prostitutes, and the little children. We fail Jesus Christ when we fail to include all God’s children. Even those with their nose so bright are children of God. Let their light shine!

Run Away!

2012-01-18T08:57:00.002-04:00

Whenever the story of Jonah comes up in scripture I can help but think of Monty Python’s “The Holy Grail” and the scene when the knights meet resistance as they try and over take a castle. They start yelling, “Run Away! Run Away!”

The section of the story of Jonah we hear this morning is after he’s been swallowed (and spit out) by the big fish (not in fact, a whale). This section makes it sound as if Jonah is a dutiful prophet, willing to do God will. Actually, at first he ran away, unwilling to do the Lord’s will. But no matter how far he ran, even if he was plunged into the ocean, he couldn’t escape; he couldn’t run away from God and God’s desire that Jonah be a prophet for the people of Nineveh.

Even after everything took place, after everything Jonah experienced he didn’t learn very much about the true nature of God. He just didn’t get that God loves everything that God made, including the sinful people of Nineveh and the bug that eats the plant that shades Jonah.

So, if Jonah, a prophet of the Lord, is a coward, unable or unwilling to acknowledge God’s love and mercy, we can, from time to time be so too. As you know, God’s mercy isn’t exclusive to the people of Nineveh or bugs. God loves Jonah.

In fact (and this is the Gospel), God loves each of us, even if we act cowardly, or without love or mercy ourselves. God wants us to learn the same message he had for Jonah. Every created thing was created for love. God will not turn God’s love away from anything or anyone God created. No matter how far we run, no matter how much we deny it, no matter how unbelievable it seems: God’s love is inescapable.

Pig in a Poke

2012-01-10T08:23:00.002-04:00

Like a pig in a poke, sometimes you are given somethingand there’s more than first meets the eye. Before Christmas I was given acolourful drawing made by a child in our parish. I was a fine piece of artworkof the manger. Everything you’d expect to find was there: Mary and Joseph,shepherds and sheep, Magi and oxen. But the one thing that I didn’t expect, andthere it was right in the front, brightly pink, was a huge pig. Now, in astable, in the city of David, Bethlehem, we are about as likely to see a pig asto see a little drummer boy.

It kind of makes you wonder what we are teaching kidstoday, but before we are too hard on ourselves lets not forget that we thinklots of things about the nativity that aren’t very likely. For example,Christmas cards that feature an image of the nativity with a pristine Mary, onclean hay, with clean animals and light snowfall on a clear night with the moonand stars shining. Let’s not get too upset that the scene shows snow fallingwithout a cloud in the sky before we at least acknowledge that snow in Bethlehemis about as likely as there being a pig in the manger.

So, that drawing I received falls within a fine traditionof Christian imagery that features anomalies unlikely to have been present onthat Silent Night. A new born baby, in a stable, surrounded by oxen and lowingcows hardly makes for a silent night. Salient for sure, but unlikely silent(sorry). Some of the most beautiful of our carols were clearly written in morenorthern climates like; In the Bleak Midwinter,

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime and See Amid the Winter’sSnow. All clearly using familiarly images to covey the salient features of thatmost extraordinary event celebrated at Christmas. My treasured drawing of themanger, featuring a wonderfully drawn pig perfectly captures the spirit ofretelling the Christmas story so that it has life and is carried on from generationto generation.

“Whether I Needed One Or Not…”

2012-01-04T13:50:00.002-04:00

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, “When I was a boy, I had a bath every Saturday night, whether I needed one or not,” I would have two bucks or more.

Today we recall, in our scripture lessons, the Baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan. Baptism however is not a bath. If it was, we would need one again and again. It is an event in our lives that starts a process of new life; a life-long journey in the Spirit as we deepen our relationship with God.

There is usually a great deal of noise and joy on days when we celebrate a baptism. The hubbub is an indicator of a lot of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm literally means, “with spirit.” By the way, that is, with the Holy Spirit.

For many people today Baptism was not a priority for their parents and so they weren’t baptized. That’s one reason why adult Baptism is becoming more common. It saddens me to think, though, that sometimes people think that they are not good enough to be baptized. The Good News is that none of us were good enough, nor will we ever be. Baptism is not about being good or worthy; it is about God's grace. Baptism marks God’s gift of love, a gift that draws us deeper and deeper into new life.

Somehow, God thinks we are worthy of attention, love and forgiveness, mercy and grace. With enthusiasm, we thank God every day for our creation and our re-creation.

Finding Jesus

2011-12-27T06:42:00.001-04:00

This first year we did it, it was easy. Like many otherpeople we don’t put the baby Jesus in our manger scene until Christmas Eve orDay. So, it’s my job to hide the Jesus figurine and it’s the kid’s job to findit.

The first year was easy. The figurine was “hidden” in plansight, on a shelf and at eye level with the kids. Since then I’ve had toexercise greater ingenuity in hiding him. They scour the house thoroughly.

I’m expected to give clues once and a while, but there deliberatelyvague, like, “he’s somewhere in the house,” or, “he’s up stairs.”

One evening this year, our youngest daughter startedsearching. First checking previous year’s hiding places. Not a bad strategy, Imust say. Well, either I have less ingenuity than I once enjoyed or the kidsare getting smarter. I flatter myself, the kids are getting smarter, but Inever really had much ingenuity.

This year the baby Jesus figurine was found in recordtime. The only clue I gave was that, “he’s not on my person.” Within five or sominutes the baby Jesus was found in a drawer that is rarely opened. And uponfinding it our daughter let out a great victory yelp!

With well earned joy and flourish, and holding thefigurine high, she placed the baby Jesus in the manger scene. And standing back,she turned and proclaimed, “He’s a preemie!”

Those of you who look forward to this article have nodoubt come to expect some sort of theological life-lesson from an otherwiseharmless story. Usually I do, and it’s probably more surprising to me than toanyone else, but not today. Today, I tell this story simply because I thinkit’s really funny. Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve 2011 – Homily

2011-12-25T08:39:00.002-04:00

ChristmasEve 2011 – Homily - jwgc

A Story:

Many years ago, on a hot summer’s day, I wentto Cavendish Beach. And if you turn west when you get to the beach from theparking lot you will come to a small brook that cuts through the beach.

This particular day the brook was big, biggerthan usual. I stopped and look at the stream cutting through the sand, making adeep gorge, with cliffs on the sides, maybe a foot tall. At the same moment, Inoticed a small boy, maybe ten years old, and armed with only a small plasticbucket and shovel; and a great deal of will – began the mammoth task of tryingto dam up the torrent.

He tossed a bucket of sand into the stream andit was quickly washed away. Then he tried a rock and it rolled away a bit, and wouldn’tstay in place. A bigger rock: just the thing. He started scouring the area forrocks, driftwood and shells, anything that might stay in place, even if paredwith something else, to hold back the water.

I knew that this was not a job for one boy, heneeded help. I dropped my stuff and began collecting things to use in theconstruction of the dam. Before long: a few other boys and men joined in. It’s no exaggeration to report that eventuallythere were at least twenty of us working away our vacation, or our day off,sweating in the sun, trying to dam the river. Perhaps one of you was there too.

Hardly a word was spoken by anyone. Twenty menworking: with a single purpose. Perhaps an occasional, “thanks,” as a stick orrock was put in its place. There might have been the odd word from thoseamongst us who fancied themselves as engineers. Mostly, the work went on insilence.

I don’t know how long we worked. It might havebeen an hour; it might have been the whole afternoon. All I know for sure is thatat some point we all stepped away, in unison, knowing that we had accomplisheda task that seemed impossible at the start. The mighty Mississippi had beendammed. The rush of this grand flood had been plugged. The river, as they say,ran dry.

The army of designers, engineers and laborersstood at ease, rightfully pleased with their collective accomplishment. Theremight have been a few hi-fives, and this was in the days when a few “low-fives”would have been more common. I think I heard someone say, “Miller-time!”

Within seconds of our celebration, the firsttrickle of water came over the dam and the sand underneath began giving way. Idoubt it was more than a minute before the dam had been completely breached. Itwas there that I learned the most valuable lesson of my life: Nothing, and Imean nothing, can separate us from the love of God.

Nothing we can do will stop God’s love. Nothingwe can do will dam God’s love. Godwill always break through, and this is the message that is imparted to Mary asshe learns that she is to give birth to the great Emmanuel, God with us. Thisis the message that Joseph learns in a dream, that he is to parent and protectthe Christ, the anointed one of God. This is the message of Good News given byangels to shepherds on a mountain. This is the message that draws Magi, wisepeople from the nations, to come and worship Jesus, the Son of God.

The Incarnation simply means, God taking onhuman flesh. But it really means God breaking through what seems likeimpossible dams or barriers. The Incarnation is like a mighty river that wethink we can dam up, but God breaks through anyway.

Another image from scripture that I reallylike describes Jesus as the Light of the World – a Light that no darkness canextinguish. No matter how big the darkness seems, no matter how big the dam is;God, in the person of Jesus Christ, breaks through. He shines like a beaconcalling everyone into a loving relationship with God, our Creator.

If you’ve ever seen an element in an ovenburnout, it’s a brilliant bright light; almost bright enough to hurt the eyes,but as quickly as it starts it fizzles out, out to nothing. The light that isJesus Christ is a light that cannot be extinguished. Even if stuffed out, putto death, it is a light that will rise again.

Next week, there will no doubt be a story in the news: the first New Year’s Day baby, inthe country, or in a city, or whatever. But take note of the time of birth,there will be at least one story about a child born within seconds ofmid-night. It has to be because there are just so many babies born.

Now I’m not saying that childbirth isn’tspecial, and wonderful, and simply one of the best things going. All I’m sayingis that they are quite common-place, so common-place that I’m fairly sure it’shappened to each one of us. Maybe tomorrow, on Christmas Day, some family willhave had some sort of harrowing trip to the hospital and the story makes thenews, a miracle baby on Christmas Day.

The fact is that birth happens – it’s beautifuland wonderful, but it’s not extraordinary. Tonight, we along with people allover the world; join together to celebrate an extra-ordinary birth; the birthof the Incarnation of God; God taking on human flesh, Emmanuel, God with us.

Nothing we do can stop God from finding waysto break through, nothing we do, not even death can stop; can dam-up God’s love.Not even the worst we can throw at him: judging him, beating him, spitting onhim, nailing him to a cross, nothing can separate us from God’s love.

God breaks into our lives, through our stonecold hearts and reminds us of God’s love. Now, and this is really what Ilearned on the beach that day: that love, God’s love, is not ours alone, God’slove is for everyone… everyone. Yousee, the water in that brook had to make its way to the ocean, twenty strongboys and men couldn’t keep the two separated. Nothing we do can stop God’s love. Nothing separates us from God’s love.

With God there is unity. That night, the nightJesus was born in a manger, God our Creator, took on human flesh and became oneof us. Earth and heaven were united. God’s love brings together what wasoriginally meant to be together. There are no more enemies. There is no more: us and them. But in Christ –all of creation can exist as it is truly meant to be, peacefully flowing toGod’s unshakeable, unchangeable, always forgiving love. Amen.

Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning

2011-12-23T09:34:00.002-04:00

From A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens:

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

The Love Berries of Christ

2011-12-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

The Advent wreath is decorated with blood-red hollyberries. And the one and only reason they are there is to represent thedroplets of the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross.

It is a helpful reminder that the people who first toldthe story of the birth of Jesus Christ knew the whole story. They knew what wasto happen to him: that he was to be betrayed by one of his closest companionsand that the others would run away. They knew that he was to be arrested on trumped-upcharges of blasphemy and sedition. They knew that he would be beaten, crucifiedand that he would die on the cross.

Everything about the nativity story of Jesus Christ isdesigned to remind us who he is to be as an adult, as the incarnate Word andwisdom of the Divine, of God, our creator. His family tree; visits from angels;fleeing to Bethlehem and then Egypt; strange gifts from strange visitors fromthe nations.

Consequently, the decorations we use at Advent andChristmas remind us of the whole story, even his extremely cruel death. Soremember, every red berry you see decorating a door, a table, a tree, or asweet treat is representative of the innocent blood Jesus shed on the cross.But that shouldn’t cause any of us to turn away from the decoration because theday Jesus died is known as Good Friday.

I can only think of one reason to call that dark day“Good,” and that’s because it is a logical and necessary step towards theresurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a powerful event that tellsus that not even death can extinguish the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

Joy: Green and Growing

2011-12-05T22:52:00.001-04:00

The Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen boughs.Traditionally, the church chooses colours because they represent something andnot simply because they’re pretty. Green represents growth, and growth suggestschange. Things that grow are changing.

If only our spiritual journey was so easy and simple thatwe could capture faith and thereafter hold onto it. But faith isn’t a lifelesshunk of material that can be stored away safely in a locked box. Faith is adynamic and living component of our life.

And faith isn’t just a set of beliefs, as thedictionaries would have us believe. Faith is better thought of as a way oflife, or even a way of responding to life. Faith is using everything at ourdisposal (knowledge, the wisdom of others and prayer) to approach the changesand chances of the world. So that love is the main feature of my actions, alove that brings joy.

Hopefully, the way I respond to life is better than (orat least different from) when I was an infant, a toddler, a pre-teen, a teen, ayoung adult, or even better that I would have yesterday. That’s how it is withfaith, ever green, ever growing; allowing me to be the person God is calling meto be. It is a journey of faith.

As Jesus said in John’s Gospel, “I have said thesethings to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”(15.11) Manythings can distract us from our faith-journey, which is why we need one anotherto remind us when we have lost balance and need to attend the green garden ofour faith. This Advent is as good a time as any to make sure our faith is greenand growing, so that our faith reaps joy.

Peace without End

2011-11-28T20:21:00.001-04:00

The Advent wreath is a circle and like liturgicalcolours, shapes are chosen deliberately. The circle of the wreath is meant tosuggest everlasting life. The circle has no beginning and no ending. It is asymbol of forever and eternity.

I knew a woman who cared little for wreaths, be theyAdvent, Christmas or just decorative. For her the association was one of death.Understandably, I suppose, wreaths were once a common sight in grave yards. Butthe reason they were common in graveyards is that those who placed them theredid so with a hope that a loved one is enjoying eternal life with God inheaven.

Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father hassent me, so I send you.” (John 20.21)The deep desire we have, and I might add, that I think we share with God, ispeace. It is an eternal and ever-lasting peace. It is a peace that is free fromthe threat of violence. It is a peace that creates a true sense of ease andconfidence in relationship with God and with one another.

Well, peace doesn’t justhappen. We have to work for it, we have to be open to it and sometimes we haveto demand it. I read about a Quaker community and everyday at prayers one ofthe elders would ask the question, “Are you at peace with one another?” Herepeated the question until all were satisfied that they were, in fact, atpeace with one another. That certainly brings an interesting dynamic to our“passing of the peace.”

Jesus is often called the Prince of Peace and if webelieve this, I mean, really believe this, we should be a people of peace. Weshould expect peace amongst ourselves. We should work for it, be open to it anddemand it of others. We do the Lord’s work when we work for peace (in ourhomes, communities and in the world).

Hope and Light

2011-11-22T13:04:00.001-04:00

The Advent wreath is a circle of candles and even though each candle has a different name, they all in some way represent Jesus the Christ, the light of the world. Light is a dynamic and powerful symbol of the power and presence of God.

Many years ago I toured a mine in Springhill. It was interesting but the most memorable part of it was when they turned out the lights. The guide warned us that it would be pitch-black. I thought I knew what pitch-black would be like, but I was wrong. The complete absence of light, deep in that mine was nothing like the darkest night I ever knew up on the surface.

The lights were out for maybe ten seconds but I can assure you that it seemed much longer and I was certainly happy when the lights came back on.

No matter how little the light is, it defeats the darkness. That’s the whole point of speaking about Jesus as the light of the world. No darkness can overcome it or extinguish the light. A distant light for someone lost in the wilderness is a sure sign of safety, of salvation. For me, light is one of the most powerful and hopeful images for Jesus.

As we get closer to Christmas the light on the Advent wreath grows brighter. Knowing that God’s love for the world is so much a part of God’s character brings a great sense of hope. Knowing that there is a loving and forgiving God means that there is always hope. No matter how dark things seem from time to time in life, people of faith have the hope of God to rest in.

Crosier

2011-11-16T07:25:00.001-04:00

Bishops, within the Anglican tradition, carry abig stick called a crosier. It is a stylized shepherd’s crook and is one of thesymbols of the bishop’s office and authority. Like many people today, I am notbig on authority and never cared much for the crosier. Until, that is, Irealized that just like a shepherd’s crook, the purpose of the stick is not towhack unruly sheep (or priests) back in line, but is to be a tool of pullingsheep (or priests) back to safety. The crosier is a symbol of salvation.

There are lots of people who object tohierarchical names and images for Jesus. And I would no doubt agree if what weproclaim about Jesus is the same as what is said about hierarchical styles ofleadership. In a very real way Jesus redefines these terms to show what hispurpose is within creation and how he expects us to act.

When we call Jesus by some sort of grand title,whether Lord, king, shepherd, the new Adam, teacher, Son of God, Son of Man orthe Anointed One, we never forget that his claim for himself was to be aservant. He turned the whole idea of leadership on its head. True leadership isexpressed in service.

Bishops, priests and deacons within our traditionwere ordained as deacons first. A deacon is a servant of the Church. Trueauthority within our traditions doesn’t rest in the crosier or with any memberof the clergy. True authority within our tradition is found only with the HolySpirit (God’s Holy Spirit). And the Holy Spirit is found in community, that is,amongst the people. The clergy of our Church are servants.

So, let Christ the King reign in our hearts,minds, bodies and souls: and in our Church too.

Investments

2011-11-09T10:09:00.001-04:00

The very word, “investments” evokes the idea of money. And naturally so, for that is how the word is most often used, in reference to financial investment. Those who speculator in the financial markets of the world do so by placing their money (a thing of value) with a group that will (hopefully) give them a healthy return on the investment. But there are other kinds of investments that ought to be considered.

What good is a healthy bank account if we neglect our primary relationships with God, others and creation? To invest our “selves”: our hearts, minds, bodies and souls (all things of value) with God will reap a large harvest too, perhaps even 90, 60 or 30 fold.

The most common attitude I encounter is the idea that our “selves” are not valuable enough to invest in the Church (God, others and creation). We think that we have lots to invest in work and extra-curricular distractions, but maybe not so much of value for the Church. Nothing could be further from the truth. The whole point of the mercy and grace that is given by God is that our “selves” matter to God and is loved by God.

Our hearts, minds, bodies and souls are a great investment to place in the hands of God. But how do we make this investment? By prayer; prayer helps center our “selves” on God’s values: By staying in the Church; staying keeps us in relationship with the wisdom of the community: By caring for God’s creation; because God cares.

In the song, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” Mick Jagger complained, “When I'm watching my TV/ and a man comes on that tells me how white my shirts can be…” We can’t let society indiscriminately tell us what is of value. A white shirt is no substitute for a wise investment with God, others and creation (the Church).

The Summary of the Law

2011-11-05T22:14:00.003-03:00

This article appears in the November 5, 2011 The Guardian as the Guest Sermon.

Many Christians are familiar with the episode in Matthew’s Gospel(22:34-46) whena lawyer attempts to test Jesus Christabout which commandment is the greatest. For most of us, the Ten Commandmentscome to mind right away, but we must not forget that there were hundreds ofother rules and laws that were up for consideration.

Jesus responds in Matthew’s Gospel with what is known in manyChristian traditions as the Summary of the Law. He says, “youshall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, andwith all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a secondis like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'”(Matthew22:37-49)

Christians are not theonly faith group that would affirm these as the greatest of the Commandments.Our Jewish brothers and sister are likely to do the same. After all, the BibleJesus knew was the Jewish scripture and the Ten Commandments, as well as thetwo verses Jesus quotes here, are found there. In the Summary of the Law Jesusquotes from the books of Deuteronomy(6.4) and Leviticus (19.18).

In fact, so common were these responses to the question ofwhich commandment is the greatest, that they were (and are) known as the Shirma. Jewish men, and women too if theywanted, were instructed to say or recite these words. They were to be the veryfirst thing they said in the morning and the last words spoken before going tobed at night.

In Luke’s Gospel, the story is slightly different. There Jesusdoesn’t answer the question; instead he turns the table on the lawyer and askshim about the Law, “What do you readthere?” The question might better be translated as, “What do you recitethere?” The lawyer gives the right answer too; he recites the Shirma, theSummary of the Law.

It iswonderful that two of the major faith groups in the world agree on what’s mostimportant in life and faith. It makes us speculate whether this is common inother faith groups too. Maybe other religious groups think and teach thatloving God and loving our neighbours are central facets of faith.

There was a song that became popular in many Christian Churchesthat had the chorus, “They will know weare Christians by our love…” Perhaps that can be said of many other faithgroups. It would be wonderful to sing that song and each time the chorus camearound we could substitute Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i, or…

In recent decades, Christians have managed to gather themselvesinto groups across denominational lines; into ministerial associations orcouncils. These groups are local, national and international in their concernand composition. Sometimes, like in the case of the Charlottetown and AreaChristian Council, they have dealt with significant social and religiousissues.

No doubt the time has come for the people of all faithcommunities to celebrate the things we have in common, particularly theaffirmation of loving God and loving one another. So that we can sing, “they will know we are people of faith byour love…”

There is a group of people in PEI trying to form a group calledInter Faith PEI. Their mission will include fostering understanding andencouraging peace in the world. This is one more way for us to show ourcommitment to that central and eternal pillar of faith known by some as theShirma, the Summary of the Law.

Minus Zero

2011-11-02T08:13:00.002-03:00

I have a digital thermometer at home. It sits by thewindow and has a wire hanging outside that somehow determines the temperature. Iguess that it is accurate because it is never more than a degree different fromthe temperature reported at the Charlottetown airport.

The only time I wonder about the thermometer is when thedisplay reads, “-0.0”. It should never read minus zero, but it does. Accordingto the math I was taught: zero was never a whole or a negative number. Yet,there it is on the display as clear as the frost on the window.

Obviously, the manufacturers never intended their productto give a minus zero reading when only zero was intended. It is an anomalywhich I am sure they have corrected since my purchase of the thermometer manyyears ago.

I sometimes wonder if those who wrote or collatedscripture would have made significantly different choices if they had onlyknown how their words were to be understood by people many years later. I amthinking particularly of the New Testament’s clear message that Jesus theChrist will come soon. This has lead to some rather extraordinary claims aboutthe end of the world, holy battles and the rapture. All of which are relativelyrecent ideas and without substantial support in the scriptures.

What is supported by the scripture is that Jesus didreturn; it’s called Easter. And Jesus returns every time two or three aregathered in his name. And Jesus returns in the bread and the wine. And Jesus returnsevery time we act with love and with justice. The kingdom of God is ushered in whenwe act the way Jesus acts, with inclusion, love, forgiveness, mercy andjustice.

lower case saints

2011-10-25T19:30:00.002-03:00

When Saint Paul wrote about the saints, hemeant anyone who was a follower (a disciple) of Jesus Christ. Little did heknow that one day the word “saint”would be reserved for those dead people whose lives shine as an example of theChristian way of being. It always pleases me when I hear of someone beingcalled a “saint” because of something they do. It is a better use of the wordthan simply reserving it for the Saints.

In the early Church people werecommemorated as Saints because of their outstanding life, or even perhapsbecause of a martyr’s death. In any event, eventually there were way more than365 Saints, so no longer could each one have their own day. Besides that,people were beginning to forget about many of the Saints. So, All Saints Day(Nov, 1) was formed to remember all the Saints people didn’t have time toremember or who had been forgotten altogether. All Souls Day (Nov. 2) became anopportunity for us to remember people in our own lives, people we knew, who hada positive impact on our lives, the lower case “saints” as it were. Lower casesaints are the better kind of saint anyway.

The Gospel lesson for All Saints Day isthe Beatitude (or as I like to call them, the BE-attitudes) from Matthews’Gospel (5: 1-12). It is the preamble to the Sermon on theMount, a significant early document contained within the Gospel. TheBE-attitudes are a wonderful statement of the expectations we place on ourselvesfor saintliness. These are the attitudes-of-being for the saints, for you andme, for all disciples of Jesus Christ.

I don’t often have occasion to quoteClink Eastwood, but speaking about attitude he said, “If you think it’s going to rain, it will.” Right attitude, thatis, the BE-attitudes play a significant role in enabling us to be lower casesaints.

Getting to Know One Another

2011-10-21T10:10:00.001-03:00

I knew a guy, in another parish, who habitually complained about his fellow parishioners. He dismissed them all as country bumpkins (if I can say that in polite company). I naturally grew frustrated by his unwillingness to see the good in the people around him.

One day I had had enough and decided to prove to him that the others in the congregation were interesting people. I asked him if he remembered the streaker at the Montreal Olympics during the closing ceremonies, well he wasn’t a parishioner but the RCMP officer who tackled him was. Obviously, I started with this example as a kind of gentle way to lead into proving my point that he should get to know the other parishioners before he passes judgment.

I pointed out to him that amongst his fellow parishioners were a Rhode Scholar; another who tests electronic gadgets (like cell phones) years before they make it to market; another who was a world renown painter; another person who was abandoned on the streets of Vancouver at age 10 and now is a retired school teacher and on the list went. I’m not sure that I convinced him or that he even believed me.

What was missing, of course, was an opportunity for this man to meet and get to know these people himself. Then he would have known all this himself.

My point is that we, the people of St. Paul’s parish are not country bumpkins but immensely interesting. What is missing, of course, are opportunities for us to get to know one another beyond saying hello and nodding each Sunday morning. Okay, so let’s be honest, the opportunities are there, we’re just not taking advantage of them. Concerts, suppers, pot lucks, study groups and work parties all happen on a regular basis and all of them are great opportunities to meet and get to know your fellow parishioners.

We will all benefit from getting to know one another better; you are, I know, a fascinating and wonderful people. Enjoy yourselves! Oh, and by-the-way, I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with being a country bumpkin.

My Last Sunday

2011-10-13T09:31:00.002-03:00

I can remember it vividly, my last Sunday in Church. I was eighteen years old and had grown tired and frustrated by a congregation that seemed unfriendly. I attended worship every Sunday morning and frequently the only person to speak to me would be the rector of the parish as I shook his hand on the way out. I knew needed something more.

That Sunday morning I got up and got ready for Church. I knew as I ate breakfast that this was my last Sunday in Church. I knew as I drove to the Church, and as I walked in and as I took my pew, that this was my last Sunday. What I didn’t know was that there would be a guest preacher and that he would change my life. I don’t remember his name but he was an Anglican priest who had worked at a mission on the Solomon Island funded by the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF).

He spoke of his work at the mission; he spoke of the work of the PWRDF in northern Canada and other part of the world. He spoke of the origins of the Fund as a response to the mining disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia. He did all of this in fifteen minutes, with humour and insight. And my life was changed! I knew that the ministry of the PWRDF was something I wanted to be associated with. This, my last Sunday in Church, suddenly became the first Sunday of the rest of my life, a life dedicated to this fresh expression of joy, of love, of justice that the PWRDF represented.

I believe that if the Anglican Church of Canada could somehow position itself in people’s minds as synonymous with the PWRDF our worship services would be packed. Our coffers would overflow. The next time someone tells you that the Church isn’t relevant tell them about the PWRDF. Tell them about clean water, food, medical supplies and a thousand other acts of love and justice we do through the Primate’s Fund.

Fifty-Two

2011-10-04T13:48:00.004-03:00

There are 52 Sundays in a year. I’ve not actually counted them, so in a way I am really guessing. If there are 52 weeks in a year, then there must be 52 Sundays (right?). Like I say, I’ve not actually counted, so correct me if I’m wrong.

One thing I am certain of is that there is just one Sunday we call “Back to Church Sunday” and it has passed. The purpose of Back to Church Sunday is to create an opportunity for people to come back or to come for the first time and explore what we are all about. My hope with Back to Church Sunday is that we will start to do two things: 1) invite people and; 2) welcome people. The second thing we are already pretty good at, the first might need a bit of work.

So, if you invited someone back to Church this year for September 25th, great! However, chances are that for the other 51 Sundays no invitation was given (51 lost opportunities).

Imagine that there is just one piece of pie left. I have a friend who would offer it to me. The polite thing for me to do is say, “no.” The polite thing for him to do is to offer the pie again. If I say, “no” the second time then I don’t really want it. If he offers it the second time the he didn’t really want it. We are, in the end, left with a small dilemma, who’s going to eat the last piece of pie? But, in the meantime, we did the polite things and the pie was offered more than once.

People might have to hear the invitation back to Church more than once before they begin to believe we actually mean it and that the Good New is for them too.

In truth, there are 52 Back to Church Sundays every year.

Worship that Gives Life

2011-09-27T19:45:00.002-03:00

The original meaning of the word, “ritual” was life-giving. It referred to a repeated action (like prayer or a play) that enhanced the life of the participants or audience by creating a certain response or teaching a life lesson.

Ritual has come to mean, for many people today, quite the opposite, something that is deadly boring. However, our worship together on a Sunday morning has the same purpose as the original meaning of “ritual.” If it isn’t life-giving then we’re not doing it right.

One of the most challenging features in worship planning is the choosing of hymns. We know that it is simply not possible to please everyone, so we developed a set of principles for choosing hymns. We know that it is not about signing our favourites, it’s about making choices that are life-giving.

The principles we use are:

1. A balance of hymn styles, utilizing the best of what was used at the former 9:15 and 11:00 o’clock services. This balance includes a balance of organ and piano, and anthems from both the Senior and Junior Choirs. There is a deep hope that we will grow the band and use yet another style of music to praise the Lord.

2. We hope to avoid obsolete language in our hymns (and prayers). This might mean just dropping a verse of a hymn rather than loosing an old favourite all together. New music will be introduced and taught.

3. We will continue to choose hymns based on the readings assigned for the day and/or the liturgical season we’re in, however, we recognize that mood counts and will also be taken into consideration.

4. We will endeavour to cultivate a spirit of enthusiasm, in the choirs, the band and other liturgical leaders.

It is important to be guided by principles rather than just singing our favourites. It is unlikely that we could ever agree on a list of favourites anyway.

It is the expressed goal and intent of the Worship Team to do our best in planning worship that is truly life-giving and that draws us more deeply into a mystical and joy-filled relationship with God.

Problem Solved

2011-09-21T08:42:00.002-03:00

Many years ago, I was a part of a youth group that had a conflict between the leaders and the members. The dispute regarded some of the rules the leaders wanted to impose on the group. During a debate that lasted more than an hour one of the youth said, “If you treat us like children we’ll act like children, treat us respectfully and we will be respectful.” After that the debate quickly ended, the kids won and the new rules were not imposed. In reality though, both sides won. Sure the kids were free from having some unreasonable rules imposed on them, but now they had committed themselves to acting respectfully. And sometimes that’s more challenging than following a set of rules.

On our journey of faith, we can think of it in two ways: as a set of rules to be followed or an expectation of freedom. Historically, and perhaps even still, we tend to think of our faith as being a set of rules to be followed and the dire consequences should we fail. It seems to me however, that the problem of sin is solved by forgiveness. In the face of our all-too-human worries about sin, our own and that of others, scripture is emphatic about the Good News of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. So, if we think that sin is a barrier to God’s love; think again. God loves us and has forgiven us.

The Good News is that the problem of sin has been solved and we are called into a life of freedom. Just like those kids in my youth group, freedom is not about doing what ever we want. Freedom for us, on our faith journey, is taking on the responsibility of being bearers of the Good News, bearers of God’s love and justice. Actions, as you know, speak louder than words. Being bearers of the Good News is not just about preaching, but acting on God’s desire for love and justice to flourish, to take root and flower in every heart and land.

It Ain't Over

2011-09-14T08:44:00.001-03:00

Now before someone tells me that “ain’t” ain’ta word, please note that it’s in quotations. So, I didn’t say it, Yogi Berra did.

YogiBerra was a famous baseball player and manager. He is a member of the Hall of Fame andappeared in 21 World Series. Today, heis perhaps best known for twisting the English language in ways that simplycause us to shake our head and mutter something about needing a nap. Yogi Berra was the guy who firstuttered the logical, “It ain't over till it's over.” He also saidthe proverbial, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

I should say that he is reported to have said thesethings because he also said, “I never said most of the things I said.” But good authority says that Yogi Berra didsay, “You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because youmight not get there."

I heard a comedian say that, as he gets older, he’sstarted asking himself the question, “why am I here?” But not in some sort ofphilosophical or religious way, “I’m just in the basement and I’m wondering whyam I here.”

We all know the feeling of not knowing why we’re here orwhere we’re going. So, today’s Gospel lesson has an important message for us,uttered not by YogiBerra but by Jesus, you can’t serve twomasters. Obviously, no one can serve twomasters. We still have to live in theworld and in all our doings Jesus is reminding us to whom we really belong – weare the Lord’s.

All that’s being asked of us is that whateverfork we take in the road, be devoted to God. It matters that we be careful to know where we’re going and to inviteothers along the way. Next Sunday isBack To Church Sunday and it is a wonderful way of reminding ourselves to benot just a welcoming community but also an inviting community. Next Sunday (Sept.25) invite someone to cometo church with you.

Acoustically Immaculate

2011-09-07T07:48:00.002-03:00

A FEW YEARS ago we received a significant donation from the estate of Eleanor Mary Mitchell for “a project in the church.” We decided to renovate several areas of the church-building that had been neglected over the years or where repairs might better be termed short cuts. We did things like renovate the doors, the floors and the lights (amongst many other things). But a seemingly insignificant thing has done wonders for restoring the building’s former glory – we removed the carpets.

This single act restored the acoustics of the building to the quality intended by architect William C. Harris. Making St. Paul’s Church one of the best (if not the best) example of the care and foresight Harris had when designing worship spaces. The change was immediately noticeable. In August, Todd MacLean, an entertainment report with The Guardian newspaper, while reviewing one of the concerts put on by the PEI Jazz and Blues Festival wrote, “First, you have the acoustically-immaculate St. Paul’s Church.” (August 26, 2011.) It’s difficult to imagine that he could have written such praise before the removal of the carpet.

One of the performers that night, Meaghan Smith, wrote in our Comment Book, “What a magical night! Thank you for the beautiful church, the magnificent acoustics…” The other was Meaghan Blanchard and she wrote, “…this was amazing and we’d love to be back.”

Jazz pianist Oliver Jones, four-time Juno award winner, Governor-General's Performing Arts Award winner for lifetime artistic achievement and a member of the Order of Canada, wrote, “What a wonderful time we had here, a true great sound, A RARITY. The sound is excellent in this church, PLEASE don’t change anything.”

Composer, arranger and keyboard performer Sean Ferris wrote, “Thanks so much for this beautiful Church, beautiful venue to perform. The acoustic at first listen are daunting… it’s a very lively building acoustically, but with the audience in the sound was amazing!” And Juno award winner Jack Semple wrote, “Thanks for the honor of playing in St. Paul’s. This church is the best sounding venue I have ever played in (I’ve been playing for 40 years). It is also so beautiful! Thanks again.”

This is what the professional musicians had to say about our building and it’s nice to know that they agree with us. I just thought that you would be interested to know that this building is acoustically immaculate.

2011-08-31T20:52:00.000-03:00

The Personnel Committee was hard at work during the summer months and has successfully filled the job of Administrative Assistant. We are pleased to announce that the new Administrative Assistant is Laura Bird.

Laura began on Thursday, September 1, at 15 hours per week. For the time being, Office Hours will be 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday.

Laura comes to us with lots of experience in the Church. She was the Administrative Assistant at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, BC prior to coming to PEI in 2010. In that role she was responsible for creating the weekly service bulletins and other communication publications (she designed posters, print ads, and media releases, as well as updating and maintaining their website).

From 1992 to 1997 she was the Director of Youth and Family Ministries for the Church of St. John the Divine, Victoria, BC. She was also the Drama Instructor at the Confederation Centre of the Arts Summer Camps this summer; Head of Fine Arts Department and Drama Teacher at Glenlyon Norfolk School, Victoria, BC; and the Event Coordinator for Molloy and Associates, Victoria, BC.

Last year Laura was our Church School Coordinator and I can say happily that she intends to continue in that ministry this year.

Laura has strong communication and organizational skills, leadership, and the ability to handle a variety of things at one time. She is already familiar with the administrative requirements of a busy parish office, including the preparation of diocesan and government reports. She can use a variety of computer programs, including word processing, e-mail, and data entry. She has experience with bookkeeping assistance, budgets and financial reports.

I think that Laura’s proven communication abilities, her organization and interpersonal skills, and her previous experience in the Anglican Church will make her a great addition to the staff at St. Paul’s Church. I encourage you to make yourself know to Laura in the weeks ahead and to help her feel welcome in her new role and ministry as our Administrative Assistant.

On a related matter, in the interview with Laura we talked about boundaries. She put it well when she indicated that on Sunday morning, when her daughter Lilly is with her, she’s a mom and not the Administrative Assistant, and when she is with us during the week she is the Administrative Assistant. I encourage you to respect these boundaries.

IN CELEBRATION OF OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

2011-06-30T16:08:00.001-03:00

Text of my part in a Celebration of our rights and freedoms at Trinity United Church, June 30, 2011. An Inter-Faith celebration.

Thank you for the invitation to participate in this;
a celebration of our rights and freedoms;
it is both a privilege and an honour.

I bring greetings from the Rt. Rev’d Sue Moxley

Bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

Let us pray,

Opening Prayer
Almighty God,
whose wisdom and whose love are over all,
accept the prayers we offer for our nation.
Give integrity to its citizens
and wisdom to those in authority,
that harmony and justice may be secured
in obedience to your will;
Give us, we pray, such unity
as may enable us to promote the peace of your creation
and the glory of its creator;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are gathered here this evening in a spirit of thanksgiving

For the rights and freedoms we enjoy in this country

May we be truly grateful for the blessings we enjoy,
   for family and friends,
   for employment,
   for opportunities to learn and grow.
May we never lose sight of these blessings.

Our ancestors labored on land and sea, and built a great nation.
They have gifted us with:
   responsible government,
   a free press,
   educational institutes,
   religious freedom,
   telecommunications,
   art, music, culture… and on and on the list could go.

Our gift, to the generations to come, is to use our God-given talents,
our memory, reason and skill
for the preservation and improvement of our all these blessings.

Our scripture speaks of heaven being like a holy city,
but no community can be sustained without a hinterland,
without mountains and hills, rivers and streams,
forests and swamps, birds and bees.
I hope that the heavenly city is thus blessed, as this nation of Canada is.

I sometime wonder if we, here in Canada, fully realize how lucky we are:
“Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver,
where still the mighty moose wanders at will…”

“The true, north, strong and free.”

Canada, a vast and beautiful land, from 40 below to 40 above,
And yet, few come to these shores,
to these mountains, hills, prairies and islands – for the view
It is our freedom, our respect for the dignity of every human being
            that bring immigrants and refugees

After being tested for 40 days in the wilderness,
Jesus returned to his home town
and worshipped with his family and neighbours.
He stood up to read, and he read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’                                       Luke 4.18-19

Good news, release, sight, freedom

that’s how Jesus defined his ministry and what he is about.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, tirelessly fought to end apartheid,

he spoke of freedom and responsibility as if they were the same thing
Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand
The Archbishop wanted the people of his nation to be given the freedom
to exercise their responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt said,
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being.
With freedom comes responsibility.”

People came to the new world, to North America
in search of religious freedom,
to be able to live as they believed they were created to live.

The right to live in freedom is the right to be responsible,
   for oneself and for the freedom of our neighbours.

Nelson Mandela said,
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Freedom brings with it responsibility:
   To vote
   To serve
   To protest
   Yes, and even to pay taxes

Jesus asked his followers to pray for their enemies,
   and not because it really annoys them,
   but because it transforms people.
The person praying can’t really pray for their enemies
   without, at the very least,
   beginning to see their enemy differently,
   as a human being,
   as a relative,
   and eventually as a friend.

And so we pray this day for our enemies…

Let us pray for Our Enemies
O God, the Lord of all,
your Son commanded us to love our enemies and to pray for them.
Lead us from prejudice to truth;
deliver us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge;
and enable us to stand before you,
reconciled through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Citizenship in this country brings with it responsibility and so,
on the eve of a national holiday marking the birth of Canada
we pray for the nation…

Let us pray for the Nation
Almighty God, you have given us this good land as our heritage.
May we prove ourselves a people mindful of your generosity
and glad to do your will.
Bless our land with honest industry,
truthful education,
and an honourable way of life.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride and arrogance;
and from every evil course of action.
Make us who came from many nations with many different languages
a united people.
Defend our liberties
and give those whom we have entrusted
with the authority of government the spirit of wisdom,
that there may be justice and peace in our land.
When times are prosperous, let our hearts be thankful;
and, in troubled times, do not let our trust in you fail.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Model Church

2011-06-21T10:46:00.002-03:00

There is wonderful ol’ timey Gospel hymn called, “The Model Church.” The First line says, “Well, wife, I’ve found the model church, and worshipped there today/It made me think of good old times, before my hair was gray…”

The old man in the song goes on to praise the Church because it was “finer built” like “years ago” but, “it was not built for show.” He wasn’t made to sit at the back, but because he “was old and deaf” and “poor” he was given “a pleasant pew.” He praised their singing too, for it was as if, “the angel choir, struck all their harps of gold.” The preacher too was good and preached the, “simple gospel truth,” fit for “humble men” and “hopeful youth.”

As good as we are at St. Paul’s; I doubt any of us would make the claim that we are the perfect model Church. We all have rolling in our heads somewhere that silly old saying about never joining a perfect church, because then, it won’t be perfect anymore. It is a healthy position to know that we can improve ourselves. We can deepen our commitment to the love of God and continue our journey in faith despite the fact that there are finer building than our building, finer choirs than our choir and finer preachers than our preacher.

Jesus, in our Gospel today says, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” He is speaking to a deeply significant paradox (a true statement(s) that seems like a contradiction) about the nature of hospitality. Ultimately our goal in being an inviting and welcoming congregation is be, at one time, both host and guest. We are to be, at one time, bearers of Christ to one another and receivers of Christ from one another. And not just for an hour and a bit on Sunday mornings but in every waking moment.

In a Nutshell

2011-06-14T09:12:00.000-03:00

The process of giving a simple explanation or a shortened version of something long and complicated is called putting it “in a nutshell.” There is a cautionary addition to the saying reminding us that the only thing in a nut shell is the nut. The concept of the Trinity is a nutshell explanation and we have to be careful not to pack too much into it.

Perhaps the most influential theologians of all time was Saint Augustine (Nov. 13, 354 – Aug. 28, 430, Bishop of Hippo, present-day Annaba, Algeria). He put a great deal of thought into the concept of the Trinity writing fifteen books on the subject. The main point is that God comes to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Augustine had seven statements about God: The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. The Son is not the Father. The Father is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Son. And then Augustine adds one more. There is only one God.

Historically, when people wrote about the Trinity the Latin word “persona” was used; God is three personas in one nature or substance. The word “persona” comes from the theater, referring to masks worn by actors in their roles on stage. Today, we are more likely to use the word “person” which carries with it a more individualistic connotation, but in trinitarian theology the persons are three different characterizations of one dynamic actor.

Herbert O'Driscoll writes, “There has never been an end to our search for images by which to express the mystery of the Trinity. St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach about the Trinity. To him, the shamrock spoke of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was a primitive way of teaching, but it is open to question whether we have succeeded in improving upon it. If the Trinity is our way of groping for an expression of the totality of God, then what can be better than to stoop down to the green earth and lift from it an image of God’s truth placed there by God’s own hand?”

Just three quick images: a 3 in 1 God, the personas of an actor and the shamrock. Three nutshell explanations and yet the Nut cannot be contained; God will always be grander than our feeble attempts at comprehension.

Inspired

2011-06-07T13:37:00.000-03:00

Originally, the word “inspired” meant to be filled with the Spirit. The reason I capitalized the word “Spirit” is because inspired means to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. With that origin it is easy to see how “inspired” came to mean something that is extraordinarily good. Theologian Paul Tillich defines “inspired” as God Present. It is also understood as God’s breathe, or as an action word, God breathed. Either way, it is also easy to see how wind has become a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Another image used for the Holy Spirit is fire. The Book of Acts tells the story of the Holy Spirit coming to the Apostles after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It comes like tongues of fire. The hat (or mitre) a bishop wears is deliberately shaped like a flame. A fire is easily extinguished if we are able to deprive it of oxygen (air, wind, breath). These two images for the Holy Spirit of wind and fire are powerful and go hand in hand.

I’ve heard it said that if we “take the Holy Spirit out of the church, 95% of what we are doing will continue.” If God’s Holy Spirit only inspires 5% of what we do then maybe we need to forget about the 95%. That number is probably way too high but the point is well made and well taken. But, are we willing to hand over our Church to the Holy Spirit within us?

Celtic Christians used the wild goose as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. It is a noisy, messy and bothersome bird. The image of a wild goose, like the Holy Spirit, jars us out of our complacency and to a mission filled with the freshness and warmth associated with wind and fire. If you want to set someone on fire, you have to burn a little bit yourself.

I Don’t Want a Pickle

2011-06-01T07:55:00.002-03:00

Those of you who are familiar with the 1960’s folk music scene will no doubt get the reference in the title of this article to an Arlo Guthrie song about a motorcycle. In the first version of the song he didn’t explain why he didn’t want a pickle. In the second version it turns out that the pickle is a microphone.

So, I don’t want a pickle either but last Monday I got one. I was interviewed by CBC News regarding a decision made at the Diocesan Synod last month. I was surprised that a resolution that did nothing more than asks the bishop for a guideline (regarding the blessings of same same-sex civil marriages) was newsworthy.

To date our Synod has not made a legislative decision about the blessing of same-sex civil marriages. The Church’s Canon on Marriage has not been changed, so there still cannot be any weddings of same-sex couples in the churches of our diocese. Our Church affirms that there are gay and lesbian individuals and couples within our congregations. They participate as valued members of our congregations and also in leadership roles.

The current agreed standard among the bishops calls for a “generous pastoral response.” A parish can provide for a blessing of a civilly married gay or lesbian couple. It is to be done with the bishop’s knowledge and permission. It is possible to celebrate “a Eucharist with the couple, including appropriate intercessory prayers, but not including a nuptial blessing.” (House of Bishops, April 20, 2007)

This is a difficult issue for us because we are not in agreement with one another. People on all sides of this issue are feeling worn-down and hurt. Before we do anything I think it is wise to see the guidelines. Then the Parish Council can decide how to proceed with our discernment. Our challenge will be to listen respectfully to one another. My hope is that we can have a process of discernment without pickles, without the media waiting to pounce on fractions and divisions. We know, however, that the world is watching to see what we do.

One

2011-05-24T08:00:00.002-03:00

In the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s there was an American rock and roll band named Three Dog Night, and they sang, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.”

Perhaps no one knows the truth of this statement better than God. Famously, one of my professors asked why God created human being and after a long silence from a class room full of theological students the professor answered his own question, “Because God wanted friends.” Perhaps it’s true, God wanted to be more than one because one is a lonely number.

We can be thankful for our creation. But the friendship God hopes for is real friendship, based in our freedom to choose (or reject). Friendship that is forces on us is no friendship at all. And the Three Dog Night song, “One” acknowledges that the number two can be a lonelier number than one if the friendship is rejected, yet God risks being even lonelier for the sake of friendship with us.

In fact, God risks more than a deeper sense of loneliness, God risks everything. God sent Jesus into the world to bring us the Good News of God’s forgiveness and love and call to justice.

Jesus belonged to a faith group that was monotheistic, believing in one God. Paul standing and preaching before the Areopagus in Athenians belonged to a faith group that was monotheistic. In fact, that is the point of his sermon (Acts 17:22-31). Our faith, the Christian faith is a monotheistic religion. However, we believe that the One God is manifested in three principle ways; as creator and saviour are two. The third manifestation of the One God is as the Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit, and a constant presence in our lives.

The Trinity is not of God’s making, to stave off the loneliness of being One, that’s our role (to be friends with the divine). The Trinity is of our making to help us understand the simplicity of relating to the One God, manifested as Creator, Saviour and Spirit.

Abiding in the Spirit

2011-05-18T13:19:00.002-03:00

On the block where I grew up, there was a wall at the corner. It was a decorative wall that framed the lot that the apartment building was on. It was just the right height for sitting. I sat there often, hanging out with friends. But what I remember the most was waiting.

When I was around eight to eleven years old, most days in the late afternoon, just before supper, I would sit on the wall and wait for my dad. He often walked home from the harbour ferry and I would wait on that wall for the distant figure way down the road to appear. I would have enough time to run to the house and tell mom that I could see him and make it back to the wall to wait. Maybe I would even run down the road to him and we would walk home together.

Waiting for someone is not the same as being with someone (obviously!), but waiting can be the same as loving.

And so, I wait for the Day of Pentecost.

Over the years we have had some wonderful worship experiences on Pentecost. Celebrating what we hoped and prayed would be our God-given vision; celebrating the five characteristics of our mission; tearing down walls and filling the font to overflowing. Our worship on Pentecost has been a testament to the openness of the people of this parish to the Holy Spirit.

I thank God every day for you and for the moving of God’s Spirit amongst you. We are still enjoying the Good News of the Easter Gospel and we are waiting for the Day of Pentecost. Sometimes Christians are criticized for believing too much and not doing enough. Well, we should believe and act on those beliefs. We should also abide in God’s love.

Waiting on a wall for my dad to come home is like loving one another. It is like abiding in the Holy Spirit, basking in the love of God. And like listening to music, just let the Holy Spirit happen, just let the love of God happen.

About Three Thousand Persons

2011-05-03T14:34:00.002-03:00

“So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.” (Acts 2:41)

That’s my goal, or hope, or dream, to some day preside at a baptism for about 3,000 people. Of course it wouldn’t be here, in St. Paul’s Church, because we wouldn’t be able to fit them all in at once. And only taking them 300 or 400 at a time just wouldn’t do. Or would it? Presiding at the baptism of one person is a great privilege too. Every baptism is a special event and it’s not, after all, about the presider, it’s about the baptized and God’s promise.

The promise of baptism, as expressed in our first lesson today from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is that by repentance and baptism comes forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. I have written here many times about forgiveness, not so much about the Holy Spirit.

I was asked recently about the word “ghost.” It came up frequently, even if you tried to avoid it, in a wedding that was televised. So I explained that the word “ghost” is an old word that can also mean “spirit.” So, that in the phrase “Holy Ghost” we mean “Holy Spirit.”

I was desperate to be asked about the Holy Spirit, but wasn’t, so I explain the Holy Spirit anyway. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit and the gift of God’s Spirit is a promise by God to be present with us always. No matter what we’re doing, no matter who we are, God will be ever present.

This, by the way, is how God is present with us in the breaking of bread, in the communion we celebrate Sunday morning (and other time). All of us are welcome and have a place at the table. There are no solo sacraments, every prayer, be it public or private is accompanied by God’s Holy Spirit.

God Allows U-turns

2011-04-27T19:22:00.002-03:00

It should be no secret by now that one of my very favorite characters in scripture is Thomas. It’s not so much that this story is all that inspiring, in and of itself. A guy, who happens to be out for a bit, misses the big event when Jesus appears to the others. Naturally, he feels left out and, perhaps just to be stubborn, refuses to believe the reports of Jesus’ appearing, until he sees for himself, the wounds, and the man. We should all be so blessed.

So, for me, it’s not the story but the way Thomas has been treated down through the ages that affects me. He has been tarnish forever for, well, for being human and simply wanting (demanding) that he be treated the same as everyone else. I sometimes feel as though Jesus is acting like a parent, wanting all his children to feel equally loved. It is as if he is helping Thomas to catch up with the others. Many preaches today are trying to redeem Thomas whose doubts built a strong faith.

Thomas’ story is a human story. Sometimes we may feel like we are headed in the wrong direction, down the wrong road and the Good News is that God allows u-turns. No matter how distant we feel from God, God is no further than right on our backs.

I read a cute sign outside one of those Churches that posts cute signs. It read, “In the dark? Follow the Son.” Follow the Son, the Son of God. Repentance means turning around. God calls Thomas; God calls all of us to turning around and following God’s rule of life.

Good Friday Sermon - To Save Us All!

2011-04-22T12:34:00.001-03:00

There is a green hill far away,
outside a city wall,
where our dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1848

These words, from the hymn we just sang, point to a truth that is deeply rooted in the psyche, at the very core of the Christian soul. There is an image at the heart of the Christian proclamation of a lonely figure, a tortured human, a man hanging on a cross, an innocent man hanging on a Roman cross. He was tried on trumped up charges; first for blasphemy because some people claimed that he was the Son of God; then he was tried for sedition because some people claimed that he was a king. That lone figure of a man, whipped, beaten, spat upon, paraded through the city, too weak to carry his own cross - that is the one at the centre of our attention today. A man of God, a teacher, a healer, a savior, he is the one abandoned by his friends, mocked by his enemies and feeling forsaken by God, he is the one our thoughts turn towards today.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear,
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.

“…but we believe it was for us…”

For us today, for every Christian community around the world, this is a most somber day: a day when we contemplate the astonishing fact that Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, who came to tell the world about the love of God, was crucified.

Today, more than any other day my theology fails me, everything I ever learnt, everything I know, is for naught. Wiser people than me have dedicated their lives to answer the simple, childlike question that nags at our minds, “why?” Why did Jesus have to die? Why did all this pain and suffering have to happen? Is my sin that bad? Why?

Many people try and answer this question.

He died that we might be forgiven,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.

I don’t know about that, I don’t know about making us good or being saved by his precious blood. Yet that is precisely what this hymn says, and countless other hymns and countless theologians and Sunday School teachers. And I’m not altogether certain that the next verse helps me much more:

There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin,
he only could unlock the gate
of heaven and let us in.

It still leaves that basic question unanswered - “why?” Why did he, why did God, why did Jesus have to pay such a steep and awful price?

Well, rather than falling into a theology that has been written, spoken, prayed and sung so much that it sounds clichéd, let’s go back to the basics. If today is just about the suffering of Jesus Christ then the danger is that his suffering has no value, for us or for the world. The basics tell me that today isn’t about sin, but about forgiveness. Today isn’t about hate, it’s about love. Today isn’t about pain, it’s about joy. Today isn’t even about Jesus, it’s about us. It’s about you and me and everybody that ever was or will be. As the hymn says, he “died to save us all,” - that we might go at last to heaven… That he could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in… And when we sing the word “heaven” let’s hear the word “home.” Heaven is our true home, wherever that may be, eternity with the divine, our creator, our constant companion, our lover… Today, more than any other day is about the most primary of all relationships, it’s about our relationship with God.

O dearly, dearly has he loved!
And we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.

God loves us and expects, as any lover would, to have our love given in return. Tomorrow, I will, once again, believe the theologians and their feeble answers to the question, “why?” Tomorrow, my theology will sustain me. Today, there is only trust, trust in God’s love, trust in God’s deep desire (deep dream) that we will get it, not just with our heads, but with our hearts too, and our souls and bodies, that we will get it, we will get God’s love and that we too, will try his works to do.

That truth of God’s love is summed up in that deeply rooted image at the heart of the Christian proclamation, of a lonely figure, tortured and hanging on a cross. He is truly innocent but because he calls us to think and experience God’s love differently (and intimately) is proven guilty of both blasphemy and sedition. That lone figure, whipped, beaten, spat upon, paraded through the city, the one at the centre of our attention - calls us to look beyond his death, beyond the cross to the resurrection, to unity with the divine, unity with God, to doing God’s work of love.

Jesus, a man of God, a teacher, a healer, a savior, wants nothing more than our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, wants nothing more than our whole being to try his works to do. Doing God’s will is salvation…

There is a green hill far away,
outside a city wall,
where our dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.

And from our first hymn today…

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts, 1707

Thank you Jesus. Amen.

New Life

2011-04-20T09:43:00.002-03:00

I never cared much for boiled eggs for breakfast, preferring scrambled or fried, but come Easter morning I want my boiled egg. Hard or soft matters little to me. Coloured, that’s the thing, it has to be coloured. My mother always dropped a bit of food colouring into the boiling water with the eggs. It might be red or blue or green, served in an egg dish, shaped like a chick or bunny, with toast. Now that was Easter morning.

I think the egg became one of the many symbols for Easter because, from what looks like a lifeless orb springs forth a chick, and new life. Just like the tomb where the lifeless body of Jesus was placed after his crucifixion, new life springs forth and the resurrected Body of Jesus emerges.

The hard boiled egg has another image attached to it, that of the hardened heart. “Ah, he’s such a hard egg…” we might say of someone seemingly predisposed to insults and violence. But, just as the old blues song says, “even the hardest boiled egg has a little yellow inside,” so too we can all be touched with the glory of God’s love revealed today in an empty tomb.

Despite threats and a soldier standing on guard some women, companions of Jesus went to the tomb to mourn and to make sure the body was washed and prepared properly. They didn’t expect an empty tomb, they didn’t expect the resurrection. They certainly didn’t expect to be the first apostles, the first ones sent to tell the Good News of the resurrection.

We too have been commissioned as bearers of the Good News. Our shell has been cracked and the glory of the resurrection colours our lives and causes us to proclaim by word and deed God’s love for all creation. New life springs forth. Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

INRI

2011-04-12T14:31:00.002-03:00

Often, in churches you will see the acronym INRI used on hangings, stained glass, wood carvings and other forms of art. One of the recourses I use for preparing sermons suggested that I explain what INRI means. So, I looked it up and here’s what I found out:

It is an acronym of the Latin phrase, Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum, which means "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews". This phrase appears in John’s Gospel (19:19).

Each of the Gospels differ slightly about what is written on the cross: Matthew, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews"(27:37); Mark, "The King of the Jews"(15:26); and Luke, "This is the King of the Jews" (23:38). Both John and Luke say it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, but Matthew and Mark say it was the charge brought against Jesus. In John’s Gospel (19:19-20), the inscription is written by Pilate, and put on the cross. And many of the Jews could read it because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city.

According to all four Gospels, Pilate asked Jesus to deny that he was the "King of the Jews" but he refused to deny the accusation. According to John, the chief priests asked Pilate to change the inscription so that it did not say "the King of the Jews", but rather, "This man said he was the King of the Jews." Pilate refused to make the change. (John 19:20-22)

Many crucifixes and other depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus include a stylized plaque or parchment, called a titulus, bearing the Latin letters INRI. In the East (both Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox) use the Greek letters INBI.

One More Too Many

2011-04-07T18:51:00.002-03:00

Growing up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s meant that sometimes, about half of any given class room was made up of the children of military personnel. From time to time news trickled down to us about a military or police action, or even a war. Naturally, we talked about it and had plenty of opinions.

What made the greatest impression on me is that I have yet to meet a child of a soldier, sailor or airman who wanted a war. We understood that it may be inevitable, necessary perhaps but never desirous. For me, people who question the choice to put military personnel in harm’s way are not necessarily peace-loving beatniks or (worse) unpatriotic. They can be people like me, who simple can’t imagine seeing war (or other military actions) as anything but an absolute last resort.

So in worship, we always pray for those people who have paid the supreme sacrifice in war in Afghanistan because their sacrifice and that of their family needs to be honoured.

By naming them in our prayers we also engage in an act of contrition, admitting to God and one another that we have failed. War, no matter what, is at the outset a failure, proof that we have failed to achieve peace.

By naming them in our prayers we also engage in an act of protest, aimed squarely at our political leaders, reminding them that despite the motivation of our “enemies” we must continue (even as the bullets fly) to work to achieve peace. Otherwise, another name will (inevitably) roll from our lips, sink into our hearts and cause us to ache for those who will grow up without one of their parents.

Prayer, at all times, seeks to change not God but us and our world. Pray for peace.

Mothering Sunday

2011-03-29T09:04:00.002-03:00

From the website BBC Religious

Today, the fourth Sunday of Lent is Mothering Sunday. Although it is sometimes confused with Mothers' Day it has no connection with the North American celebration festival of that name and predates it by centuries.

Traditionally, Mothering Sunday was a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother and family. Today it is a day when children give presents, flowers, and home-made cards to their mothers.

On most Sundays in the year worshipers in England attend the nearest parish or 'daughter church'. Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or 'mother' church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their 'mother' church - the main church or Cathedral of the area.

The return to the 'mother' church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. And most historians think that it was the return to the 'Mother' church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.

Another thought is that the name comes from one of the Bible readings for that day, which refers to motherhood in a different way. In Galatians 4:26 it says, “²⁶But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother.”

Mothering Sunday was once known as Refreshment Sunday because the fasting rules for Lent were relaxed that day. The food item specially associated with Mothering Sunday is the Simnel cake (a fruit cake with two layers of almond paste, one on top and one in the middle). The cake is made with 11 balls of marzipan icing on top representing the 11 disciples (Judas is not included). Traditionally, sugar violets would also be added.

The name Simnel probably comes from the Latin word simila which means “a fine wheat flour” usually used for baking a cake. There's a legend that a man called Simon and his wife Nell argued over whether the cake for Mothering Sunday should be baked or boiled. In the end they did both, so the cake was named after both of them: SIM-NELL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/motheringsunday_1.shtml

Know the Road

2011-03-22T21:41:00.002-03:00

My mother used to say that our family car knew the road between our house and the airport and could probably drive it by itself. My dad took so many business trips (sometimes 2 or 3 a week) that our poor little car, making so many trips, knew every dip and turn in the road. When I was sixteen I had to do my shifts of driving to and from the airport. I am almost sure that the car, all by itself, drifted slightly out of the lane to avoid a pothole.

If the truth be told, machines do not develop habits doing things that are essentially random acts. It’s the human at the steering wheel that develops the habit. Even the Samaritan woman, from our Gospel lesson today, who came to draw water and having become so used to being ignored by strange men that it was a real shock for her to hear a man’s voice speaking to her.

It got even more bizarre when the stranger offered her a drink of water. No doubt she expected, if anything, to hear this stranger demand a drink from her. She would have obliged, in silence. But this whole scene was so weird that she completely removed from the habits she had come to expect, spoke back and even argued with the stranger.

Lent, in a very real way is about jarring us out of our habits. It is about taking us out of the usual, out of the this-is-how-we’ve-always-done-it thinking so that we too can sit with Jesus and say, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty…"

The waters of baptism and the bread of communion have unusual properties, which draw us from the typical habits of daily life into a relationship with God, who promises that the thirst for the Spirit and hunger for the divine are satisfied in Christ Jesus.

Ash Wednesday Sermon

2011-03-09T08:39:00.000-04:00

Today, Ash Wednesday begins a season of preparation. Over the next 46 days we will walk with Jesus Christ to Easter; through Good Friday and onto Easter. Please note that this season is a time of preparation for Easter, not for Good Friday. Good Friday is a step along the way.

How do we prepare? Our liturgy for Ash Wednesday tells us that we prepare for the great Pascal mystery of Easter by observing a holy Lent – by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and by studying scripture.

Normally, we think of Lent as a time to give something up (like chocolate, or eating between meals, or alcohol), by denying ourselves of certain pleasures. But Lent is so much grander than simple fasting or denial.

Lent is indeed a time for:

Self-examination – when we consider our lives; who we are before God; what’s good about us and what needs changing.
for Penitence – if we find that we have sinned we are to acknowledge it, make changes, right a wrong (if possible) and move on.
for Fasting – reigning in our over indulgent appetites.

I like the metaphor of a juggler for Lent. We expect the juggler to toss a few balls into the air and to catch them. A juggler who only tosses balls into the air and doesn’t catch them – is no juggler at all. So, to only spend the Lenten preparation time to navel gaze, feel sorry for ourselves and fasting from candy and booze is hardy even half of the job. It’s like a juggler tossing the balls into the air without even the consideration of catching them.

Because – Lent is also a time for:

Prayer – being open to the divine presence when we get up in the morning, or before we lay down to sleep at night; at noon-time, or any time during the day – to stop, to be quiet, to pray, to be open to God’s love and forgiveness.
for Almsgiving – to give of our time, talent and yes even our treasure (our money) for the work and ministry of the church, for the work and ministry of this church.
for the Study of scripture – to be sure that one of the principle ways God has chosen to be revealed to us is in the words of Holy Scripture.

We deny ourselves certain things in this season of preparation so that we can be open to the presence of God in our lives. We toss the balls into the air and we catch them.

And from time to time during this Lent you may ask yourself; why, why am I doing this? Because God loves you. More than anything else, the Easter message is about the depth and breadth of God’s love. He is risen, Alleluia! Not even the grave, not even the death of Jesus Christ, the son of God and our Saviour, can separate us from the love of God.

And so, this season of preparation begins with a message of love:

“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

This message may not sound like love at first hearing, but think about it. What is dust? What are the ashes we speak of today? Carbon, the building blocks of creation. “… you are dust” (ashes); you are made of the stuff of creation; you are made of that which God love. This is the message we remind ourselves of today by this action, the imposition of ashes: God loves us.

“… and to dust you shall return”: you shall return to God, the creator and maker of all, the creator and lover of all.

It is a distinct privilege for me to be the one who places these ashes on your foreheads and to remind you that you are loved by God and to God you shall return. Amen.

That Frozen Block of Brussels Sprouts

2011-03-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

As a child, Shrove Tuesday was known in my house as Pancake Day. We had pancakes for breakfast and there were coins in them. I think my mother tried hard to make sure that each of her three children ended up with the same amount of money (a dime, a nickel and a penny). The fourth pancake, if you had one, was sans coin. We also knew that Pancake Day was the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

Even then I knew that I was supposed give something up during Lent and that it had something to do with what Jesus did for me (and you). It was, in my school yard anyway, a topic of conversation, “what are you giving up for Lent?” I was never quite sure why I wasn’t allowed to give up that frozen block of Brussels sprouts that appeared at supper once and a while.

On Ash Wednesday the presider says to the congregation, “I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.” That is, in a beautifully concise summons, what Lent and the ancient practice of giving-something-up is all about. We deny ourselves something so that we can use the time we would have spent eating chocolate or Brussels sprouts by observing a holy Lent.

I wouldn’t choose pancakes and sausage as my last meal but I like the tradition of Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) to eat of the sweetness of the earth because tomorrow we fast.

And now for a little math lesson: Lent is 40 days long but Ash Wednesday to Easter Day is 46 days. Why? Because our Lenten discipline doesn’t include Sundays. Sunday is always a day of celebration. Let it always be so with us.

The Will of God

2011-02-24T10:30:00.002-04:00

When Harry Belafonte sings “There’s A Hole In My Bucket” as a duet there’s often a dialogue with the woman saying, “you gotta have will,” to get the job done. And Harry responds with, “you show me Will and I’ll show him the way.”

Who knows the “will of God”? Our Collect prayer today asks that we “may live according to [God’s] holy will.” I heard a story once about the will of God:

Apparently there was a bishop who, over a century ago, said in a sermon and in a magazine he help edit that, heavier-than-air flight was both impossible and contrary to the will of God. That was Bishop Milton Wright. He just happened to have two sons named Orville and Wilbur! Yes, the same two who flew gliders and planes in the early part of the 20th century.

People who tell the story about the immortal words of Bishop Milton Wright today often end it with the dreadful pun, “Wright was wrong.” Granted, he was wrong about air travel being impossible. But who knows that air travel is not contrary to God’s will. I’m just saying, “who knows?” This isn’t about air travel; it’s about God’s will.

There’s a clue in our Collect, “grant us the Spirit to think and do always those things that are right.” So, the will of God is that which is right (not Wright). We could enter into quite a discussion about what is right and that would be a healthy exercise, no doubt. The point is, that the place to start for discerning God’s will is with figuring out what’s right.

Again our prayers for today help. The Prayer over the Gifts says in part, that the gifts we offer at the table are more than money, that we “bring an offering of our love.” And the Prayer after Communion asks, “may we live according to your will and show the fruits of your love.”

Love is right and in accordance with God’s will.

Sermon for the Service prior to the Annual Meeting

2011-02-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

This service of healing and reconciliation is an opportunity for us to celebrate the presence of God, our creator, our savior and our constant lover; - it is an opportunity to acknowledge our grief, our sin, our failure;
- it is an opportunity for us to know, that is, to more fully realize, that we are, each one of us is, an expression of God’s love and a full member, a full part of the Body of Christ, as it is manifested in this congregation of St. Paul’s Church;
- it is an opportunity to seek forgiveness, to receive forgiveness and to experience the fullness of God’s love in our healing;
- it is an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to God and to one another, to make a pledge that we will do better for one another;
- it is an opportunity to be in communion with God and with one another.

This worship reflects our belief that God’s purpose for all of us is a life of wholeness, as expressed in the life and teaching of Jesus. A ministry of healing is an integral part of our Christian witness.

Each of us is in need of healing, but a ministry of healing also has a social dimension:
- The healing of divided communities and nations, and the healing of the earth itself, has its place alongside he healing of broken bodies, hurt minds and wounded hearts, and of the hurts and divisions within ourselves and our community.
- So too, our prayers are complementary to the work of medicine and other forms of healing, which are also channels of God’s loving and transforming purposes.

In our prayers, we are not seeking to change God but to change the world in which we live and move and have our being; and we trust that our prayers will be answered, although we do not know when or how healing will happen.

During the laying-on of hands, if you wish to seek prayer:
- for yourself,
- on behalf of someone,
- for an issue in your life, in this parish or in our wider community,
- or for a crisis in the world, you are invited to come and take it in turn to sit at one of the chairs in the middle of the church.

Also, if you wish to share in the laying-on of hands, please come to the chairs and place a hand on the shoulder of one of the people in front of or next to you. Or you may choose to take part by remaining in your place and join in the prayer for the laying-on of hands on Page 5.

Jesus says, “‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’” So come:
- you who are burdened by regret and anxieties,
- you who are broken in body and spirit,
- you who feel deeply within yourselves the divisions and injustices of our world.
Come, for Jesus invites us to bring him our brokenness.

One of things we learned from the feasibility study (and it was perhaps the most important thing), was that people truly care about St. Paul’s Church:
- we care about one another,
- about the buildings,
- about the finances,
- about the ministry,
- about the worship,
- about every aspect of parish life.
Not a surprise, but without a doubt, it is good to know.

Every healthy community possesses the ability to acknowledge its imperfection. Sometimes we hurt and frustrate one another; when that happens we need to seek forgiveness and grant forgiveness. It’s not always easy to forgive but we try.

And I’m not so foolish as to think that just because I say we will forgive one another that we actually will.

Forgiveness takes time and if someone’s not ready… well, when you are, in the words of Boomer when there’s a promise of another weather forecast, “we’ll be here!”
- We’ll be here when you are ready to acknowledge your sin.
- We’ll be here when you are ready to forgive us.
- We’ll be here because God is.
- We’ll be here because God calls us here, calls us into community.
- We’ll be here because no amount of sin or brokenness is greater than the good (the God who is) in each of us.
- We’ll be here!
- The Lord is here.
- We’ll be here!
Amen.

Note: Some of the thoughts expressed in this sermon were found in the Iona Abbey Worship Book.

Book Reviews

2011-02-15T10:39:00.001-04:00

Have you read any good books lately? Perhaps a book that has moved you in some way and that you want to share with others. Well, you can write a short review and we would love to publish it in the weekly bulletin and/or post it on our website. Today we have a review of The Practice of Prayer from Barbara Bloom. Her other mini-reviews are posted on our website, just check the sidebar “Book Reviews.”

The rules are simple: 1) only send reviews of books you like; 2) 300 words maximum; and, 3) the book doesn’t have to be religious, just edifying.

Review: The Practice of Prayer
By Barbara Bloom

THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER by Margaret Guenther (1998). Cambridge Massachusetts: Cowley Publications. ISBN 1 56101 152 5 (200 pp.) plus a discussion of resources (6 pp.) and suggested discussion questions by chapters (6 pp.).

This book is volume 4 of the New Church’s Teaching Series. Margaret Guenther is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director and retreat leader. She begins this rich little volume with a series of questions common to all and confesses that she had reservations about writing a book on prayer. Because the assigned title of the book refers to the PRACTICE of prayer, however, she felt that she could write it. All of us, who pray, PRACTICE it. We never become experts. It is similar to practicing music. Few of us are experts in music, nevertheless, we all rejoice in our music making, especially after we have practiced. Through the two sections of the book, “Spirituality and Prayer” and “Prayer in the Midst of Life” Guenther leads the reader reassuringly through prayer steps and possibilities that can help us to rejoice in our prayer life, as well, especially as we practice it. This is a very rich, friendly little book that I heartily recommend to everyone.

We’ll Be Here!

2011-02-08T11:59:00.001-04:00

Years ago, CBC Radio had a show hosted by columnist Arthur Black. The show often ended with an opinion piece. One memorable monologue had Arthur poking fun at Wendy’s restaurant for investing a million dollar to survey its costumers as to what they preferred on their hamburgers. After all that money and effort they discovered that their customers like what Wendy’s was already putting on their burgers. Still, I suppose, it was good to know.

We didn’t spend a million dollars, but last year we invested in a feasibility study. I doubt very highly if any of us were surprised by the results. We learned that most of us don’t think we need a new hall at this time. We learned that people are waiting and hoping that Parish Council will put its budget in order soon. We learned that people want to know what’s going on, financially and otherwise, so we need to have better communication. We learned that people have been hurt and frustrated by people and programs at St. Paul’s Church. Frankly, I learned nothing from the study; I knew all of this before. Still, I suppose, it was good to know.

One other thing we learned from the study and it was perhaps the most important thing. We learned that people truly care about St. Paul’s Church. We care about one another, about the buildings, about the finances, about the ministry, about the worship, about every aspect of parish life. Not a surprise, but without a doubt, it is good to know.

Every healthy community posses the ability to acknowledge its imperfection; sometimes we hurt and frustrate one another; we need to seek forgiveness and grant forgiveness. It’s not always easy to forgive but we try. And I’m not so foolish as to think that just because I say we will forgive one another at next week’s service that we actually will. Forgiveness takes time and if someone’s not ready… well, when you are, in the words of Boomer when there’s a promise of another weather forecast, “we’ll be here!”

Caught and Set Free

2011-02-04T16:02:00.000-04:00

See Mick's blog Caught and set free...

Blessed Are You

2011-01-26T09:41:00.002-04:00

It’s funny you know, when someone asks on Boxing Day if you’ve had a good Christmas. It’s funny because Christmas is really just starting, it’s hardly over.

I say this because today’s Gospel reading is known as the Beatitudes and forms a kind of introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are not the Sermon on the Mount, as many think, just the beginning. The Sermon is one of the earliest collected portions of Matthew’s Gospels. These verses are vitally important to our understanding of Jesus and what he means to us and the world.

As we muddle through the next several Sundays of Gospel readings from Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount we will be both enlightened and challenged. Today, however, we focus on the introduction of the Sermon, as Jesus lays out his point of view in what is his first major public teaching.

Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted. I had a professor who asked, what’s so blessed about being in any of these groups?

That’s a difficult question because when we start to rationalize these statements we get into all sorts of tangled logic that fails to withstand the simplest of critique.

The point, I think Jesus is making, is that there is nothing in this world about these things that is blessed. But, in the kingdom of heaven, in God’s realm the people who are outsiders, perhaps even reviled and persecuted are loved and accepted.

So, do I want to spend my life having you all think nice thoughts about me? Or, do I want to spend eternity with the loving Creator? “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven….”

"You're doing the right thing"

2011-01-18T09:42:00.002-04:00

By Mick Francis

Recently I had a problem. The nature of that problem is not important. What is important is what I did about it. I thought through all the possible ways the problem could be resolved, and after some careful deliberation I concluded how I would like to see the problem solved. In determining how the problem should be worked out, like many of us, I tried to figure out which end would be best for me, not for the other people involved. I can admit it. I am selfish and like things my own way.

I decided to pray to God for the end most suited to my needs. God told me I was doing the right thing. I was pleased. I waited as the problem came to a head and was eventually resolved. However, I was not so pleased to find that the ending was indeed NOT the one I had prayed to have happen. God had played a trick on me, or so I thought. I couldn't figure out why I had clearly gotten the response that I was doing the right thing, only to then be let down.

The next Sunday I was sitting in church and reading the bulletin. I came across a notice about the Week of Prayer for Christina Unity. I couldn't get it out of my head for the rest of the day, and could not figure out why. There had to be something about it. Later that day, I as talking with a friend about the problem of the previous week when it struck me like a brick – God told me I was doing the right thing. I assumed that meant asking for a particular resolution to my problem. But God was trying to tell me that praying was the right thing to do, and that prayer is important every day, not just when we need a problem solved. Will this valuable lesson learned stick with me? I pray that it does.

In Praise of the Seasons

2011-01-13T09:35:00.001-04:00

When Canada went metric my cousin bought his mother metric measuring spoons and cups (or whatever you would call metric cups). My aunt was amused by the gifts because she never used measurements, even when she baked. And if she did consult a recipe it would have been imperial measurements.

One of the enduring memories for me of the transition to metric was the TV ad campaign to help us understand how metric worked on a practical basis. Ten degrees and I would probably need a jacket but at twenty degrees I might not need a jacket.

The weather and the season affect our choice of clothing. We have winter clothes and summer clothes, and spring and fall clothes. The season can affect our mood. Some people love one season and hate another.

The Church has seasons too. The liturgical seasons affects how we dress and our mood. We dress the church (and the clergy) in different colours, not just for the beauty, but for the change in mood. Advent and Lent are intended to be sombre seasons, while Easter and Christmas are joyful times. Epiphany and Pentecost seasons are regular seasons, intended to build (and grow) our community and our faith.

I think that it is wise for us to not only be attentive to the liturgical seasons but to relish in them. We can allow them to affect us spiritually. The current arrangement of liturgical seasons evolved over time (over centuries) and is a proven technique of helping us in our spiritual journey. We are to let the scripture readings, the prayers, the sermons and the hymns inform and inspire our journey in faith.

If you remember Canada going metric then perhaps you’ll remember when it was common conversation, even among school children, to discuss what they’ll be giving up for Lent. The seasons of the Church year can and should affect everything about us, ultimately leading to a deeper relationship with our Creator.

Primate's Statement on Church Bombing

2011-01-06T12:24:00.000-04:00

This week, Archbishop Fred Hiltz released a statement regarding the bombing of a Church in Egypt. I am thankful that he has, and I have included his statement here, in its entirety.

He calls for religious tolerance. Tolerance means the, “acceptance of the differing views of other people, e.g. in religious or political matters, and fairness toward the people who hold these different views.” It has a second, weaker meaning too, “the act of putting up with somebody or something irritating or otherwise unpleasant.” This second meaning is often what we think of when we use the word, especially when it is applied to the things “I” have to put up with. I rather suspect, knowing Fred and listening for a hoped for tone in his statement, that he is encouraging this primary meaning of acceptance of other people’s views. I think that the word “tolerance” originally meant to “raise” up someone else and their differing point of view. Either way, Fred’s words are a bold statement easily applied to people far away and challengingly applied to ourselves and the people in our neighbourhoods and pews.

A statement by Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

In the aftermath of the bombing of a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt, as the congregation celebrated Midnight Mass on Jan. 1, I ask your prayers for the 21 people killed, for those injured and for their families in Egypt and abroad.

With leaders of other churches and faith traditions, I deplore this and similar acts of violence and call for religious tolerance and for preservation of the freedom to worship in accord with traditions cherished by the faithful in God.

I make this appeal trusting that at its heart religion is a force for good and for peace in the world.

In this season when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace I ask Canadians to "devote yourselves to prayer," (Colossians 2:2) in steadfast hope for peace, justice and charity throughout the world.

+Fred

Peace and Forgiveness

2010-12-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

Shortly before he died, the Rev’d Bill Warren told me about something he used to do every New Years’ Day with one of the congregations he served. He asked for their forgiveness. First, of course, he acknowledged his fallibility and that there were things left undone he ought to have done and things done he ought not to have done. Presumably, his congregation forgave him.

It’s not been our practice at St. Paul’s to have services on New Years’ Day (unless it falls on a Sunday, like it will this year), but there’s wisdom in seeking forgiveness from one another and in granting forgiveness to one another. New Years’ Day seems like a logical time to do it too, but in fact, it could be done anytime it’s needed.

Several times during our Sunday morning liturgy there are moments of seeking forgiveness. There is the obvious “Confession and Absolution,” but there are also the Prayers of the People, the Lord’s Prayer, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Peace, the Collect and other prayers, all of which either have or can have elements of forgiveness and reconciliation. Often we think of these moments as very personal, as being about me and God and, my confession and God’s forgiveness. But they can also be about our forgiveness of one another. The most obvious part of our liturgy that fits into this understanding is the Peace. We are, in that moment, offering God’s peace to one another and by doing so saying to one another “I love you” and “I forgive you.”

For me, the Peace is often the most powerful part of the liturgy. Forgiveness is a powerful force, but so is un-forgiveness. That is why I offer this warning as we begin a new calendar year together: woe to you who offer peace without forgiveness.

Sermon Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T21:10:00.000-04:00

WHEN I WAS TWELVE-YEARS-OLD I only wanted one thing for Christmas. Several of my friends already had one and I wanted one too. It was a calculator, but not just any calculator. I wanted a calculator from Texas Instruments.

Now-a-days, calculators are small and compact; many are about the size and weight of a business card. Not when I was twelve though – then, the bigger the better – with diesel engines (no, not really), but they were big. And I wanted a big one.

Our usual practice, when I was a kid, was to open our gifts on Christmas morning. That Christmas my sister and I talked my folks into letting us open “just one” gift on Christmas Eve. My sister opened a sweater, a silly old sweater vest. But, I saw a wrapped box, just the right size for a Texas Instruments calculator. I opened it and it was the exact calculator I wanted. I was so happy. I searched the house for the ten or twenty batteries it needed and fired the thing up…

It had, what seemed like hundreds of buttons, or I should say keys. There were ones I knew – like Number keys; Plus, Minus, Multiplication and Division keys; I knew the Percentage and Square Root keys too. But after that I was kind of lost. There were keys I didn’t know, ones that didn’t seem relevant on Christmas Eve: there was a Cubed Root key; a Pi key; a Ten to the power of key; Arithmetic Mean, Standard Deviation of given number, Exponent, Natural Logarithm, and Natural Anti-Logarithm keys; nearly 90 keys that I had no idea about.

Within ten minutes the brand new Texas Instruments calculator had lost its lustre. I looked at my sister, in her great looking sweater vest and felt a little envious (…of a sweater vest!). The anticipation of getting the calculator and what the calculator actually was – were two entirely different things.

Around the same time there was a ketchup commercial that featured the song, “Anticipation.” The advent of the squeeze bottle rendered that sense of anticipation irrelevant. Yet, truly experiencing the joy of anticipation is a spiritual discipline that we ought to recapture.

I heard heaven, metaphorically, described as the moment between putting honey in your mouth and actually tasting the honey.

Here’s a quote from a letter I received once:
My Darling John:
Your fathers back is out—again! We had a foot and a half of snow and I had to do the shovelling. Part way through the shovel broke. Danny, from next door came over and helped. It took a while, but we got the job done. Your Dad’s back is well enough today to go out and buy me a new shovel.
Love, Ma.

Every Sunday night, when I lived in Toronto, my mother (living on Nova Scotia) sat down and wrote me a letter. Every Tuesday the letter, posted eight days earlier arrived in my mail slot at Trinity College at the Porter’s station.

Everyday, twice a day, I made the long walk to the Porter to see if there was a message or a letter for me. Only one letter came a week that I really cared about and wanted. But I made that long walk, hoping, with a great sense of anticipation that there would be a letter from home, a letter from my mother.

My Darling John:
Your sister’s car is in the shop—again! That’s the second time this month. There’s something’s wrong with the manifold. In church, we pray about our manifold sins, but I don’t know what that has to do with your sister’s car.
Love, Ma.

At lunch on Tuesdays, I would share my mother’s letters with my friends. They were short and matter-of-fact and we always had a good laugh.

The great beauty of the letters was that they contain all the information I would have know (without being told), if I’d been home.

My dad also sent me letters, not as often, but I still really appreciated them. I have memorized them too. “Dear John; I hope this helps. Love, Dad.” Then I made my way to the bank to deposit the content of his letter. That wasn’t shared with my friends at lunch.

Back to my mother’s letters:
My Darling John:
Your father and I attended a fancy banquet put on by the New England Governors and Atlantic Premiers. I sat beside the Governor of Massachusetts. He was a very charming man. Or at least he seemed so, until I spilled the contents of my wine glass in his lap. After that, he seemed less charming.
Love, Ma.

Don’t ever throw me a surprise party. I don’t like surprise parties. The reason is that a surprise party robs the person the party is for of the best part of the party; the anticipation. Anticipation is better than a surprise – far better.

Not that surprises are bad. Some are quite good.

My uncle died last month. I wasn’t able to go to St. John’s, Newfoundland for the funeral but my brother was there. The funeral home was a large one and very busy at the time. There were five visitations going on at the same time.

A very elderly man came into the funeral home to visit my uncle and commiserate with his family. But he went into the wrong room. He quietly walked up to the casket and looking in he saw a woman. No doubt he was surprised. He stood there for a moment to pay his respects and then quietly turned and left.

In the lobby he saw my brother and walked up to him and quietly whispered, “I didn’t know your uncle was a cross dresser.”

That’s a true story.

I have found – that at Christmas, even if you get what you want, there’s an emptiness. It might not be as fast as I experienced with my calculator when I was twelve, but eventually the toys or gadgets or sweater vests are just things. Yet, the anticipation of Christmas promises so much more.

When I took those long walks to the porter’s station at college it was kind-a-like the long walk that Joseph and Mary took to Bethlehem for the census.

The Porter’s Office was kind-a-like a Manger.

The Letter that I so hoped would be there was like the swaddling cloths that enveloped what truly mattered.

The Content of the letter was words, but today we celebrate, not just any words, but thē Word. The Word of God that was sent to the world, the Word was Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the Word of God, the incarnation of God, Emmanuel (God with us) is the fulfillment of our anticipation, of our hope for a relationship with God, a God who desires to be known. A God who sends us this message, this letter, wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that we will know of his love.

My darling people;
I love you; I live among you, and whatever barriers you make between us I will destroy, because I love you.
Love God.
Amen.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends;

On behalf of the Wardens, Parish Council, staff and clergy I wish you a Merry Christmas and a most joyous New Year.

We will be gathering on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is a truly wonderful thing that God has done for us. God’s love for us and desire for a relationship with us is so great that God became incarnate (took on human flesh and dwelt amongst us).

Services on Christmas Eve:
5:00 pm – Holy Eucharist (come early)
11:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

On Sunday (December 26):
8:00 am – Holy Eucharist
10:00 am – Lessons and Carols

I am looking forward to these celebrations of God’s great love for us.

The Roof
The roof of the Parish Hall suffered significant damage this week in the wind storm Tuesday night. We don’t know the extent of the damage but we hope it will be assessed later today.

Home Communion
If you are unable to attend services at Christmas and would like communion at home please call the Parish Office (892-1691) to arrange for home communion. If you know of someone who is unable to attend services at Christmas and would like communion at home please have them call the Parish Office.

Christmas Office Hours:
December 25th - 28th - Closed
December 29th - 30th - Open
December 31st - January 1st - Closed
Tuesday, January 4th - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
In case of pastoral concerns, please contact me at home.

Peace and Merry Christmas,
John.

straight no chaser - Christmas Can Can

2010-12-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE

Turning Over A New Leaf

2010-12-16T10:29:00.000-04:00

Call me “old fashioned” but I still use a desk calendar to keep all my appointment straight. I gave up my electronic calendar a long time ago. The pen is always compatible with the paper; I never have to worry about an Apple pen not working on my Microsoft paper. I find it’s just easier, for the time being, to have everything I needs to know, in terms of appointments, in a desk calendar.

There is a real sense of joy and accomplishment moving from an old calendar into a bright, crisp, unspoiled new one. The desk calendars that the Church produces overlaps the month of December, so I got to move into the new one at the beginning of the month. Turning over a new leaf has a sort of literal meaning if applied to a new desk calendar.

I have a stack of calendars going back fifteen years, except for the two years I used an electronic one. I can tell you, more or less, what I did on any date you name. Not that you will ask and not that it matters, but it was important at the time. Calendars are about now and the future; where we have to be now and tomorrow.

The beauty of the calendar is that it reminds us that every year, month, week, day and hour is an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. It is an opportunity for us to do better, freed from yesterday’s burdens and mistakes. What’s more, this is a gift from God. God is the one who blesses us with a clean page, a clean slate, to start over again.

The Wardens, Parish Council and clergy of this parish are committed to turning over every new page with a renewed sense of what God is calling us to: a love that is marked by forgiveness, love and justice.

If it is true that some of us have been hurt and frustrated by St. Paul’s Church over the years. Now is the new day to deal with it. We need to hear about these things so that we can respond in ways that are helpful with moving us forward. You are asked to make an appointment with me and the Wardens before January 31, 2011 and let us know about your hurts and frustrations. If you want to talk about these things in a confidential way then pastoral care is offered by the clergy of the parish. In February 2011 there will be a service of Reconciliation and Healing for the whole congregation.

WOW!

2010-12-09T14:14:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, at the 10:00 a.m. service, we had a wonderful worship experience. The fact that we held a baptism and welcomed Nolan into the Body of Christ ought to have been enough to make it a truly wonderful service. But the Holy Spirit is moving amongst us, so much so that several people spoke with me afterwards about being significantly moved by the worship. And I have to wonder, in how many churches would a visitor feel comfortable and accepted enough to pull out her violin and play along (without invitation)?

Now, I know that our worship isn’t perfect, but whose is? And those who say we have nothing unique to offer, in terms of our worship, are simply wrong. With over 160 people gathered at the 10:00 a.m. service and a palpable sense of God’s Holy Spirit I think we need to celebrate and give thanks for God’s love and for one another. A couple of us even jumped and clicked our heals – now if that’s not the Holy Spirit, I don’t know what is.

It is good for us from time to time, without filling ourselves with too much pride, to accentuate the positive. Too often, when we hold a fund raiser we focus on how much money was made. Recently, the focus has changed and all I’ve heard about was how much fun people were having. That’s the Holy Spirit.

The feasibility study done in the summer showed that some of us have been hurt and frustrated by St. Paul’s Church over the years. Our hope is that we will hear about these things so that we can respond in a way that will help us move on as a parish community without being encumbered by our past mistakes. I invite you therefore to make an appointment with me and the Wardens before January 31, 2011 and let us know about your hurts and frustrations. If you want to talk about these things in a confidential way then pastoral care is offered by the clergy of the parish. In February 2011 there will be a service of Reconciliation and Healing for the whole congregation.

Mulligan

2010-12-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I don’t golf is that on one of the two occasions that I did, I heard one of the people golfing with me say, “Nice Shot!” I knew it wasn’t, and he then quietly added, “we won’t bother to try and find that ball. You can have a mulligan.” I am familiar enough with golfing terminology to know that a mulligan is a kind of second chance, except that the first chance is still counted as a stroke, or point against you. I think too, that a mulligan is only offered once.

In the playground of my childhood there was a better kind of second chance and it was called a “do-over.” It was better for a number of reasons, but mostly because the first try is never counted against you. If, for example, your first shot went awry the polite thing for your opponent to do is to offer a do-over. If he or she doesn’t make the offer then the only answer to the question, can I have a do-over, is “yes.” Every child in my playground knew these rules and abided by them. And a do-over is given as often as it’s needed. Cool, eh?

A do-over is a great way to learn a new skill. It is also a great rule to bring to life.

In Tic-Tac-Toe the rule is further refined. The skilled player says to the unskilled player, “Do you really want to make that move?” Two skilled players render the game dull and dreary because every game ends in a tie. It is therefore the role of the skilled player to teach the unskilled player a life lesson about strategy, not building character through losing.

The life instructions found in the scriptures are a kind of do-you-really-want-to-make-that-move statement from God. Should we choose to make the move anyway God will not grant us a mulligan but a do-over. A much better offer and nothing will be counted against us.

We have heard that some people have been hurt and frustrated by things that have happened at St. Paul’s Church over the years. To respond openly and honestly to these frustrations we hope that people will express themselves to me and the Wardens before January 31, 2011. If confidentiality is desired then pastoral care will be offered by the clergy of the parish. In February 2011 there will be a service of Reconciliation and Healing for the whole congregation.

From time to time we need more than a mulligan; we need a do-over.

Moving Forward

2010-11-26T09:19:00.002-04:00

Every Sunday (except for Sundays during Easter season) we have the General Confession. In the BAS it is called the Confession and Absolution. The purpose is twofold, first to acknowledge our sinfulness before God and second, to remind ourselves of God’s love and forgiveness. This is a good and healthy thing for us to do, especially as we are about to begin the Eucharistic part of the service, because it helps us move forward.

Acknowledging our sin, being assured of God’s love and forgiveness and moving on is the shape of the General Confession. However, I often hear people say that they believe they are forgiven by God, even forgiven by the person they may have sinned against, but that they can’t forgive themselves. There is a one line prayer that I like, “God forgive my un-forgiveness.” An inability to forgive ourselves is something God will forgive too.

The feasibility study we conducted during the summer suggested that members of St. Paul’s Church have been hurt and frustrated over the years. We are quite concerned about this and wish to find a way forward. The hope is that we will respond openly and honestly to these frustrations. The plan is that people who would like to express their frustrations or hurts meet with me and Wardens before January 31, 2011. Addressing the issues that people bring forward will mean that there will be no secrets and there is a commitment to action. If confidentiality is desired then pastoral care will be offered by the clergy of the parish. In February 2011 there will be a service of Reconciliation and Healing (a moving forward) for the whole congregation.

It is our deepest hope that we will stick together as we solve these current troubles and that we will find a way forward by also forgiving ourselves.

Good Fences

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-04:00

Poet Robert Frost wrote the often quoted line, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But, don’t for a moment think that he actually believed it. In fact, he didn’t say so much as he quoted it. He was, after all, quoting his neighbour.

The poem is entitled, “Mending Wall,” and speaks of a tradition that would find neighbours walking the fence dividing their property in the springtime to mend the winter’s damage. It was a back-breaking effort of placing fallen stones back on the fence. If the poem is written in the first person, then it is Frost who doubts the exercise of mending the wall and the axiom that, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

Frost wonders if there is some unseen force, and I say perhaps even God, who causes fences to tumble, a force that will wait until our backs are turned to destroy those things that divide us.

From the Mending Wall
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it
And spills the upper boulder in the sun,
And make gaps even two can pass abreast.

As we consider the image of Christ the King, let us not forget that it is an image of our creating. Appropriate I guess, in terms of our human frailty compared to God’s majesty. But, I doubt it’s an image God would choose. Instead God choose to become one of us, as a parent, sibling, teacher or friend, as frail as us. This is the kind of king God chooses to be, markedly different from what we see of human monarchs.

When we think about the kind of king God is, one motivated by loving all that God created, it changes (or at least should change) our understanding of how we relate to one another. I would go so far as to say - that which keeps us from our neighbour, keeps us from God.

More Than One Way - Message from the Rector

2010-11-14T15:40:00.002-04:00

From The Messenger Advent/Christmas 2010

They say that, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Well, quite frankly, I don’t want to know about any of them. Apparently, there’s also more than one way to make minced meat pie. And, if my mother can be believed, you can make minced meat pie without minced meat. It’s the only way she could get me to eat it.

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas. One of the great blessings of immigration to Canada and PEI is that people brought many different traditions with them from many different countries. Different decorations, foods and carols from various traditions have all come together to make our celebration what it is today. The one common factor of course is Jesus Christ.

I saw a sign on the side of a Church that said, “Put Christ back in Christmas.” The sign speaks to a widely held view that we have forgotten that Jesus is the “reason for the season” (to quote yet another sign or bumper sticker). Wouldn’t it be great if we could see those signs and be as dumbfounded as I was—trying to understand how you could make minced meat pie without using minced meat? It’s hardly a revelation to say that you can’t have Christmas without Christ. Why, even the Who’s of Whoville knew that it wasn’t about presents.

Of course, we all know that Jesus is the reason for Christmas and that we should ensure that Jesus Christ is central to our celebrations. But, wouldn’t it be great if everyone could see the word “Christmas” and not miss the Word Christ.

I remember the day, the moment, when Christmas was no longer about presents and food. Believe it or not, I was an adult before I figured this one out. In fact, I was an ordained minister. I had made a long drive home to my parents house on Boxing Day with the understanding that they had delayed their turkey dinner and the opening of gifts for my arrival. They hadn’t and I was disappointed, dare I say that I was angry. But then, like taking off a waterlogged snow suit, I had a moment of understanding (an epiphany). This season of Christmas was about Jesus Christ, it wasn’t about me or my presents or my traditions, it was about God’s love for the whole world.

Like I say, I had been ordained three years before I could truly look at the word “Christmas” and see the Word Christ. Now, I began to understand what I had been preaching about on Christmas eve. God took on human flesh to dwell amongst us. God (as our kin) was born amongst us and that simple act blesses humanity for ever. The salvation that is so much a part of both the Old and New Testaments is cause for celebration. Even if we suffer, because want and desire are rarely satisfied, God is with us. God (Emmanuel!) is with us. And if the Grinch tried to steal our toys or if Scrooge tries to ignore the joy all around him by blurting out, “Bah, Humbug,” we can hold on to this one truth of truths, that through it all God is present with us.

My hope and prayer for all of you during these Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons is that you won’t have to wait to be ordained to catch on to the true meaning of Christmas. Put Christ back in Christmas, right? He never was not a part of the day and the season that bears his title. Have a Merry Christmas!

The Wardens, Parish Council, staff and associate clergy of St. Paul’s Church join me in wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and a most joyous and prosperous New Year.

Please come out for one of our Christmas celebrations this year. Tell a friend or neighbour about our worship times. If you are traveling please join a worshipping community wherever you happen to be, in giving thanks to God for the gift of Jesus Christ, our kin, our brother, our Saviour. ³

Signs of Hope All Around

2010-11-14T15:39:00.000-04:00

From The Messenger Advent Christmas 2010

What’s wrong?” is a question that I hear all too often. Whether it’s a questions being asked by a member of the parish or a member of the clergy it’s disheartening. Whether it’s a question being asked about the world or the church it’s disheartening.

I think that there is a better question, “what’s right?”

What’s right with the world, with the church, with my neighbour, with me? These are the questions that will help us move forward with a sense of purpose and a sense of the presence of God in our lives.

In a very real way, this is exactly what the season of Advent is all about, accentuating the positive, holding on to the affirmative and not settling for less than the fullness of knowing the presence of God in our lives and in our church.

As the length of daylight grows shorter we light candles, we decorate our houses, putting candles in the windows and lights on the eves to remind ourselves that the darkness never wins. Light and goodness always win. That’s “what's right” with the world and with the church: our ability to choose light over darkness, hopefulness over pessimism, joy over grief, love over hate.

I freely admit to having a particular dislike of pessimism. It’s way too easy, you don’t need any particular skill or education to be pessimistic. You don’t need to make any effort or ask anyone’s opinion to be pessimistic. Pessimism, in fact, has no place in the Gospel we proclaim. Hope, on the other hand, requires skill, knowledge, effort and community, all the things the Church is really good at. Hope enables us to ask really important questions like, “what’s right?”

The daylight begins to lengthen around the 21st of December, and just about when it becomes noticeable we celebrate the birth of the Light of the world—Jesus Christ, and just after that we celebrate the New Year. It is as if, God in creation begins a process of lighting the world, we celebrate it with the birth of Jesus Christ and then a new year begins. It’s wonderful, it’s true and it’s a glorious cause for celebration.

Obviously, over the years we’ve caught on to this trend of the growing daylight and, in anticipation, we celebrate Advent. We celebrate the hope, peace, joy and love that is so much a part of the Christian proclamation of what’s right with the world, with the church and with us.

What’s right with us? Well, not everything, but enough for us to celebrate it and to let it shine so that others are drawn into its warmth.

It’s not fancy sermons, glorious carols or colourful stained glass windows that really tell the story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we relied on these things we would surely be in a hard way. It is the hope, peace, joy and love we express with every fiber of our being as we go about life.

The light of Jesus Christ is in each one of us, our purpose is to let his light shine in all that we do, so that all who see us will know the transforming love and justice of God.

Fashion, Faith and Fire

2010-11-14T15:37:00.000-04:00

From the Guardian Nov. 6, 2010 - Guest Sermon

Advertizing signs often make me laugh. I saw a motel this summer advertize, amongst other things, “wireless fridges.” I know that they meant that wireless internet was available as well as refrigerators, but the sign still struck me as funny. The sign was changed before the end of the summer, perhaps because others were also amused by it. Care in how we speak about ourselves applies as much to faith groups as it does to businesses.

A quick look at the religion section of any book store and it seem as though there are as many titles opposing faith in God as there are supporting faith. Many of these authors promote their point of view with greater zeal than people of faith. We could even argue that it has become fashionable to reticule believers and particularly Christians.

This is sad and hardly does anything to further a creative and disciplined discourse or debate. The reality is that no matter how imperfect every expression of faith is – God the creator is real and present. No cleaver argument or shouting or act of violence with change the truth about God.

We were born into a world ruled by the principles of science and particularly the reliance on empirical proof. I cannot help but use these principles and apply them to my journey of faith. I have, like many people of faith, experienced things in a way that leads me logically to a belief in the existence of God. The fact that others have read the same things I’ve read and experienced similar things that I’ve experienced but who have come to different conclusions is a fact of life.

No one person has the whole truth about God, but together we can discern God presence in the world and God’s call for us to be a people of faith and love. We are each limited in our ability to know God, but by sharing times of worship, study and debate we can grow deeper in our knowledge and love of God.

To be a people of faith is to be a people of love, and to be a people who let love direct our choices in life. Letting the love of God direct and inform our actions as partners, as parents, as neighbours, as business people, as whoever we are.

The current way in which many people attack faith groups is a kind of storm, and a storm can change everything.

It doesn’t really matter what kind of disaster we face; be it flood, fire, drought or wind – everything changes as a result. Even in the midst of death, life springs forth. That’s exactly what the Day of Pentecost had in store for the disciples of Jesus Christ. They had gathered in Jerusalem for the festival, still grieving the death of Jesus. And now, to top it all off, as they gathered for prayer they had to endure a storm; a mighty wind, followed by fire. Whatever did they do to warrant such things?

It wasn’t, of course, just any wind, nor was it just any fire. This was the breath and spirit of God. Out of the death that they still so keenly felt, new life emerged, and new possibilities became real.

Pentecost is not just about the past, be it the giving of the Law or the way in which the disciples experienced the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. Pentecost is about the present and the deep knowledge we have that God continues to inspire us by lighting a fire in our hearts. The winds of God continue to storm through our lives, and all because God loves us. Whatever did we do to warrant such love?

Do You REALLY Want to be a Christian?

2010-11-09T19:13:00.000-04:00

Here are the slogans on the recruitment poster, inviting people to become a follower of Jesus Christ:

You will be arrested and persecuted.

You will be handed over to religious and secular authorities.

You will witness to these authorities about Jesus.

You will be betrayed by family members.

Some of you will be put to death.

You will be hated by all because of Jesus.

(See Luke 21:5-19)

Suddenly the prospect of being a follower of Jesus Christ is a tad more ominous than making my mother feel happy because I got up and went to Church with her all those years ago. The promise of persecution, arrest, betrayal and death would not have attracted me to Jesus or the Church. Yet, here I am, aware of the cost of discipleship and committed to being a part of something profoundly important and relevant for today’s world.

The Church is not, as Jesus so clearly says in our Gospel today, about bricks and mortar. The Church is what’s left after the building burns down and the preacher leaves town. The Church is you and me, brothers and sisters. The Church is people willing to risk persecution, arrest, betrayal and death for the Gospel.

It’s not a matter of waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The kingdom, God’s realm, is here among us, no more waiting. So the answer to the question of "when?" is "now!" When does Jesus come? Jesus comes today. The answer to the question of "how?" is whenever two or three are gathered together in his name, Jesus comes (Mathew 18:20). Whenever we break the bread and share the cup, Jesus comes. Whenever we proclaim the Word, Jesus comes.

Jesus Christ thinks we’re worth the effort; the question in today’s Gospel is whether we think that he’s worth the effort.

Remembrance Day

2010-11-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

It’s a bit of an embarrassment, sometimes, to be a preacher. Sometimes we are asked to speak on topics we have no business speaking about.

I’m not a soldier, I have never been a soldier, my country has never called on me to be a soldier—yet here I am, as I have been so many times before, on the Sunday before Remembrance Day, speaking about war and the brave men and women who lived through such difficult times, people who have lived with hurt and nightmarish pain ever since, and to pay respect to those who paid the supreme sacrificed by giving their lives in battle; for freedom, for peace, for you and for me.

I have no business being here, addressing these issues, yet here I am, to speak on behalf of every member of this parish and to simply say thank you: thank you to every soldier, sailor, airman, medic, merchant marine, civilian who died in war; and to say thank you to everyone who fought and has had to live with their memories, their losses and their pain; and to say thank you to all those who supported those who fought; and thank you to everyone who lived during those times and who made many sacrifices as well; sacrificing a child, a spouse, a parent, a friend, a dream.

I have had the distinct honour of knowing many soldiers and sailors in my years of ministry, but I have never known one who died in war. That truth became very obvious to me many years ago when I was doing a children’s talk on the Sunday before Remembrance Day. I asked if anyone knew a soldier who had died in battle, expecting of course to see all these young head shake “no.” But one little boy said that his uncle had died the year before fighting in the US Army. I didn’t know what to say—it wasn’t what I expected. The reality of war and death came home to us, came home to all who were gathered in that church that morning. War means that people die; soldiers die; men, women and children die.

And today, in a small act of remembrance we wear a red poppy, to remember the soldiers who died in war, to remember a sacrifice most of us have not been asked to make. But the act of remembrance, of wearing a small red poppy over our hearts, is not just to remember people we may or may not have met, it’s not just to honour veterans, but it’s a reminder to work for peace. To commit ourselves to choosing peace whenever possible. And to expect the same of our leaders. This small red poppy reminds us that war means bloodshed and death.

The red of the poppy is a stark reminder that failure to remember, failure to remember the violent and brutal cost of war will result in the spilling of blood again and again. We honour the dead, we honour their sacrifice by making sure that we are not thrust into that madness every again.

That’s why poppies must be red. That’s why we remember, because the cost of forgetting is just too high. The red poppy is a symbol of peace, and profoundly so, for it carries with it the stain of blood, the stain of forgetting the sheer obscenity of war. Remembrance is an act of peace, remembrance is an expression of a deep understanding that to work for peace, to achieve peace is the best, is the only way to truly honour the supreme sacrifice made my so many. Amen.

What’s It Like?

2010-11-03T17:30:00.000-03:00

That’s the question I hear in today’s Gospel (Luke 20:27-38), ‘what’s it like?” Heaven that is, what is heaven like?

Punch is a well-known magazine from England. My grand-father kept bound copies of it in his library and I enjoyed reading them, and not for the articles but for the many clever cartoons featured in the publication.

A particular favorite of mine was a drawing of a sky with various groups of cartoonish looking people, festooned with white robes and wings, some playing harp and all on fluffy white clouds. In the foreground there was a couple of these angel-like characters and one was saying to the other, “did you ever think hell would be like this?”

I might even have second thoughts about making it to heaven if it was going to be like one long, eternal church service.

The way Jesus responds to the Sadducees is wonderful. He is essentially saying that no matter what you think heaven is like – you’re wrong. The context of the question is contained within a theological debate about the resurrection and the debate reveals a similar attitude, that whatever we think about the resurrection – we’re wrong.

Normally, we think it’s a failure to be wrong, but when we come to things like heaven and the resurrection it is good to be wrong. Jesus, by saying that those who belong in heaven do not marry, he is simply saying that earthly concerns don’t apply there. Heaven and the resurrection are beyond our greatest ability to imagine. And that’s a good thing; heaven and the resurrection are far better than we could ask or imagine.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “I am certain that there will be three surprises in heaven. First of all, I will see some people there whom I never expected to see. Second, there will be a number whom I expect to be there who will not be there. And, even relying on His mercy, the biggest surprise of all may be that I will be there.”

The Silent Night Project

2010-10-28T10:35:00.000-03:00

http://www.anglican.ca/silentnight/

Canadian Anglicans are invited to raise their voices for the Silent Night Project: Anglicans promote peace in the spirit of Amazing Grace.

Every parish in Canada is invited to send videos of their church communities singing the hymn “Silent Night” on or before the first Sunday of Advent, November 28. Many are choosing, as we are to sing the hymn on the Sunday before Remembrance Day. All videos that are uploaded to the Anglican Church of Canada’s YouTube site by December 14 will be included in a documentary to be posted online by December 25—a special Christmas gift from the Anglican Church of Canada.

Singers are also encouraged to each donate a toonie (or more) to support Anglican military chaplains who minister to the women and men of the Canadian Forces.

About the hymn "Silent Night"
The words to “Silent Night” were written by Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and set to music by Franz Gruber (1787-1863). Joseph Mohr was serving as an assistant priest at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, in the Austrian Tyrol, when he wrote the words of the carol in 1816. Mohr brought the text to Gruber who was the village schoolmaster and church organist. Gruber composed the music and the carol was played and sung for the first time, accompanied by Gruber on his guitar, on December 24, 1818. A popular story associated with the carol says that the church’s organ was broken in December 1818 and it was the prospect of having no music on Christmas Eve that occasioned the carol’s first performance.

Soon after the 1818 Christmas Eve Mass, organ repairman Karl Mauracher came to the church and obtained a copy of the new carol. Through his influence the carol spread throughout the entire Tyrol region, where it became popular as a Tyrolean folk song. In 1838 it first appeared in a German hymnal. It was first heard in the United States in 1839 when a family of Tyrolean singers, the Rainers, used the music during their concert tour. The English translation most widely used in North America, is that of John Freeman Young (1820-1885) an Episcopal priest (later bishop). Young’s translation appeared in 1863, and this version is used in the Anglican Church of Canada’s hymn book Common Praise.

During World War One, “Silent Night” was sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops during the Christmas Truce of 1914. It was one of the few carols that was known by soldiers on both sides of the front line.

Great Village

2010-10-21T16:04:00.002-03:00

There is a community in Nova Scotia called Great Village. I often wonder how it came to be called by that name.

It might be that there’s a lake nearby called Great Lake and the village is just named after the lake. It might be that it was named after a king who was known as “the Great,” and the name of the village just became shortened. It might be that many years ago the people of the village held a name-the-village contest and some kid said, “I think this village is really great,” and the name just stuck. It might be that people from neighboring places said, “Those people over there think they’re so great,” and just calling the place great in a sarcastic sort of way.

I guess I could find out how the place became known as Great Village and maybe I will some day.

The word “Protestant” has a peculiar sort of story to it. On the one hand, members of the Protestant movement called themselves that because they were pro-testament, meaning that they were in favour of the teachings they thought were contained in the New Testament. On the other hand, others started calling them “Protestants” because they thought the members of the movement were just a bunch of “protesters.”

It is important for us to know what define us, before someone else defines us. Even in our Gospel lesson today (Luke 18:9-14), not only should we not judge others, it is better for one person to listen for God’s judgement before the other one gets to judge and define him.

Mostly, it seems to me, the Christian faith is relegated to the sidelines and ignored by much of society, unless, of course, we’re doing something weird or illegal. From time-to-time, people do take notice of us and it is them that we need to be prepared to state boldly who we are.

We are a people whose God-given vision is to show to the world (by any mean we are able) the transforming love and justice of God. There are those who accuse us of not standing for anything, they are people with closed ears and hearts because our vision shows that we stand for everything that is good and that comes from God the Creator. We are, by God’s defining, a Great Village.

Sticks Out

2010-10-12T13:58:00.002-03:00

I knew a man who was fond of saying, “as Saint Paul says, ‘everything in moderation’.” Then he would look at me and ask, “Do you suppose he meant prayer too?” Praying in moderation? Well, Paul also recommended that we are to pray without ceasing, and our Gospel today assumes that it is good to pray always and not to lose heart.

I always thought of it as a funny image: prayer without ceasing. That is, going about my usual activities in prayer, muttering words or on my knees (kind of ridiculous when you think about it). So, maybe Paul, Luke and Jesus have a different thing in mind than words or posture when they spoke or wrote about prayer.

When we look at the kinds of things that they say about prayer it seems as though prayer is as much about an attitude or point-of-view as it is about a specific recitation of words (whether read, memorized or extemporaneous).

Obviously, prayer is about words (and thoughts and feelings), but it is more. Prayer and service are paired together in the New Testament. Prayer and alms-giving; prayer and acts of kindness; belief, faith, salvation, knowledge and insight are all paired with prayer. Perhaps it is prayer and thanksgiving that are most strongly paired.

I save the saying, “sticks out like a sore thumb” exclusively for when I am talking about sore thumbs. But mostly people use the phrase for anything that sticks out in some way, both good and bad. People that we tend to think of as “Prayerful People” stick out like sore thumbs and not because they are always asking us to pray with them or always praying themselves. They stuck out because in some way or other they exhibit the qualities we associate with prayer: service, alms-giving, acts of kindness, belief, faith, salvation, knowledge and thanksgiving.

It is good to pray, and to pray with words and thoughts and feelings, and those prayers will bring us to an attitude that will have us stick out like prayerful people.

The Thanksgiving Sermon

2010-10-12T09:14:00.000-03:00

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all you have done for us.
We thank you for the splendour of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.
We thank you for setting us tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen. (from the BAS)

Historically, we seem to have tended to think that ministry is something done by people wearing funny looking collars; that if we hire someone to be our rector or if we ordain a bunch of people – they can do ministry… so, we don’t have to.

If only that was true, if only it was that simple; ministry is a much broader matter than those things traditionally done by clergy. If fact, I don’t think that people have given up their ministry at all. I don’t think that you have given up your ministry. I see you doing ministry all of the time.

This sermon, by-the-way, was co-written by the clergy of St. Paul’s: by Madonna, Jay, Lorraine and me.

We see you doing ministry all of the time.

We see you singing in choirs; being servers; acting as greeters and sides’ people; as administrators of Holy Communion; setting up the altar; as Sunday school teachers, helpers and students; cleaning the church; sweeping the walk; counting the collection; preparing and serving supper in the parish hall; sitting on Parish Council and other committees.

But ministry is not only something that is done in or at the Church. It extends far beyond these four walls; even far beyond this – the community of St. Paul’s Church.

At the hospital we see you as doctors and nurses; we see you as the many other kinds of health care providers; volunteers; connecting phones, cable TV, delivering the mail; cleaning; greeting people, helping people find their way, or find the patient they’re looking for; we see you working security.

We turn on the TV or radio or open the news paper and we learn about the ways in which you volunteer your time, your skills and your recourses for the benefit of the wider community; helping the many different community groups that are so much a part of who we are. We see you lending a hand to help an organization or a charity achieve its worthy goals. We see you as writers and journalist; people using your skill with language and voice to tell the news; to tell a story. We see you as singers and actors; as performers; as painters; as knitters; as sewers.

In our schools we see you as teachers, principals, as educators and professors, as volunteers, helping children to read or feeding them in a breakfast program; we see you as people who have dedicated your lives to helping others achieve the skills and knowledge that they will need to be productive people in the world and in our society.

We see you as coaches, referees and umpires; organizing tournaments and leagues. We see you dropping children off at games and practices and rehearsals and lessons. We see you organizing community events; concerts; fund raisers; Fun Runs (organizing, running, walking to raise money for a cure or some other worthy cause).

We see you as social workers and psychologists and others who are skilled in the areas of counselling relationships.

We see you helping your neighbours, checking in on them every day, making sure their needs are met. Calling one another on the phone, checking up on one another, just to see how one another are doing. I heard one of you say recently, “my neighbour never goes out without checking to see if there is anything they can get me.’

We see you on the streets; as police officers; fire fighters; ambulance personnel; helping to keep the peace. We see you as soldiers and members of the coast guard; intent on keeping peace or saving people or rebuilding washed out roads.

We see you offering yourself in the community, to serve on boards, in politics. We see you voting.

We see you joining groups that help preserve our heritage; to help preserve our history; helping to remind us who we are and how we got here.

We see you using your skills as lawyers; accountants; we see you running businesses; providing the services our society needs to keep our community and our economy going. We see you sharing your knowledge and wisdom with others. We see you in the service industries; boasting; showing off this beautiful island home; letting visitors and new comers know about the love we have for the land and the sea (that is so much a part of our lives). We see you helping to provide the things we need; in retail; providing what we need; clothing; food; medicine. We see you driving trucks, taxies, buses: transporting people and good.

We see you as children; exploring the world around you; playing, learning, laughing, colouring. We see you in Sunday School; in day school and nursery school; helping a new person in your class feel welcome; studying hard; helping around the house and yard; baby-sitting; sharing.

We see you at the library and book stores; buying things or borrowing things that will help you better yourself so that you will be better able to give more to you family, friends and neighbours. We see you doing your hobbies; playing at your hobbies; using your skill and time for something that brings you joy; something you can share with others with a similar interest. We see you using your time to travel; to learn about other place; to be open to new places, people and experiences. We see you going on retreats; taking time for prayer; for silence; taking time for knowing the presence of God in you life.

We see you helping, caring for a spouse; a brother; a sister; helping with the special needs that they have. We see you taking care of you children, and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and the neighbours’ kids; offering them the love and support, humour and joy that they need to be healthy, happy and wise.

We see you using your hands to build; to hammer; to tighten; to fix. We see you using your hands; your head; your heart; to plant, to take care of, and to harvest. We see you using your hands and brawn to set traps for lobsters; set lines for fishing; to reap from the sea as well as the land. We see you reaping with joy from farms and gardens.

We see you making offerings to strangers; a couple of bucks for coffee; ten or twenty for a meal. We see you doing what you can to support those around you; offering to help in many, many ways.

We see you attending church to make your offering of prayer; prayers of thanksgiving; prayers of care and concern for those you love; those you know, those you know who could use a prayer; those that need to know the presence of God in their own lives.

We see you laugh; we hear your laughter; we see you as you find opportunities to spread joy in the world; to let other know about the tremendous gift God has given us in laughter.

We see your tears; we see you understand and empathise with you family; your friend; your neighbours; the people around you; feeling their pain; knowing their circumstances. Tears: liquid prayer - that’s what tears are: liquid prayer.

We see you reaching into you wallets, purses, bank accounts; a with a generous spirit; opening your wealth so that it can be used by other; by those in need; we all know, because it’s been said so often that charity begins at home, but it doesn’t end here. It doesn’t end there!

All of this is ministry; all of this and so much more is ministry, all of this is what God gives us; the skills, the interests we have which we do for the joy of it; we do it for ourselves; we do it for others; we do it for God.

And believe me when I say, simply…
God Thanks You.
Amen.

I Never Turn Down Turnip

2010-10-06T12:54:00.000-03:00

The kids groan every time I use the terrible pun, “I never turn down turnip.” And I use it often, as often as turnip comes up in polite conversation.

Somewhere in the church today I am sure there is a turnip. I actually do like turnips very much; boiled, baked, sautéed, mashed and yes, even raw. In fact, I am sure my mother peeled more turnip than she needed because she knew that I (and my dad) would pull the chunks right out of the water.

I hope that you can look around the church today and see a vegetable or fruit that you love, one that you wouldn’t turn down. To see the church decorated with the fruits (and vegetables) of the earth is a pleasant sight. Come to think of it, it is as pleasant to the nose as it is to the eyes.

The crowning glory of the growing season, and all of the hard labour that goes into achieving bountiful crops is the orange, red, green and yellow of the harvest. We decorate the church because we are thankful for the blessings bestowed on us. We are thankful to God for the harvest of land and sea.

Oh, and I can almost hear you say that not everyone enjoys the harvest. Many people around the world and in our own province go without enough food to sustain life. Did you know that the earth is capable of producing enough food every year for every living creature? That’s the way God made it. The fact that people are starving is our fault, our sin.

The crowning glory of the harvest is not seen in the beautifully decorated churches of PEI, but in our willingness to end the injustice of the greed and exploitation that result in people not even having a chance to turn down a turnip. The crowning glory of the harvest is shown by the sharing.

A Cup of Sugar

2010-09-29T09:53:00.000-03:00

My uncle is a bit of an unusual character. He is a big man and looks kind of grumpy, but is actually kind-hearted and has a tremendous sense of humour.

One day a moving van pulled up to one of the houses on his street and started unloading a house load of stuff. There was lots of commotion and wondering on the street who the new neighbours might be. So my uncle walked over with an empty measuring cup and knocked on the door. As you might expect, a rather frazzled woman answered the door, clearly in the midst of unpacking. My uncle, without introducing himself, or welcoming her, asked if she could spare a cup of sugar because he was in the middle of his baking.

I heard this story 20 or more years after the fact, and it was told to me by my uncle’s neighbor. She was boasting at how her family had become so close to my cousins.

I thought of that story this week because the Apostles in the Gospel today ask Jesus, “Increase our faith!” It is almost like asking for a cup of sugar from someone who is busy with other stuff.

Jesus responds in two ways. First, he points out that faith is a powerful force; powerful enough to tell a tree to be uprooted and be planted in the sea. It is as if he is telling the apostles that they might want to reconsider their request, because faith is not what they think. Secondly, Jesus tells a parable. I love the parables but this one is difficult. It is as if Jesus is telling the apostles that they are like worthless slaves and shouldn’t ask for such things.

I doubt very much if a first glance is all that’s need for this parable. It is often helpful if we place a difficult piece of scripture in its context. This lesson comes just after Jesus teaching about the need for repentance and just before the cleansing of the Ten Lepers. This parable makes more sense to me in its context. Repentance comes before the kind of faith that causes mulberry trees to be uprooted or that leads to the healing and transformation of others.

If we are to live the kind of faith expressed in our vision as a parish, “To show the transforming love and justice of God in action,” we need repentance. Repentance from whatever inhibits us from God’s transforming love and justice.

Wireless Fridges

2010-09-22T10:09:00.001-03:00

Advertizing signs often make me laugh. I saw a motel this summer advertize, amongst other things, “wireless friges.” I know that they meant that wireless internet was available as well as refrigerators, but the sign still struck me as funny. I’ve noticed that they have since altered their signage, perhaps because I wasn’t the only one to be amused by it.

So, when we started advertizing Back to Church Sunday the natural question is; what are we inviting people back to? It is a great opportunity for us to think about who we are; what are we trying to do; and; whether we make a difference in our lives or in the community.

No one person has the whole truth about God, but together we can discern God call and God’s expectations. In very real ways we are each limited in our ability to know God, but by sharing times of worship and study we can grow deeper in our knowledge and love of God.

I think that it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ to pray for the ability to love and to let that love direct our choices in every part of our lives. We all know the importance of letting the love of God direct and inform our actions as partners, as parents, as neighbours, as business people, as whoever we are between Sundays.

When we are granted the privilege of hearing the story of someone else in our community we hear the tremendous transformation that is promised in the Gospels. In so many ways our lives are changed for the good because we are a people of faith.

The goal of the Church today is to make becoming a member easy, but to be clear about the fact that it is not easy for everyone to remain a member. It’s easier to jump on a bandwagon than it is to stay on one. Every time someone wants to get on we should make it easy and welcoming. Forgiveness is, after all, the cornerstone of love. The wonderful thing about the bandwagon we call the Church is that it makes room for everyone.

What’s Happening?

2010-09-16T13:05:00.000-03:00

Back to Church Sunday
September 26

BEFORE
We will be advertizing Back to Church Sunday with posters, flyers and by contacting local media. John has made himself available for interviews. Also, Bishop Sue Moxley is attending meeting on PEI next week and she is willing to be interviewed by the media.

DURING
The Worship Team has planned to have the whole service on the screens so that people new to St. Paul’s won’t have to worry about books and page numbers. We have chosen hymns that we think people will enjoy singing and that speak to the theme of coming back to Church. Everyone is welcome to be A Part Of The Family. Everyone will be invited to take part in communion, if they wish, no matter what their history is with the Church.

AFTER
Following each service there will be a brunch served in the Parish Hall. It will be an opportunity for us to meet and talk in a relaxed way. Back to Church Sunday is really about making personal connections with others in our journey of faith.

THE INVITATION
A simple invitation is not to judge, criticize or threaten others, it is to offer people an opportunity to come to Church. So, the important thing is to invite someone to Church. If they say no, you should still come to Church next week and meet the others who have come Back to Church.

Please invite someone, if they don’t come next week, maybe they will come the following week.

TOP 21 Things Not to Do to Visitors

2010-09-14T15:20:00.000-03:00

Earlier this year Bishop Sue Moxley shared a list of the, “TOP 21 Things Not to Do to Visitors.” There may be others we could add. The essential question is: how do you want to be treated when you visit in a new congregation? Just one week before Back to Church Sunday is a good time to reflect on what to do, and what not to do whenever we meet a new person in our Church.

1. Ignore them.
2. Hug them.
3. Have them stand up and command “tell us something about yourself!”
4. Make them change their seat!
5. Assume they know what has “always been done” at your church.
6. Downplay your church.
7. Brag about your church.
8. Comment on how their appearance or clothes could be more appropriate.
9. Try to sign them up for some activity or ministry.
10. Insult their previous church or church experience.
11. Argue or talk of church politics in front of them.
12. Insist their child will be better-off in Sunday School.
13. Make them park a great distance from the church.
14. Make them sit at the front of the church.
15. Assume they will come to the coffee time afterwards.
16. Hide the location of the bathrooms.
17. Assume they know where to turn in our books.
18. Give them a bulletin without actually saying “Welcome to church.”
19. Give them your personal business card.
20. Let them leave without inviting them back next Sunday.
21. Never experience what it is like to be a visitor yourself.

What a Befriend We Have in Jesus

2010-09-08T08:29:00.000-03:00

About sixteen years ago I befriended a child that was attending the Church I was leading at the time. It would be just as accurate to say that she befriended me. No matter how you look at it, we became friends.

At first it was about making sure she had connections in the Church community so that she would have a wide group of people, young and old, that she could rely on for support, friendship and wisdom. She participated in the Sunday School, eventually teaching the kids that were just a few years (or months) younger than her. Of course she joined the youth group, the choir and just about everything else she had the time for.

One day I announced in Church that I would give a bible to anyone who wanted one. It would be a fresh, new bible and one written in modern English. The bible would be absolutely free, but it carried with it only one condition, the person who wanted the bible would be expected to read it. This young girl (a teenager by this time) asked for a bible. And she read it, from start to finish! I knew that she read it because every day she would e-mail me questions about what she was reading. Every day I did my best to answer her questions.

After she finished the bible she continued to ask questions about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, worship and all sorts of other things. Sometimes the questions were difficult to answer and more than once I responded with a simple, “I don’t know.” Sometimes, I am sure she didn’t like my answers. But, I have learned a lot from her questions and from the friendship we have. She has been a blessing to me.

In fact, earlier this year I had the truly joyful experiencing of presenting her to the Bishop at her ordination as a deacon of the Church. This morning I have the honour of preaching at a service of Celebration of New Ministry in the Parish of Three Harbours’, where the Reverend Rebecca Sample is being installed as the incumbent. That is where I am this morning.

Summertime!

2010-06-29T08:32:00.001-03:00

Summertime and the livin' is easy. So, my blog entries are likely to disappear until September. Happy Summer!

Plaque of Appreciation

2010-06-17T06:27:00.003-03:00

At the Parish Council meeting this week, the Rev. Scott McIsaac, Chaplain and coordinator of the Community Chaplaincy program for PEI presented a plaque of appreciation to the people of St. Paul’s parish.

The chaplaincy program is a direct result of the work and ministry of the Rev. Jacques Smith in prison ministry. Over the years, St. Paul’s Church has, through representatives such as the late Ron Yearwood and Clar Fradsham, played a significant role in the development of the chaplaincy.

Today, St. Paul’s Church continues our partnership through the granting of funds from the DeBlois Peace Memorial Fund and through the ministry of the Rev. Madonna Fradsham in the female chaplaincy program.

The island wide chaplaincy program currently has a five member team providing spiritual support for inmates and their families. At the provincial correctional facility services are held weekly. There are several ways in which inmates are assisted in returning to life in the community upon their release. The Rev. Scott McIsaac expressed his deep appreciation for the support received from St. Paul’s and his hope for continuing in a successful and fruitful partnership with the people of St. Paul’s parish.

Out of Amazing Grace, a Silent Night

2010-06-10T08:42:00.000-03:00

In 2008 the national Church held the Amazing Grace Project. Everyone was invited to record themselves singing “Amazing Grace.” The Amazing Grace Project was a resounding success. Thousands of Canadian Anglicans sang and recorded themselves in downtown cathedrals, seniors' homes, and remote out ports. Over 500 videos were sent in and a documentary, Amazing Together was produced. The ten minute video has been viewed over 4,000 times on YouTube and received a special jury award at WorldFest Houston.

Not only did we sing, we also gave. Although the Amazing Grace Project was originally designed as a unity-building project, the project raised over $100,000, now being used for suicide prevention in the Council of the North.

This year we are being asked to sing “Silent Night” and send it to the Anglican Church of Canada national office by December 14. All of the videos will be included in a documentary, which will be posted online by Christmas. We are again invited to chip in a toonie or loonie, and this time all donations will be given to the Anglican Military Ordinariate (AMO). Through the AMO, Canadian Anglicans support chaplains and their families who minister to the Canadian Forces.

Perhaps we could think of a unique way of singing “Silent Night” and assure ourselves a spot in the final product.

Rice is worth the Price

2010-06-03T10:06:00.002-03:00

On my way to pick up a kid from her dance class I realized I was early, so, to kill time, I dropped into a book store. I found a book in the bargain bin by Anne Rice called Christ the Lord, Road to Cana. I couldn’t put it down. Rice is a best-selling author known for her vampire books (nearly 100 million copies). Not being a fan of vampire books I can only say that I had heard that her books were a, “rich tapestries of history, belief, philosophy, religion, and compelling characters that examine and extend our physical world beyond the limits we perceive.” She is one of the most widely read authors in modern history. Apparently Rice returned to the Church in 1998, and in 2002 consecrated her writing entirely to Christ, vowing to write for Him or about Him.

In Anne's Profession of Faith, she writes, “In 1998 I returned to the Catholic Church… I realized that the greatest thing I could do to show my complete love for Him was to consecrate my work to Him—to use any talent I had acquired as a writer, as a storyteller, as a novelist—for Him and for Him alone... Thence began my journey into intense Biblical study, intense historical research, and intense effort to write novels about the Jesus of Scripture, the Jesus of Faith, in His own vibrant First Century World...”

She has written two books about Jesus Christ, Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt, and Christ the Lord, the Road to Cana. It was the second book that I found in the bargain bin and after I read it I thought it would have been worth the full price.

I had heard that Rice had given up on writing about vampires and in her memoir Called Out of Darkness she explains why. “In the moment of surrender, I let go of all the theological or social questions which had kept me from [God] for countless years. I simply let them go. There was the sense, profound and wordless, that if He knew everything I did not have to know everything, and that, in seeking to know everything, I’d been, all of my life, missing the entire point. No social paradox, no historic disaster, no hideous record of injustice or misery should keep me from Him. No question of Scriptural integrity, no torment over the fate of this or that atheist or gay friend, no worry for those condemned and ostracized by my church or any other church should stand between me and Him. The reason? It was magnificently simple: He knew how or why everything happened; He knew the disposition of every single soul. He wasn’t going to let anything happen by accident! Nobody was going to go to Hell by mistake.”

God in Three Persons: Blessèd Trinity

2010-05-26T19:36:00.002-03:00

Alfred, Lord Tennyson said of our first hymn today (the first hymn in the hymn book too), “Holy, Holy, Holy”, that it is the greatest hymn in the English language. Bishop Reginald Heber (April 21, 1783 – April 3, 1826) wrote the wonderful hymn.

Heber was the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta (now part of the Church of North India) and is chiefly remembered as a hymn-writer. He was born to an aristocratic family of wealth in Cheshire, England, but early on in his life developed a deep desire and vocation for missionary work. He was consecrated Bishop of Calcutta in 1823.

The hymn is about the majesty of God, expressed within the tradition of the Trinity. Perhaps understanding the concept of the Trinity is one of the more difficult leaps-of-faith.

To develop a deeper appreciation of the concept of the Trinity it helps to remember that Christianity, as a faith group, grew out of Judaism. The Hebrew scripture promotes an understanding of the Divine blessing upon the people of Israel as a gift to the whole world. The pure beauty, imagination and simplicity of such a monotheistic faith is a blessing indeed.

So, the early Christians understood their experience of God in three ways. God is described as Father, the one from whom all things precede; as Son, the incarnation of God; and as the Holy Spirit in whom we live and move and have our being. Our Christianity faith, springing forth from monotheistic Judaism, did not suddenly come up with three gods. Instead, we believe that each distinct "person" is the whole of God. Whatever is said about one is to be said of all three.

Trinitarian belief offers three ways of accessing the Divine life, each of which leads to the whole of God. Use the one that helps you the most. Whatever metaphors or concepts we use to help our deepening faith are a blessing, I suppose. But, according to the hymn, it’s not the concept of the Trinity that is a blessing; it is God (in three persons) that is the blessing.

Pentecost

2010-05-21T10:34:00.000-03:00

A storm can change everything.

It doesn’t really matter what kind of disaster we face; be it flood, fire, drought or wind – everything changes as a result. Even in the midst of death, life springs forth. That’s exactly what the Day of Pentecost had in store for the disciples of Jesus Christ. They had gathered in Jerusalem for the festival. The appearances of the Risen Jesus had ended for them. They were still grieving the death of Jesus. And now, to top it all off, as they gathered for prayer – a storm; a mighty wind, followed by fire. Whatever did they do to warrant such things?

It wasn’t, of course, just any wind, nor was it just any fire. This was the breath and spirit of God. Out of the death that they still so keenly felt, new life emerged, and new possibilities became real.

Festivals, like Pentecost are, in part, about celebrating something significant from the past. Originally, Pentecost was a harvest festival and a time to celebrate the redemption of the people. Redemption is about salvation and deliverance from sin. In Jewish tradition, Pentecost was also known as Shavuot, a festival to commemorate the day God gave the Law to the Israelite’s as they gathered at Mount Sinai.

But, if Pentecost is just about the past, be it the giving of the Law or the way in which the disciples experienced the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem all those years ago, we are sorely diminished. Pentecost is about the present and the deep knowledge we have that God continues to inspire us by lighting a fire in our hearts. We may think we’re lost, but the winds of God continue to storm through our lives, and all because God loves us.

Whatever did we do to warrant such love?

One Grain of Sand

2010-05-05T11:27:00.000-03:00

By Mick Francis

So often, the decisions we make about what we will do, or how we will act, are influenced by the significance of the contemplated action. If we deem the proposed action or decision to be insignificant, or of little consequence then we may decide not to follow through on that decision or action. If we decide that something is insignificant, then we feel that it will have no effect on “the big picture” or will not be noticed by others. An example of something that I think we would agree is insignificant would be having a helicopter lower one of us down almost to the surface in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Suppose, while you or I were dangling there we took a pair of tweezers and picked up one tiny grain of sand and moved it a fraction of an inch. Then we were raised back up into the helicopter and flew away. The act of moving that grain of sand would be extremely insignificant, right? If we look at that action with a narrow perspective, then we would agree.

Now, if I said to you that I was going to fly to the Sahara Desert and while there, I was going to do something that would forever change the face of that great barren region: that would sound a lot more impressive. It is hard to imagine that one single person could act in such a way as to effect a permanent change in a landscape that stretches for 3.5 million square miles. But that is EXACTLY what happened in the first example. Just by moving one grain of sand, the Sahara Desert's appearance has been forever changed. And it only took one action by one person to do it.

You see, whether an action is significant or insignificant depends on how you look at it. Many actions can be conveniently dismissed by considering them as not making a significant difference. Think for a moment about our financial situation here at St. Paul’s. Let’s compare the debt to the Sahara Desert. Can you see the similarities? The debt seems to go on and on. It is hard to see the end of it. We all want to do something about it, and many of us are doing significant things to help get rid of it. But folks, we have here a way that EVERYONE can help. I know you have heard of it. Many of you have already done it. But not enough of us have believed in its significance. I heard it said to the congregation that if everyone in the congregation used the Fundscrip Program to purchase cash cards for places they already shop, that we could eliminate our debt. Sounds like a pretty easy solution to me. It doesn't cost any of us a cent. It doesn't require half a day or a whole day or more of volunteering to get it done. It doesn't require going anywhere you don't normally go. All it requires is the belief that we can effect a permanent change in our church debt by moving a grain of sand. Now that's significant!

It Is what It Is

2010-04-28T17:43:00.002-03:00

Recently, I encountered a salesperson who repeatedly said, “It is what it is.” I guess that it’s not all that strange of a thing for someone to say, but he always prefaced it with, “as my mother always told me.” That part seemed strange to me. What mother says that to her child? Well, apart from Doris Day’s mother, who said something like that? Doris Day asked her mother a bunch of questions about her future (“Will I be pretty, will I be rich”) and her mother said, (“Here's what she said to me.”) “Que sera sera / Whatever will be, will be / The future's not ours, to see / Que Sera, Sera.” (By Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.)

Except for the tense (one is present tense and the other future), I don’t see much difference. And if I argued that my salesperson or Doris Day’s mother were wrong, I would lose. It is what it is, and whatever will be, will be. But, I don’t, for the life of me, believe it. These statements are way to fatalistic for me. I do not believe that things cannot be changed or that the future is inevitable. In fact, I would argue that fatalism is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God has blessed us with memory, reason and skill for the purposes of prayer, love and justice. All of these things have the power to change how things are and how things will turn out to be.

If we do nothing – the Church will disappear. If we simply invite another person to come to Church with us we change the future of the Church and the current circumstances of that person we’ve invited. Nothing could be simpler.

To Tweak or Not to Tweak?

2010-04-22T09:14:00.001-03:00

A few weeks ago we held a session called, “Tweak Sunday.” It was an opportunity for us to try and find ways to improve our worship. Everyone was encouraged to either attend a meeting or send in written responses to the questions; what’s working and what needs tweaking.

It was encouraging to have so many people participate. We even anticipated that we would get conflicting suggestions. Some people, for example, truly enjoy the Passing of the Peace and would like to have more time allowed for the activity. Whilst others loath it and would prefer a simple handshake or nod to the people immediately around us. Some people want only organ music and others never want to hear it again.

One reaction would be just to throw up out hands and give up. Another, more reasoned response is to develop principles that will help us have creative, meaningful and joy-filled liturgy.

So, the principle I would suggest is that: It’s not about me, it’s about Him!

Its one thing to know what we like when it comes to the things that happen at St. Paul’s on a Sunday morning. It is quite another thing to make any of those items make or break issues in terms of our walk with Christ. That’s what it’s all about. If a particular hymn isn’t to our liking we can hope and pray that others enjoy it and find meaning in it. If on one of those rare occasions the sermon seems boring there is a wonderful array of stained-glass windows upon which to meditate.

Actually, all of the suggestions people shared are very helpful and the Worship Team will continue to try and improve our liturgy. Hopefully, we will do this by improving on those things that are working and by developing creativity and variety. And we will never forget that at all times – it’s not about me, it’s about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

God is on Fire!

2010-04-15T09:38:00.000-03:00

By Mick Francis

Several years ago, in a sermon given in this church, I listened to the preacher of the day speak of a man who stopped going to church. A friend asked him why. The man replied :I just don't believe in God anymore.” The friend replied, “That's OK, because God still believes in you.” I have thought of those words many times since I first heard them. Since that day, we have had a shift in our congregation. Some people have left, others have joined. I have heard some people say that they don't find St. Paul's to be a very spiritual place. They don't feel that God is present in our church.

I think many people today are dissatisfied with their church because they come to that church to find God. I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but let me suggest that if you come to church looking for God, you will be disappointed. It's not that God can't be found in church. Of course God is found here. The problem with coming to church looking for God is that God wanted a drive. We left home without God. It's as simple as that. We come to church looking for an encounter with the divine, a conversation with the Lord, an hour (or more) with Jesus. Why do we believe that we have to come to church to have that experience? Do such encounters only happen withing the confines of the public worship space?

If you do some reading on Celtic spirituality, you will learn a four letter word. The word is PRAY, and what it suggests is a concept that is likely not all that common to most of us, except in church. The Celts had a wonderful sense of God as being found in everything and everywhere. In everything they did, the Celts saw an opportunity to pray to God, to talk with the Spirit. God was everywhere. They never had to look for God. God was acclaimed in and through their daily work. There is a Celtic prayer that was used at the lighting of the kitchen fire each morning. “I will kindle my fire this morning in the presence of the holy angels of heaven.” From the lighting of the fire in the morning to the banking down of the fire at night, the Celts spent their entire day with God, talking and listening. Prayer was not complicated, it was common. It was not strategic, it was simple. It was not what you did, it was how you lived. They didn't have to go to church looking to find God. They took God to church in their hearts without even having to think about it. How much better our lives would be if we were always able to do the same...

Welcome to "Low" Sunday

2010-04-07T17:39:00.000-03:00

The Sunday after Easter is known by some people as “Low Sunday.” It is meant to be a joke. On the one hand, often (in the old days) the Sunday after Easter would be a Morning Prayer service, after all the pomp and pageantry of Easter it would seem “low” in comparison to the previous Sunday. On the other hand, the Sunday following a major Sunday like Easter often has “low” attendance.

Congratulations! If you are here, we are bucking the trend on both counts, it is a Eucharist that we are celebrating and we are here. Alleluia!

As you know, Easter is not just a one day thing. The season last for fifty days, right up and until the Day of Pentecost.

Because of the nature of Lent we drop the “Alleluia’s” from our worship. So too in Easter we drop the Confession and Absolution. The reason for this is that the Easter season is, above all other times of the year, a time for celebration. That doesn’t mean that we cease from asking for our sins to be forgiven, just that we remove that act from our corporate worship.

In so doing we hope to drive home the point that we believe that the Passion of Jesus Christ was not in vein. That he suffered purposefully and that the resurrection has a real and lasting effect on us. It seems inappropriate to act as if we still need to take part in this corporate act of confession when the remembrance of the crucifixion and resurrection are so fresh in our memory.

As I said in the Easter sermon, during Easter Season we would not normally leave a cross bear. This is for the same reason that we drop the Confession and Absolution; the memory of the cross of Jesus Christ is too fresh in our minds. The crosses we see this time of year would normally have flowers or cloth covering them. The brass cross over the altar is not bear; it has decorative elements etched into it.

So, if it seems as though I am running out of things to write about, send me questions, article ideas, poems, your own articles or anything else.

Schedule

2010-04-01T16:00:00.000-03:00

April 1 - Maundy Thursday
6:00 p.m. The Seder
Get your tickets from the Office and please be on time, the service starts at 6:00 p.m. sharp.
7:00 p.m. We will move from the Seder to the Church for Holy Eucharist and the Stripping of the Altar.

April 2 - Good Friday
11:00 a.m. The Lord’s Passion

April 3 - Saturday
10:00 a.m. Decorate the Church for Easter

April 4 - Easter Sunday
The Celebration of the Resurrection
6:30 a.m. Sunrise Service with Holy Eucharist and followed by a Pot Luck Breakfast.
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Everyone Welcome!

Crosses of Palm

2010-03-25T11:49:00.000-03:00

Simple! You just take a blade of a palm branch and twist it until it looks like a cross.

Jesus paraded into Jerusalem, riding a donkey. The people who met this strange parade probably got the irony of the sight. They were familiar with the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (9.9), which reads, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Simple! To take control of Jerusalem, you just ride into town on a donkey and no self respect soldier will give you a second glance.

Yet these same soldiers, who no doubt scoffed at the notion that this strange figure posed any real threat to the status quo, were ordered to arrest him and kill him.

Simple! To rid the world of this nuisance you just have to put him to death.

Little did anyone realize that death couldn’t contain him or his message. The waving palm branches are emblems of joy, we twist them into crosses because the cross has become an emblem of joy too. It is the single most powerful symbol of joy we have at knowing that Jesus Christ lives.

It doesn’t matter what a cross is made of; wood, stone, metal, branch, water, oil or the wave of a hand it is, for us, a symbol of the awesome love of God for this world.

Our spiritual preparations for Easter continue in earnest on Palm Sunday; we have walked the road with Jesus and we know that the most terrifying part is yet to come. This week the story of the passion will be vividly told in the gospels. We will hold back the tears on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. All around us are reminders of the hope and joy we place in the cross of Jesus Christ. Just one week away we will be able to proclaim with confidence that Christ is risen! And sing a loud: Alleluia!

Chrism

2010-03-16T19:24:00.002-03:00

The special crosses that I want to tell you about today are not pectoral (they are not worn around the neck) and they evaporate after a short time, but in a very real way they are the most lasting of all crosses.

At our Baptismal service we make the sign of a cross on the forehead of the newly baptized. The presider uses either Baptismal water or chrism. Chrism is holy oil, blessed by the Bishop for use at Baptisms and other occasions. In the service of Baptism, immediately following the Baptism itself, the presider makes the sign of the cross with water or oil on the candidate’s forehead and says, “I sign you with the sign of the cross, and mark you as Christ’s own for ever.”

Both the water and chrism soon evaporate but the lasting impression of the baptism remains, as the prayer states, “for ever.”

Every one of us has been marked as Christ’s own. Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, “I thank God that I baptized none of you…” (1 Cor. 1: 14). They had been having a dispute over whose Baptism was best because one had been baptized by Paul, another by Apollos, another by Cephas, yet another by Christ.

In Baptism we have been guaranteed the forgiveness of sins, for ever. We have been raised to the new life of grace, for ever. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, for ever.

Our spiritual and physical discipline for getting ready for Easter enables us to move foreword; forgiven and without sin; excited by God’s gift of grace; and raised to new live in God’s Holy Spirit. The crosses of water or oil quickly evaporate but are still able to remind us of God’s love. And with this mark we are able to proclaim on Easter morning and everyday that Christ is risen! Alleluia!

The Old Wooden Pectoral Cross

2010-03-10T18:18:00.000-04:00

The pectoral cross I’ve owned the longest is a simple wooden cross. According to the package it came in, it is made from olive wood from Jerusalem. It’s shape is known as a Latin cross, but I don’t know why.

I like it because it is simple and wooden. It was also the first one that I wore regularly. When I bought it I thought that it would be nice to wear on those summer days when it’s just too hot to wear a clergy collar. I thought that it could identify me as a priest when I wasn’t wearing the collar.

The basic purpose of crosses as symbols in the Church is that they do identify something as Christian. Whether it’s a church or chapel, a book or table, a plate or a person; the cross is certainly an identifying marker. The Church has not (and suppose cannot) claim an exclusive copyright on a cross. And certainly not one as simple as the Latin cross.

The cross was, at one time, a symbol of political power, the power of the state to take a life when it was in their best interests to do so. This same symbol was transformed by Christian people into a symbol of hope because it is through this tool of torture and death that Jesus journeyed to the resurrection. It becomes an important symbol for us because of the hope it gives us that we can be transformed, that the powers of corruption and violence can be transformed, that death can be transformed into life.

During Lent we get ready (spiritually and physically) for the Easter, and the celebration of the hope we have in the cross of Christ. My old wooden pectoral cross reminds me that, in the face of evil hope will triumph and we will proclaim on Easter morning that Christ is risen! Alleluia!

My Celtic Cross

2010-03-02T18:45:00.000-04:00

My sister had a unique problem when she was planning her wedding. With two brothers who are Anglican priests, who would preside at her wedding? I had the distinct honour of presiding and my brother preached and led the prayers. On her wedding day my sister gave me two gifts, a white stole she hand wove herself and a pectoral cross.

The pectoral cross is a Celtic design. Sometimes it is referred to as an Anglican cross or Episcopal cross. Roman Catholics often call it the Irish cross. You might even hear it called the St. Columba cross, the St. John cross or the Iona cross. Regardless of the name, it’s all the same cross.

'Celtic' actually refers to an old European language that pre-dates Christianity. Crosses found in central and northern Europe seem to retain elements of the pre-Christian culture. Many early examples found in Ireland where erected by missionaries. The purpose of the large stone crosses was to mark preaching stations and monasteries.

There is a story about St. Patrick: while he was living with some Christian converts, he took a standing stone etched with a circle that symbolised a moon goddess, and scratched a Latin cross mark over the circle. This was to show that Christianity had replaced their pagan beliefs.

The Celtic cross has several themes associated with it, such as eternity (everlasting life), the world (for which Christ died), the Eucharist, the crown of thorns and resurrection. It is also suggested that it is a Celtic version of the Chi Rho. The circle in the Celtic cross is therefore the 'P' of the Chi Rho. The circle might have originally represented something else but when the crosses were carved by Christians, they did so with their Christian understanding of God.

This Lent we prepare for the great celebration of Easter, and as we do so we will remember the passion of Jesus Christ. When we talk about the passion we usually mean those events that preceded the crucifixion. In reality, the passion of Christ is about the deep love he has for humanity. My pectoral Celtic cross reminds me that, in the face of many dangers, the love of God triumphs and we can proclaim with confidence that Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Another Pectoral Cross

2010-02-24T20:34:00.000-04:00

I have a pectoral cross that I wear quite often; probably more often than the others I wear. It’s called a Consecration cross. It’s also known as a Rounded Cross and is similar to the more widely known St. John’s cross. It has four arms of equal length. Usually, the end of each arm is rounded or the cross may be held within a circle so it’s sometimes confused with a Sun cross.

Very old European cathedrals and churches might have several of these crosses carved into them. It would be associated with the bishop consecrating the building as a cathedral or church. Usually, there are twelve such crosses signifying the love and support of the twelve apostles for the church. Bishops would have either used baptismal water or chrism during the act of consecration at each of the crosses.

The back of my cross is engraved. There is an eye ball, a heart, the letter “U” and “Keely and Riley.” If you can put those symbols and words together in a sentence you will be able to guess why this is my favourite pectoral cross.

For me, my pectoral Consecration cross is more than a mere decoration. It symbolises a connection with Jesus and the apostles. Not “my” connection, but “our” connection with Jesus and his community. The simple act of bowing my head to place the cross around my neck is an acknowledgment and acceptance of God’s love. A love that found expressing in Jesus Christ and that continues to be expressed in our community today.

During Lent we prepare for the great celebration of Easter, a journey that will have many stops along the way, such as Christ’s death on the cross. My pectoral cross reminds me that nothing can separate us from God’s love because it proclaims, loud and clear, that Christ is risen! Alleluia!

People Make Fun of Me

2010-02-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

People make fun of me and they always have, because I tend to assume that things (no matter how difficult they seem) will work out. Now, I know that there may be lots of other reasons people have for making fun of me, but that is one of the reasons I know of.

One of the pectoral crosses I wear during Lent is made from three nails recovered from the ashes of St. John’s Church, Lunenburg. I stood with the people of St. John’s one rainy All Saints Day morning and watched the building burn. It was heart-wrenching, to say the least. Late in the afternoon, many of the town’s youth went in the building and grabbed whatever they could to rescue it from further damage. The congregation gathered around the charred altar that night for the Holy Eucharist in their parish hall.

Today, St. John’s Church building has been rebuilt. The rebuilding used enough of the original building techniques to maintain its national heritage status.

A few months after the fire, the rector of the parish gave me a hand forged square nail found among the ashes. It was one of hundreds recovered from the site. To help raise money for the rebuilding effort the nails were joined together as crosses and sold. I bought one and I wear it during Lent.

For me, pectoral crosses are not fashion statements, but faith statements. I don’t wear them because they are pretty but because they carry real meaning. I have four or five pectoral crosses and each one has particular significance for me. The pectoral cross of nails from St. John’s Church is about faith, hope and love: the faith that God’s presence is felt amidst disaster; the hope that even the most challenging difficulties work out, and; the deep love God has for us.

During Lent we prepare for the great celebration of Easter, and even though we retell the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ, we can continue to hold onto those things that remind us that nothing can separate us from God’s love, not even death. So, make fun of me if you wish for being hopeful, but I know that Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Give ‘Er A Quarter Turn

2010-02-09T11:50:00.003-04:00

I have a vague memory of a strange little Canadian film about a couple of artists who fashioners some sort of bull’s head. They took the thing on tour and proudly showed off their piece of “art.” The problem was that the horns were not angled correctly. A fact they didn’t discover until and elderly man, who looked like he might have been a farmer, told them to give the horns a quarter turn, hence, the title of the film.

I couldn’t find the film on YouTube, so it might be just my imagination. Never the less, the point I was going to make is that from time to time, even the things we are most sure of, need a little twist, a little tweaking.

That goes for our liturgy too.

It’s been over a year now since we have decided to have a 10:00 am service. I knew that no matter how hard we might have tried, the 10:00 o’clock service could never be either the old 9:15 service or the old 11:00 o’clock service. So, let’s try and create something new at 10:00 am.

Now, it is time for you to help tweak it, and make it better.

The Worship Team has heard that there are people who feel as though something is missing. We need to ask, “what’s missing?” And, how can we improve our liturgy?

The word liturgy comes from the Greek word, leitourgia, and means the work of the people. This is your work; it is not the work of the clergy that everyone else must endure. It is your work and is intended to enhance your experience of the Divine. Not a small task.

Mostly, people seem quite happy with the new time, but what about the liturgy itself? There will be an opportunity following the 10:00 am service on Sunday, February 28. It is a chance for you to put your two cents in. It will be known as Tweak Day.

The Annual Meeting

2010-02-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I look forward to the parish annual meeting. I am, by nature, a hopeful sort of person and I truly believe that the annual meeting is an opportunity for us to reflect on the glory of God made manifest in our lives. It is a wonderful time for us to celebrate all that is good and meaningful and purposeful in our common life as a parish.

That’s not to say that there aren’t challenges facing us. In fact, there are some issues we, as a parish, will have to grapple with in the next little while. We have significant financial issues and it is clear that there are difficult choices to be made.

I know that it is hard to get people excited about allotment, that’s the money we pass on to the diocese so that the ministry of the diocese can be accomplished. Allotment is not a tax; it is our responsibility to help with the corporate mission and ministry we share as a diocese. For me, not paying allotment is not an option. We have not been paying allotment and we are not planning to in 2010.

Something has to change. What changes is the decision we will have to make. In the meantime you might wonder what you can do to help. I have four suggestions:

1. Pray. Pray for the parish, the clergy, the Parish Council and the staff. These are challenging times and it weighs heavily on all of us. We are all working very hard to make sure that the quality of congregational life continues to improve.

2. Give. Continue to give of your time, talent and treasure. I know that these three “T’s” can sound like a cliché, but our financial worries will not be solved by money alone. Time, talent and treasure work together to help build the community God calls us to be.

3. Proclaim. Never shy away from proclaiming by word and deed the Good News of God in Christ. It is central to our baptismal covenant and to who we are as Christian people. The integrity of making our deeds match our words is a key component of community development.

4. Stay. A basic human response to trouble is to flee. But, you are an important part of what this parish of St. Paul’s is, and it is important that you remain engaged in our life as a community committed to Christ. As Paul says, the body is incomplete without all its members.

There is no problem facing us that we have not also been blessed with the skills to meet the challenge and to come out better for it.

No More Excuses

2010-01-26T10:09:00.002-04:00

One day in high school I was late for a class and as I stumbled into the room I apologized to the teacher. He looked at me as if to say an explanation was in order. Jokingly, I said that I was at the mall and there was a power failure and I’ve been stuck on the escalator. Perhaps because he couldn’t believe that I would say such a thing, or because it was such a lame joke, he let it pass.

Scripture is full of lame excuses. Jeremiah said he is only a boy. Moses said that his brother would be a better leader because he can talk better. David said he cannot fit into the armor. Jonah ran away.

Who could blame the prophets and other leaders for not wanting to take on the role that God chose them for? After all, a prophet was usually asked to deliver a message that the people didn’t want to hear. Oh, for a while things might go well, but eventually the prophet would have to call on the people to repent and that message is never well received. Even Jesus, when he first proclaims a prophetic purpose to his life is met with anger and a mob that wanted to kill him (long before Pilate ever heard of him).

Of course running away or thinking up excuses eventually proves futile. Thankfully, God is patient and forgives the initial response to flee. Prophets must be prophets, kings must be kings, and Jesus must be the Christ. And we, what must we do as the Body of Christ? We must accept God’s mission for us to proclaim, by word and deed, the love of God. No more lame excuses. If the escalator gets stuck, we walk. If the road gets tough, we keep on truckin’. No more excuses.

Be Thankful for Worship

2010-01-21T15:32:00.000-04:00

Take a look at our first lesson this morning (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10). Read it very closely, and think about it the next time one of our services goes a minute or two past the hour. The lesson from Nehemiah is about a worship service that goes on for the whole day. The people listen to the Holy Scriptures all day, and not just bits and pieces of it, but the whole thing. Furthermore, they heard it, “with interpretation,” in other words, with translation and explanation.
Their response was to return the next day and ask for more.

Now, to put the whole thing into its context, the scriptures had been lost to a whole generation of Israelites. They were learning things about themselves and their history that they didn’t know or had forgotten. It was being translated because they had even lost their language. These things happened because an occupying nation had outlawed their faith and culture.

As they listen to the Holy Scriptures their sorrow at what was lost transforms into a joy that is beyond measure as they come to understand what they now have.

We complain if the service runs a bit long or the sermon was not as good as we wanted or we didn’t know the hymns. But, what if we weren’t allowed to worship? Worship takes on a whole new meaning when it is prohibited. There are many places in the world where certain types of worship are prohibited. The BCP’s Eucharistic prayer calls worship a “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.” It sounds to me, like that might have been written by a man who would have preferred to be somewhere else.

Last Sunday morning, in the shadows of the rubble of church buildings, Christians gathered for worship in Haiti. The Church, the Body of Christ rose as Jesus had on the third day. Not one of those worshippers thought it was a sacrifice or burden to gather for worship in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving.

We should worship as if we weren’t allowed to.

Top Seven for Baptism

2010-01-16T17:58:00.000-04:00

Jay's Sermon from January 10

Today we remember the Baptism of the Lord on the first Sunday after the Epiphany in the calendar of the church.

But why do we recall His Baptism each year? Why do we renew our Baptismal vows each time there is a new baptism?

Martin Luther wrote, "A truly Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism once begun and ever to be continued." He didn’t want us to be baptized over and over, but I think Martin Luther wanted us to remember each day who we are, and whose we are, and how beloved we are.

What is it that makes Baptism special? We know it as the moment when one is welcomed into God’s family; we even call it the household of God. But what about Baptism is special or meaningful?

Here is my Top 7 list of what makes Baptism special:

►Firstly, in Isaiah 43 we read, God Created us, Redeemed us and stays with us.

God created you just as he created Jacob. He has called you by name, the name given to you at your Baptism. He has redeemed you, just like redeeming a prisoner by paying the penalty due, he redeemed you through his Son Jesus and if he would do that for you, he surely will not desert you in times of trouble. He will be with you.
►Next, God’s Spirit is in us. In Acts 8:17 we see that Peter and John laid their hands on people in Samaria and they received the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit came to the people of Samaria just as the Holy Spirit came to the 3000 gathered together on that Pentecost day following Jesus’ resurrection and just in the same way the Holy Spirit comes to each of us when we are Baptised. We have Jesus’ promise of the Spirit, the Advocate he said; the Comforter he said and the Holy Spirit is your lifelong Advocate and Comforter.
► The third reason Baptism is special is that God has changed us and forgiven us. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians 5:17 says, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
When Baptised, we are made new, made clean, forgiven for all our sins before baptism and assured of the forgiveness of our sins after. We can be sure that we are changed and forgiven. When we do things wrong, God doesn’t leave us.
► The fourth reason is that God is pleased with us. In Luke’s Gospel we read, “when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’"
I think that that image is a spectacular one to let us know that we all are beloved by God and he is pleased with us. That’s not to say we can’t do better or do more or love more, but God is pleased with us every day we live our life.
► The fifth reason Baptism is special is that God’s Peace is a blessing. Psalm 29 verse 12 asks, “May the Lord bless his people with peace!”
Not world peace which we want and God wants also, but a peace inside; a peace of stillness; of knowing you are not alone; that regardless of what life deals you, God will be with you. Not to make you rich or to win or to get your wishes, but to let you know you are loved unconditionally. That is what we mean when we pass the Peace each Sunday. We wish that each one of us has and understands the unconditional love and peace of God.
► God’s Love is meant to be shared. There is a great passage from the book of Hebrews 10:24. “. . . let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”
I love that phrase, ‘Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds”. How can you provoke me to be a better person? To be a better disciple of Jesus? To be a better child of God? Or how can I provoke you? Part of that comes from meeting together and encouraging one another. Think about that; becoming more of what God wants you to be by meeting together, encouraging others and being encouraged in return.
► God’s Love is Permanent

Paul writes in Romans 8:35 “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There is nothing we can do or anyone else can do to make God stop loving us. Again: There is nothing we can do or anyone else can do to make God stop loving us. We cannot be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
There! That is my list of 7 things that make Baptism Special. Feel free to add your own. These are things we often forget and it is good, I think to remember that we have been given a life altering gift, an eternal gift, being marked as Christ’s own forever.

Whether we can remember our baptismal day or not is less important than whether we can remember that we too are blessed and beloved.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that you are beloved by God and that nothing can change that? That is the 8th and Bonus special thing about Baptism and being a follower of Jesus Christ: We are beloved by God and nothing can change that.
Thanks be to God, AMEN.
Rev’d Jay S. Macdonald