anglicanlife
February2012
a section of the ANGLICAN JOURNAL 1
anglicanlife
February2012
newfoundlandlabrador
MINISTRY IN BADGER’S QUAY See Page 12
RETIRED BISHOP TO ASSIST IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DISPUTE Written by Gary Kean Reprinted with permission from The Western Star
A disagreement over the issue of blessing same-sex marriages in the Anglican diocese of Montreal has led some of its parishes to request the help of a retired bishop from western Newfoundland. Bishop Leonard Whitten of Pasadena retired from his ministry in 2003, but has been asked to provide what’s known as a shared episcopal ministry to parishes within the diocese of Montreal that disagree with the stance taken by Bishop Barry Clarke of Montreal. Since 2007, at the direction of a diocesan synod, Clarke has authorized at least two blessings of two civil marriages without controversy. However, in recent months, parishes in the diocese have protested the induc-
tion of a partnered gay priest, Very Rev. Paul Kennington, as the dean of Montreal and rector of Christ Church Cathedral and the ordination as a deacon of a partnered gay man, Rev. Robert Camara. The six priests who have agreed to have Bishop Whitten’s intervention all protested against Deacon Camara’s ordination. Bishop Whitten voted against the blessing of samesex marriages when he attended the House of Bishops conference in Lambeth, England — a gathering of every Anglican bishop in the world — in 1998. He still holds that position. “I am a firm believer that, scripturally, marriage is between a man and a woman and, hopefully, for life,” the retired bishop told The Western Star in an interview. That does not mean, however, he does not respect the decision of two people of the same sex who want to live their lives together.
Retired bishop Leonard Whitten of Pasadena has been asked to provide shared episcopal ministry to parishes within the diocese of Montreal. Photo by Gary Kean, Western Star.
“I don’t agree with it, but I will still talk to them and minister to them if they are in my parish,” he said. “I would tell them to find
a person who is licensed to marry you. It might not be an ordained person because there are many people licensed to marry people.The whole crux
of this matter was blessing CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 See: “Bishop Whitten”
February2012
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR BISHOP WHITTEN Dear Editor: As an Anglican and Freemason I feel obliged to comment on a portion of the letter from Tolson Chapman which appeared in the January 2012 Edition of Anglican Life referencing Freemasonry. I should at the outset state that I speak on the subject of Freemasonry as an individual and not as an official spokesperson for the Fraternity. Freemasonry is a secular organization, i.e. non-religious. However it is supportive of religion and it is an unqualified requirement that every man who seeks membership believe in a Supreme Being and be of good character. Freemasonry is neither a substitute for nor an alternative to religion. It should be clearly understood that the nature of our rituals, often written in the elegant language of former times, is that of a dramatic and effective set of morality plays. Men are encouraged to be loyal to their country, to obey the law, to try to be better behaved, to consider their relations with others and make themselves extensively serviceable to their fellow men. The fundamental principles to which our members subscribe can be articulated as integrity, honesty, fairness, kindness and tolerance. The fact that men from different faiths can meet easily in harmony and friendship, without compromising their particular religious beliefs, demonstates that one of the greatest strengths of Freemasonry is that of tolerance. To ensure this
tolerence remains undisturbed, the discussion of religion and politics are strictly prohibited in Masonic Lodges. In quoting the Archbishop of Canterbury Mr. Chapman neglected to state that the Archbishop distanced himself from the reported comments and claimed his views were never meant to be public and were distorted by the media. Below is an excerpt from an media report written by Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day on 20 April 2003 regarding a letter of apology written to the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England by the Archbishop:”I have been sorry to learn of the distress of a considerable number of Freemasons . . . In replying to private correspondence, I had no intention of starting a public debate nor of questioning the good faith and generosity of individual Freemasons and I regret the tone and content of the media coverage.” He added: “The quoted statements about the ‘satanic’ character of the Masonic ceremonies and other matters did not come from me and do not represent my judgment. Since my late father was a member of the Craft for many years, I have had every opportunity of observing the probity of individual members.” Dr Williams does not, in his letter, deny that he has misgivings about the role of Freemasons within the Church. He wrote: “Where anxieties exist, however, they are in relation not to Freema-
sonry but to Christian ministers subscribing to what could be and often is understood [or misunderstood] as a private system of profession and initiation, involving the taking of oaths of loyalty.” He ends his letter by stating that, “Freemasons’ commitment to charity and the community is beyond question.” As a lifelong Anglican and a Freemason for over 40 years there has never arisen any inconsistency between the teachings of Holy Scriptures and of Freemasonry. The tolerance of differences in the faith and opinions of others taught by Freemasonry has enhanced my life and reminds me daily of Luke 6:37 – Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Yours truly, George Cull St. John’s, NL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
civil marriages.” Bishop Whitten is not going to Montreal to try to reconcile the differences between Bishop Clarke and his clergy or congregation. Nor is he going there to administer the operations of the diocese. His role will be to perform the duties of a bishop in the parishes that oppose Bishop Clarke’s stance, which was recommended to him by his diocesan synod in 2007. Bishop Whitten was asked to do this because of his connection to a parish within the diocese through his ongoing work with the church’s Sharing of Ministries Abroad — an international ministry that operates in 15 countries. “I will be doing particular episcopal functions, like confirmations or ordinations, in those parishes,” Bishop Whitten said. “A priest can’t do those things and a bishop must be present.” The work will not require Whitten to move to Montreal and, other than travel expenses paid for by the church, his assistance will be voluntary. “They will make sure that, if they are going to have a confirmation in their parish, that maybe two or three parishes will work together and make sure they have confirmations on the same day or at least a day or two apart so I will only have to be here for a short time,” said Bishop Whitten. Exactly when he will be making his first trip to the diocese in this role has not yet been determined, but Bishop
Whitten does not expect to be going until early in the new year. It is also not yet known for how long he will perform the duty. The Anglican church tried the same approach with a diocese in British Columbia that was split over this same issue in 2003. Eight parishes which did not agree with the diocese’s stance rejected the help of an assistant bishop since the diocesan bishop would still have the final say, as will be the case in Montreal. While his role will not be one of reconciliation, Bishop Whitten said he will discuss the issue of same-sex marriages with the bishop or any member of the congregation who wishes to speak with him about it. “I don’t believe for a moment we should not minister to (homosexuals) or that we should look down on them as somebody who is different,” he said. “I believe in a God who will look after that and I am not Him.”
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February2012
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THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM
let us pray
My triumph and comfort Written by Anne (Winsor) Gosse
I was nine years old when I met The Reverend Mr. Weir. A man well up in years, I was instinctively attracted to him by his kindly, grandfatherly persona. He came to our elementary school for weekly assemblies and, even though my own father was a clergy, I was always happy and proud when he came to our school. There was something special about The Rev’d Mr. Weir. My classmates and I would boldly go to the principal’s office and ask to see him. He would gladly oblige by coming into the hallway and talking with us. What was most fascinating about The Rev’d Mr. Weir was that at each assembly, without fail, he would issue a challenge to the student body. “Is there anyone here this morning who would like to come forward and recite from memory the Twenty Third Psalm?” I watched with rapt attention as some fellow student would go forward onto the stage and make an attempt. Some valiant attempts were made, but generally most needed a fair bit of prompting from the priest. After watching this several times, I became truly inspired to learn the Psalm 23. I was determined to do it without errors or prompting. I practiced and practiced, every day for several weeks. Finally the day came when, upon arriving at school, I was met by several excited classmates, who exclaimed that The Rev’d Mr. Weir was there for assembly. My heart pounded with excitement; maybe today he would choose me to recite the Psalm.
At the appropriate time, after the devotional period in the assembly, he issued the challenge, “Is there anyone here this morning who would like to recite from memory the Twenty Third Psalm? My hand shot into the air immediately. The Rev’d Mr. Weir, looking down in my direction, motioned me to come forward, saying “what about this young lady here in the third row”. I rose from
m y seat, and made my way to the stage. As I walked into the darkness behind the stage curtain suddenly my legs felt weak. I climbed the few stairs, and made my way between the side curtains and onto the stage. As I looked out over the sea of faces, all seemly staring at me, I almost froze in fear. I must be crazy I thought - to do this! But then I saw The Rev’d Mr. Weir, standing by the podium holding out his hand to me. I walked toward him and took his hand. `What is your name young lady?” he asked. “Anne” I told him. “Now Anne, you may begin”. At that moment everything and everyone else faded into the background. It was just he and I. I recited the psalm without error or prompting. “Very well done, young lady, very well done” he said, as I returned to my seat. I could hardly wait for lunch time to come to race
30 Roe Avenue, P.O. Box 348, Gander, NL A1V 1W7 Telephone: (709) 651-4100 Fax: (709) 256-2957 email: info@waltershoffe.com
home and tell my parents about my accomplishment my triumph! I knew they would be very happy and proud. At nine years of age, the words of that psalm had seemingly little relation to my young real life but, as t h e years
passed, life experiences gave me a much different perspective. At the age of eighty-nine my mother lay in a hospital bed. I tried to converse with her, but her medications make
it difficult. She opened her eyes, but there was no light of recognition. It seemed she was struggling to speak but was unable. I felt helpless. What could I say to her? I smiled at her and gently stroked her face and then I leaned over and whispered in her ear the only words of comfort I could think of, “Remember Mom,The Lord is My Shepherd?” As her eyes closed once more, I turned from her bed and walk quickly f rom the room and down the hall towards the elevator, tears welling up in eyes. It ’s an unusually warm June day as my sister and I sit across the desk f rom The Rev’d Russell. We know him, not just as a clergy, but also as a friend. As a young boy, he was a parishioner in one of my father’s first congregations. He recounted to us the story of how he stood in the church shaking hands with my mother when they left that pastoral charge. He was eight years old and she
said to him - “Russell you’ll be a minister the next time I see you”. She was right! Now we were discussing her funeral service. “Would you like to do the bible readings your mother has chosen?” Russell asked me. At first I was reluctant. Could I do it, at such an emotional time? But I agreed. I knew my mother had favourite bible passages, she often told me, and could recite many verbatim. I looked at her handwritten instruction “Psalms 19 and 23.” Ah yes, the Twenty Third Psalm. As I stood in the church pulpit on that bright afternoon and my eyes rose from the bible before me and I recited the Psalm I knew my Mother was looking down and the words “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” were now more fully understood and great comfort to me.
February2012
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anglicanlife newfoundlandlabrador
ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaper of the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses in Newfoundland and Labrador, it is published monthly, except July and August, with an independent editorial policy.
“CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?”
A section of the Anglican Journal Editor-in-Chief: The Rev’d Sam Rose 8 Croydon Street Paradise, NL A1L 1P7 Email: samrose@nl.rogers.com Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from: Bishop Donald Young 34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8 Phone: (709) 256-7701 Email: jointcommittee@nfld.net Subscription Rates: Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00 Outside the province: $20.00 International: $25.00 New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address should be sent to: Circulation The Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy) 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2 (416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax) Email: circulation@national.anglican.ca Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscription list - please notify your parish office of any changes. Changes sent to parish offices may take months to take effect. Please also send your updated information to Circulation at the Anglican Journal (above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road, Gander NL A1V 2E8. Articles and photographs: Send to the Editor-in-Chief (above) Parish Bulletins and Letters to the Editor: Send to the Editor-in-Chief, Sam Rose (address as above). All letters must include the writer’s name, address, and telephone number. Telephone numbers will not be published. Anglican Life does not publish letters under nom de plume. Letters should not exceed 300 words (one double spaced typewritten page), and are subject to editing at the discretion of the editor. These policies were adopted by the Anglican Life Committee. Layout & Design: Sam Rose Printed by: Signal Star Publishing, A Division of Bowes Publishers Limited, Industrial Park, 120 Huckins Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 4B6
Circulation: 21,777
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Fr. Sam Rose Editor
This famous line was uttered by Rodney King, an African American, who was brutally beaten by police officers in Los Angeles, California in 1991. The beating, which was caught on videotape, caused public outrage and incensed tensions between the black community and the Los Angeles Police Department. A subsequent riot ensued after the police officers were acquitted on all charges causing millions of dollars in damage and untold suffering in racial relations. Anger and prejudice in the church can be a deadly combination. This is heightened when church members anonymously post comments on the Internet. In this day and age, anyone can spew hatred and insults at another Christian or church all in the safe cocoon of anonymity.
If you peruse the comment sections of various church blogs and websites, you can see the venom so carelessly spouted by these unidentified critics. Such brave souls incognito often tear apart the reputations of clergy (especially bishops) and other church leaders. One such blogger says that he “write(s) this blog for my own entertainment and to poke fun at the religious and political establishment.” Sadly, what he would consider “his own entertainment” would include calling one of our bishops a “Newfie joke.” This blogger also says that he is an active worshipper in an Anglican parish somewhere in Canada. It is far too easy to throw insults and innuendo when no one will know who you are. Tucked away in the privacy of your own home in front of your computer is a tempting way to mock and slander others without fear of retribution. In a virtual world, the Devil will tempt you to think that you can pretend to be whatever you want to be conservative, liberal, racist, homophobic, sexist, and so on. Sadly, under the veil of secrecy, what you pretend to be may be actually closer to who you really are.
Would it be too naive to suggest, as Rodney King exclaimed, “Can we all just get along?” Shouldn’t this be more so in a Christian context? Doesn’t Jesus say that if a brother or sisters sins against you, you should go and point it out to them in person? Or is an attempt at reconciliation too hard for some so much so that it is easier to type up an anonymous diatribe condemning your fellow Christian for the whole World Wide Web to see? Honest discussions of issues are needed in the church. What is needed more are open honest discussions, not spouting criticism safely on the Internet. It is not about taking sides, but it is about learning to live together as a Christian church family. Families have problems and controversies which, when left ignored or unresolved, can be torn apart. Getting along means learning to communicate these issues with each other, not about each other. So, the next time you are tempted to anonymously destroy a fellow person’s reputation online, if you are a Christian, then you should know that our God sees all and knows what you are doing, even in secret.
anglicanlife
February2012
LET US PRAY
Worship and Justice The Rev. Everett Hobbs Columnist
In his book Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster identifies six dimensions of faith and practice that define Christian spirituality. One is “The Social Justice Tradition: Discovering the Compassionate Life”. In his examination of this dimension, he draws on the writings of the prophet Amos, together with the 18th century Quaker John Woolman and Dorothy Day the founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Here is what Foster says about worship and justice according to Amos. “Essentially the prophet scorns the empty worship of the people of Israel, which in turn is linked to their lack of justice. God wants more than festivals and ceremonies, noisy celebrations filled with colour and pageantry. God repudiates the festivals in his honour, rejects the sacrifices and offerings made in his name and he turns a deaf ear to the worship music of his people. Why? According to Amos, God rejects their acts of worship because they were not accompanied by acts of justice and righteousness, ‘Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an overflowing stream.’” Our God demands something more than festivals and offerings and worship song. That “something more” is social righteousness. Because social righteousness
is a divine mandate, liturgical worship can never be divorced from it. Worship is not just for our comfort and satisfaction. If we are attending to the living God, our worship will upset us and truly engage us in the mission of God. Too often our worship seems insular, comfortable and self-serving. We are not much different from the ancient Hebrews who were chastised by Amos for worship divorced from justice and compassion. One of the most profound directives for loving God and neighbour comes from the prophet Micah: “He showed you, O people, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Our worship can easily become self-serving and insular, giving us personal comfort, but divorced from daily life and the pain of the world. It may be inspiring, uplifting and reassuring, but if it doesn’t transform us, it is a passing experience. The Hebrew prophets claimed that liturgy unaccompanied by justice and righteousness was not authentic worship, not pleasing to God. Worship, justice and compassion comprise a trinity which requires our engagement in all three and reflects the command to love God and neighbour.
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COUNT TO 40 Bishop Percy Coffin Diocese of Western Newfoundland
On a regular basis during the child-raising years one will ‘count to ten’. This is a fairly safe practice that allows the brain to change tracks, body temperatures to cool and logic to prevail. It works. Maybe Biblical times were tougher so the folks back then counted to forty. Measurement by forty was common: “Forty years long was I grieved with that generation”; “it rained for forty days and forty nights”; “Solomon had forty thousand stalls for chariot horses” and I dare not mention Lent…yet. February 2nd, Candlemas, marks the end of the forty days season of Christmas. We change tracks, cool down and chart a sensible course or as my Celtic friends in Nova Scotia would say, “Its back to old clothes and porridge”. That still doesn’t address what Candlemas truly is. Actually Candlemas is a threefold event: The earliest name of this day is The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, according to the custom of the day, after the birth of her male child, went
to the Temple for the ritual cleansing and offered the required pair of turtledoves, etc. The common name for February 2nd is The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. His devout parents kept the tradition of designating the first born male as holy to the Lord. That day was less than customary when the aged Simeon took the child and gave thanks to God because his eyes had seen God’s salvation as we proclaim it in the Nunc Dimittis at Evening Prayer. Then a devout woman named Anna, at the sight of this child, praises God. No wonder the parents were
amazed. Another name and tradition that we are familiar with is Candlemas itself. On this day all the candles designated for use in the church were blessed. This practice takes us back to pre-Christian times because it was a day half way between the Winter solstice and the spring equinox. No wonder this day was chosen to see what the groundhog had to say about “fair and
fine”. There we are: purification from ritual uncleanness, light to lighten the darkness of winter and a light to lighten the Gentiles…that’s us. On our Christian journey we make the switch from the recent festivities to bringing the light of Christ to the world. That world may be your family, school, workplace, a divided community or a ravaged country. It is through the life of Christ that we are made pure as we try to live Christlike lives for the sake of God’s kingdom. This is the Christ who brings the light of God’s Spirit into our lives with the hope of change for us and for all. That’s a challenge as sobering as Simeon’s words to Mary when he returned the baby to her saying “a sword shall pierce your soul also”. For today it is sufficient to say that we are at a crossroads. So switch tracks because before this month ends we will be on that other forty day journey. In the words of John Michael Talbot’s hymn go there and may: Christ, be our Light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ be our light! Shine in your church gathered today. In the peace of Christ
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anglicanlife
A FRIENDLY VISIT
Wilfr ed and A nne E ilfred Anne Evvans (far left)of Garnish in the Parish of Marystown celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on 8 December 2011. The Rev`d Gloria Windover and the members of the ACW visited them on their special day and enjoyed cake and presented them with a lovely poinsetta. May God continue to bless them through many more years. Submitted by Robynn Toal.
THREE NEW DEACONS
The O ev Orrdination of the R Rev ev’’ds (left to right) JJohn ohn SSpar par kes, parkes, Diane George, and Christopher F Foo wler wler.. On 5 December 2011, the Rt. Rev’d Cyrus Pitman ordained three new deacons in Christ’s Holy Catholic Church. The Venerable Sandra Tilley was the preacher and the liturgy was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s. Photo by the Editor.
anglicanlife
February2012
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MINISTRY IN PORT REXTON
Submitted by Carolyn Fowlow & Lillian Porter
The three churches that make up the Parish of Port Rexton, with the encouragement of their clergy The Rev’d Valerie Gillam, took a step in faith and decided to Invite a Friend to church on Sunday 13 November 2011. Ref reshments followed the service at Christ Church in Port Rexton. There were several who participated in this effort with much thought and prayer. During the service, The Rev ’d Gillam blessed twelve dresses and a Prayer Shawl for children in Africa. Making dresses and shorts from pillow cases for African children and knitting
Prayer Shawls for the sick and elderly are two of their outreach projects. The Parish has given twenty five shawls thus far and there has been a great response to
making the clothes for the children. In 2003, the Parish began sponsoring a Foster Child. In 2005, the offerings were such that they
found themselves in a position to adopt another child. By 2009, the Parish had adopted three foster children. This ministry has been a tremendous blessing
to all the members of the Parish.
February2012
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anglicanlife
PREYING ON THE INNOCENT Special Feature Written by Pam Frampton Reprinted with permission from The Telegram
“The Internet is an uncharted world. It’s a world that parents don’t know, but kids do. Parents would be shocked to see what goes on.” - Det. Chris Loyko, Lake County Sheriff ’s Office, Tavares, Fla., quoted in the Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 5, 2007
At the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Annex in St. John’s, Acting Sgt. Ed Billard leads me through a maze of battered corridors and a warren of offices that makes me feel like I’m on the set of the 1970s police drama “Barney Miller.” The well-worn building is the perfect location for the gritty work that goes on inside, particularly in the RNC’s Child Exploitation Unit. The unit has expanded since I spoke to Billard in 2010; Const. Greg Hobbs has joined the office at Fort Townshend and a new position is soon to be filled in Corner Brook, to cover western Newfoundland and Labrador. The work is certainly not for everyone - poring over still photographs and videos of children being sexually abused, not always knowing where they are or how to help them. Still, the unit will begin its work in 2012 with an extra weapon in its arsenal: a new law that compels Internet service providers (ISPs) to report any information they receive about websites harbouring child pornography. As the Canadian Press reported earlier this month, “They also have to tell police if they believe a child porn
offence has been committed using their service. Failure to comply carries fines ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 or jail time for repeat offenders.” That’s good news for Billard and Hobbs. “I think it’s a good thing. We are talking about child protection,” Billard said. “It will be very helpful. It just speeds up the process.” And the process of catching child pornographers is precise and painstaking. Avid collector Take the case of former Anglican minister Robin Barrett, who got out of jail about a month ago after being sentenced in September 2010 to 2 ½ years for possessing and distributing child porn. Barrett was caught in an international police sting known as Operation Sanctuary. “An officer with the Toronto Police Service Child Exploitation Unit was functioning undercover in an Internet chat room where pedophiles were known to meet for an online chat,” Billard explained. “He was able to befriend the subject in the chat room and this subject agreed to share his child porn collection with the undercover officer.” Barrett’s collection was staggering: 31,460 photos of prepubescent children being sexually abused, as well as 3,451 videos, with audio. “During the trading of the child porn,” Billard continued, “the Toronto police were able to obtain the Internet protocol of the tar-
get.” This gave the Toronto police Barrett’s location Conception Bay South - and they contacted the RNC, who identified Barrett and obtained a search warrant for his house. Information not always given freely Billard said while the RNC deals with many very helpful Internet service providers that voluntarily surrender information, some are more reluctant and the police have to file a production order - similar to a search warrant - to obtain the information. Thanks to this new law, production orders will be a thing of the past. But even when the police seize a suspect’s computer, the process of extracting pornographic content is laborious. “The files ... are completely time-consuming,” Billard said. “There are legal protocols we have to follow. And the average laptop has 320 to 500 gigabytes of storage space. That’s a lot of data when you consider that one gig of data - if you printed it off in sheets and stacked them up - would be higher than the CN Tower.” No guarantees Putting child pornographers like Robin Barrett out of commission is satisfying work, Billard said - Barrett’s case, in particular, since it contributed to an international child porn bust that saw 60 men arrested (25 of them in Canada), and 25 children rescued (12 of them in this country). Currently, Barrett is being supervised by Corrections Canada and is under strict conditions not to have a computer or be in the company of children under 18. Still, Billard acknowledges there is no guarantee child pornographers won’t fall back into deviance. “Once those conditions expire, he’s on his own,” he
said. Both Billard and Hobbs say the prevalence of child porn offences seems to be increasing. “More and more households have computers, so there’s more and more access,” Hobbs said. But Billard cautions the problem is much older than computer technology - which he considers both a blessing and a curse. “The Internet is not creating the problem, the Internet is exposing the problem,” he said. “They can meet each other (there), the offenders can, and share material. But it makes them more susceptible to being caught, as well.” Of course, the Internet also attracts kids to places where they can share information, and that makes them vulnerable. Webcams a no-no Billard and Hobbs urge parents to talk to their children and to make a point of knowing where they’re going online.
“Parents should be just as concerned as where they travel virtually (as physically),” Billard said. “Talk to children about sexual behaviour, self-image, webcams.They should be cautioned about doing anything with webcams.They’re taking pictures of themselves and transmitting them, and they’re ending up in the collections of child pornographers. ... And we’re talking kids of both genders.” If Billard and Hobbs had a wish list for the future, it would include further expansion of the Child Exploitation Unit. “We’re getting in a good place,” Billard said, “but with further growth we could do more proactive work. ... We see this work as an opportunity to get people in the fantasy phase, before they reach out into the real world.” And touch somebody. Pam Frampton is The Telegram’s story editor. She can be reached by email at pframpton@thetelegram.com
anglicanlife
February2012
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor: With interest I carefully read the Letter to the Editor in the January 2012 issue of Anglican Life by Tolson Chapman. May I humbly submit some of my thoughts concerning the topic? I am a senior citizen and I have read the Bible many times as well as other related books and essays. I have often conversed with the youth and I always try to have an open mind concerning changes. Mr. Chapman listed 12 things which, in his opinion, are causing a loss of membership in the Anglican Church. I beg to disagree on every one of them. In fact, I believe this sort of thinking is the very reason why we are losing 2% membership every year. I will now list some of my thoughts concerning a church that meets the needs of 2012. 1. Many people who go to church think they have to take the Bible with its many allegories and mythology literally and they cannot bring themselves to do otherwise. So, consequently, they just drop out of going to church. We need to approach the Bible with its many wonderful words in its historical background and understand that the writers are trying to make some sense of human life and it’s relation to God. Also, many times in the past, the Bible has been used to legitimize slavery, subdue women, punish homosexuals, and to justify war. This is against the teachings of Jesus who was forgiving and loving and preached equality, treating all man as brothers no matter what creed. 2. Resurrection is evident every day when the Christos is born in an infant. 3. There are many ways to God, some of which are outside the Anglican Church and even outside Christianity. 4. Homosexuals spoken
of in the Bible would at that time be put to death. Jesus would treat the homosexual in the same way that he treated all people, with love and respect. 5. The same Jesus who halted the stoning of Mary Magdalene would certainly march in a Gay Pride Parade. 6. God is neither a he nor she. God is the eternal force which governs all the universe and beyond. 7. The Eucharist has changed greatly since that Passover night of eating, drinking, and dancing. When celebrating, we also symbolize sharing with our brothers and sisters and also with all of God’s creatures. 8. Mankind all through history in every culture has worshipped in song and dance. It is good to make a joyful sound unto our God. 10.Imans should be allowed times to read the Koran in our church as it is also a good book and is read by 25% of the world. The teachings are very similar to Christians who comprise 30% of the world’s population. 11. Evangelism and Fundamentalism have many weaknesses. It robs us of our ability to question and leaves room for selfishness concerning our own souls instead of the well being of others. It can often make a person selfrighteous and we often escape the true message of Jesus. 12. Young people can find facts by just a finger touch on their iPad. No longer are they led by false teachings. As a whole they are very spiritual. I will conclude by saying that I think in another 100 years there will be more open minded insights into the bible and the church. I feel confident that a new day will come when the wonderful message of Christianity won’t be clouded by Religion. Yours, Florence M. Pinhorn Winterton, NL
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RESOLVING TO PRAY Allison Billard Columnist
How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Have you given up any attempt at eating better or being more active? Or did you really stick with it past the first week of January? It is tough to start new things, or change your old ways. We have all tried, and I don’t know about you, but I frequently fail miserably. H o w e v e r, this year I want it to be different. While I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions, I want this year to be a turning point in my spiritual life. I want to learn to pray. As I study faith and learn more about theology and spend more time in church I have discovered that I don’t really know how to pray. I mean, I know the technical parts of what prayers should
be like. But I don’t really know how to do it. I always feel like I’m whining. Like God must have better things to do than listen to me and my nonproblems. So I mostly just pray for the health and safety and faith of others and thank him for all the wonderful things in my life. But it still feels like I’m doing it wrong. Are we ever taught how to pray? Did that come up in Sunday School? Did I miss that day? I mean, I can recite
the Lord’s Prayer, I understand that the Psalms are the “book” on “how to pray” if you want to think about it like that - but I could never come up with something like that my words are so dull, the Psalms are so beautiful. It is
a daunting task. It is, however, a necessary task. We need to look after our spiritual well being just as much as our physical well being and prayer is our link to God; it is the foundation of our relationship with Him. So while I try to eat the right things, and exercise regularly I also pray, even if I don’t feel like I’m very good at it, I’m not very good at the other things sometimes either. Prayer helps us to sort out the things in our lives that are troubling us, things that hurt us, and things that make us happy. We can ask God for help, for guidance, for strength. It provides an opportunity to thank him for all the good things, and ask him to help us understand the bad things. It is a time to just be with God. Silence is also an important part of prayer. So even if you forget to count the calories you have eaten today or you skipped going for a walk to watch some television there is always time for prayer. Have you looked after your spiritual wellbeing today?
February2012
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BEING RELEVANT The Rev’d Greg Mercer Columnist
Listeners sometimes comment on my sermons by saying things like, ‘you are so real’ or ‘I appreciate it when you share your own story.’ These are wonderful compliments – thank you very much — but it is simply my attempt to say, “This stuff is relevant.” One of the biggest criticisms of the church today from those outside looking in is that ‘the Church is IRRELEVANT.’ And what’s surprising is that these comments come from people who are very holy, very spiritual, and in many ways from people who are very charitable and involved in their communities. In fact, they often come from people who were ‘discipled’ by their parents, i.e., one time church goers. How does one respond to that? In my own estimation this is a fair criticism. ‘Relevant’ is not to be confused with being ‘relative.’ One has to do with relational matters while the other has to do with issues. Relative is how we relate to people, everything from blood relations to how we dress. RELEVANT on the other hand has more to do with being PERTINENT. So essentially what these wonderful people are
saying is that the Church doesn’t matter. There isn’t anything that the Church does that is pertinent, i.e. ‘relevant’ to the issues around them. So while the remnant of our churches continues to gather for their religious festivities every Sunday morning, the rest of the world just drives on by. I have probably over exaggerated here but what’s a little hyperbole if it helps make the point. And the point is, many wonderful, loving, spiritual people who were raised in the church are not coming anymore, because, they say, it doesn’t particularly matter to them, it is not doing anything that matters. “It is not relevant.” For some this may be an excuse for not coming to worship, but let’s not be too quick to dismiss this very important matter. What do people see when they look at the church – if they look at all? I remember one of my Seminary professors telling us that when Archbishop Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer it was with the intent of changing society. There it is. Let’s not forget that it was the churches that shaped and formed our society. The land in which we live was founded by great Christian preachers, educators, and missionaries who braved the issues of their day. In those days people looked to the church and saw their churches as the LIGHTHOUSE in their communities – saving stations and even hospitals – everything revolved around the church.
What do people see today? Early in my ordained ministry one of our seniors took me and the church to task for failing to respond to a particular need. There was a fire in the community that had practically destroyed a parishioner’s house forcing him and his family to find alternative accommodations. “Why isn’t the church doing anything,” he asked. “Should not the Church be helping one of its own?” The church was doing its best to provide the victims with clothing and food but this senior expected the church to organize a door to door campaign and raise the necessary funds to rebuild this man’s house. I was led to believe that his generation of believers would have responded accordingly. The Church can’t do everything but he had a point. Could we have done more? Should we have done more? The Church, a community of believers whose way of life together is to be living proof of a loving God to a watching world – did the people of this particular community see the love of God in the church at that time? It was the Church that took the lead in education. It was the Church that ended slavery. The church is relevant when it dares to address issues when no one else will – drug addiction, poverty, loneliness, etc. What are we or what have we become? Fellowship and religion aren’t enough.
anglicanlife
WHY NOT ME? Ron Clarke Columnist
Recently I visited a friend of mine in hospital. She is young- young to me anyway, since I’m twice her age. She is “not well at all”, deep in her struggle with cancer. She tells me that the cancer is genetic, because her mother, brother, and several other close relatives, have died of that terrible disease. “How could I have escaped?” she asks in anguish. Isn’t it strange the way things work out? Many of my family too have been cancer victims. My maternal grandmother, my mother, her only sibling sister; my father, his two brothers, and his sister, all died of cancer. I’m now 82 years old.
Why have I not been a victim? Only God knows for sure. For sure God loves EVERYBODY. So, why do so many die young, while others live to be 80, 90, or even 100 years old? Again, only God knows for sure. True believers know that God has a plan for EACH life. When we have completed his work on earth God obviously takes us Home. Could it be that some of us finish our earthly life-plan earlier than others? And so go home sooner? And, doesn’t it seem logical to suggest that God has specific work for each of us to do for him in heaven? If so, then wouldn’t he call us home when our heavenly task is ready for us? How wonderful it must be to work for God in Heaven! At any rate, we’ll all know about it, as Uncle Sam says, “When we all get up there.”
anglicanlife
February2012
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ETERNAL LIFE AND INFANT BAPTISM The Rev. Michael Li Columnist
What is eternal life? Eternal life is life in the kingdom of God. It is received only through the new birth ( John 3). It is given by the work of God at the moment of faith in Jesus. It is nothing less than the life of God. We need a new heart. We need to be born again. We do not choose to be born the first time. Likewise, we do not choose to be born again. We cannot dictate when to receive the new birth. Only God can create a new creation. It
is only because we have been given a new birth that we can respond to God in faith. We cannot come to Jesus on our own, without an initial work of God within us. Most people do not believe that a little child will go to hell when he dies. Yet many parents still want to have their baby baptized soon after birth because they are concerned about the eternal destiny of their child if the child dies without baptism. They believe that one should be baptized first before one can inherit eternal life. They need to be told that all little children in the world belong to God by the purchase of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. No little child is lost until he is old enough to reject God. Should infants be baptized or not? We do not have an easy answer. The Bible neither commands nor for-
bids infant baptism. Those who believe in believer’s baptism should not condemn those who believe in infant baptism and vice versa. Since the fourth century, most Christians have been baptized in infancy. However, at the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the Anabaptists practised the baptism of believers. Today most Anglicans believe in infant baptism. Most people seem to believe that a little child, when he dies, goes to heaven. One can reason that if a little child is fit to be a member of the church in heaven, certainly he is fit to become a member of the church on earth. Thus infant baptism is permissible. All little children belong to God until they deliberately reject Him. However, infant baptism alone does not save anyone.
All of us can deny our baptism by unbelief. Even some who were baptized as adults can still deny their baptism by unbelief. But it is necessary for all who were baptized as infants to make their own confession of faith at a later stage. They do so with the understanding that the work of God has already done for them before they believed. And if they do not believe, their prior baptism remains a sign of the work of God. Today some parents no longer have their infants baptized because they are unwilling to be missionaries to their own children. Before my retirement, over ninety per cent of my baptismal candidates were infants. Other Anglican clergy and I found that many of the baptized have failed to become faithful disciples of Jesus. Sometimes I did not want to baptize infants
anymore. However, I reminded myself that God had taken a risk in allowing a priest to baptize me when I was a baby. God loved me first before I loved Him in return. I hope God and I continue to be in a loving relationship. I belonged to God before my baptism already. My baptism was a public declaration that I belonged to Him. At baptism I was given a cheque marked “eternal life”. I cashed the cheque when I made a personal commitment to Jesus 21 years after my baptism. When I made that decision, it was my response to the grace of God. God’s grace is always prior to our human response. We are saved by the grace of God, not by our own decision to follow Jesus.
approach this year as one of great promise. No doomsday for me. I’m going to do my part within myself and within the world, to bring about a shift that lets us live more authentically, more lovingly, more intuitively, more creatively, and more collaboratively.” How will you approach 2012? My prayer is that you will see this year as a wonderful opportunity to get your Estate in order. That means ensuring that you have a will and that hopefully you
will see fit to leave something in that will for your church. That is my wish. By the way, the Toronto newspaper also ran a story saying that the end of mankind date simply marks the end of an era in the Mayan calendar. It quotes the Curator of the R.O.M. saying that the Mayan calendar doesn’t predict the end of the world but a transition into a new era. No worries but certainly something to think about!
THE YEAR AHEAD Kevin Smith Planned Giving Consultant
As I write this, my wife and I are in Toronto on the 20th floor of a hotel celebrating the joy of Christmas with daughter Marlayne and family. Our grand daughter Katie is a student at the National Ballet of Canada and is performing in the Nutcracker throughout the 12 days of Christmas. Hence this is the reason for our presence in Toronto at this time of year. We went to church on Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Church of St. James – an elegant building with real bells and a phenomenal choir. It was a delightful way to ring in the Christmas season. On Boxing Day, we visited the Royal Ontario Museum where we toured the Mayan Exhibit which provided evidence of an advanced civilization. Many believe that the Mayans pre-
dicted that December 21, 2012 would be the last day for all humankind. A Toronto newspaper ran a special on Boxing Day asking the question: “If 2012 is your last year, how will live it?” There were a number of responses ranging from “start flossing my teeth” to “spend as much time as I can with family.” Even the famous Oprah Winf rey, in her January magazine, commented on the Mayan prediction which she described as a “cataclys-
mic collapse of human civilization...or a time for spiritual transformation.” Oprah chose to see 2012
as the dawning of a New Year alignment which ultimately brings enlightenment. She states: “I intend to
Kevin Smith is a gift planning consultant for the Anglican Church of Canada. He can be contacted at 739-5667 or k_smith@nf.sympatico.ca
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anglicanlife
youthlife
BADGER’S QUAY SERVERS Written by Don Sturge
In the history of St. Alban’s Church, Badger’s Quay, the children and youth have always played a very special part of the church’s ministry. Having young people involved in regular worship
and assisting them in making this valuable contribution to the life of our church brings a smile of satisfaction and great joy to everyone. Our Sunday School and Servers have been an ongoing component of church life for many decades. A special thank you goes to all the
young people for their special commitment to God’s Mission.To the leaders, thank you for making a positive difference in the lives of these youth and this very important aspect of St. Alban’s Christian education and training. In addition to the Sunday School and Servers Program,
for close to thirty years, St. Alban’s Church has also played a lead role in sponsoring summer youth camps at Mint Brook. For many years, sixty to over one hundred, campers attended summer camp from all denominations in our area to enjoy the beauty of nature and the great out-
door activities in a nurturing Christian environment. In the above photograph, we see youth servers, laity and Rev. John Nicolle, taken at the Christmas Eve Eucharist. Currently there are seventeen servers involved in this special youth ministry at St. Alban’s.
“IT’S EASY TO CHANGE THE WORLD” Written by Sheilagh McGlynn justgeneration.ca facilitator
“It’s easy to change the world”, Bethany Hartropp, volunteer Youth leader at St. Mary’s, Kirkland, states with great emphasis. The youth group at the parish is leading the way, giving others the chance to change the world one bottle drive, one food drive, one benefit concert at a time. “It’s easy, anyone can do it!” A few years ago the youth group responded to a call from the Primate to sponsor one of PWRDF’s 50 Refugee families to Canada. St. Mary’s joined forces with
neighbouring parish, St. George’s, to help sponsor the family. The Youth Group decided that they could take responsibility for the fundraising. They needed to raise $15,000. They had no doubts that they could do it. They knew it would take time and some energy, but the money was raised and a Refugee Family’s life was changed by this effort. It was easy... Before this adventure they had raised money to apply to a microfinance organization. Their original goal of $1500 grew exponentially to $3500.The parish was able to get behind their initiative.
Their original investment was repaid and they have been able to reinvest their money giving more opportunities to women and those on the margins of society of the developing world. “In other parts of the world it is almost impossible for women to get loans (never mind single mothers). Microfinance gives them a chance to build their lives”, says Bethany as she addresses a group of young people preparing for Confirmation. “These women start a small business, make a living for themselves and their families, then repay the loan, enabling that money to give someone else a chance.”
PWRDF was part of the Diocesan Confirmation Day in Montreal. After learning about the work of the Primate’s Fund and learning about how to engage in justice work on a Global level, Bethany spoke about how to get involved in Social Justice on a local level. “God gives us a choice, do we choose to feed the hungry, clothe the naked? It is our choice. It is easy to choose yes.” St. Mary’s Youth Group meets in a room known as “the cave”. It is small... but clearly the group is mighty! The name of the room is somewhat misleading. It is not hidden away in a base-
ment. It is bright, freshly painted, with a beautiful view of the neighbourhood through one of the newly installed church windows. This group is a beacon for the rest of their local community and the greater Church. They are living out the Gospel call to change this world. Members of the group – Jackie, Dom, Meagan, Jessica, and Erin are the first to say… “It’s easy!”