We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. Hebrews 6:19 - 20 NIV
Church of Our Lord Newsletter November 2014 Editor: Lynne Damant email: fmdamant@shaw.ca
Producer: Richard Montgomery
ST. ISAAC’S CHURCH IN ST. PETERSBURG By Jack Krayenhoff Standing in front of St. Isaac’s Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, Joan and I can see: this is BIG. It is, in fact, the fourth largest cathedral in the world. That gold central dome is more than 100 meters high. And the gold is real gold! Hard to imagine how much actual metal that took. (And by the way, it cost sixty workers their lives. Gold has to be dissolved in mercury to be applied as a covering; mercury vapour is very toxic to the kidneys, and these men died of renal failure. How many lives is a beautiful golden dome worth?) And the columns of the portico, and all the others, 112 of them they are all enormous pieces of red granite, all of one piece – that is how they were carved out of the rock and then transported the whole distance from the quarry to the cathedral. I have seen Greek temples with big columns, but they were built up from cylindrical pieces. This was done in the first half of the 19th century, long before any of these enormous steel pieces of equipment of today existed – at the most some primitive steam-powered cranes or moving devices. We step inside. Again: this is huge! At the other side of the church some tiny human figures standing, looking upward at very large paintings depicting the life of St. Isaac of Dalmatia. They look like paintings, but when you come up very close, you can see that in fact they are mosaics. Apparently originally they were paintings, but when the paint started to crack a bit, they were not restored, but replaced by mosaics in exactly the same colours as the original paint. Money was no problem, it seems.
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And talking about money! Inside there are also many very tall columns, but these are not made of granite, but either of deep blue lapis lazuli or green malachite. Again: seamless, out of one piece. These minerals are used for their beauty in jewellery – but these colossuses! I did not know they were found in this gigantic size. All this, plus gold decoration and ornamentation everywhere. So here we had it all: a vast space, dwarfing human dimensions; beauty over-all and in every detail, and finally an air of inexhaustible resources and unlimited opulence. Is this the ideal church? One thing is sure: it does convey the hugeness, the vastness of God, His beauty, His endless resources. I’m sure it is as effective as Solomon’s Temple in this respect. But we no longer go to Jerusalem to worship, for Jesus said to the woman at the well that the place where we worship is not important: true worship is a matter of the spirit. I have to say that my own deepest spiritual experiences happened in unassuming places: in living rooms, in bare school gyms, in a car. The Holy Spirit does not need cathedrals; He needs needy, open human hearts. Those He makes into building stones of His spiritual Church. To think the sanctuary of Church of Our Lord and the music of its grand pipe organ, or any beautiful church interior for that matter, are essential, that they are the place, on Sundays, for a Christian to connect with God – that is to miss out on the biggest part of what He wants to do in us. This happens in completely unexpected places and times, and we should be on the look-out for it always, seven days a week. The Spirit blows where He wills! _________________________________________ 1
LEVEL GROUND TRADING On Thursday October 16th, Stacey Toews was the Guest Speaker after the weekly Cridge Club luncheon. He is a most personable, engaging and extremely interesting representative of his life’s work and passion. The business in which he is a co-owner is called Level Ground Trading and it was this business he had come to tell us about. Level Ground Trading was founded by four Canadian families about sixteen years ago. It is based here in Victoria, in Central Saanich, and this is where they do all the roasting, packaging and shipping of their products. Their mission, Stacey told us, is to trade fairly and directly with small-scale producers in developing countries, and thus they hope to contribute to improving the standard of living of the farmers with whom they do business. And, as a result of this commitment, they feel they are able to offer ethical choices to their Victoria customers. Stacey assured us that they are transparent about what they pay, and about what the farmer is getting. And they have found that the more transparent they are, the more loyal their customers are. Level Ground has always paid twentyfive to thirty percent above the so-called commodity price, he said. During early interviews and visits with community members in the countries they do business with, they found out that the farming families' greatest desire was to see their children go to school. So Level Ground supports sustainable community projects like clean drinking water, educational scholarships for the children of farming families, and health care. In that first year, six students were provided full scholarships to high school. These original students all completed high school with top marks and attended university and technical colleges. The company's first trade relationship was setup in 1997 when Level Ground purchased a half-container of coffee from a cooperative of small-scale coffee farmers in Antioquia, Colombia. It launched under the brand "Café San Miguel". When this Colombian coffee arrived in Canada, a local roaster provided access to roasting equipment after hours — so the Level Ground partners roasted the coffee in very small batches every day from midnight to 5am. In 1998, Ten Thousand Villages, their first customer, offered their Colombian coffee across all their stores in Canada and in many Villages stores in the USA. In 2001, Level Ground Trading donated funds to
purchase a commercial dehydrator and sponsored Giovanni, a Colombian agronomist, to come to Canada and learn food drying techniques and establish an independent Colombian fruit drying company called Fruandes Ltda) in Bogotá. Fruandes is providing economic and social development in two ways: it is creating a new market for fruit and pays a fair price to small scale farmers; it works with a local relief and development agency in order to provide employment for displaced women from the Cazuca township. As well, all employees of Fruandes receive fair wages, health benefits, and school tuition for their families. And so, year by year, Level Ground has expanded and gone forward. A second coffee from Bolivia, a third from Peru, followed by their first African coffees from Tanzania and Ethiopia, then their first from the Phillipines and from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now they’re looking at tea farmers in India and spices from Sri Lanka! And here at home at their larger building at Keating Cross Road, their production facility is run under a zeroto-landfill mandate. They use 13 different streams of recycling and they compost all organics. Last year alone, Level Ground composted over 20,000 lbs of organic matter and reclaimed 24,000 empty coffee packages. In 2005, the Capital Regional District awarded Level Ground Trading with the Eco Star award for their waste management initiatives—now nothing goes to Hartland Landfill. In that year they received the Vancouver Island Small Business Award of the Year Award. Stacey shared with us their philosophy that how you get somewhere is just as important as arriving, especially if it involves bikes! For this reason, Level Ground employees choosing green commute options are subsidized for their efforts. Last year, they travelled nearly 52,000 kms by bus, bike and carpool. That is almost one and a half times around the world! And, thanks to a talented seamstress, their coffee packages live another life as beautiful tote bags! They partner with over 100 stores across Western Canada to assist them in re-claiming their packaging. You can find Level Ground products everywhere – from large supermarkets to pharmacies to corner stores, they are there! Do support them, we will be doing so much more than personally enjoying their coffee, dried fruit, spices, cane sugar, tea, coconut oil, vanilla, cacao nibs, and rice. We’ll be helping to promote independence, education and positive working conditions among some of the poorest peoples of our world. Lynne Damant 2
WITH / WITHOUT By Elspeth Thomson Suddenly he or she isn't there and your life has changed forever. Gone are the hopes and dreams of a continued life together. “How can I go on?” is the continuing refrain inside your head. Your body has a physical lump of pain in your abdomen as if you had been sucker-punched, for that is what you are certain has happened. A wide strip of heavy adhesive tape has been ripped from your side, or so the smarting physical sensation tells you ... your spouse is no longer there beside you. Numbness is paramount and you ask yourself, “How do I cope?” Then your faith begins to affirm that you are not alone, that as He promised, He will be the Comforter as you “walk through the valley of the shadow ...” However, it feels like a crawl, not a walk, and some days you feel mired and immobilized in the Slough of Despond. There are small but effective ways: -- move over and sleep on his/her side of the bed: you will no longer be looking at an empty space. -- once a week take stock of how you feel on that “walk” and ask yourself, “How did I feel last week ?” Hold up your fingers and show yourself the even minimal amount of improvement and allow yourself to confidently believe that you will feel that much better next week – perhaps even more so. For you will. This small exercise allows you to realize that you are indeed walking. Call upon Him to walk beside you and, if necessary, to carry you at times. -- accept all invitations and play act if need be… That first time you are at a social event on your own, consider it Act 2, Scene 1. You have a walk-on role that need only be for an hour. Force yourself to go onstage. Next time, you will find it very much easier. -- laugh, for laughter and tears are identical physiologically. Remember the things that you both laughed about - for example,. a widowed friend told me
her husband put the gin bottle in the freezer and the amount it shrunk was the amount of vermouth he added for a good martini. It is still okay to have a good screaming cry now and again. -- be a host. Even a simple gathering is food for the soul as well as the body. You would be amazed how your true friends will come. Then ask one of them to help with duties that once were his or hers, be it flipping hamburgers, making drinks or maybe that colourful and special salad... -- allow your friends do what they can for you. For very often, they feel helpless to ease your pain but want so very much to do so. -- when you feel the tears starting to come and your chin start to wobble a bit and you are in a place where you do not want it (for me it was our eldest daughter’s wedding, when her Dad was not there bringing her up the aisle) avert your eyes from the trigger and think of something that makes you angry. Anything will do … on that day for me, it was the pile of dirty laundry I had yet to do! -- pamper yourself: have a massage, a pedicure … anything that lets you relax and be physically comforted. You will be happy again. Indeed life will be different, but it can indeed be joyful. Reach out and comfort someone who is behind you on this journey. For you know precisely what it is like to have been with a spouse -now without one, but always with Him. Then you have doubled the benefit. I would like to add now the prayer I wrote with my Ontario son-in-law recognizing this loss and those whom we still love but see no more. The Prayer Loving God, you have made us for loving relationship with you and one another, blessing those who are given into the covenant of marriage with the promise of lifelong love. We pray today for those whose earthly ties have been broken, that having glimpsed that promise only in part and having lost some of what might have been, we will find risen and anew a complete Easter fulfillment of our hope here and hereafter. All this we pray in the name of the Crucified and Risen Christ who reconciles and raises us to the fullness of love and life you intend for all. Amen._________________________ 3
PRAYER AND THOUGHTS FOR ALL SEASONS By AGNES DUKE Behold, how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133
While I sit at home, willing but unable unwanted to share in my usual activities, I miss most of all, my church life with all those I love and know as brothers and sisters in the Lord. During and unasked for time of immobility I have come to realize that this is a time to set aside more hours to converse with Jesus and reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed on me throughout my life. I started with the present and the friends and neighbours who have been often dropping in with an offering of some kind of support. However there are moments when thoughts have turned further back remembering the many blessings over the years and lessons from unexpected family members, friends or acquaintances, all of whom knowingly, or not, left their mark. Special thanks go to parents and grandparents who prayed through the years with sincerity and love and taught me my first small prayers thus showing me the way (in all honesty, not always followed or comprehended, but guided all the same). The early training in prayers led me to seek the Lord in a very special request which was answered in a life changing way. My prayer was for a family and what a beautiful family I have been extremely blessed with. That prayer's answer is a demonstration of truly God sized proportion, one far beyond expectation. When my husband of many years died he left me with a legacy of not only children but grandchildren and great grandchildren. That prayer said long ago demonstrates to me the vastness of our Heavenly Father's love. Legacies are not always only concerning money! Today I pray for each of these God given blessings. I give thanks too for the days I have already been blessed with and for those to come. May each day be a day when I can convey your message of love, Lord God, to wherever I am guided, someone placed in my path or thought, as I journey on. And as I sign off let our thoughts dwell on the words of this hymn by Frances Jane Crosby.
All the way my Savior leads me What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort Here by faith in Him to dwell For I know what e’re befall me Jesus does all things well All the way my Savior leads me Cheers each winding path I tread Gives me grace for every trial Feeds me with the living bread Though my weary steps may falter And my soul athirst may be Gushing from the Rock before me Lo, a spring of joy I see! All the way my Savior leads me O the fullness of His Love Perfect rest to me He promised In my Father`s house above When my spirit clothed immortal Wings its flight to realms of day This my song through endless ages ‘Jesus led me all the way.’ _____________________________________________
I SHALL REJOICE IN MY PEOPLE By My Spirit, I will have victory. By My Spirit, I will open the eyes of the blind; for surely I will move, and no hand shall stop Me. I will break through the locked gates as a flow of flaming lava. I will not withhold My power and My glory from any seeking heart. They who desire Me, I will surely reward: I will not fail. I will fill every longing heart and satisfy every craving soul. My grace will pour out as a tumbling waterfall. I shall be glorified, I shall be magnified, and I will rejoice in My people when they yield themselves fully and freely to Me and cut themselves free from everything else. Then I shall cast My love about them as a cloak, and I will whisper My words in their ears. -from Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts -thank you, Pam Vuckson _____________________________________________ 4
ALLENE’S STORY - A MIRACULOUS HEALING A while ago, Nancy Turley told Rev. Rod Ellis of a remarkable happening in her mother’s life. Rod recommended that it be written for The Anchor in order to reach more people who would be blessed in knowing about it. Nancy discussed it with me and we arranged that I would call her mum at her home and do my best to write the account of this healing. I think you will agree that it is a very special story! Allene Turley lives on her own in her home in White Rock, where she has a beautiful garden which enables her to indulge in her favourite activity, gardening. The events of this story happened about 18 years ago, but they are as vivid and alive in Allene’s mind today as on the day it all happened. Allene took a bad fall that day in her garden, so bad that the bones in her upper left arm shoulder were badly broken. Her doctor examined her and told her she would have to see a specialist for the necessary vital surgery that would be needed. The doctor was sure that an intricate procedure to insert a plate would be required in order to put these broken bones into their proper alignment and restore her arm and shoulder to any hope of good working order again. While waiting for the appointment to see the specialist, Allene phoned her good friend Mildred and told her what had befallen her. A little aside here, Allene told me that Mildred had herself experienced a near death event and had found herself going down a long tunnel towards a bright white light at the end of it – but had heard a voice telling her, “No, she was not to leave this earth yet as there was work for her still to accomplish there.” The two friends arranged that for the next three evenings, after the supper hour, Mildred would visualise Allene stretched out on Mildred’s dining room table as though she was there with her, and would pray over her for healing. At the same time, Allene would lay herself down on her couch and herself pray for a healing. When Allene went to bed that first night, she was gifted with a vision. She saw the face of Jesus on the wall of her bedroom, and was overcome by the wondrous beauty and compassion of His incredible eyes. She was blessed by this vision following their prayer time on each of the three nights.
When Allene saw the specialist who was to perform the surgery to repair her broken arm, he was astounded and amazed to discover that her arm was completely healed! He would not have to carry out any surgical procedure whatsoever. He had never seen anything like this before. “An amazing thing has happened to you! The truth of it is, I don’t know what has happened to you,” he told Allene. Sometime later at church, Allene had occasion to go to an upstairs meeting room with Mildred. There she was overcome at seeing hanging on a wall, a picture of Jesus and she realised that His eyes in this picture, beyond doubt, were the eyes she had seen in the vision on her bedroom wall during the time her healing was taking place. She was reduced to tears. This kind of miracle is a tremendous testimony to the truth of our Christian faith and the wonderful love of the One, True God and His beloved Son. The prayers of the faithful are indeed answered. _____________________________________________
IN ACCEPTANCE LIETH PEACE In acceptance, lieth peace, Oh my heart be still; Let thy restless worries cease And accept His will. Though this test be not thy choice, It is His — therefore rejoice. In His plan there cannot be Aught to make thee sad; If this is His choice for thee, Take it and be glad. Make from it some lovely thing To the glory of the King. Cease from sighs and murmuring, Sing His loving grace, This thing means thy furthering To a wealthy place. From thy fears He’ll give release, In acceptance lieth peace. HANNAH HURNARD 1905 – 1990 (Hannah Hurnard was born in Colchester, England to Quaker parents. In 1932 she became an independent missionary, moving to Haifa, Israel. Her work in Israel lasted 50 years.)
-Thank you, Ken Godwin. 5
MODEM MIRACLE By Sandy Gilmour "Brrrring!....mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr....Brrrring!" Mom, do you think he'll connect?” my daughter asked, turning her anxious face toward me, and then quickly back at the screen. She didn't want to miss even the smallest character change. "I don't know Leah," I answered truthfully. "The lines are always really busy on Christmas day". Families are phoning each other all over the country." "But this isn't like a real phone," she insisted. "It's a satellite computer linkup. And I know the modem works, ‘cause I connected with my teacher this morning, just to make sure." "Even though it is a computer link - it still requires the regular phone lines. You know that better than I do," I reminded her. "You're the one with the top computer marks." "Do you think he's forgotten me?" she softly questioned. "Not a chance!" said I. "Your brother said he'd link with you on Christmas day. No way he's forgotten! He even ordered this modem for you and had it delivered, so you two could chatter across the continent. We just have to be patient until his signal gets a break in all the traffic," I added, trying to be encouraging.
James' computer in his little shed of an office on Baffin Island in Nunavut! Amazing! Another amazing thing, my thoughts continued, was that I ended up with two kids who are fascinated with these machines and were computer literate the moment their fingers touched the keyboard. Different in every other way mind you. James was 26 and an Environmental Engineer studying the effects of ice melt on migratory birds. He had volunteered for the Baffin Island posting, and took his banjo plus his entire collection of bluegrass music up into the north. I still wondered what the Inuit thought of him. Leah was into synchro swimming, loved new clothes and shopping malls and hated the winter’s damp and cold. "Brrrrrring.....mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr....Brrrrrring." That’s sounds like an old ‘dial up’ computer link,” I suggested to Leah. I haven’t heard one of those in ages. "Brrrrrring.....mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr..mrrrrrrr....Brrrrrring." “What’s a dial up?” asked Leah still staring at the screen, “we never had that, did we?” I started to reply when a new sound emitted from the machine. "Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick" This was different from the monotonous ringing of the past hours. Leah held her breath as computer language typed itself across the screen. 'C>*C:' 'C>*A:507389-2774/>.etel:*A:6044773820<.'
Patience, I thought, helping myself to shortbread from the plate I'd brought in for Leah. Whoever said that kids these days weren't patient needed to spend some time with Leah. I studied her profile in the bluish glow from the machine. Thirteen last October, and she'd spent the last 2 hours staring at a blank screen - waiting.
"Can you read that?" I asked her, staring at the symbols.
James had starting arranging this in October. He’d ordered the specialized modem and had it delivered to our home. He even located a tech he knew that was willing to come over to the island and set it up on Leah’s machine. It evidently sent the signal from her computer to a satellite system that bounced off the ‘cloud’ and back down into the high arctic. How it all worked was certainly beyond my limited knowledge, but James and Leah treated it like an everyday occurrence. He even told her the exact time he would attempt the link. Somehow, this computer in Leah's room on Galiano Island in southern B.C. was going to hook up with
"How will you know when that happens?"
"Nope. That's the two computers trying to phone each other. But it means he's finally gotten through the lines," she exclaimed delightedly. "Now these satellite modems just need to connect."
"Oh, then I'll be able to read it, as it'll be normal English," she answered. Good thing I thought, as deciphering that computer dialect was like trying to make sense out of chicken scratch. 'C>*./A>' >>HEY LITTLE SQUIRT>>ARE YOU THERE>>IT'S YOUR BIG BRO HERE>>MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU>> With an excited squeal, Leah bent to the keyboard with her fingers flying. For almost twenty minutes there was 6
hardly a pause as the two closed the miles between their screens. After they had discussed everything important, unimportant and ridiculous, James asked if I was available. As Leah dashed for a trip to the loo and a side trip for more shortbread, I wrote to my son. Of course I had to ask the usual mother type questions. Was he well? Was he warm? Did he get my care package? Did he get any fresh fruit and vegetables? Did he need more vitamins? I received a tolerant >>YES MOM>> to all my queries, until I asked how he felt about Christmas away from home. >>THIS CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN REALLY UNIQUE>>I MISS EVERYONE AT HOME AND WAS KIND OF DREADING CHRISTMAS>>SO IT CAUGHT ME PRETTY MUCH BY SURPRISE>> THERE IS NO BIG HYPE UP HERE>>NO DECORATIONS>>NO PIPED IN CAROLS IN STORES>>NO PUSH FOR MASS COMMERCIALISM>> >>REMEMBER HOW YOU ALWAYS SAID WE SHOULD KEEP THE CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS>>AS I WAS CROSSING THE COMPOUND TO THE COMPUTER SHACK THIS AFTERNOON THE STARS WERE AMAZINGLY CLOSE>>I FELT AS IF I COULD REACH OUT AND PLUCK THEM FROM THE SKY>>I ACTUALLY STOOD AND WONDERED AT THEM FOR A WHILE>>NOT A LONG TIME THOUGH AS IT WAS MINUS 47>>BUT I THOUGHT THAT THIS MUST HAVE BEEN WHAT THE FIRST CHRISTMAS WAS LIKE>> >>WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THE LINK UP I REREAD THE STORY OF JESUS' BIRTH FROM LUKE'S GOSPEL>>AND I LIT THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE YOU SENT ME>>I ALMOST FEEL A PART OF THEIR STORY>>I CAN RELATE TO THEM BEING STRANGERS AWAY FROM THEIR HOME>> >>IT STRUCK ME THAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ABOUT GOD'S LOVE DISPLAYED IN HIS GIFT OF JESUS>>OF COURSE I KNEW THAT BEFORE>>YOU TAUGHT US THAT FROM KIDS>>BUT THAT MESSAGE ALWAYS GOT SIDETRACKED BEFORE THE PRICE OF A VCR OR A NEW LEATHER JACKET>>UP HERE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE>>I WAS FORCED TO LOOK AT WHAT GOD HAD DONE>>I MEAN WHY SHOULD HE EVEN CARE>>HE MADE THE UNIVERSE>>HE DOESN'T NEED US>>BUT HE DOES CARE>>HE EVEN LOVES US INDIVIDUALLY AND IS CONCERNED WITH OUR LIVES>>AND THAT IS TOO AWESOME FOR WORDS>>I GUESS I HAD TO COME UP NORTH TO FINALLY REALIZE IT>> >>HEY MOM, ARE YOU STILL THERE>>
Yes, I assured him, and I had read and understood his writing. I also told him how glad I was that he had come to know God personally and not as some far removed untouchable entity. We chatted for a couple more minutes about our respective jobs and goals for the next few months. Then we said goodbye amidst wishes for the new year, and I handed the keyboard back over to Leah. Walking out of my daughter's room, I thought again of the Christmas miracle. I had never pushed my beliefs on the kids. I gave them the historical information, told them about my faith and tried to live a Christian life. But beyond that and my prayers, it was up to God to impact on their lives. And what perfect timing he had Christmas. Two thousand years ago he arrived in the world as a baby human being. And tonight, he entered my son's life. The same God, the same Gospel message, the same personal involvement into our lives. Over time our technology changes, our science and societies change, even countries’ borders change. But God and His love do not. Thank you, Heavenly Father for Christmas. _____________________________________________
Our dining room clock once stopped so I put in a new battery, but it still wouldn’t work. When our friend Peter, an engineer, called I told him about the clock. He spent a few minutes making some adjustments, then gave it back to me. It was ticking away merrily. “What was wrong?” I asked. “Nothing, really,” replied Peter. “It was just that you hadn’t removed the price ticket from the battery so it wasn’t making proper contact.” How often do we fail to make proper contact with our friends and neighbours to help them along life’s way? By reaching out a helping hand, it can make all the difference. (From “The Friendship Book of Francis Gay” April 28, 2000)
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. Chronicles 1 16:36
Helen Keller, that brave and remarkable lady, once wrote that when one door to happiness closes, another opens, but often we stand looking so long at the closed door we don’t notice the one that has opened. 7
FROM PEW 20 By Mike Damant On October 22, 2014, Corporal Nathan Cirillo was gunned down while standing guard at the National War Monument in Ottawa. Lynne and I have been much disturbed in our spirit and filled with conflicting emotions. Lynne asked me to write about this for this issue of The Anchor. It is very difficult for me because if I let my mind consider this heinous event I am overwhelmed by a firestorm of emotions and thoughts – and not all of them are very Christian. At first I simply could not believe that such a wicked thing had happened, but as it sank in to my mind I was gripped by a huge anger at the person responsible and even more at the wicked men who had perverted the mind of a simple individual and filled it with such evil hate. And at the same time I felt such sorrow for the soldier and his loved ones who were now overcome by this tragedy. I was also glad that the assassin had been killed by the courageous Sergeant at Arms in the Senate Chamber of the Houses of Parliament – and at the same time I was ashamed of my gladness at the death of a person who was a victim of great evil or deep instability. Later I felt great sadness for the family of the shooter who for ever are saddled with the knowledge that their son’s heinous action has made infamous history. All this aside, I was and am consumed by the story of Barbara Winters, the Ottawa lawyer who was on her way to a meeting and passed by the War Memorial. Moments later she heard four shots. She turned and ran back to the fallen soldier. What made Barbara Winters’ presence so very special is what she did in addition to the first aid she rendered. First of all she spoke to the young soldier. When we are dying the last sense we lose is that of hearing, and so as Nathan Cirillo’s life ebbed away he would have heard that steady voice encouraging him, surrounding him so he would know he was not alone, and then Barbara Winters did something very special – something that most of the media ignored, I believe (to their shame) – she prayed the Lord’s Prayer to him and over him. As a Christian I am so uplifted by this knowledge. I know that had I been there I would not have thought to do this simple, wonderful and beautiful thing. As Nathan Cirillo’s life ebbed away the last thing he would have heard were the simple words given to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and as he moved into the Saviour’s very presence he would have known what journey he was on and who was waiting to receive him.
Barbara Winters is not only a very brave woman she is a true Saint of the Lord and should be lauded and honoured by all Christians. In her actions she not only demonstrated that she was quite prepared to fulfill Jesus’ statement that, “Greater love has no-one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” She did not hesitate to run into the face of danger to bring aid, comfort and salvation to a brutally and mortally injured fellow being. Praise God for her witness and strength. There is a second loving action surrounding this sad shooting that has captured Lynne’s and my hearts. Angel Magnussen, a Vancouver Island teenager who has Down Syndrome, spends hours making blankets, hats and travel pillows for sick children and for hospitals. She calls them “Hugginz” because the blankets “wrap up people in a warm hug”! As soon as she heard that Corporal Cirillo had a five year old son she went into action, not unlike the reaction of Barbara Winters really, but different. Angel began to make the little boy a very special blanket. One that would enfold him not just with physical warmth and comfort, but with the knowledge that his Dad loved him and would always be with him. Into one of the hearts that make up the blanket she quilted the word “DAD”! Her mother enlisted the help of WestJet and the airline’s staff hand-carried the blanket from the Comox airport to Calgary and then on to Hamilton, Ontario. RCMP officers there delivered it to the Corporal’s regiment who then took it to the little boy’s home. This special journey was filled with the enormous love and caring of everyone involved, every step of its way.
I don’t know whether Barbara Winters and Angel Magnussen are Christians – I hope they are – but I do know that God used these two wonderful people to bring a ray of light into a situation of unspeakable tragedy, showing that even in the darkest depths of Satan’s works God is there, triumphant. Praise Him and Glorify His Holy Name.___________________________ 8
A TAPESTRY OF MIRACLES (Editor's Note: I have permission to print this letter, telling of God’s graciousness to the sister of one our dear church friends, when her sister had cancer surgery very recently.)
“Hi family, Here’s an update on the events of the last few, incredible days. THANK YOU for all of your prayers and thoughts. I have felt such a ring of protection around me, and I know the strength I had to face this challenge was not my own. Please know that your prayers were answered in very specific and detailed ways. On Monday, I had a procedure called Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping. I learned afterward, that many women find this procedure very painful, often more painful than actual surgery. For me there was NO PAIN. I had to wait two hours between being injected with dye and x-ray imaging. When the doctor and technician were reviewing the images I heard the technician comment, "these pictures are SO clear, they are great. You will be able to pinpoint the nodes exactly." I slept well on Monday night. We headed to the hospital for 5:30am admission. At admissions, I was "next in line, please". Some quick paperwork and straight up to the surgery ward. I had two lovely young capable nurses who cared for me throughout the day. At one point a nurse dropped off a box of Kleenex … to wipe away tears from laughter. Perhaps a bit of nerves, but it was great to have some laughs. My first procedure was at 7:30am. It was called, "Needle localization" and involves inserting fine wires that serve as guides during surgery, marking tissues and assisting the surgeon in pinpointing the site. A very serious and kind radiologist introduced himself. He told me he "had a plan" and that there "would be pain" during this procedure. He was able to include some freezing, and as he worked declared excitedly, "This is excellent work. These markers are perfectly placed". Even though it was a self-declaration, I was relieved to hear this good news. At the end, I had to ask the nurse if the procedure was done because I felt nothing! My surgery was planned for 10:30 – 11:00 and was on schedule. One of my greatest fears was resolved when a middle aged Jewish gentleman walked over and introduced himself as the anesthetist! I was praying that someone with experience would be in charge of the anesthetic.
I met my surgeon in the hall who said, "Oh hi, I'll meet you in there"! The surgeon gathered everyone around me on the table for a little meeting. He went through a checklist and clarified the procedure. When everyone agreed they put me to sleep. The only things I remember about the recovery room were a few comments ….. "You don't need to be sick if you just relax", "I'm just giving her more morphine, I don't want her to have any pain", "I need you to breathe, we don't like patients in our department who don't breathe". Again, there was no pain and some type of lovely cool pillow behind my neck fully resolved any tendency to nausea. I was moved back to the surgical ward and my brother and sister were suddenly just there! I wanted to sleep but my brother seemed inclined to get me awake and rolling. Very quickly I was able to drink, take solid food, and meet all the bodily functional requirements for discharge. The nurse monitoring me said, "you seem fine … get dressed if you want". At 4pm I was loaded in a wheel chair and rolling out of the ward. As we passed the desk they called "Last name? Thanks for coming". Since being home, I have been resting comfortably and sleeping peacefully. Icing the surgery spots on and off. I realize now that my specialist’s work was excellent! I took Tylenol 3 through the first night and switched to regular strength the next morning. And today I had the best shower of my life! We have gone out for short walks both days. THANK YOU for reaching out to so many friends, small groups, prayer chains and others. I know many people are praying for me. PLEASE thank every one of them. Please let them know how their prayers were very specifically answered on October 20+21! I have a recurring image of a beautiful tapestry of miracles that was woven and laid over me. I know each piece of this miracle is the faithfulness of many prayers. There is no explanation for why or how I feel so good. God's hand is on me. xo.” In closing, this is the thought of another church friend: It is good to remember the mercies of our God, also to consider the wonder of God asking us to pray for one another, adding one fine thread to His handy work. _____________________________________________ 9
JESUS IS INVITED TO A WEDDING. By Bishop Rob Badham
Jesus Changes Water into Wine John 2:1-11 This, the first of Jesus’ miracles, is one of the best known of His miracles. The wine runs out, the hapless bridegroom stands on the brink of disaster, but Jesus “saves the day” and all are amazed by the wonderfully fine wine being served now, towards the close of the banquet! How astonished and how delighted must have been His disciples, at this the first of His miracles! Jesus, His Mother and Jesus’ disciples are invited to a wedding. To be invited to a wedding meant that you had to know the family of the Bride and Groom. This wedding would be a typical Jewish Wedding with all the rituals and rites which were known to take place in Jewish weddings. Weddings in Jesus’ day were vastly different from the weddings we know today. First the groom would ask for the bride for the purpose of marriage. They were then betrothed and the father of the bride signed a ketubbah which was a marriage contract, and the couple were legally married but did not live together. This situation lasted for one year. The father of the bride and the groom agreed to a price for the bride and this was usually 50 shekels. The modern value of this price is around $38,000. In those days it was equal to 200 days wages. To find this money the groom may have had to wait for up to seven years before he could produce such a bridal dowry. When all the arrangements were completed, during the evening close to midnight, one of the groom’s party would lead the way to the bride’s house and shout, “Behold, the Bridegroom comes”, and this would be followed by the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn. At the sounding of the shofar the entire wedding procession would go through the streets of the city to the bride’s house and people would bless it as it passed their homes. The bride would be presented with a ring by the groom; it had to be plain with neither stones nor engraving. During the wedding ceremony, there would be readings from the Old Testament and symbolic gestures in regard
to veiling and the consummation of the wedding. The groom would lift the veil to make sure that he was marrying the right person — this ritual dates back to Jacob who was deceived by Laban on his wedding night by taking a heavily veiled woman who was not his promised bride. The wedding would not be in the synagogue and a Rabbi would not preside, but there had to be witnesses to the procedure and these were necessary for the proper completion of the wedding. After there would be seven full days of food, wine, music and dancing. It was the custom for the groom to supply all the food and wine for the wedding party. The food and wine would be consumed but there would be no drunkenness as this was considered disgusting and immoral. Then the husband would bring his wife to their new home to live together as husband and wife. This then was the situation when Jesus and the disciples and Mary, His mother, attended the wedding feast. As the festivities continued it was Mary who discovered that they had run out of wine. What did she do? She knew that she herself could not do anything about it, but she knew there was one person who could. She recognized the problem and took it to Jesus. Now she knew the Jesus had special powers and she said to herself, “This is something I cannot do, but Jesus can handle it.” What was Jesus’ response? “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” He called His mother “woman”, which signifies that he was now separated from His earthly family and was joined to His heavenly family. Then Jesus considered the situation. It was unheard of for a wedding party to run out of wine. Wine to a Jewish wedding is like Cake to a wedding of today. It was probably too late to go to the wine store for more wine. Jesus knew that the groom could be brought before a court of law for not supplying the wine and food for the wedding party. Jesus pondered what to do. He had compassion for the groom and for the wedding party. He could feel the shame of the groom if this event was discovered. He knew that the wedding would be a disaster and that the bride and groom could never live this situation down. They would be ostracized by the community for ever as the wedding that had failed to meet its obligations. When the wife went to the well for water, there would be whispers behind her back. She could never look at people in their face again. The groom would probably 10
never be able to hold a steady job. All this would go through Jesus’ mind as He assessed the situation. So what did Jesus do? He commanded the servants to fill the jars with water, and then to draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. We have to notice something here. Jesus said to fill the water pots with water, and the servants did this. Then Jesus told the servants to take some of the water (not the wine) to the governor of the feast. When the governor tasted what the servant brought him, it was wine. The water had turned to wine. So what did the governor do? He called the bridegroom aside and complimented him on the quality of good wine that had been kept in reserve for the wedding party. The water that Jesus had turned into wine was of the finest quality. It was the best of the best. Jesus had compassion for the groom and saved him and his bride from certain disaster. He made sure that they would begin their new life together in happiness and in love. When Mary discovered the lack of wine what did she do? She took it to the only person who she knew could do something about it. Jesus. What should we do when we find ourselves in a position to which there does not seem to be a solution? Do what Mary did: take it to Jesus: He has the answer to all our problems. If Jesus can do this for a wedding party, how much more can He do for us who are part of His planned Wedding Party in Heaven! Here is a footnote by St. Augustine on the miracle of water turned into wine. The miracle indeed of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby He made the water into wine, is not marvellous to those who know that it was God’s doing. For He who made wine on that day at the marriage feast, in those six water-pots, which He commanded to be filled with water, the self-same does this every year in vines. For even as that which the servants put into the water-pots was turned into wine by the doing of the Lord, so in like manner also is what the clouds pour forth changed into wine by the doing of the same Lord. But we do not wonder at the latter, because it happens every year: it has lost its marvelousness by its constant recurrence. And yet it suggests a greater consideration than that which was done in the water-pots. For who is there that considers the works of God, whereby this whole world is governed and regulated, who is not amazed and overwhelmed with miracles? __________________
THE SANCTUARY: PROTECTING YOUTH FROM THE STREET CULTURE: By Jack Krayenhoff A sanctuary is a place of safety that will take us in when we are threatened. And kids that have run away from the parental home or from some group home but have nowhere else to stay, they are threatened (“at risk” is the ‘in’ term), for where do they wind up? They wind up on the downtown streets, among the homeless, the alcoholics and the drug users. Soon they will learn to use drugs and excess alcohol too, and become more irresponsible and thus totally unemployable. Unless … unless they find a safe and better community than the street people. That is what The Sanctuary provides. It is housed in the basement of the Church of Our Lord, a good downtown location, with a separate entrance. It operates independently from the church. It is run by Darin Reimer, a man in his mid-forties, direct, businesslike and emanating a certain authority. A man’s man there is nothing do-goody or sentimental about him. You can see that street kids respect and also trust him. Reimer, who is a generation older than the kids he deals with, feels that his age is actually an advantage because he can be a father-figure to them. Volunteers are an essential part of the Sanctuary; they are people from the churches that support the work financially and with prayer. These are people who feel drawn to these kids who are so vulnerable, and this opportunity to keep them from the dangers of the street culture. Darin gives them a training course, and pays much attention to them. Good things happen through volunteers, like a married couple who saw the potential of one kid and took him into their home for a couple of months. They found a place where he received training and then soon he found a job. He did not return to the street. That is real salvation for you. “These things are possible,” says Reimer, “because with this programme you get them when they still are young, before they get ruined forever. That’s why we don’t take kids over 19. They have other places to go, like ‘Our Place’”. The volunteers who show a particular aptitude for the work, he coaches to develop their skills further. One day, he hopes, they will take steps independently to develop similar programmes to salvage these ‘kids at risk’. And what actually goes on at The Sanctuary? The kids interact with the volunteers, who generally are older 11
than they are. The interaction may be just casual chat or hopefully something deeper at times, or a game of ping-pong or foosball or pool, and more. Or no interaction – just sitting comfortably in a warm room in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee, reading a magazine or a book. In addition, twice a week they get a hot meal, and from time to time Reimer offers something special, like an outing or a party. Right now he is working at some sort of celebration for Halloween – a strategic occasion to keep them off the street, so it has to be good! What about the future? “I would like to see something done for women. We are open to boys only, and they have other places they can go to; but for the women there is nothing, though they make up some 20 to 30 percent of the street people. They definitely need help”. _____________________________________________
Alex was a down-and-out in an Edinburgh hostel. One day he began to paint a mural on the lounge wall. It was a bleak, grey landscape but, over time, as he grew better, the colours grew warmer and the scene brightened. Blue skies replaced the grey just as they were doing in his own life. Alex painted his way to recovery and a new beginning. from The Friendship Book of Francis Gay, July 25, 20
Heavenly Father Into Your Hand I place my worries, cares and troubles. Into Your Wisdom I place my path, my direction and my goal. Into Your Love I place my life. -from Sheryl Craig Merrett
Here is a Prayer we can all use: “Make the old tolerant, the young sympathetic, the great humble, the busy patient. Make happy folk thoughtful, the clever kindly, the good pleasant, and, dear Lord, make me what I ought to be.
THE TRIPLE FILTER TEST In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day, an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?" "Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." 'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance. "That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes, let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually, I just heard about it." "All right," said Socrates, "so you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes something good?" "No, on the contrary..." "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you're not certain it's true?" The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?" "No, not really." "Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?" The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. It also explains why Socrates never found out about Diogenes’ “friendship” with his wife.
“Happiness,” a rather pompous speaker once declared, “comes from the pursuit of something, not the catching of it.” “You’ve never chased the last bus on a wet night!” called out a loud voice from the back of the hall.
Thank you, Michael Morres
Love, Hope, Wisdom, Friendship — all are great gifts. But the greatest by far is Love. 12