Caledonia Times
December 2014 Volume 48, Issue 10 The Diocesan Section of the Anglican Journal
T
St. Andrew’s Cathedral raising its roof
his fall has seen some major issues with the roof of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. And perhaps some might consider this to be just another story in the ongoing saga of the life of the Cathedral building. But there is something different happening around the need to look after the building. The local community is coming to gather to raise the funds and see that the work is done. The fundraising and the repairs work itself, have already been taking place through this past summer. The parish raised the just a little bit more than 15,000 dollars to do a large section of the Cathedral roof so as to protect the sacristy with its contents of sacred items and many of the memorials on the south side of the Church. The memorials include such things as the Pulpit and several stain glass windows and artifacts from the First World War. The focus of fundraising and physical work now turns to the upper level of the south side of the roof which has begun to leak badly. The leakage caused parishioners to string up a tarp on the south side of the Nave to catch the majority of the water coming into the building and funnel it into a container that can be emptied outside. This set up has been captured on video. And in the past few weeks, a couple of things have been noticed. First, the rain hitting the tarp inside has sounded like clapping to many people. and more recently, has been noticed that as the service begins, the weather quiets down and the rain slows and ceases during worship. This is helpful of course but it has also allowed for there to be conversions about God and why this is happening – and that is a greater thing. The video is on Facebook and you can check out the page and all that is going
To protect the interior of the Cathedral and the Cathedral Hall from the leaks in the roof, parishioners devised a way to catch the water (seen above). the Roof has since been temprarily patched to prevent more issues while the parish continues to work on raising the $25,000 need to do the rest of the South Elevation of the Roof. - Ed.
on there. People from as far away as England have been making offers to help and to donate. Most recently there was a canteen supper and loonie auction held to help raise more of the 25,000 dollars needed to do the next section of the roof. People from the parish brought food to share and donations were made for people who were eating. Alongside this was the loonie auction of locally made items (everything you can imagine, from photographic art to gift baskets and more). It was
a great social event for the Cathedral community and moreover there was $8,019.70 for the Roof Fund which now stands at just over 20,000 dollars. If you would like to make a donation to purchase a square of the roof, here is how you can get in touch with the Cathedral: St. Andrew’s Cathedral (Anglican) 200 – 4th Avenue West, Prince Rupert, BC., V8J 1P3 (250) 627-1143 or email caledonia. dean11@gmail.com.
Advent Tidings and a Merry Christmas! From the Synod Office Staff in Terrace: Bishop William, Dean Jason, Archdeacons Ernest and Tim, Secretary Treasurer Audrey and their families want to wish you a holy Advent season as you get ready for Christmas. We pray that as you spend time with family and friends over the holidays, that you will take time to go to Church and to spend some time considering the miracle that took place more than 2,000 years ago which brought about our salvation and is still making a difference in the lives of men and women and is continuing to change this world into the kingdom of heaven.
Merry Christmas, Caledonia!
By Robert Frison, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Bishop’s Notes
Refuse to “stumble” into Advent text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel (Lit.: God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
O come, O come,Emmanel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. We are just beginning the season of Advent. No doubt, as many of you have heard repeatedly over the years, Advent is not simply phase one of Christmas (i.e., shopping and singing Christmas Carols throughout December!) Nor is it something that should be reduced to a cute add-on to the Sunday morning liturgy where we have children light a candle on the Advent Wreath (whilst hoping they don’t burn the Church down), accompanied by a cheerfully modern prayer. Instead, I would argue for a far more serious approach to Advent that challenges us to engage realistically with the world in which we find ourselves. Advent is, properly, a penitential season – that is to say, it is a season when we are challenged to reflect on what is happening around us in the world, and to refocus our attention on what God is calling us to do in that world. If we are to reclaim the very idea that God came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ from the secularists who have turned Christmas into little more than a vast shopping extravaganza, we need to begin by placing the Nativity within a Biblical context and suffering, yearning for deliverance, and redemption.
The first verse also appears to be based on Psalm 137 in which people of Judah are bemoaning their captivity in Babylon. Their captors had required them to sing some of their songs from their glory days. To which their reply in verse 4 was, “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Our season of Advent looks both to the past and to the future – it reminds us of a time before Christ when God’s people faced corruption and captivity, and cried again and again to God for deliverance from their suffering. Advent is also a reminder to us that God answered those prayers. But the answer to those centuries of petition, Jesus Christ, is not merely an historical fact. Because suffering and injustice still are rampant in our world we cannot stop from crying out to God. Indeed, Jesus promised that He would come again, and in the meantime sent to us the Comforter to enable us to do God’s work in the world.
The famous Advent hymn, “O Come O Come Emmanuel” captures this context wonderfully. The
So with Advent we experience both the joy of the Old Testament promise fulfilled, as well as the fear-
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ful anticipation of the fulfillment of the New Testament promise that Christ will come again. We ought to be mindful of the work God calls us to do in our communities, as well as looking seriously at whether we have been faithful in taking up that work. To look to the past and ignore the present and the future is, to my way of thinking, both a mistake and foolish because as Christians we are called to live out our faith in the real world – not the world of memories and imagination. This explains, perhaps, my impatience when people seem to blunder unwittingly into Advent rather than taking it seriously. Perhaps more than any generation in recent history, we ought to understand the opening lines of the great Advent hymn, for we live in a time of lonely exile in which the Christian faith has been suppressed and ignored by a secularist, consumer-driven culture. So we should be crying out to God for deliverance because even though He answered the prayers of Israel so long ago, mankind has managed to repeat the mistake of ignoring and rejecting Him. This should, I believe, drive our prayers. And it should cause us to pause and look at the degree to which we have allowed our own faith to be compromised by values that are not consistent with our Christian vocation. But at the same time, we are called not to despair, but to rejoice, because the promise of God has been given – Christ will come again. Thus the call to Rejoice. And so, for us, rejoicing is not merely bearing witness to the promise, but also preparing our souls, our homes, our parishes and our communities to receive the Lord when He comes.
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Caledonia Times
Publication of the Anglican Diocese of Caledonia Editor: The Dean of Caledonia Published monthly, except July and August by: Diocese of Caledonia, 200 – 4th Avenue West Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1P3 (250) 627-1143 or (250) 600-7143 Address correspondence and copy to the address above. Or to caledoniatimes@gmail.com Submissions must be received by the 1st day of the month for the following month’s issue. Send subscription orders, address changes Diocese of Caledonia c/o Anglican Journal 80 Hayden St. Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3G2 Printed and mailed by: Webnews Inc, North York Ontario.
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Caledonia Times — December 2014 --- Merry Christmas Caledonia!
Editorial Moments Let every heart prepare him room This coming Advent and Christmas, the local churches in the Prince Rupert Area are encouraging the Body of Christ to “Think outside the box” in preparing to make room for Christ at his coming again. Surely you know the story from Luke’s Gospel of Jesus’s first trip to visit with us? The fact that Mary and Joseph traveled most of the length of Israel (without the aid of a donkey for a very pregnant Mary) over dangerous roads, marching soldiers, traveling pilgrims and of course the villainously hearted robbers. When they arrived in Bethlehem only to discover there was no room for them in the local Inn (Luke 2.7). Normally, especially for royalty, there was fanfare and celebration, rejoicing and festivities surrounding such an important birth. This was not so for the King of heaven. He was born into this world, just like the rest of us, through pain and in blood, to be wrapped up and laid in a manger because there was no room for him anywhere else. But then as I consider it, Jesus had something better. He had angels sing to him and for him while his mother comforted him with a simple lullaby. The animals who call the stable home gather around to try and divine what the commotion was all about, and then later in the night the shepherds who had been guarding the temple flocks that night came to see if what had been proclaimed to them was true: “This day, in the city of David is born to you, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2.11)
The purpose of doing our Advent devotions this way has a twofold purpose. First getting outside the boxes of our buildings, it allows for us to minister to the wider city. In essence, we are looking to “leak out” and be a part of the cities towns and communities in which we participate with the express purpose of calling and drawing people into the kingdom. Angels invited the shepherds. The animals were already there. And there were many people in Bethlehem who heard about the birth, some of whom may have come to see the new baby. Leaking out into the city is our way of being the ones to be like St. Andrew, when he first met Jesus and was told to, “Come and see.”
At our retired teachers Christmas party we always have a sing along of Christmas hymns and carols. One favourite hymn in “Good King Wenceslas.” This hymn is a ballad telling the story of a king who had a reputation for helping the poor. A 10th century Christian king, Wenceslas shared his faith in deeds as well as words. The hymn about Wenceslas was written by John M. Neale in 1853 to encourage children to remember the poor around Christmas time. Tim Ladwig has illustrated “Good King Wenceslas” beautifully in the children’s picture book of the same name. Ladwig connects present day kindness to the poor with the story of the good king. The book begins in Prague near the statue of Wenceslas. There Ladwig introduces his characters: a boy and his dog and a busking mandolin player. A linking page says: “And children still imagine a long time ago...” The artist/author has prepared us to move back to the 10th century - the time of Wenceslas. The boy now appears with the dog at his side as a page (servant) to the good king. The pictures tell the story along with the words of the hymn. Some pages have a whole verse of the hymn, some only one line and some only pictures. When we get to the poor man we see that he is the same figure as the poor musi-
Before to diving in this year to the presents, the food and all that a Canadian Christmas might mean to you, pause for a moment at the tree and remember Jesus, who loved you so much that he came to be with you and to offer himself as a first gift, that you might live with him for eternity. Open up your heart this year and allow Jesus some room. Have a blessed Advent and a very Happy New Year.
Jason+ Editor, Caledonia Times.
How are we going to leak out? Well, we are going to clean up a local ball diamond. We are working with the local movie theatre to show a Christmas type movie for free. We are looking to participate in the local Santa Claus Parade to tell the city about the reason we celebrate Christmas. And Just before Christmas, we are going to gather the churches to make groups to go caroling across the city for a length of time on a Sunday night.
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So we hope to start preparing people for the reality that the feast of Christmas expresses – the return of the King and the establishment of his kingdom on this earth. We are asking people to make room this Advent, this Christmastide in their hearts. We do this by living out the promise made to us that he is always with us and that accordingly, we need to live in anticipating what is to come.
cian. Following the picture story is a historical note with facts about Wenceslas and John Mason Neale. Opposite the note is a picture of the boy (the king’s page in the hymn) giving a coffee and bagel to the street musician. The book ends with the music for “Good King Wenceslas” with the original words. The historical note mentioned that the words were adapted for modern children. The only wording changes were “bring me food” instead of “bring me flesh” and “Christians all” instead of “Christian men.”
Ladwig, Tim and John M.Neale. Good King Wenceslas. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2005.
The artist has created not only a beautiful, but also a child-friendly book. The king and his men and their war horses look strong but not scary. Indoor scenes use orange and yellow to create warmth while outdoor scenes have blue and gray to give us a cold feeling. The indoor scenes are also up close and cosy while several outdoor scenes show the people small. This creates the feeling of “the rude wind’s wild lament and the bitter weather.” In other words Ladwig does a masterful job of translating the song into pictures. In fact, children who cannot read will be able to follow the story from the pictures. The dust cover and the cover itself feature an additional illustration of the king, boy, and dog trudging through the snow. Having such a fine cover makes this a truly outstanding coffee table art book as well as a children’s picture book.
Caledonia Times — December 2014 -- Merry Christmas Caledonia!
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Wider Church Life - Canada in Brief By Anglican Journal Staff
Cathedral hosts justice conference
“Elves” help raise funds
Ottawa church closes
Victoria’s Christ Church Cathedral hosted a twoday conference, From Charity to Social Justice: Addressing Child and Family Poverty, on Oct. 2 and 3.
Since 2006, St. Nick’s Christmas Shopping Day for Children held at St. Thomas’, Seaforth, Ont., has raised more than $10,000 to benefit children’s programs in the community.
Bishop John Chapman of the diocese of Ottawa presided over a tearful Sept. 18 farewell service for All Saints, Sandy Hill, which had served its parish since 1900. The vestry decided in May to transfer the title to the diocese and merge with the nearby St. Margaret’s in July. The church had lost two major tenants, was badly in need of costly repairs and was facing a deficit of $60,000 for 2014. Chapman said he shared the sadness of the occasion on a personal level because it was the church of his parents and grandparents, and the one in which he was baptized. Crosstalk Peterborough churches sign covenant The clergy and congregations of five churches in Peterborough, Ont.—one Lutheran and four Anglican—have signed a formal agreement of mutual ministry in the city. The Rev. Geoff Howson, priest-in-charge at All Saints Anglican Church, explained that all five churches are facing challenging times, with smaller congregations and tighter budgets. “Doing this forces us to ask how we can be creative and find a new way of being in our church, so we can use our resources and not get hung up on being maintenance-oriented.” The five churches will remain distinct, governed by their own corporations and annual vestries, and will worship in their own locations, but they hope the covenant will help them better serve the community and have a stronger voice on social justice issues such as poverty and homelessness. They are considering jointly sponsoring a refugee family. The churches, which include Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Barnabus, St. John the Evangelist and St. Luke the Evangelist, will share some programs and worship, and they have formed a Covenant Choir that will sing at special events.
Keynote speaker John Greschner, deputy representative for children and youth with the British Columbia government, told the audience that 93,000 children in the province now live in lowincome families, a number he pointed out that would fill BC Place stadium, with 50,000 lined up outside. Speakers also talked about the downward cycles of families even when both parents are employed at low- or minimum-wage jobs. Those attending also heard first-hand accounts from people struggling with poverty. Adrienne Montani, provincial coordinator of First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, suggested the government increase the child tax credit, stop clawing back family maintenance payments from those on income assistance and develop a provincial, non-partisan poverty reduction plan. The conference ended with a visioning and action planning session to come up with some short- and long-term goals. The Diocesan Post Edmundston parish hopes to rebuild Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in Edmundston, N.B., which was destroyed by suspected arson late September, hope to quickly rebuild their church. The Rev. Deacon Fran Bedell, who is in charge of the shared ministry with St. Paul’s United Church, said they would like to build a new church that looks the same on the outside but is reconfigured in the interior. The plan is awaiting approval from the diocese of Fredericton.
Children ages three to 13 are invited to shop for family members by donation at the door. As they enter the church, they are greeted by a volunteer elf. While they wait their turn to shop, they are entertained by a storyteller and enjoy cookies and juice. Money raised in the past has supported programs such as school music, day care, childhood grief recovery, cancer support, Huron Church camp and Booster Clubs. Huron Church News Rising from the ashes St. Simon’s in Lynn Lake, Man., lost its church building to arson in 2012, but reports that the congregation is now enjoying services in a building purchased from the RCMP and renovated. Many individuals and other churches helped get the congregation back on its feet. The United Church in Sherridon, Ont., provided a communion table and individual cups. St. Simon’s Church in Sherridon gave a lectern. Nick Repay created a font with a basin carved from Lynn Lake ore, mounted on a tripod made of drill rods. The Anglican Church in Swan Rivers offered a large print Bible. The Anglican Church in Ninette provided altar linens and copies of the Book of Alternative Services. The United Church in Flin Flon and a Lutheran church in the U.S. gave hymn books. “All in all, despite the tragedy, we have been wonderfully blessed!” a note from parishioners said in the Brandon diocesan newspaper. The Mustard Seed
The New Brunswick Anglican
The Anglican
Diocesan Life in Pictures
Surfin’ for the Lord By Ruby McBeth
Recently, Bishop Mark MacDonald made a visit to the Diocese, to be a part of the Annual meeting of the Anglican First Nations Council. Both Bishop William and Bishop Mark were asked to make remarks at the meeting about the ministry and training for ministry for First Nations.
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Comic Life
People who have a strong appreciation for the saints and the historic church might like to check out the Eastern Orthodox website of the St. Edward Brotherhood. Go to <www. saintedwardbrotherhood.org>. The website gives access to “The Shepherd” an Orthodox Christian Pastoral Magazine. Includes Orthodox links (some unfortunately in Russian) Under “The Monastery and the Parish Church click on the video for the consecration of St. Edward’s Church London. The music is haunting and beautiful - a unique cultural experience. Happy surfing!
Caledonia Times — December 2014 --- Merry Christmas Caledonia!