The Saskatchewan Anglican, October 2016

Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • October 2016 www.facebook.com/thesaskatchewananglican

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Diocese begins cemetery project

By Archdeacon Michael Stonhouse Diocesan Cemetery Archivist Editor’s note: If you have information, or even better records of the location of, or burials in, Anglican cemeteries in the diocese please contact Archdeacon Stonhouse or the synod office in Saskatoon.

LLOYDMINSTER (S’toon) – Ever lose a cemetery? “What,” you wonder, “how could that ever be possible?”

Actually, it has happened, probably in all three dioceses, and probably on a number of occasions.

In the early years during which our church was planted on the prairies, there were rural school districts and rural churches plenteously dotting our landscape.

Many of these rural churches had cemeteries that catered to a fairly large farm population composed predominantly of people from the British Isles.

Over the years, things happened to make these school districts, churches and cemeteries less viable and less important.

The rural schools were closed with the centralization of educational buildings in the larger centres, while with rural depopulation and changing ethnic demographics (such as the loss of people from an English background), many churches closed as well.

In time, sometimes it was forgotten that a church had even existed there.

And, sometimes, incredibly, it was even forgotten a cemetery had been there.

In fact, with one small cemetery, St. Mary’s, Stoney Creek (in Saskatoon Diocese near Bresaylor, northwest of the Battlefords), none of the graves had ever been marked.

As a result the new owner was oblivious to the fact there was a cemetery there and farmed over it for many years.

See PROJECT on page 5

Camp Okema celebrations

Gary Miller delights the children with a puppet story about the feeding of the 5,000 people, during a celebration of 40 years at Camp Okema on July 31. For story see page 5.

Photo by Dianne Bekolay

St. Augustine celebrates 125 years By Bill Johnston Reprinted with permission from The Four-Town Journal

SALTCOATS (Qu’A) – Many have walked up the centre aisle of St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, but on Aug. 28 those who did were taking an historic walk as their steps were taken on the church’s 125th anniversary.

Recalling the many people who have contributed to the church’s life through its first 125 years, special guest for the occasion, Bishop Rob Hardwick noted, “...they are people who have given so much and have kept the faith and helped spread the faith in this place.”

“Our presence here today is a testament to them and to the clergy and all the lay folks’ achievements,” said Bishop Hardwick.

“For their combined faith and their determination through thick and thin to serve God in this place is truly a testament to us all.

“For these are people who have walked this aisle to worship and walked out of this building to witness to

God’s saving grace... .

“May our footsteps on these aisles, and the steps of the faithful who will follow us, forever lead us to worship, and lead us out to witness to God’s glory.”

Bishop Hardwick offered a brief history of the founding and early years of St. Augustine’s.

Though the dedication date of the building was Aug. 2, 1892, Anglicans were present in the community of Saltcoats before then.

However, it was not until the early settlement received a resident priest in 1891 that work began on erecting a place of worship.

Once the appointment of Rev. Theodore Teitlebaum was made by the first bishop of Qu’Appelle, local Anglicans moved quickly to erect a 40-foot x 34-foot church.

S.G. Fisher was the contractor.

A home for the priest was built, beginning in 1891 and finishing in 1892, while Saltcoats became the centre of a large parish served by him.

See 125 YEARS on page 4

Many Saltcoats and area families have called St. Augustine's Church home over the years. Three representatives from some of those families were on hand for the 125th anniversary celebration: Maree Willis, June Gibler and Fred Hutchings.

Photo courtesy Bill Johnston

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

God maintains a close, intimate relationship with us Does it matter if we think of God as a person or as a cosmic force?

By Rev. Cheryl Toth

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s a young girl in Grade 5, I had a very personal relationship with God. I had been taught at the Brethren Sunday School I attended that Jesus Christ might return at any time to judge the Earth and bring those who believed in Him to Heaven.

I was also taught that if we did not confess every single sin, and something remained unforgiven when He returned, we would be left behind.

Every night I racked my brain to think of anything and everything I had done wrong during the day and then I prayed to God for forgiveness.

God was very personal, very involved in my day-today life and very much a God of Judgment. It made for an anxious faith and uneasy prayer time.

It really does matter how we think of God because our understanding of God shapes our understanding of the cosmos, of the meaning of life and of the possibility of loving and being loved.

My “Grade 5 God” was

powerful, vigilant and scrupulous in demanding perfection in life.

That belief exacerbated a developing perfectionism which took me decades to overcome (if indeed I have.)

The theology I absorbed from that understanding of God was not only detrimental to my mental health, it was a distortion of the biblical faith.

It is no wonder it came as a relief in high school to abandon a sense of a personal God and contemplate God, if there was one, as a force that permeated the cosmos.

Neither for nor against humanity, I believed God simply was; a creative force that sparked the Earth’s evolution and then let us develop on our own.

I realize now I was living out of a deist position that believes God exists but does not interact with humanity or the unfolding of the world’s history.

For the teenage me, that belief was freeing in that it made me think about my actions and my beliefs as something for which I was responsible.

I was not acting out of a fear of being “sinful: or a demand to be obedient, but out of a sense of freedom and agency.

Yet it also made me

I like to think my understanding of God now is based on the biblical witness that sees God as powerfully loving ... and determinedly engaged with humanity. sometimes feel completely on my own; a God at a distance from humanity couldn’t care one way or another what I did.

I believed that such a God could not or would not do anything to help me develop into the kind of person I wanted to be.

I share these understandings of God to illustrate that how we comprehend God is critically important to our selfunderstanding and sense of what it means to be human.

It also shows there are times in our lives when our conceptualization of God necessarily shifts as we grow and develop in our faith.

Ultimately I abandoned both the personal but harsh God of my childhood and the impersonal but freeing God of my adolescence.

I like to think that my understanding of God now is based on the biblical witness that sees God as powerfully loving, forcefully faithful, personally forgiving and determinedly engaged with

humanity (including me.)

When we read about God in the Scriptures, we see God is not so involved with humanity that we are controlled by God without any agency of our own. God is not a force remote from us, uninterested in our actions.

God is not simply a power within all of creation and all humanity.

As N.T. Wright says in the book Simply Christian, it’s more complicated than that.

“For the ancient Israelite and the early Christian…God made a world that was other than himself…and having made such a world, God has remained in a close, dynamic and intimate relationship with it, without in any way being contained within it or having it contained within himself” (p. 65).

With such an understanding of God we are free to live God’s loving purpose knowing that what we do can be a way of participating in God’s blessing of the Earth.

That is a powerful understanding of how to live with God in the world!

Rev. Cheryl Toth is a priest in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle and serves as intentional interim priest with All Saints, Regina.

Mystery of God revealed in person of Christ Does it matter if we think of God as a person or as a cosmic force?

By Rev. Norbert Haukenfrers, D.Min

T

he mornings are cooler and the air is fresher.

Furnaces are awaked from their summertime slumber, beginning their seasonal task of warding off the cold.

Blankets are pulled out of storage. Reaching into the cedar blanket box, I pull out a black, yellow and red afghan made by my mother.

It’s perfect for lounging on the sofa with a book.

In the blanket box sits another quilt, one received as a high school graduation present. It’s a family heirloom made by “Grandma Z.” Then there are the prayer shawls knit by people who care for us, gifts received in hard times that continue to give comfort.

These are not blankets made by an unknown force

– by machine – although we have some of those.

These blankets have personal connections and we use them with extra care because of the stories they carry.

Even our standard issue Hudson Bay blanket receives better care because it was a wedding gift from my parents.

It is the personal connection that gives these blankets meaning.

They honour relationships and offer an awareness of belonging to a community, much like a star blanket recognizes a relationship or accomplishment.

Similarly, it is the personal nature of Jesus that makes His actions meaningful.

An impersonal force, gravity for example, may influence our actions, but it does not give our life meaning and we ascribe no meaning to its effects. The forces are blind.

Jesus, on the other hand, revealed a personal God. So personal He took on

human flesh to reveal Himself through human relationships.

This is the mystery of God made known (Col. 2:2), God revealed and explained through human action and being. Jesus is a force of cosmic proportions, but He is much more than a force.

He is a person who disarms the cosmic forces and by His forgiveness of sin He cancels our guilt and eradicates our shame (Col. 2:8, 13-15, 20).

If life were about knowing the secrets of the cosmic forces we would be outsiders.

Even if we speak with mathematical sophistication and understand all of space-time, but have no relationships, we would be empty.

Life is not about knowing but being known, specifically, being in relationship with another person.

With the mystery of God revealed in the person of Christ, you are in the thick of it, involved, connected as my mother’s hands in crocheting the throw, or my

grandmother’s in joining the squares and quilting.

When Paul wrote to the faithful in Colossae he was responding to claims that the cosmic forces had equal billing with Jesus.

In Colossians, Paul is intent on restoring Jesus, the crucified Christ, as the core of faith and practice, central in creation and salvation (Col 1:15-20).

An understanding of life that defers to a determinative cosmic force foregoes freedom.

Freedom exists only with personal agents. Machines have no freedom of action.

God endowed humanity with personal agency and freedom: Personal agency and freedom grounded in His own being.

It is this personal God who interrupted history revealing Himself as a person that gives us hope.

As life around blows a chilling breeze of death and despair, wrap yourself in this hope, warming your soul, enabling you to extend a warm, personal hand.

Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle.

Published monthly except for July and August.

Whole No. 292, Vol. 45, No. 2 A Section of the Anglican Journal SUBSCRIPTIONS For change of address, undeliverable copies and subscription list updates, contact: • Your parish • e-mail: circulation @national.anglican.ca • Or send to Saskatchewan Anglican, c/o Anglican Journal, 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2 RATES $10 in Canada $17 outside Canada SUBMISSIONS Submissions for the November issue must be received by the diocesan editor no later than Friday, Sept. 30. All pictures must be sent as JPEGS and 1 MB (megabyte) in size.

CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor: Jason Antonio SKAnglicanEditor@gmail.com 1501 College Ave Regina, Sask., S4P 1B8 Phone: 306-737-4898 Qu’Appelle: Joanne Shurvin-Martin joannesm@myaccess.ca 6927 Farrell Bay Regina, Sask., S4X 3V4 Phone: 306-775-2629 Saskatoon: Peter Coolen ptrcoolen@sasktel.net 820 Avenue I South, Saskatoon, Sask., S7M 1Z3 Phone: 306-244-0935, Saskatchewan: Munden and Linda Coates linda.munden@sasktel.net Box 208 Arborfield, Sask., S0E 0A0 Photo: 306-769-8339 PUBLISHING DETAILS Published from 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5 Printed and mailed by Webnews Printing Inc. 8 High Meadow Place North York, Ont. M9L 2Z5

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

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Change is a gift from God By the Right Rev. David Irving Bishop of Saskatoon

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or many of us in the Diocese of Saskatoon and around the province 2016, has been a challenging year.

We have experienced many changes from what we thought was the norm. These changes have occurred in our lives in our parishes, our diocese and in the Anglican Church of Canada.

The changes in our church world have come in many forms: shrinking membership, the loss of full-time priests, the increase in multi-point parishes, the change in how we train new clergy, as not all are now seminary trained, rethinking lay education and amalgamation of parishes in our urban centres.

These are just a few of the changes that challenge us in our church life, and for some, move us into an uncomfortable position. Change freaks many of us out, while for others it is welcome.

If anything changes, good or bad, whether in our personal world or our church world, we get stressed out.

Any time we are confronted by an event that is inconsistent with our core beliefs, we will

feel some level of stress. Our core beliefs are formed from a young age, influenced by how we were raised.

When we experience the world or ourselves in a certain way for an extended period of time, we develop core beliefs that make up our paradigm for life.

The earlier we learn something, the harder it is to make a change. You have all probably heard the expression “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

When we don’t want to learn a “new trick,” we tend to find friends and form groups that reinforce our beliefs, whether they’re correct or not.

When a group of people agree, it’s easy to discount the opinions of others and attack

the possibility of change because we have the friends to back us up.

When we invest ourselves emotionally in anything, it becomes harder to change because we don’t want to lose all the time and effort we already exerted.

Just pause for a moment and consider, do you perceive change as friend or foe? Of course, the answer depends on the change.

From a worldly perspective, change is the only constant; it is there all the time whether we like it or not.

It seems we suffer when change happens where we don’t really want it to, or, conversely, doesn’t happen where we really want it to occur.

What if we could re-frame our understanding of change?

What if we could welcome it as a gift that God is bestowing upon us, trusting that change happens when it is supposed to?

Multi-point parishes are created “when they are supposed to,” amalgamations occur “when they are supposed to” and other changes in our church life happen “when they are supposed to.”

I read an article by author Merritt Jones on change,

The changes in our church world have come in many forms: shrinking membership, the loss of full-time priests and amalgamation of parishes in our urban centres. These are just a few of the changes that challenge us in our church life, and for some, move us into an uncomfortable position. where he asked if you are the river or the rock.

He states the river will eventually take the right way or the way it is supposed to; in a contest between a river and a rock, the river always wins.

Why? Because the river is willing to follow the natural call of gravity, going over, under, around or, eventually through the rock, to its destiny which, as with all rivers, is to merge with the ocean.

The rock is stuck where it is, relentlessly pushing against the river, resisting the natural flow of water until, over a long period of time, it’s worn down to a pebble.

The metaphor of the rock and the river is delightfully obvious: the river represents “us” when we are conscious of our oneness with the world and willing to trust the call of gravity.

From a spiritual perspective, gravity represents the silent call of God wooing us to come closer, to surrender to the spiritual journey that is ours to take, the unfolding of who we have come here to be.

The rock represents the past and our attachment to it; the rock symbolizes our resistance to change and fear of the unknown.

The ocean to which the river flows represents a life fulfilled in our joining with something larger than us; it’s our merging with the Source from which we came.

The power in this metaphor is that in our personal lives and in our church community, every day when we get out of bed, we can choose whether we will be the rock or the river.

If you find you are being a rock, to what might you be clinging?

Where in your life might you be resisting change or trying to force it to happen before it is supposed to?

Don’t get stressed out; take a deep breath, trusting and knowing that the river knows where it is going and let go.

God knows where God wants the church to go, so don’t be a rock; let God’s love flow.

Biblical literacy

By Jason Antonio Managing Editor “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

B

iblical literacy is on the wane in not only secular culture, but it would also seem, in the Church itself.

This is unfortunate, since to know the word of God is to come to know the Word, Jesus Christ Himself.

Scripture has usually held a place of authority in the formulation of doctrine for Anglicans. Jesus Christ is the one sure revelation of God, while Holy Scripture is the one sure record of that revelation, being itself both inspired and revealed by God. Article VII of the 39 Articles says: “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the

Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.”

This understanding has been held continuously down the ages in Anglicanism.

Newly ordained Anglican priests are given a Bible to show that all their authority, including the power to administer the sacraments, is rooted in Scripture. They are also given a chalice and paten.

In his book Concise Theology, Anglican theologian J.I. Packer writes, “The Christian principle of biblical authority means, on the one hand, that God purposes to direct the belief and behaviour of his people through the revealed truth set forth in Holy Scripture; on the other hand, it means all

our ideas about God should be measured, tested and where necessary corrected and enlarged, by reference to biblical teaching … Scripture now functions precisely as the instrument of Christ’s lordship over his followers.”

Packer goes on to say the Holy Spirit’s witness to Scripture is similar to his witness to Jesus (John 15:26; 1 John 5:7).

“The result of this witness is a state of mind in which both the Saviour and the Scriptures have evidenced themselves to us as divine,” says Packer.

“In consequence, we no longer find it possible to doubt the divinity of either Christ or the Bible.”

Based on conversations I’ve had recently with other Anglicans, however, it would seem there is much doubt about the authority of Scripture.

During one conversation at General Synod, the girl with whom I had lunch questioned the validity of Scripture.

She noted much of it was written more than 2,000 years ago. Furthermore, it was

written by many authors and in many languages; could it really be trusted?

Well, decades of archaeological research have shown the Bible is one of the most reliable books. More than 5,800 pieces of Greek New Testament have been discovered.

More than 10,000 Latin New Testament manuscripts from the 2nd to 16th centuries have been located. Manuscripts have been found in Coptic, Syriac, Gothic and Arabic.

In total, more than 25,000 handwritten copies of the New Testament have been found. Furthermore, almost the entire New Testament can be reproduced by quotes from ancient church fathers.

Similarly, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, the Masoretic text and others verify the validity and accuracy of the Old Testament.

It benefits Anglicans to be biblically literate. One reason is it brings us closer to God and helps us understand how to be faithful and obedient, no matter the cost.

A second reason is it

assists us in forming a deeper relationship with Jesus and learning how to be better disciples.

Thirdly, in an age of increasing demands and decreasing good judgement, we need to know how to act.

Small groups are key to combating and changing the epidemic of biblical illiteracy, according to Lifeway Research, an organization that conducts surveys on today’s church and culture.

Through groups, people are inspired to read the Bible more, not necessarily because it’s an expected duty, but because they know the joy that comes from connecting personally with God through His Word.

Groups matter, especially when it comes to how well we read, know and live the Bible.

Lifeway Research also shows increased biblical literacy means we grow spiritually as individuals; our churches are healthier; and we reach more for Christ.

So let’s reach for that Bible or join a study group and become more literate about our faith.

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

125 years Continued from page 1 “Rev. Teitlebaum was clearly the catalyst who not only laboured among the English settlers, but also tried to meet the non-English speaking newcomers on their own ground,” Bishop Hardwick noted.

The first priest was also instrumental in establishing an Anglican-sponsored cottage hospital in Saltcoats that was opened in 1895 to serve pioneers from the surrounding area.

The Parish of Saltcoats became self-supporting in 1913 and the rectory was enlarged and renovated during the 1920s.

In 1957 a new rectory was built on a lot adjoining the church using proceeds from the sale of the Churchbridge vicarage and an estate.

That same year the church building was removed from its foundation so that a full-size basement could be dug.

The name of the parish in which Saltcoats was a major point changed through the years reflecting the various other centres with which it was linked: 1916-1919, Saltcoats cum Churchbridge; 1927-1929, Saltcoats cum Bredenbury; and 1930-1935, Saltcoats cum Langenburg.

Bishop Rob Hardwick (centre) was the special guest at the 125th anniversary service of St. Augustine Church in Saltcoats. From left, are Rev. Kim Salo, Rev. Trish McCarthy, church wardens Rick Willis and Edith Maddaford, Rev. Susan Salo and Rev. Nancy Brunt.

Photo by Bill Johnston From 1945 to 1956 the Anglican Parish of Saltcoats consisted of congregations in Saltcoats, Bredenbury, Langenburg, Churchbridge, Hill Top and Kinbrae.

On Dec. 1, the Anglican churches in Saltcoats, Llewellyn, Bangor, Churchbridge, Bredenbury, Esterhazy, Cotham-Dubuc and Langenburg formed the Parish of New Sumner. At that

point Esterhazy became the centre of the parish.

Highlighting some of Saltcoats’ history during that time, Bishop Hardwick noted, “The struggle to survive, evident through the last 125 plus years, continues.

"But if history and our faith have taught us anything, both church and community need to be relevant, flexible and adaptable to the times, and not isolationist, independent

or denominationally bound.

“Churches and their community need to be in partnership and none should neglect the importance of gathering to worship or to pray for one another. Our spiritual faith is of vital importance for our survival as church and community.”

During the decades, he continued, many “have come to know that St. Augustine’s is a place of faith-filled prayer

and have given thanks for prayers answered in amazing ways.

“So, through the years, ably assisted by its clergy, has stood this church: through good times and bad times."

In his remarks on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of St. Augustine’s, Saltcoats Mayor Grant McCallum noted, “While this gathering place is a divine structure and holds its own place throughout history, we know fundamentally that a church is of the people, and of the congregation of those people.

“That’s not to say that this isn’t the House of God, but without the worshippers, their faith, and their spirit to fill it up, this is simply a building.”

“Tolerance, compassion and spirit must live on in our community, and you are recognized for the important role you continue to play in disseminating these values.

“They were woven into the fabric of our society by the forbearers who built this church and community, and may they live on.”

Heather Torrie brought greetings on behalf of the members of the Saltcoats United Church.

DIOCESE OF SASKATOON

Announcements for October 2016 Saskatchewan Anglican Online! You can read current and past issues of the Saskatchewan Anglican online on the Diocese of Saskatoon website or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ saskatchewananglican. g Alpha Program: An 11week Alpha Program began at St. Stephen’s, Saskatoon on Sept, 20.

For more information or to register please call Margaret or Jan at 306-374-4066 or of f ice.ststephens@sasktel. net. g Saskatoon Church Curling League: With fall fast approaching the curling season is finally here.

The Saskatoon Church Curling League is looking for more interested people to join us every Wednesday evening (October to March) at 8:45 p.m. at the Granite Curling Club for some fun and fellowship.

Join us as a regular or spare.

Enter a team or come on your own and we will put you on a team. For information

or to register please call Glade Penner at 306-955-1009 or email him at gppenner@ sasktel.net for more information. g The Parish of St. George’s, Saskatoon, Community Coffee House every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m.

Join them for a warm social time with coffee, tea, toast and some type of baked goods at no charge.

The coffee time is followed by a weekly Bible Study from 11 a.m. to noon.

All events are in the Parish Hall, 624 Ave. I South. g Seniors’ Lunch in Battleford: The Friendship Committee of St. George’s, Battleford invites all seniors to join them for lunch the first Monday of each month until June; each seniors’ lunch begins at noon. g Diocesan 72nd Synod: The next session of Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon will held Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and 2.

The diocese has issued a prayer for those attending and for those praying for those attending the synod:

“Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, grant to us the presence and guidance of your Holy Spirit at this year’s synod so we may encourage one another in all good works and always be faithful witnesses to your sacrificial love. ”Grant this we ask, through your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Appointments and Vacancies g Treasurer needed for the cathedral: Vestry at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is searching for a volunteer treasurer for St. John’s.

Canon 24a of the Diocese of Saskatoon sets out that the “treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records in paper or electronic form, drafting a parish budget, preparing regular and annual financial statements and cooperating with the auditor where required.

“In carrying out these

responsibilities, the treasurer shall consult with the wardens and the incumbent as required.”

The treasurer typically provides monthly reports at the vestry meetings.

There is an additional financial person: a bookkeeper, who has been hired to assist with entering financial transactions and other duties.

If you are interested, or have any questions, please contact Lauri Miller, Dean’s Warden, or Michael Gibson, People’s Warden, or Dean Scott. g New deacon at the cathedral: Bishop David will be placing the Rev. Gyllian Davies at St. John’s Cathedral for a period of six months starting in September.

Gyllian was ordained to the diaconate in the Diocese of Kootenay and has been living in Grand Forks, B.C. g New postulant at the cathedral: MarieLouise Ternier-Gommers is a postulant preparing for ministry.

Marie-Louise was formally

received into the Anglican Church at the Easter Vigil this year and currently resides in Humboldt.

She will be at the cathedral from December to February 2017, one day a week and for Sunday liturgies. g Ordinations to the priesthood: At the closing Eucharist Service of the fall synod, to be held in the Cathedral on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10:30 a.m., the Reverends Matteo Carboni, Barbara Forsyth, Trevor Malyon and Jan Trost will be ordained to the priesthood.

Deadline To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be sent to the Associate Editor by e-mail or “snail mail” by the last week of the month, two months before the month in which insertion is desired (for example, December submissions will be in the February issue).

Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included here, but should space allow, could be the subject of article and notices elsewhere in the paper.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

More than 100 people came out to support Camp Okema during Celebration Sunday.

October 2016

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Photo by Dianne Bekolay

Celebrating 40 years at Camp Okema

By Steve Mitchell PRINCE ALBERT – More than 100 people gathered for Celebration Sunday at Camp Okema to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Okema Society for Christian Development on July 31.

This special time of

celebration recalled that on July 22, 1976 the Okema Society was incorporated as a non-profit corporation, breathing new life into Camp Okema.

Over the four decades since incorporation, many physical improvements have been made to the camp,

PROJECT Continued from page 1 It was only when the R.M. of Paynton decided to check up on it, and find out whether the Diocese of Saskatoon was going to take care of its upkeep, that anyone was even aware of the situation.

In response to this, a thorough study of our rural cemeteries has been initiated within the Diocese of Saskatoon.

However, it is much more arduous and time consuming than might be expected.

There are some very cemetery websites in our province, although not always entirely accurate.

Neither are the R.M. maps.

For instance, the above noted Stoney Creek cemetery was listed in one location as being Roman Catholic and in another as being United Church. Sadly, the local communities don’t always know for sure.

The Tangleflags community (northeast of Lloydminster) had for years thought the church and cemetery belonged to them.

(It doesn’t; both of them still belong to the diocese). Also, the cemetery at Nunebor (south of Lloydminster) is still called the Anglican Cemetery, even though it no longer belongs to us.

And, even more confusing, the cemetery at Bresaylor was dedicated by Bishop Lloyd, even though it has never belonged to us.

The only thing that finally sorts out and resolves this tangled mess is by searching the land titles, which is a very lengthy process.

Unfortunately, on account of this mess, the maintenance of some of our cemeteries has been allowed to deteriorate appreciably and many of our burial records misplaced.

The good thing in all this is, once resolved, we will be able to ensure that perpetual care is established and maintained, while burial records are archived and maintained.

And, in a time where such things have become important genealogically, this will be quite an advance.

Pierre Schweda Owner

non-medical services for older adults 101252686 Saskatchewan Ltd. pierre@thereforyou.ca www.thereforyou.ca

Regina, SK 306 531 6041

primarily through the service of volunteers.

The interior of Manna House (the dining hall) was finished and modern kitchen and washroom buildings were added to it; frame and log cabins were constructed for both camper accommodation and a multi-purpose building; a playground structure was created; donated cabins in good condition from the Waskesiu area were moved on-site and became staff cabins; a water treatment plant was installed; and many smaller improvements were made.

Over the years the camp program developed as a multitude of volunteers served in many capacities, helping to create a safe and healthy environment for campers.

Under the direction of the Okema Society and its elected board of directors, Camp Okema focused on promoting “Fun, Faith and Friends,” while for many Camp Okema became a place to encounter God’s love and acceptance in the midst of His creation and in the midst of His people.

Indeed, on this Celebration Sunday, there was much to celebrate!

The celebration began at noon with a delicious meal catered by Granny Brown’s Catering from Prince Albert.

About 85 people squeezed into Manna House in reasonable comfort, while the remainder ate outdoors at picnic tables under colourful canopies. Keith Schell, board chairman, welcomed all in attendance on behalf of the board, while Bishop Tom

Morgan led us in a spoken grace and then together everyone sang the camp grace, “Oh the Lord is good to me… .”

After the banquet, the uncertain weather cleared, the threat of rain evaporated, and under sunny skies we celebrated with a service of Holy Communion.

People gathered for the service on the lawn near one of the camper cabins, and Bishop Michael Hawkins as celebrant, and Bishop Tom Morgan as preacher, led us in worship.

Aven Grace, a gifted singer and guitarist, led us in praising the Lord, and Gary Miller delighted the children and children at heart, with a puppet story about the feeding of the 5,000, based on the gospel reading.

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

Where the three 'Rs' fit into our Christian lives

By Sue Boxall FORT QU’APPELLE (Qu’A) – I think everyone thought I was crazy at the QSMM week in July at Wood Acres, Moose Jaw. I was seen rummaging through the garbage bin after our first social evening together! I was determined to rescue all items that could, and should, be recycled.

They included paper plates that were virtually clean (maybe a crumb or two to brush off), clear plastic glasses and any other items that were hardly used and could be recycled. That also included plastic bags.

As a member of Girl Guides

of Canada, and a bit of an environmentalist, the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra has become second nature in my home and wherever I find myself.

That isn’t so strange because one can find many examples of God’s words telling us to take care of His planet.

It would be easy to say this is just a recent concern, but it is not.

About 25 years ago I remember talking to my mother and suggesting she be a little more concerned about plastics and other items she threw into the trash.

I was told my generation was going a bit overboard

with the recycling ‘thing’!

It struck me as rather odd because her sister was the ultimate recycler.

She would open up every envelope that came in the mail and use it for her shopping lists.

She never bought packaged food.

She made sure to turn off the light when she left a room, and so on.

So, how can we make reduction our main action?

How do we ensure we think about the affect our actions are having on this world?

Is it really possible to swim upstream against the everincreasing use of plastics?

I think it is possible.

Cree language program continues in Prince Albert

By Rev. Sam Halkett PRINCE ALBERT – After a very successful Cree Language Program last year, Rev. Sam Halkett will be conducting another set of classes this fall.

The classes will be held every Wednesday night at St. Alban’s Cathedral and began on Sept. 21. All classes begin with a supper at 5:30 p.m., ending at 8 p.m. with songs.

The overall mission is to foster the values and the understanding of developing shared growth of aboriginal culture and language, its preservation and its restoration.

This year the program begins with the raising of the teepee to signify as a First Nations Educational Institute the teaching, learning, and

growth of our children.

The program offers: basic Cree grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation, introductory skills and greetings, sentences to use in everyday situations, weather, days of the week, months, seasons and animals.

The lessons include cultural activities such as birch bark basket making, miniature teepee making, traditional foods, Cree songs

and other activities that instill the Cree language upon the learner.

The program also offers the syllabic writing system while retaining the standard Roman orthography, which is the writing system used at the university level.

Rev. Halkett hopes to compile enough materials, equipment and other teaching tools to enable him to run a successful and motivational program that will attract those interested in the Cree language program, while bearing no cost to those who sign up.

For any other information regarding this program, Rev. Halkett can be reached at 3060982-4872 or 306-763-2455 at the diocese office in Prince Albert.

Photo courtesy Eric Bell

Have you noticed that some packaging has a recycle symbol on its base yet the cap does not?

Some packaging has no symbol at all.

I started emailing the companies that produce these items, asking why they were not using recyclable packaging.

Some even replied!

More ideas are needed.

My granddaughters just had a birthday party and, of course, all their little friends had to get a gift bag before they left.

When did this become the norm?

It used to be the guests who brought a SMALL gift for the birthday person and everyone had fun playing outside and sharing juice and birthday cake.

But, if we must give a gift to each guest, how about a small card that informs them that a donation has been given to a charity that a child can relate to.

Also, don’t forget to use real plates and glasses or mugs.

How about the wrapping paper or bags we all use when we wrap gifts?

Do you just scrunch it up and throw it away?

Try saving as much as you can.

It saves spending money on more when the next celebration comes around, while it helps our world.

In some cases, it is very friendly to use bulk stores where you take your own bags for produce.

These are not always available for those of us who live out of the towns and cities, but don’t forget to support your local farmers’ market for home grown and homemade foods.

Some of the bulk stores that sell cheap household items.

Do not have a very good track record for buying environmentally safe products, so do look at labels and packaging when you shop.

I am sure that everyone can, if willing, reduce the amount of environmentally damaging waste if they try.

Ezekiel 34:18 says, “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet?”

So “tread lightly” on God’s Earth and spread the word to family and friends … without becoming a real bore!

2016 Fall Retreats & Workshops INNER PEACE in DIVINE LOVE: A Spiritual Retreat in Daily Life — Dianne Mantyka, MDiv. September 18, 22, 29 and October 6 & 16 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm.

Cost: $225 (limited enrollment – 8) CONTEMPLATIVE and MYSTICAL POWERS — Linda Labelle, MA.M.S. Tuesdays: September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18 & 25 from 7:00 — 9:00 pm. Cost: $95.

UNDERSTANDING CODEPENDENCY: Living into Healthy & Loving Relationships — Kim Morrison, PhD. Friday, September 23 from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Cost: $55.00 – includes lunch MOVING TO HIGHER GROUND: Conversations in a New Key — Marie-Louise Ternier-Gommers, MDiv. Saturdays, September 24, October 29 and December 3 from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm (lunch available at $12 each) and Thursdays, October 6, 20, November 10, 24 from 7:00 to 9:15 pm. Cost: $280 (Saturday lunch available at $12 each). Limiting enrollment to 12, attending all sessions is strongly recommended).

JOY THROUGH MOVEMENT – T’AI CHI CHIH — Donna Aldous Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Commuter: $100 / Live-in: $160 (includes B&B).

THE HOLY YEAR OF MERCY — Bishop Gerry Wiesner, OMI Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on October 19, 26 & November 2 Cost: by donation at the door ICON WORKSHOP SERIES — Anna Mycyk & Gisele Bauche October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, December 7 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

Cost: $175 / 8 classes plus $110 to $125 for the gesso wood panel board. Includes: materials, pigments, 23 kt gold leaf on bole. To register: gbauche@sasktel.net HOLY SCRIPTURE; HOLY LIVES: Bible Study for Busy People — Gisele Bauche Come for one, some or all sessions. October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 from 10 am to noon and repeated from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Cost: $15/session.

TRANSITIONS: Journey of Transformation through Grief and Loss — Sarah Donnelly, MDiv. (Call Sarah at 306-717-3707 for more information & to register) Thursday October 27 at 7:00 pm through Sunday, October 30 at 1:00 pm. Cost: $390 (live in only, includes program, B&B) CELEBRATING YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT: A Retreat for Artists — Gisele Bauche Saturday, October 29 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm Cost: $55 – includes lunch.

For program details, contact your local Anglican parish, or visit www.queenshouse.org To register, please call 306-242-1916 or email receptionist@queenshouse.org

End-of-summer barbecue

A clergy appreciation barbecue was held at the Saskatoon synod office for clergy, their spouses and families on Aug. 31, with 31 people attending. During the event, there was plenty of time and space for those present to mingle, socialize and catch up, while sitting on the lawns beside the office. Those present shared in ample food and refreshments served buffet-style on the patio.

Photo by Peter R. Coolen

Queen’s House ...

A sacred place to stimulate your mind and nourish your spirit ...

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

7

GetLiturgized!

Youth ministry at St. Aidan

By Luke Johnson

Moose Jaw youths participate in a Lenten retreat. The youth program received $30,000 over three years from the Anglican Foundation.

Photo by Jennifer Johnson

MOOSE JAW (Qu’A) – “The work of Christian youth ministry is of creating space in our noisy culture where young people can encounter the living Jesus,” says Luke Johnson, youth minister at St. Aidan Anglican Church in Moose Jaw. Since 2012, the youth leadership team at St. Aidan has been cultivating a liturgical approach to youth ministry, inviting young

people to respond to Jesus within the challenges and big questions of the seasons of the Christian Year.

“Liturgy is powerful in the youth group setting,” explains Johnson.

“We learn how to pray, how to receive from Scripture, how to respond to each other in community.

“Liturgy’s words and actions help us to enter Scripture’s imagination: to put away the things our See YOUTH on page 8

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8

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

Regina native to lead U.S.-based monastic order

By André Forget Anglican Journal

F The theme of the summer flower service held at Holy Trinity, Evesham on Aug. 7 was from Matthew 6:28-30, "Consider the lilies of the field."

Photo by Jackie Linde

Lilies fill Evesham's worship space

By Ellen Halliday EVESHAM (S’toon) – Evesham Community Church has met many challenges during the past 15 years.

During that time, Sunday services have been led predominately by the laity.

Due to the difficulty in obtaining lay service leaders during the summer months, no services have been held in July and August.

This year, at the urging of a number of young families in the congregation, the “summer service difficulty” became not a challenge but an opportunity to meet to worship God in different settings.

It was decided that two worship gatherings would be held, one in July and one in August. The theme chosen for the two gatherings was Matthew 6:28-30, “Consider the lilies of the field.”

On July 10, the congregation did exactly that as they met in a garden full of lilies to ponder

the power, greatness and the majesty of God …. (Editor’s note: The July service was described more fully with an accompanying photograph in the September issue of the Saskatchewan Anglican).

A month later, on Aug. 7, the congregation met for the second worship gathering at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Evesham, affectionately called “the summer church.”

In the colder months, regular services are held at the larger community church building that has all the amenities of power, heat and water. Holy Trinity has none of these and that is what makes it so special.

What it does have is wonderful acoustics, a pump organ and the welcoming atmosphere of a Prairie country church.

In keeping with the theme of considering the lilies of the field, the church was decorated with flowers, both inside and out. Planters of

flowers lined the walkway outside the church and vases of flowers graced the sanctuary.

The meditation entitled “Only God can make a flower” was given by Carmen Noble, a recent graduate in environmental studies from The King’s University.

The church resounded with hymns of praise accompanied by the pump organ and the hand bell choir.

The service was a special time for giving thanks for the wonders of God’s creation and for reaffirming our certain knowledge that God cares for each one of us more than we can ever imagine.

Regular Sunday services and Sunday school will resume in September, but meeting to consider God and the nature of God out in the world He made was such a meaningful experience for everyone that the congregation plans to make summer worship gatherings a yearly tradition.

or the first time since the Canadian chapter of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) joined its American counterpart in 1984, a Canadian will serve as the monastic order’s brother superior, following the election of Br. James Koester.

Speaking to the Anglican Journal following the election, Koester, a native of Regina, said he found the new role “slightly daunting,” but was excited about the possibilities involved.

“This is a transitional period for monastic communities,” he explained.

“As the church enters this increasingly post-Christian North American culture, monastic communities...have a really important role to play, because we, I think, can become monk-missionaries

once again.”

Koester said his focus as brother superior for the SSJE, which is based in Cambridge, Mass., will be on working to increase the number of monastic vocations and increasing awareness of the monastic option among Anglicans.

“It is important for people to know that a monastic vocation is a viable option in the life of the church,” he said. “If people want to give themselves over completely for the sake of the gospel, a monastic vocation is one way of doing that.”

Colin Johnson, archbishop of the diocese of Toronto, said Koester is an “excellent choice” for the position.

“He is gifted at asking those questions that people need to be asked to prompt them in new directions and new thoughts about their relationship with God.”

YOUTH Continued from page 7 culture says about us, and to become a people whose conception of reality begins with the risen Jesus at His table.”

Wishing to equip other parishes to engage with their young people in meaningful ways, Johnson started “GetLiturgized.com” in late 2013 where anyone can access St. Aidan’s youth ministry resources for free. (www. getliturgized.com.

Resources include Bible studies, complines, youth group activities, example programs and a blog.)

In early spring 2016, St. Aidan’s vestry applied to the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) to seek funding for the development of GetLiturgized.

The application was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by St. Aidan’s Greg Salmers.

According to their website, the AFC supports “innovative ministries, Anglican presence and diverse infrastructure projects,” and so Salmers and team had to make a case for the unique contribution of GetLiturgized.

They set out development objectives for a three-year period.

A few months later, at the end of a Sunday morning

worship service and to the delighted surprise of the youth minister, Salmers happily announced AFC’s approval and commitment of $30,000 over three years.

Johnson states, “I started GetLiturgized just as a side project where I could post all the stuff I was creating for youth group. I always had plans to develop GetLiturgized eventually.

“But this funding moves up ‘eventually’ to the next three years!”

Over the next three years Johnson will be expanding the website’s youth group materials, connecting with churches and ministry teams, fostering an online community of youth ministry “liturgizers,” designing online training resources for youth ministry practitioners and volunteers, and developing online liturgywriting tools.

“This GetLiturgized work is really a natural outpouring of our parish youth ministry,” Johnson explains.

“I want to share our experience. I want to empower others to engage young people in Scripture and prayer and to help them put down roots in the Church.”

Start liturgizing your ministry by visiting www. getliturgized.com.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

9

Renewal and re-invention at Emmanuel and St. Chad By the Rev. Dr. Iain Luke Principal, The College of Emmanuel and St. Chad

New Christian baptized

St John’s Church in Unity was thrilled to welcome Manasa Salikumar to its congregation. On June 26, Manasa was baptized by Rev. Gordon Lines and welcomed into God’s family. We praise God for her decision to follow Him and we pray she will be blessed as she grows in her faith journey.

Photo by Valerie Middleton

General Synod 2016

Discerning the future as faithful Christians

By Rev. Peter Boote

L

et me begin by reiterating some of the basics of our Christian faith.

In the Garden of Eden where God walked and talked with Adam and Eve, humanity fell from that state of grace by being deceived into thinking it could be like God. We (humanity) invited sin and death into God’s creation.

As a result, God withdrew from living with us and creation was cursed by God so we would have to work the earth to bring forth our food, while women would suffer pain in childbirth.

Our human condition is the same today as it ever was: we want to be in control of our lives and think we know what is best for us.

This is the original sin lived out over and over again in every generation and every person.

God offers the free gift of faith, in His Son Jesus Christ, to all people.

Yet, we have to respond to that gift by believing Jesus is the Son of God and He came to Earth, took flesh and died on the cross, thus paying the price for our sins, which is death.

We celebrate our belief in Jesus by being baptized into His death and resurrection.

At that point we make baptismal vows that govern

our future life in Christ.

With the outward and visible sign of water, we symbolically wash away our old sinful life and God sends His inward and spiritual grace of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

This is where we get into trouble because we think we have a golden ticket to heaven and we can be as rebellious as we like. This is one of the first lies we encounter.

You see, God saved us at our worst, when we were separated from God through our sin and dead in our spirits, but God loved us too much to leave us in that state.

He is a God of transformation, not of acceptance of our rebelliousness.

Through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit with our submission to His guiding and keeping our vows, we are slowly transformed into the image of God’s Son Jesus Christ.

This process is called sanctification: the making Holy of that which is not, a process that is not completed on this earth while the body still wages war against the spirit.

Our problem/trouble is our sinful nature still wants to control our lives; so does the devil, as he wants us back.

See FUTURE on page 10

Editor’s note: This article is intended to be the first of a regular series of columns from the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad with the intent of exploring some of the areas of theological study offered at the college, from the point of view of how they make a difference to the proverbial “person in the pew” and to encourage people to see theological education as the domain of the whole church.

SASKATOON – I am grateful to the editors for the chance to renew ties between the College of Emmanuel & St Chad and the Saskatchewan Anglican.

As readers may already know, the college is entering a new phase of its life with some new goals, so it is my honour to serve as its new principal as of this summer.

My hope is this column will be a regular feature, posing some questions about what the church needs from an institution of theological education and what we can offer as a “college for the church.”

Some personal introduction may be in order.

I am a locally-grown Anglican, raised in Porcupine Plain, ordained in the Diocese of Saskatchewan.

I served parishes in Nipawin and Humboldt, before taking up a call to teach theology at St John’s College, Winnipeg.

Most recently, I was Dean of the Diocese of Athabasca, living and working in Peace River for nine years.

My wife Victoria is also a priest, and we have two schoolaged children, Elizabeth and Catherine.

My background and experience in small and midsized towns shapes my sense of what (and who) theological education is for.

So does my vocation to be a “pastor and teacher,” without any separation between the two.

In some times and places, the church has looked to its colleges to train a professional caste of ministers, wellequipped to run the institution, lead its worship and care for its people.

I can’t help thinking there is something more, and different, that we are meant to be about.

First, theology is too important, and way too

exciting, to be left to the ordained!

The ideas students and faculty tangle with, in theological study, are basic to our Christian life and faith: who is God? Who are we in relation to God? God’s creation? God’s other children? In relation to God’s purpose unfolding in our world?

These questions are the basic building blocks for Christian discipleship and mission.

Students often make their way to our college, and others, to pursue these questions in depth, whether or not they are considering a career in ordained ministry.

These questions are the life-blood of the church, so whatever we say and do about them in a college setting has to take seriously what the church is saying and doing.

That means we don’t just welcome those who wish to take some courses, we also look for ways our students and teachers can be deeply involved in the life of the church, listening for the questions Christians are asking, and reflecting on what resources are available to address those questions.

To achieve that goal, the college really has to move along with the church.

When the church is reinventing itself into a community of missionminded disciples (a move that is in evidence in many ways and many places), we now find our theological resources being called on, not just for career training or individual interest, but in supporting parishes

and congregations, as they equip all their members to take responsibility for this renewed way of being the church.

Today we are asking our questions about who is God, who are we, and what is happening, in much more specific ways.

Local communities are waking up to the realization God asks us to be the church “right where we are,” at the same time as being part of something much bigger than ourselves.

So there is a need, and opportunity, for theological education to happen in a different way from how we pictured it through much of the 20th century.

Dioceses and parishes are working to equip their members to reflect on the fullness of their faith and God’s mission.

First Nations communities, in particular, have taken a lead in connecting their way of living their faith, with the riches (and sometimes failures) of how Christians have thought about God and neighbour.

These initiatives don’t diminish the need for centres of theological study and teaching; if anything, they enhance it, as people seek more and more access to what the church’s thought and history have to offer.

I look forward to exploring how our college can work with regional programs, in a way that strengthens us both.

In the midst of that shift, there is still a need to develop effective clergy and lay leaders for today’s church.

Last month, an “impartial observer” of the college told me that Emmanuel & St Chad graduates have a good reputation for balancing theological learning with pastoral sensitivity.

I trust that will continue!

If I hope for anything more, it is that our students will develop, along with their knowledge of the church and its faith, the ability to share that knowledge in ways that will inspire others to want to know more.

10

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

Sudanese bishop visits Qu'Appelle One of the former “Lost Boys” of Sudan

By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA – About 30 people gathered to hear Bishop Daniel Deng Abot when he spoke at St. Phillip’s.

Bishop Daniel, as he is called, is bishop of the Diocese of Duk, in South Sudan and Sudan. This is a brand new diocese at the crossroads of the conflict zone between Sudan and South Sudan. It is on the geographic border of two ethnic groups, Dinka and Nuer.

“Revenge is killing us,” said Bishop Daniel on Aug. 11.

“Tribal identity is killing us.”

“What I am attempting, is to make people of different tribes friends, in the little area God has given me,” he continued. “And from that area, peace can spread to the country,” he said.

He described his hope that people will see themselves “no more as tribes but as brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Bishop Hardwick met Bishop Daniel earlier this year at a gathering of Anglican bishops in Canterbury, England. When he heard that Bishop Daniel was visiting the U.S., he felt he had to invite him to Qu’Appelle.

Bishop Daniel is one of the “lost boys of Sudan” – children displaced by the country’s civil war. In 1986, at the age of 12, he walked about a thousand kilometres from his village in South Sudan to Dimma Refugee Camp in Ethiopia.

He spent six years in Ethiopia and nine years in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. While in Kakuma he attended primary and then secondary school. He married Rachel Abuk in the Episcopal church, and in 1999 was ordained deacon, still in the refugee camp.

In 2003 he was priested in the Episcopal church in Nairobi, Kenya.

That same year he and his wife were resettled to Australia as part of a program to help the Lost Boys of Sudan.

He and Rachel and their seven children lived in Brisbane.

He studied community services and theology and holds a B.A. in Human Service. While in Australia he worked for nine years with Angli-care, a Christian organization that focuses on resettling refugees.

Bishop Michael Hawkins says prayers for two men who were inmates in federal penitentiaries and whose ashes were buried in St. Mary's Cemetery. Photo by Mary Brown

Dignity in death

By Mary Brown

Bishop Daniel Abot, of the Diocese of Duk, South Sudan and Sudan, poses with Bishop Rob Hardwick at St. Phillip, Regina.

Photo courtesy Nigel Salway When the Diocese of Duk was established in 2014, the people proposed Daniel to be their bishop.

After consultation with his wife, he left his family in Australia and returned home, where he was consecrated bishop on Nov. 30, 2014. This was not an easy decision, as he left his job, his wife and children, and return to a place destroyed by decades of war.

In addition, the Bishop of Duk is an unpaid position and does not provide a home.

Bishop Daniel spends most of his time in the bush, supporting his people and sleeping in their huts.

Bishop Daniel described his challenges.

“I feel like a drop in the ocean, but in the name of my Lord Jesus, I feel uniquely suited for the job. I have already suffered in my life, and I always know God has a plan for me, and I know what it is like to start over again in the village.”

He told his audience in Regina, “Rachel and I, as victims of war, we know if someone is crying for help.”

He has big plans, but said, “God is not small; God is big and will find a way.”

Bishop Daniel hopes to build a multi-purpose building to bring people together and give them a purpose.

After the bishop’s talk, the audience watched part of a movie about the Lost Boys, The Good Lie, staring Reese Witherspoon.

It showed not only the horrors experienced by orphans who walked thousands of kilometres across Africa, but also their lives in refugee camps and their challenges when they were relocated. Bishop Daniel experienced many of the same events.

A few days after the gathering at St. Phillip’s, the two bishops met with members of the South Sudanese community in Regina and other church leaders. They hope to show ecumenical unity and minister to displaced persons.

PRINCE ALBERT – A few years ago a former inmate of the Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert died.

He left instructions that he would like to be cremated and buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

It is not known how long he was in the penitentiary and why he was there.

Presumably he could see the cemetery and decided he wanted to be interred. His wishes were granted.

Last year the diocesan office received a call from the Federal Penitentiary in Edmonton asking if they could buy a plot for an inmate who had died.

They found an urn on a shelf with his ashes dated 1993. Apparently he had some

connection with the P.A. area.

The ashes were buried beside the other inmate from the Prince Albert Penitentiary. Legal duty was completed.

During the correspondence with the chaplain in Edmonton, it was decided the graves should be given the dignity of grave identification.

Inmates at the Edmonton Penitentiary were asked if they would make two grave markers. They did! The markers were made of a heavy black metal with a bronze plaque with names, birth and death dates.

On July 24, Bishop Michael Hawkins conducted a service at St. Mary’s Church, and afterwards, markers were placed on the graves and prayers were said for the men.

FUTURE Continued from page 9 So when we listen to the voice inside us that prompts us to do something, we have to discern whose voice it is that is speaking to us: ourselves, the devil or the Holy Spirit.

The Christian who is trying to be faithful to God and His leading needs help in that discernment.

Firstly, we need to ask ourselves, is the voice we are trying to discern proposing a course of action that is in line with what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures; God’s Word? (“God is the same today, yesterday and forever” as is our human condition).

Secondly, will what is being proposed bring glory to God, or shame?

Thirdly, will the proposal help build God’s Kingdom, or bring it into disrepute?

As faithful Christians we need to keep these questions in the front of our thoughts.

Over the next three years

we will be bombarded by many voices stating opinions on the subject of non-heterosexual marriage that may hold some element of truth, yet we can test that truth using these three questions. (You can start by applying them to this article).

We need to remember that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. It was through Him that all things were created and it was He who came and redeemed us from death.

The result of our sin is eternal separation from the source of all life, God. If we claim that God’s Word (Jesus) does not apply to our time and society, we are denying Jesus and therefore our Salvation that only comes through Him. That is a dangerous position to take.

“Heavens and earth will pass away, but My words, will not pass away” (Luke 21:33).

Stay faithful!

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

11

McCarthy focuses on ministry development Courtesy the Moosomin World-Spectator MOOSOMIN (Qu’A) – Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy says faith has always been an important part of her life.

She began the latest step in her faith journey and her ministry when she was installed as incumbent of the Gateway Anglican Parish in Moosomin in the spring.

“I grew up in a family of six children in Waterdown, Ont., then went to university in Toronto, then took a year off, and worked in a parish for a year as a lay associate,” she says.

“I realized how important religion is to me and so I worked in the parish for a year doing different things to build the community, (to) teach the children.

“On Wednesday afternoons we’d visit people who are a part of the parish and sometimes I’d get the atheist partner in discussion. I was quite taken by the questions they asked, because it was kind of outside of the margins. That certainly broadened my horizons.

“I remember being challenged by an atheist, a gentleman who said, ‘I got this all myself, everything you see here I got myself, what are you talking about when you say God gave it to me?’

“And I knew in my heart God gives us gifts, but it was something I had to find a way to articulate.”

She said she enjoyed studying theology at university and found it led her to take a new look at her faith and her deepest beliefs.

Raised a Roman Catholic, McCarthy moved toward the Anglican church during her university years.

“It turns out I was taken by the whole experience of studying. It was challenging because of the different layers of meaning in the Scriptures.

“There’s the level we were taught at Sunday school, and then there’s the level where you’re an adult and you start looking at it from the point of view of science and literary critique and historical critique. That was a challenge

Clergy gather for the installation of Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy at St. Alban's Church in Moosomin.

Photos courtesy Moosomin World-Spectator to me, but it was all good.

“I knew from the work I’d done in the parish that there was a way to share the good news myself, as a woman. It was more of a team approach in the parish. I continued to study and then I wasn’t sure what God was wanting me to do so I took another degree.

“I have a Master of Theology in Christology. I ended up finishing that degree at Trinity College, which is the more High Church of the Anglican colleges at the University of Toronto.

“Then I really did want to get into the parish and ministry; that was my first love in terms of vocation.

“I ended up attending an Anglican church not far from where I was living in Toronto and the main priest hired me to be a Christian education consultant. Then I started to apply for ordination in the Anglican church.

“I went to Grace Church on the Hill in Toronto and did the same kind of work and worked with the youth and the children and then I was hired to go to Canmore for three months. I had full responsibility for the parish.

“It was very exciting, so I went to the diocesan office and I asked the bishop if he had anything I could apply for. He drove me out to Hanna, Alba., for an interview and I ended up being there for eight and a half years.

“I had a lovely time. I met

my husband the first three weeks of my time there.

“I was ordained to the diaconate so I could go to Hanna. Until they had contracted for me to go, I wasn’t going to be ordained.

“Then we went out to Port Colborne and we were there for four years and then we went to Cayuga and we were there for two years.

“I finished my degree, my doctor of ministry out of Sewanee, Tenn., and I finished that in 2005. Then I started doing some teaching in pastoral care for some people and I ended up going into Regina to teach.

“That’s when I interviewed for All Saints in Regina. I was there for nine years.

When there was a ministry development position opening up in Moosomin, I was quite interested.

“Here I’m doing Moosomin, Rocanville, Spring Creek, Fleming.”

She said she is enjoying her

new parish.

“I noticed a lot of young families here. Children are really engaged with the faith, so I think this is a happening parish. They’ve got a lot of people involved and I’m hoping a few of them will become interested in ministry development.

“In my ministry, I’ve trained people for funerals and for pastoral care. I’m also a spiritual director. Women often come to me when they’re considering a sense of call.”

What does she hope to bring to her new parish?

“There are some benchmarks for the first year I want to see accomplished so we have a good trajectory,” she said.

“Personally, I’d like to be here for eight to 10 years, and that may very well happen, because people are fairly excited about their faith and they’re engaged with their relationship with God.” Are there particular challenges to ministry in a rural community?

“Some of the challenges in a rural community are thinking accumulatively, helping the wider church to work together, because if we don’t have a united front and tight support network for the ministers, that’s one of the challenges.

“We can do a lot of good by bringing in a hopeful message, a message of inclusivity, a message of peace and healing.

We don’t have to be worrying about the fine tuning of someone else’s theology.

“I think the challenge of rural ministry is being able to reach out to the people beyond the walls of any church.

“Being there for them in a meaningful way to be a channel of God’s peace and grace and to be an image of Christ in the world.

“We disenchant people by the things that happen in churches; that we allow to happen by not having a safe church policy. We disenchant people by thinking inside the box, when we’re not inclusive, that’s a big deal.

“I think the people have a need for God and they call themselves spiritual.

“Religious is another thing.

People use the term religious where it can sometimes have a connotation of negativity, whereas spirituality is always relating to God. “Sometimes the church is able to come alongside people and give them the words, the concepts, to relate to God on a deeper level. That’s when the church is at its best.

“It helps people to be able to understand their relationship with God better and to be there for one another in a less political, more supportive, more exciting way.”

How will she measure her success?

“I think if one were to say their ministry is successful, it would be about relationships.

People nurture not only relationships as friendships, but in terms of their relationship with God. “If that is accomplished, more people are engaged in their relationship with God. “The church does well when we are genuinely compassionate and inclusive and we articulate the message of Christ in a faithful but exciting way.

“There are five signs that a church is vital. It’s about being a presence in the world and living outside of the box.

It’s being there for people who are hurting.

“It’s being there to articulate the faith in a way that is meaningful to people.”

Studying the New Testament at summer school QSMM Summer School: The New Testament in chronology and in context

By Elizabeth Turnbull MOOSE JAW (Qu’A) – Diligent students from across the Diocese of Qu’Appelle revelled

in the profound teachings of Rev. Dr. Dean Pinter at the Qu’Appelle School of Mission and Ministry Summer School, held at Wood Acres Retreat Centre from July 4 to 8.

Pinter introduced the 17 students to The Books of the Bible, a Bible in which the

books are presented in the order in which they were most likely written. For example, Thessalonians was probably the first of Paul’s letters and is one of the earliest of the New Testament manuscripts.

The chapter and verse numbers have been removed

from the text.

Pinter explained the context in which many of the New Testament books were written. Almost every page of the Bible is coloured by the social, economic and cultural influences of the time.

The class examined the

Hellenistic effect compared to the Jewish effect on new Christians, and the resulting controversy.

This resulted in the first ecumenical council, which was held in Jerusalem (Acts 10:1-22).

See SCHOOL on page 12

12

The Saskatchewan Anglican

October 2016

Looking at liturgy

Books in worship

By Canon Michael Jackson

B QSMM summer students

The summer school group, front, from left, are Ed Bath, Archdeacon Catherine Harper, Rev. Dr. Dean Pinter, Beth Christianson, Robert Erickson; middle ­— Malcolm Tait, Susan Boxall, Debbie Hubick, Deacon Susan Page, Deacon Arleen Champion, Barb Wright and Nigel Salway; back— Brian Burdens, Rev. Nathaniel Athian Deng Mayen, Elizabeth Turnbull, Jennifer Jacobs, Bette-Lou Paragg, Rod Ashley and Morina Rennie.

Photos courtesy Gerry Clyne

SUMMER SCHOOL Continued from page 11 Syrian Antioch was the place where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

The class of lay people and clergy studied the differences in the gospels and in the perspective of those who wrote them. Mark was likely writing from Peter’s view point; Luke, a Gentile native from Antioch Syria, wrote from Paul’s.

The different genres of Paul’s letters were studied.

They can be divided into different groupings: Paul’s early and middle period of Writing – Galatians, Thessalonians, Corinthians and Romans; Paul’s prison letters – Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians and Philippians; and Paul’s pastoral letters – 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus.

Paul’s letters were “occasional documents” and for each the question can be asked, “What was the occasion for Paul writing this letter?”

Matthew is an ordered arrangement of Jesus’ teachings.

Like the Pentateuch, Matthew structures his narrative into five blocks of teaching. He presents Jewish Christian doctrines.

Mark is written at a rapid pace. John Mark recorded Peter’s first-hand witness of

Rev. Dr. Dean Pinter the account of Jesus. Mark includes little special details like “Jesus, asleep on a cushion in the stern” (Mark 4:37).

In the Gospel of Luke the story is set within the framework of history by historical markers (Luke 2:2).

Luke, a sometime travelling companion of Paul, tells the story of the salvation of “Israel” which Christ and the Spirit have effected.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks salvation into existence.

The Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are short, pithy parables whereas the Gospel of John has long conversations.

John says that Jesus is the Messiah who fulfills the hope of the Jews.

In Revelation, symbols and numbers are important to the interpretation of the narrative.

Often John himself will interpret his images,

for example, lamp stands represent the seven churches.

A dominant theme throughout Revelation is that of suffering. In the apocalyptical structure of John, the present world is set against the background of the future.

The earthly drama must be seen against at the background of the heavenly one.

Pinter saturated the students’ minds with an overview of the New Testament. Each day was salted with his choice of poetry readings.

The 17 participants and leaders were terrific.

Quick little quips were bantered about, such as: I asked for a senior’s discount when I went to the zip line; Thursday is the afternoon of the week; and, You can see the development of a person’s mind by reading their emails.

Each day was interspersed with prayer and liturgy.

On the Thursday evening, everyone went to Bobby’s Place Olde World Tavern and enjoyed a British pub atmosphere and trivia game.

Archdeacon Catherine Harper is to be commended for the great week she organized.

The five days of summer school were filled with terrific people and learning.

ooks in Anglican worship: help or hindrance? Bane or blessing?

I suggest they are both. I can’t think of any other faith tradition where people spend so much of their worship time reading books!

Anglican services are focused on written texts; indeed, we are a People of the Book – and here I don’t mean the Bible.

Our liturgical history stems from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in 16th century England. At the time it was a great, indeed revolutionary, innovation, as it replaced the Latin of the Mass and other rites with the vernacular.

It took Rome another four centuries and Vatican II to do the same. By happy coincidence, the first prayer book was drafted by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer at the Renaissance peak of the English language and has become a literary treasure.

However, Anglicans have paid a price for this: a fixation on books in worship.

I remember in BCP services how people would follow the book word for word, even though they knew it by heart.

Some wags said it was to verify the priest was not deviating one iota from the approved text! The same is happening now with the Book of Alternative Services (BAS).

But worship is intended for the whole person, for all the senses: colour, light, sound, touch, taste, movement, gesture, even smell (incense on occasion).

Ours is a visual age, especially for young people.

Yet how often do I see Anglicans ignoring the liturgical drama at the altar while they scrutinize the eucharistic prayer line by line in their books; or tuning out

the readers or intercessors while they follow the written texts instead.

How often do I hear the presiding celebrant intone “now turn to page such-andsuch” (admittedly a helpful gesture for newcomers and visitors).

We are so caught up in flipping from one book or paper to another that we often miss the big picture of the liturgy.

The problem is, we do require some texts, particularly those of the hymns, psalms, canticles and those prayers which we say (or sing) together.

We need the words of the Gloria, Creeds and Confession (although I think we should really learn them!) and of the varying responses in the BAS for the six eucharistic prayers and the Breaking of the Bread.

How do we resolve this conundrum? How do we encourage our worshippers to look and listen as well as read?

One solution is to project the necessary texts on overhead screens; but that means people may gaze at the screens instead of their books.

Another is to provide some or all of the texts in the service bulletin, although the latter may simply end up being a substitute for the book.

If I had my druthers, apart from hymns/psalms/ canticles I’d provide only the essential texts in the bulletin, such as the common prayers and responses – NOT the eucharistic prayers, not the readings (our cathedral does, but I wish we didn’t!), and certainly not the intercessions.

Let’s listen to those who are speaking (or singing), watch liturgical actions and movements, and participate in the drama of the liturgy.

Canon Michael Jackson is deacon at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Regina.

DIOCESE OF QU’APPELLE

News and notes g Clergy changes Rev. Jonathan Hoskin has moved from Swift Current to become rector of St. George, Brandon, effective Sept. 15.

Rev. Delta Kelly, of the parish of Saskatchewan

Gateway, retired on July 31.

She will continue to have permission to officiate. g Bishop named chair The Primate, Fred Hiltz, has appointed Bishop Rob Hardwick as chair of the

national co-ordinating committee for Resources for Mission, the stewardship and fundraising arm of General Synod. This is a second three-year term as chair for Hardwick.

Liturgy involves colour, movement, gestures, spoken word, and sometimes incense, plus written texts. Photo by M. Ball