Saskatchewan anglican
The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • November 2013
New parish, new name By Sue Boxall
Beadwork in the afternoon Participants of the James Settee College summer session hold up some of the beadwork they are working on, during an afternoon activity. The College held its summer session at Camp Okema in August. For story see Page 4. Photo — Mary Brown
Diocese of Saskatoon reimagines church during 71st Synod By Peter R. Coolen SASKATOON – The 71st Synod began on the evening of Sept. 12 with the opening Eucharist service and the Bishop’s Charge, followed by a reception by the bishop in the Parish Hall. The 71st Synod ran from Sept. 12-15 and was entitled “Reimagining Church.” The synod was unusual in that it included a series of five workshops, open to all members of the diocese, which were intercalated with the working sessions of synod. These workshops were entitled: Brave New World; What in the World is God up to?; The School of Jesus; Changing World, Changing Church; and Where Do We Go from Here? The workshop sessions were moderated and lead by Rev. Ryan Sim, a church planter with the Diocese of Toronto, who
is currently engaged in a fresh expression ministry and has a passion for encouraging creative new approaches to ministry and mission. Approximately 100 people attended the synod and the series of workshops. Greetings to synod were sent by Chief Perry Belgarde (FSIN), Bishop Don Bolan (Roman Catholic Bishop of Saskatoon), Inner city Churches, the Mennonite Church and in person by Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchinson. The synod also welcomed representatives from other denominations (Roman Catholic, Mennonite, United and Baptist churches) who were present at the opening service Bishop David Irving, in his Bishop’s Charge (see the text of the Bishop’s Charge elsewhere in this issue) referred to the progress that had been made in the diocese since the last Synod, entitled “Embracing Change”. It had then become obvious
to many that changes needed to be made in how the diocese offered ministry in both the rural and urban setting. This progress had included: new internal communications systems; the establishment of a Locally Raised Clergy program; assistance to the diocesan newspaper (the Saskatchewan Anglican); appointments of a new diocesan archivist, a diocesan youth co-ordinator , a Locally Trained Clergy training officer and a stewardship officer; workshops on new ways of doing ministry, amalgamation discussions that resulted in the merging of three city parishes; and internal (Habitat for Humanity ) and external (Baja, Mexico) outreach programs. With the present series of workshops in this synod, members of the diocese can begin to look at methods and models that they could consider for use in re-invigorating their own parishes, as well as their
own personnel religious life and practice. Also, during the opening service, the following Certificates of Recognition for long Service in Ministry were made (the full text of several of these awards will be printed in a future edition of the Saskatchewan Anglican): Rev. Quenton Little presented Marion Weinhandl. Marion was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for her 76 years of devoted service in ministry as organist for St. Stephen’s Church, Lintlaw. Marion began to play the organ at St. Stephen’s at age 10 and has continued to do so up until today, except for the year 1941, when she had to leave town for one year to attend high school. It is rare indeed to have a Sunday at St. Stephen’s without Marion at the organ. Rev. Peter Norman presented Mary Ann Assailly. See ‘Reimagining’ on Page 4
FORT QU’APPELLE (Qu’A) – When two existing parishes, with four churches plus Anglicans from nearby towns, amalgamate, it can be difficult to choose a new name. After many meetings between the churches and Diocese of Qu’Appelle, the amalgamation was approved, but the difficult job of name choice began! The Parish of Touchwood Trail (St. John’s, Fort Qu’Appelle and St. Cuthbert’s, Dysart with members from Cupar as well) and The Parish of Holy Faith (St. Paul’s, Balcarres, All Saints, Katepwa and the towns of Abernethy and Ituna) were having a hard time choosing. It wasn’t until new incumbent Rev. Warren Huestis arrived in January that they set off on a new way of looking at names. Parishioners were asked to look at saints found in the Book of Alternative Services, “For All the Saints, Prayers and Readings for Saints’ Days.” Huestis suggested members of each congregation, individually, pick a few they liked, based on descriptions of the saints’ lives and actions. They were to think about their mission in this area of the province and about the person(s) who most embodied those traits. It sounds simple, but it took time to wade through many pages of people, some of whom they may not have known before! One Sunday each church congregation gathered, including children of the parishes, in individual churches, to try to define the most obvious trait God was telling them to focus on. Ballots were distributed, and at the tally, it appeared many of the people decided finding a place somewhere between our great traditions and current culture, that would bring the love and word of God to our communities, was the ultimate goal our name should reflect. Then came the difficult task. It is hard to change a name so familiar to many and has, in itself, a significant meaning. The second round of ballots was passed out and, after a long discussion, the choice was made – Thomas Cranmer and Richard Hooker (Teachers of the Faith). So, with Bishop Rob Hardwick’s approval, all Anglicans in the areas mentioned above will be part of “Teachers of the Faith Parish.”
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Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into the Bible’s words Is the Bible still relevant to Christians in the 21st century in terms of instruction and direction? By Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck SASKATOON – Well, the short answer is, in a word, yes! Indeed it would be hard to assert otherwise and still remain in the Christian fold. However, there is a more involved answer which challenges some of the assumptions buried in the question itself. In the 16th century, Martin Luther set the tone for the various European reformations by insisting on the principle of “sola sciptura”. That is, over against such other authorities as the Pope, the bishops, even the Councils and Creeds, “Scripture alone” would be the guide and final arbiter in matters of faith and doctrine. Yes, this radical position must be understood in the wider context of the reformers’ reflections on the “Word of God”. For Luther, Calvin and the leaders of the English reformations, the Word of God is primarily Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity
(see John 1). Only secondarily did the phrase “Word of God” refer to the Bible, and that insofar as the Bible bore witness to the Living Word, who is Christ. Luther was no fundamentalist; for him, the Bible was like the cradle in the Christmas manger, significant insofar as it held the Christchild. To greater and lesser degrees, the other reformers concurred with Luther’s assessment of the relationship between the Word of God Incarnate in Christ, and the Word of God, in the Bible. For Anglican reformers, the goal of reading Scripture was to discover the whole mind of Christ. This is where we begin to depart somewhat from our original question, in the way it was asked. Though it may come as a surprise to some, we do not read Scripture primarily for the purposes of “instruction and direction”. We are not looking for information, data, law or “ten easy steps …”. Rather, we read Scripture to meet a Person. We read Scripture to encounter Christ,
the Living Word of God. And yes, certainly the Christ we meet in Scripture may give us instruction and may give us direction. Christ may comfort us, challenge us, exhort us or commend us. But this “meeting with Christ” is very different than treating the Bible as a “textbook to godly living”, or a “dummies’ guide to salvation”. And it is certainly different than treating the Bible as a collection of moral laws which can be used to back up our own chosen vision of society. Christian history is filled with examples of Scripture being employed to beat others into submission, such as: slavery, crusades, residential schools, witch hunts and the ongoing oppression of women and gender-minorities.It is always possible to take chapter and verse from the Holy Book and use them as a weapon against others. But when it comes to encountering the true and Living Word of God in Christ, we find that we are a long way from this type of theological bullying. When Karl Barth was asked to clarify his position
on Scripture, he is reported to have said, “I take the Bible too seriously to take it literally”. Whether we find ourselves on the conservative end of the hermeneutic spectrum (as was Barth), or the liberal, or somewhere in between, it behooves all of us as Anglicans to put away the idle fantasy of a literal interpretation of the Bible. That sort of thing only does harm and can hardly be edifying for the church or world. Instead, let us follow the lead of Barth’s teacher, Calvin, who reminded us of our absolute need for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, to breathe life into the words of the Bible, so that we can encounter the Living Word, the crucified and risen Christ, full of compassion, justice, righteousness and truth. Without the Spirit, no text, however ancient or revered, can set us in the presence of God. To open the pages of sacred Scripture “for the purpose of instruction and direction” is too little to ask. Instead, let us cry out to God to send Her Holy Spirit, that the human words of the Bible may become for us the Living Word, Christ our Lord, who sets our hearts on fire.
Bible not fully experienced if treated as a ‘smorgasbord of ideas’ Is the Bible still relevant to Christians in the 21st century in terms of instruction and direction? By Rev. Dell Bornowsky BIG COUNTRY PARISH (Qu’A) – Hermeneutics (the principles and practice of biblical interpretation) is probably not the hottest topic in our parish life, but is nevertheless one of the most important questions Anglicans can be asking. I am not likely to answer it fully in 600 words. Suppose you discover in your attic a collection of odd stories including a treasure map. They appear to be the work of your ancestors but they are in several languages, the stories seem a bit fantastic and are difficult to interpret. What do you do? Do you frame the documents to keep as family heirlooms for sentimental reasons, or do you study the texts carefully with a view to finding the treasure? Our response to the Bible will depend on what we think it is. In his book Rescuing the
Bible from Fundamentalism, John Shelby Spong’s mission seems worthwhile, and we expect to be guided toward better interpretive skills than those exhibited by the fundamentalists Spong critiques. He expresses an intention to make modern biblical scholarship accessible, but then ignores a broad swath of scholarship related to the Bible’s reliability. We are disappointed when he doesn’t present a method any more nuanced or rigorous than the literalism he abhors. His quest to free the Bible from simplistic literalistic interpretations seems to end in equally simplistic dismissals of readings he doesn’t find appealing. Spong then suggests that the biblical authors were only concerned with inner subjective experiences of God and never intended speak of the objective real world anyway. It seems his rescue attempt is equivalent to shooting the hostage. If we are real followers of a real Jesus, shouldn’t we adopt the view of the
Scriptures and their methods of interpretation used by Jesus and the apostles to get relevant instruction and direction from the Bible? For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a two-edged sword, dividing soul from spirit … able to judge the innermost thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16). However, I do not believe we experience the full significance of the Bible if we treat it as if it were a smorgasbord of ideas, which we pick over to find a few items “relevant” to our personal psychological needs and then dismiss the rest as irrelevant. Nor is relevant instruction obtained even by simply finding biblical themes such as “liberation” and “justice” that “resonate” with our popular political and social issues.
When current fashionable cultural values become the arbiter of what we allow God to say through the Bible, we reduce biblical morality to saying “don’t lie, cheat, steal, kill or commit adultery unless you really need to or want to in your particular context.” The Bible appears to have been written by people who believed most strongly that God had acted in human history on planet Earth and was likely to continue to do so. I believe real relevance comes not when we fit parts of the Bible into our stories, but when we fit our stories into the Bible story. We are not apt to find the treasure buried in the Bible unless we diligently search for it. We are not apt to understand or utilize the richness of that treasure until we realize that in Christ we have been invited, not just into a self-help course in finding relevant lessons, but into life in a kingdom which draws its very significance and meaning from the grand biblical narrative: the story of creation, failure and redemption.
Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • January 2013
anglican
Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle. Published monthly except for July and August. Whole No. 292, Vol. 42, No. 3 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 January issue must be recieved by the diocesan editor no later than Friday, November 29. All pictures must be sent as JPEGS and 1 MB (megabyte) in size.
CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor: Jason Antonio SKAnglicanEditor@gmail.com 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5 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: Mary Brown synod@sasktel.net 1308 Fifth Avenue East Prince Albert, Sask., S6V 2H7 Phone: (306) 763-2455
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
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We give because we have received the grace and generosity of God By Bishop Michael Hawkins Diocese of Saskatchewan PRINCE ALBERT – Freely ye have received, freely give. The Bishops’ Stewardship Vision for the Diocese of Saskatchewan is:That every Anglican in this diocese know the grace of God in Jesus Christ and that we might use God’s gifts of time, wealth and skill, to become better followers of Jesus – by how we live, how we care for one another, how we care for creation, how we worship God and how we build a strong and vibrant Church, so that others might come to know the grace of Jesus Christ also. The ground and centre of everything we say and do must be the Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Christian stewardship is about living out a new relationship which we have with the Lord, one another and with creation through Jesus Christ and in the power of the
Holy Spirit. This places our talking and teaching about giving in its proper context, as a response to the Gospel of salvation and as a part of a life of discipleship, of commitment to and growth in following Jesus Christ. When Jesus first sent His Church out into the world, He gave us some very simple
marching orders that included this: “Freely ye have received, freely give.” The Greek for the adverb “freely” comes from the word for gift, so that we might translate: “As a gift you have received, give as a gift.” The first principle of Christian giving is receiving. We give because we have first received and we give generously and graciously because we have received the grace and generosity of God. Christian giving is a grateful response to, and imitation of, the grace of God, our God who did not save Himself but spent Himself on the cross for our salvation and pours out Himself, His own Spirit upon us. The Gospel of grace makes us gracious, as St. Peter says, “If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” When St. Paul appealed for a financial contribution from the Corinthians, the basis was this: “Ye know the grace of our Lord
Saskatoon church rises to meet PWRDF poverty challenge By Valerie Maier PWRDF Representative, Diocese of Ottawa OTTAWA – How do you raise awareness about poverty issues? What are some steps we can take to fulfill our baptismal covenant? What can we do to lessen suffering in the world? And is there a contemporary way to mark the Lenten season, when Christians traditionally attempt to lessen material consumption and focus on spiritual growth? Last January, the Ottawa Diocesan Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund Working Group considered these weighty questions and came up with a response it called the “Parish Poverty Challenge.” The idea was for parishes across Canada to hold an event during Lent, to support PWRDF, and to inform people about poverty issues. From this kernel of an idea, a national program developed that gave scores of parishes an opportunity to educate, inform and build communities of hope and compassion. The Parish Poverty Challenge provided people with a chance to express their faith and take steps to build a more
truly just, healthy and peaceful world. The PWRDF Ottawa Group contacted parishes in every Canadian diocese, and urged them to come up with their own ways to inform members about poverty at home and abroad, and to raise awareness about how PWRDF helps to alleviate the social injustices poverty causes. Three dioceses took part: Ottawa, Saskatoon and Kootenay. Parishes across the country from Ottawa to parishes in the Kootenay held poverty lunches and suppers; St. Mark’s, Saskatoon, had a PWRDF Soup Kitchen Sunday; St. George’s, Westbank, B.C. held a bistro night with specialized coffees, music and games; The Church of the Epiphany, Ottawa, held a continental breakfast; and a whiskey tasting event took place at St. Paul’s, Kanata, Ont.; Also, the cathedral in Kelowna, B.C. decorated coffee cups with statistics describing the true face of poverty in Canada and around the world. (Cathedral parishioners took these cups home to fill with the change they spend each day on coffee and tea. After several weeks, they brought cheques for the funds collected as a PWRDF donation.)
Furthermore, All Saints, Ottawa celebrated its new organ by organizing a hymn sing; and one parish made marmalade, while others in Saskatchewan and B.C. baked “tasty tortes” and other special delicacies. The Poverty Challenge wasn’t all about eating and drinking, though. It also involved engaging in education and spiritual growth. Christ Church, Bells Corners, Ont. held a Lenten speakers’ series and the spiritual team at Ottawa’s women’s shelter organized a “virtual pilgrimage”! Parishioners learned that: UNICEF believes as many as 30,000 children die each day due to poverty; 38 per cent of the people in Canada relying on food banks are children; nearly half the world, over three billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day; and the cost of poverty to Canada has been estimated at some $80 billion a year. The Lenten Poverty Challenge raised around $15,000, but more importantly, it drew Anglicans across the country together. Our thoughts, prayers and actions were raised in a common cause to understand and alleviate the injustice that poverty creates.
Jesus Christ.” The basis for the appeal was not law or guilt but grace and gratitude. He holds up the Macedonian Christians as examples, and in speaking of their generous liberality, he sets it in this important context: “They first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” Their financial commitment and gift followed upon and expressed their primary commitment to Jesus Christ and to the Apostolic Church. So St. Paul tells us not to give out of external necessity or compulsion, but out of internal, gracious gratitude and commitment. “Every one according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” That cheerful giving is part of our whole commitment to Christ that involves offering our time, talent and treasure,
our days, dignity and dollars in His service. Our financial giving and stewardship need to be considered in the larger context of our stewardship of creation and our entire life of discipleship. I would invite you to consider how you are going to live out your gratitude to God in Christ in the next year, especially in terms of the basic building blocks of a life of discipleship. They include: Weekly Worship; Daily Prayer and Bible Reading; Christian Living; Christian Witness; Ministry in the Church and in the World; and Giving. Our giving is an expression of gratitude for the grace of God in Christ and of a commitment to Jesus Christ, who first committed Himself to us and for us. I invite you to be renewed in that grateful commitment in your own congregation and community.
Workshop about preaching to be held in Prince Albert By Dean Kenneth Davis Diocese of Saskatchewan PRINCE ALBERT – On Friday, Nov. 15 we welcome to the Cathedral of St. Alban the Martyr in Prince Albert Rev. Bob Hartley. Bob was reacquainted with our Dean this summer, a meeting we believe was the answer to prayer and the Hand of God. Bob is an effective priest, pastor, preacher, teacher and counsellor. After a service which included a fine and challenging sermon on prayer, Bob sat down with the Dean, Kenneth Davis, and offered to come to Saskatchewan and offer a preaching workshop. This particular workshop has been offered in various forms in the Diocese of Toronto, with very favourable responses from participants. The workshop is entitled “Preaching so They’ll Come Back for More.” It will be held at the Cathedral on Friday, Nov. 15 (7-9 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 16 (9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Clergy (and lay readers who preach in their parishes) in
the Diocese of Saskatchewan have all been invited to “allow God to use Bob to enable good preachers to become better and weaker preachers to add appeal and conviction to their sermons.” Participants are asked to register by Oct. 22 so we have an idea of numbers. The cost of the workshop will be $25 for Stipendiary Clergy and $5 for Nonstipendiary clergy and lay readers. (The fee will cover the cost of our food on Saturday and help with an honorarium for our leader). We have generously been offered money by our bishops to help us with costs, and we are now able to offer up to six rooms on the Friday night, for those who live a long distance from the Cathedral; first come, first served. We are looking forward to some enriching, challenging and inspiring sessions to better equip us all as Proclaimers of the Word of God. For registration forms, please contact the Cathedral of St. Alban the Martyr at 306-922-0044 or saintalban@ sasktel.net.
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Reimagining church in Saskatoon Continued from Page 1 Mary Ann was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for her many years of service on behalf of the diocese and as diocesan representative, on the provincial and national Truth and Reconciliation committees. She was also recognized for her work in helping to organize and run the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s National Event in Saskatoon in June 2012. Dean Scott Pittendrigh, Dean of the Cathedral, presented Dean Klaus and Margie Gruber. Klaus and Margie were awarded a Certificate of Recognition for their many years of ministry and involvement at the national and diocesan levels assisting international refugees, both caring for them in their own homes and for helping to bring them into Canada and assisting them to settle here. Executive Archdeacon Henry Comerford presented Rev. Ken Watts. Ken Watts was awarded both a Certificate of Recognition and was made a canon of the diocese for his more than 30 years of ministry and giving and for his service to Jesus Christ. The sessions of synod and the workshops were spread over the days and evening of Sept. 13-15 and were held in the cathedral’s parish hall. The workshop sessions were original planned to be run by Prof. John Bowen. Unfortunately, he recovering from surgery and was advised not to travel.
Instead, the workshops were run by Rev. Ryan Sim, a church planter with the Diocese of Toronto, who is currently engaged in a fresh expression ministry with busy commuters. Sim, who has had experience in both rural and urban settings and who speaks and teaches regularly, is part of the Fresh Expressions Canada national team and chairs the Vital Church Planting Conference. The workshop attendees were exposed and challenged by Ryan to three days of stimulating, and sometimes non-traditional, ideas on new approaches and solutions to the old problems of declining attendance, alienation and perceived irrelevance of the present church communities and practices. These discussions culminated in the final session, on the last day, with a concrete series of suggestions to approaches to action and expectations for parishes in various stages and forms of difficulty. At the end of the workshop sessions on Sunday morning, both Dean Scott Pittendrigh and Bishop David Irving thanked Ryan for his stimulating and imaginative presentations and Dean Scott presented Ryan with one of the cathedral’s centennial sweatshirts, which loudly proclaims in large print, “Anglican Have More Fun!” The synod and workshops ended with a Sunday afternoon Eucharist in the cathedral; the sermon for this service was given by Rev. Canon Ken Watts.
St. Matthew’s Church in Regina honoured long-time ACW members for their many contributions. In the back, from left, are Betty Petersen, Jean Twerdachlib and Gladys McEachen. In the front, from left, are Ruby Clarke and Ileen Ethier. Photo — Ralph Machin
St. Matthew’s honours long-time ACW members By Kathy Chlopan REGINA – During a service at St. Matthew’s Church in Regina, five ladies were honoured for long service to the ACW. Ruby Clarke was the faithful ACW secretary for 18 years, also contributing her talents to every function that was held. Ruby has attended St. Matthew’s for over 58 years, and for much of that time, she was a member of the ACW. Jean Twerdachlib has been a loyal member of the ACW
James Settee College at Camp Okema Aboriginal Bishop Mark MacDonald led Bible study By Mary Brown PRINCE ALBERT – The summer session of the James Settee College at Camp Okema in August was under direction of the new Indigenous bishop, along with an indigenous committee formed to organize the event. They decided to make it a family camp. The students brought their children and grandchildren. Dixie Bird, with help from Edna Mirasty, headed up the Vacation Bible School component of the camp. Bishop Mark MacDonald
was the main instructor, along with Deacon Sam Halkett. Everyone enjoyed a week of prayer and Bible study, based on A Disciple’s Prayer Book with Bishop Mark. Part of each day was spent on syllabics instruction from Sam. Evenings were spent around the campfire and some great jam sessions were performed by students who brought their guitars, keyboards and hymnbooks. A cultural night was held one evening, where Elder Ruth Ross taught everyone how to do beadwork. I tried it and it is not easy to
do. Now when I see beadwork, I realize how much work it is and have a great respect for those who do it. Since taking the instruction, I have spoken to people about their experiences with beadwork, and they mostly tell stories of their mother or grandmother showing them how to do it. It is something that is handed down from generation to generation. The next James Settee College session will be at St. Alban’s Cathedral from Nov. 25-29, 2013 and will be entitled Biblical Theology.
for over 30 years and served as president, as well as organizing many bazaars. Gladys McEachen joined St. Matthew’s ACW in 1958. She has been treasurer for over 33 years and does an excellent job, as well as contributing to every event and project at the church. Ileen Ethier has worshipped at St. Matthew’s since 1946 and has been a faithful member of ACW since 1985. Ileen’s happy nature has added enjoyment to ACW
meetings. Betty Petersen is an inspiration to all. Even though she is over 90 years old, it is difficult to keep up with her. Her contributions to ACW and St. Matthew’s church are many. Betty often will be the first to greet worshippers when they arrive at the church on Sunday morning. The parish thanks these ladies for their many contributions to St. Matthew’s ACW.
Saskatoon’s locally trained clergy program Do you love God? Do you love the church? Have you been involved in lay ministry in your parish for quite some time and wonder about going even deeper? Perhaps God is calling you to diaconal or priestly ministry! “Who, me?” you might say. Yes, YOU! Stranger things have happened you know. God needs workers in the vineyard, including priests and deacons. Perhaps now is the time for you to consider it. The Diocese of Saskatoon has a new program for training clergy. The program takes three to five years to complete,
depending on how much time you can devote to it. There is no cost to you, as the training leads to a non-stipendiary (voluntary) ordained ministry. The program includes reading courses, in-house training sessions, spiritual formation and a supervised apprenticeship. The path to Holy Orders is an awesome spiritual adventure. Take the plunge now!For more information, please contact the Diocesan Training Officer, Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck, at greenpriest@hotmail.ca.
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Peace award given out in Saskatoon Local groups, including churches and faith organizations, work together to bring awareness to missing aboriginal women and support the women’s families By Mary Ann Assailly SASKATOON – On Sept. 19, a large number of Saskatoon groups and the family of longtime peace advocate Joanna Miller awarded a new annual peace award at Saskatoon City Council Chambers. The Miller family awarded Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik, “Women Walking Together”, a $2,000 cash award in recognition of the group’s work toward peace and social justice. Funded by the City of Saskatoon’s Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee and the Miller family, Saskatoon’s Joanna Miller Peace Award was established to recognize excellence in peace activism.
Representatives of Women Walking Together/Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik accept the Joanna Miller Peace Award on Sept. 19 at Saskatoon City Council Chambers. In back, from left, are: Dorthea Swiftwolf – Missing Persons Laison, Victim Services, Saskatoon City Police Services; Lorraine Pura – Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy and Rights; Simon Bird – vice chief, FSIN; and Roger Assailly – group supporter, Anglican Church TRC. In the middle, from left, are: Monica Goulet – Aboriginal Relations Consultant, Saskatoon Police Service; Val Arnault-Pelletier – University of Saskatchewan Aboriginal Medicine; Helen Smith McIntyre – Amnesty International Chapter 33, United Church; Rita Bovier – University of Saskatchewan; Mary Ann Assailly –Truth and Reconciliation liaison, Anglican Church representative; and Felix Thomas – Saskatoon Tribal Council chief. In the front, from left, are: Marlee Ritchie – activist; Rachel Fiddler – Community co-ordinator, Oskayak High School; and Darlene Okemaysi-Sicott. Photo — Saskatoon Tribal Council Miller, who passed away at age 85 in March 2012, was recognized as one of Saskatoon’s and Canada’s leaders in the search for sustainable peace and social justice. The award is also supported by: Multi Faith Saskatoon; Saskatoon Tribal Council; the Saskatoon Police Service; the United Nations Association of Canada, Saskatoon branch; The Saskatoon Peace Coalition; and Project
Ploughshares. Women Walking Together/ Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik is a local network of concerned citizens-activists, academics, grassroots people, representatives from the Anglican and United churches and organizations from the Province of Saskatchewan, who came together in 2005 out of concern for the lack of attention given to the cases of missing Aboriginal women in Saskatchewan and Canada.
The group focuses its efforts on raising awareness of systematic violence against women through education and political action. They remain committed to the broader goal of social justice and peace through providing moral and direct support to families of missing Aboriginal women, collaboration with organizations in the prevention of violence against women and paying tribute to missing
individuals. The group has maintained a visible presence in the community through organization of awareness walks, vigils and various other activities that pertain to social justice and peace. In the future, Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik plans to focus efforts on enhancing decision-making skills of youth in schools and communities through anti-violence education.
Diocese of Saskatoon Announcements for November 2013 Centring Prayer at the Cathedral: If you are longing for a little more quiet, solitude and an opportunity to “be still”, please join Sarah Donnelly on Sunday mornings for 20 minutes of Centring Prayer at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. This is an ancient form of prayer, grounded in the Christian Mystical Tradition. The group will meet in the Dean’s office at 9:45 a.m. for a 10 minute teaching/reflection on some aspect of Centring Prayer, and then 20 minutes of meditative silence, will begin promptly at 9:55 a.m. and end at 10:15 a.m.
All are warmly welcome! Testament, The Bible and History: A BBC learning adventure, St. George’s Anglican Church, Saskatoon, Thursday evenings from Jan. 16 to Feb. 27, 2014, $25 (includes study guide). Phone 306-242-7973 (please see additional information in notice elsewhere in this issue). Friends and Family Service: St. George’s, Saskatoon, 7 p.m. every Friday night, music and prayer for kids, teens and adults. Integrity/Saskatoon: Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral,
816 Spadina Crescent East, Saskatoon. This is a group for the GLBTT community and friends. Includes Eucharist open to all, followed by GLBTT reflections and a social/ refreshment hour. Presiding priest will be the newly ordained Rev. Emily Carr, supported by Rev. Joe Ponic. All are welcome! For info contact: Tom & Rose Rogers at 306-491-3315; the Integrity/Saskatoon web site at www.integritysaskatoon. blogspot.com; or on Facebook at “Integrity Saskatoon”. Coffee at St. George’s, Saskatoon: All are welcome to
join the Parish of St. George’s Community Coffee House on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for coffee, muffins and fellowship. The address is St. George’s Anglican Church, Parish Hall, 624 Ave I S., Saskatoon. For information call 306-242-7973. Teas and Garage Sales: St. George’s, Saskatoon will be holding its ACW Christmas Bake Sale on Saturday, Nov. 2 (9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at the Market Mall, Saskatoon. Seniors’ Lunch, St. George’s, Battleford: The Friendship Committee of St. George’s, Battleford invites all
seniors to join them for lunch on the first Monday of each month. In order to be included in a timely manner brief notices for events should be supplied to the Associate Editor by fax, e-mail or “snail mail” by the last week of the month, two months before the month in which the insertion is desired (for example, November submissions will be in the January issue). Detailed and longer texts of events will not be included in this section but, should space allow, could be the subject of additional articles or notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
Speaker discusses role of ‘religion’ in recent statecraft By Frank Flegel
Following Morris McKenzie’s ordination to the priesthood, Bishop Michael Hawkins, Rev. Morris McKenzie, Chief Tammy Cook-Searson and Bishop Adam Halkett gather for a picture in Stanley Mission in northern Saskatchewan. Photo — Mary Brown
Morris McKenzie ordained to the priesthood By Mary Brown STANLEY MISSION (SKWN) – On Sept. 25, Deacon Morris McKenzie was ordained into the priesthood in the Diocese of Saskatchewan. He was ordained to the diaconate on Oct. 22, 2011. The ordination was held in the picturesque community of Stanley Mission. Morris and his wife Sarah have four children:
Megan, Cindy, Noah and Vivienne. His hobbies include walking, music, hockey and woodworking. He has been an active lay reader and deacon who dedicates himself to the spiritual needs of the community, but knows when to take time for self and family. This was the first ordination performed by the new Indigenous Bishop Adam
Halkett. At the ordination, Chief Tammy Cook- Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band told the congregation of how pleased she was to see the two bishops working together Mamuwe isi Miywachimowin (Together in the Gospel). The collection taken at the service, totaling $275, was given to Mamuwe for the position of Indigenous bishop.
REGINA – Governments and religion are not that different and the Bible is not really about religion, but all about governing, that according to Dr. Naomi Goldberg, professor of Religious Studies, University of Ottawa. Goldberg delivered the annual Max and Pearl Herman Lecture on Sept. 24, to more than 100 people jammed into the third floor offices of the Saskatchewan Film Pool Cooperative in downtown Regina. Organizers said the unusual site was chosen to encourage more university people to attend and many did. A class from Luther High School was also in attendance. The lecture was titled An exploration of the role of “religion” in contemporary statecraft and began with references to a recent display in Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization titled God(s): A Users Guide. “There were posters, explanations and little games to play and so many definitions that it would be hard pressed to define what it is not,” said Goldberg. She said the poster advertising the museum’s show was four different people with their eyes downcast in apparent contemplation. “But a lot of fear is absent from the displays; controversial views like female circumcision.” Quoting several authors, she said religions are kind of governments and the
discussions become clearer that they are not separate things from government. “That discourse is just beginning,” she said. “I don’t think the discussions are serving us well to pretend that religions are something separate from government. They’re grounded in government and authorized by government,” said Goldberg following her lecture. “The category of religion is what is denied violence by governments. Things become religion by governments when they want populations to continue to exist within their boundaries. Governments want to take the power of violence away from them. Sovereign states want to be the only ones who control the violence.” She also noted how religion is used by governments and referred to the U.S. which in 1954 added the words one nation under God to its pledge of allegiance, while the Canadian Constitution recognizes the supremacy of God. In Canada’s case she said recognizing the supremacy of God is a metaphor to colonial history and a reference to a superior authority. “Religion becomes useful to maintain a coherence,” said Goldberg. Briefly referencing the Bible, in her opinion it is not about religion but about governing with frequent admonitions of what behaviour is acceptable and what is not.
Shalomstead: Adapting to the seasons By Revs. Shawn and Janice Sanford Beck Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles taken from the blog site of Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck and his family. The Sanford Beck family (Shawn, Janice and Christopher, Rowan and Robin) have recently moved to a small off-the-grid farm north of the Battlefords. Follow their adventures at shalomsteadblog.wordpress.com. THE BATTLEFORDS (Saskatoon) – After all our worries that the road would be too mucky for our moving truck to make it to the farm, we instead arrived just as the summer’s first heat wave was setting in. Given that most of our living quarters are in the basement and that the farm’s location allows for (twice) daily swims in
Murray Lake, this was not a big problem until it came time to cook for ourselves. We soon learned just how much heat a wood cookstove can put out. And it didn’t help that the kitchen is the one room above ground or that its windows face south. Our first couple days of cooking for ourselves were sweltering. As we climbed the stairs from our living room to our kitchen, it smelled like we were entering a sauna. A lovely smell, but not a comfortable place to cook, eat and wash dishes. So we got creative thinking of ways to use the excess heat and limit the number of times we need to light the stove. While our breakfast is cooking in the morning, we often get our lunch going too. A pot of soup started on the stove at breakfast time can be
popped into the oven to keep warm until lunch. When we’re out of bread, biscuits can go into the oven at the same time. And I’ve learned that a cake that goes in after breakfast and gets forgotten for the rest of the morning comes out just beautifully! For breakfast on a hot day, we can pair potatoes baked on the embers of the previous evening’s fire with pre-cooked boiled eggs. Add the Saskatoon berries (that are starting to ripen) and a bowl of yogurt and voila! breakfast. For me (Janice), it’s a whole new way of thinking about food and energy use. Each day is an experiment, and so far, they’ve all been pretty tasty! *** Well, we’re definitely into harvest season around here on
the farm. The garden is overflowing with veggies, the fruit trees are dropping their bounty and the field crops are soon to be cut. And you can feel the shift in the air. We are still bearing the heatwave, but the evenings are cooling right down and the leaves are beginning to turn and fall. Autumn is emerging as summer comes to its end. After the Labour Day weekend, we were highly conscious that although the kids are not going “back to school”, it is very much that time of year for many of our friends. Summer vacation is over and the hectic fall routines begin for many of you. As we sat around the fire outside a few nights ago, I (Shawn) was thinking about how thankful I am that so many of you shared your summers with us. We have had almost non-stop
visitors here at Shalomstead for the past two months and it has been great. When we left Saskatoon at the end of June, it felt a bit like falling off the face of the Earth … I was worried that we wouldn’t see any of our friends for a long, long time. That fear has been put to rest! So thank you, all of you, who have visited, phoned, e-mailed, sent letters, given encouragement and kept us in your thoughts and prayers. It has really made a difference for us and helped make this time of transition a whole lot easier. As the wheel of the year turns, and we begin to celebrate the bounty of the harvest, we’ll be thinking of each of you, giving thanks for the gift of friendship and for the wonderful web of relations which upholds this fragile world. Peace.
The Saskatchewan Anglican
Outline for Saskatoon’s 2014 Mission to Mexico trip Contributed SASKATOON – The goal is to have a team of 30 people representing as many of the parishes in our diocese as possible. Our hope is to build three houses in a poor community in the Baja and to make a connection through Faith in Action. The Mission dates are June 21-30, 2014. Please consider sponsoring someone from your parish to be a part of the Mission Team so your fundraising can begin. An initial deposit of $350 for each representative is required. The deposit will hold a spot on the Mission 2014 Team. It is hoped names will be finalized as soon as possible; however, if you do not have a name but wish to send a participant from your parish, a deposit is still required by Oct. 20. The remainder of the money ($2,400) will be due on April 14, 2014. The breakdown of expenses are as follows: $1,400 for the cement pads, building materials, furnishings for homes, stoves, groceries for the families, transportation and accommodation for the mission
participant; $1,000 is budgeted for the flights to San Diego for the participants; The cost of passports, medical insurance, vaccinations, two meals in San Diego and personal spending are not included in the $2,400 total cost for each participant; Any gifts over $20 for the Baja Mission will be tax receipted. Gifts can be sent directly to the diocesan office or go through your parish. Please forward names and deposit to the Anglican Synod Office (cheques should be made payable to the Diocese of Saskatoon). If you are unable to send a representative from your parish, please consider supporting the mission through either individual donations or parish gifts that will be used directly for the build. A member of the Mission Planning Committee will try to visit your area this fall to present the details of the 2014 program and to answer questions. Questions can be directed to “Mission 2014” at anglicansynod@sasktel.net. Please keep Mission 2014 in your prayers.
November 2013
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Three canons, archdeacon: installed and collated
Canon Catherine Harper, Executive Archdeacon Mary Ann Boote, Bishop Rob Hardwick, Canon Michael Jackson, Lay Canon Trevor Powell and Dean Mike Sinclair gather for a picture in St. Paul’s Cathedral after the installation and collation of the three canons and executive archdeacon, respectively. Photo — Marian Powell By Laura Pogue REGINA – St. Paul’s Cathedral was crowded with family, friends, visiting clergy and parishioners on Sept. 22 as they gathered to witness the installation of three new canons and the collation of a new executive archdeacon. Dean Mike Sinclair installed Rev. Catherine Harper as Canon of St. Mary the Virgin, Deacon Michael Jackson as Canon of St. John the Baptist
(the first deacon canon in the diocese) and Trevor Powell as Lay Canon of St. Paul the Apostle, investing them with “all the temporal and spiritual rights and responsibilities that pertain to that office and ministry….” Then Bishop Rob Hardwick installed Rev. Mary Ann Boote as Executive Archdeacon of the Diocese, noting that “collation” meant the individual would organize and manage the affairs of the diocese.
In his sermon, he likened the new canons and archdeacon to stewards in the diocese and suggested they learn from the activities of the steward in that morning’s Gospel reading. Canon Harper is diocesan advisor on theological education and vocations; Canon Jackson, advisor on diaconal formation and practice; Canon Powell, advisor to the diocese and cathedral on history and archival matters.
College of Emmanuel and St. Chad looks to the future By Rev. Reg Wickett SASKATOON – The University of Emmanuel College/College of Emmanuel and St. Chad has served the Anglican Church of Canada for well over a century. Since 1879 the College has played an important role in providing training for ministry in the Anglican church, primarily in the Prairies and Northern Canada. But times are changing. The traditional method of training people for ministry was connected with ordination. Most candidates for ministry were encouraged to take an undergraduate university degree, followed by a three or four year degree program in theology. However, the need for the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad to change its approach
to theological education has become clear in recent times, as student enrolment and the number of positions for graduates decline. The College is continuing to operate, as the Council tries to takes stock of the changes occurring. If it is to continue to prepare people for ministry in the church, the College must recognize the changing position of the church it serves. The College has a responsibility to all of its stakeholders, including all Anglican parishes in the Province of Rupert’s Land, to use its resources to the best possible use. The approach to ministry and the type of training required for ministry is changing in major ways. Locally-raised ministry and training programs are now important to many parishes. Many young people are
interested in foundational subjects that are not found in their university programs. Should we be trying to reach these young people, most of whom will not seek careers in the ministry and may not even join a traditional church? This raises the question of the role and function of theological colleges in Canada and of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad in particular. The Council of the College has asked me to review its situation and to make recommendations for its future. I want to hear from all members of the College’s community, including: church leaders; faculty and staff (full-time, part-time and adjunct who serve currently or have a prior connection); students; alumni; friends; and anyone who is in relationship
with the College (including its partners in the Saskatoon Theological Union and the University of Saskatchewan) who wish to contribute to the review process. If you will be affected by, or are interested in, the future of theological and foundational education in Western Canada, I want to hear from YOU. My work will be supplemented by colleagues who have agreed to assist in the collection of ideas, data and other resources. Numerous colleagues on- and off-campus will play a part in the continuous process until the final report is prepared and delivered to the College council in May 2014. I invite you to share your ideas on the future of the college during the review process. Written and oral comments will be welcomed via e-mail, mail or face-to-
face meetings. Please contact me, or a member of my team, through one of the following methods: E-mail your response to reg.wickett@ usask.ca; fill in the web form at www.usask.ca/Emmanuel/ rwfeedback; or mail the form below to Rev. Reg Wickett, College of Emmanuel & St. Chad, 114 Seminary Crescent, Saskatoon, Sask., S7N OX3. The Survey Response Form needs the following: Name; Address; City/ Prov.; Postal Code; E-mail; Telephone. Question 1: I am interested in or affected by theological or foundational education in Western Canada because ... . Question 2: Here is what I would like to see in the area of theological and/or foundational education in western Canada ... .
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
The 71st Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon
Bishop’s Charge focuses on the future Editor’s note: The following is a slightly edited version of Bishop David Irving’s charge on Sept. 12 during Saskatoon’s Synod. SASKATOON — I great you in the name of God, the Son and the Spirit, and I welcome you to the 71st session of the Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon. The theme of this synod is “Reimagining Church.” It is a synod to engage us, a synod in which we will be equipped and encouraged to take some new or refreshed skills back home with us so that we can put them into practice. Our workshop leader is Rev. Ryan Sim, a church planter with the Diocese of Toronto. He is currently engaged in a fresh expression ministry with busy commuters. Ryan speaks and teaches regularly, is part of the Fresh Expressions Canada national team and chairs the Vital Church Planting Conference. Ryan has experience in both rural and urban settings and has a passion for encouraging creative new approaches to ministry and mission. We also welcome the mayor of Saskatoon who is with us this evening and will bring greetings later, and representatives from other denominations (Roman Catholic, Mennonite, United Church and Baptist churchs) who are with us this evening. I would like to backtrack to our last synod. Just to remind you the theme of our last synod was “Embracing Change.” It had become obvious to many that we had to make some changes in how we offered ministry in both the rural and urban setting. That we could either sit back and do nothing, watching more of our churches close their doors or we could look for new ways to offer ministry. Those of you that were at our last synod will remember that we had two guest speakers sharing their personal experiences as locally raised and trained clergy. One was a priest from the Diocese of Qu’Appelle; the other a deacon from the Diocese of Kootenay. Like us, both these diocese have seen de-popularisation in a number of their rural communities and quite a cultural change in the urban communities. To ensure ordained ministry could continue to be offered in these rural regions they began training locally raised clergy. In these two dioceses this has been a successful program and for many years and the communities they serve have been blessed by their presence. After synod our diocese began the work of setting up
our own training program and identifying possible candidates for ordained ministry. Rev. Shawn Sandford Beck was appointed the diocesan training officer and he is currently overseeing the training of five candidates. Once their training is complete they will be a valuable asset to the regions they are from, they will also be a great gift to the life of the diocese. This is now an ongoing program and new candidates are being identified to start training in the fall of this year or next spring. A number of months after synod I called together the city clergy and church wardens for a discussion day on ministry in Saskatoon. It was very obvious that in Saskatoon we had more church buildings than was necessary, that we were putting all our energy and resources on maintaining buildings and not on ministry. As I have said a number of times a church that is concerned only with itself will gradually wither away. The roots of a parish must extend out into new soil, no parish can be lively and energizing nor will it attract newcomers unless it has a purpose beyond its own survival. It is tempting, so deceptively easy to slide into the protective shell, to become the church that lives only for itself. If we yield to that temptation we will die. At the meeting we discussed the possibility of two or more parishes amalgamating, we considered the benefits and how it could be energizing for a new larger congregation to serve the community rather than a building. I encouraged parishes to consider starting conversations with each and see what might happen. St. Mark’s, St. Tim’s and St. James visited with each other and then we moved into a formal process which led to the
official dissolving of the three congregations and forming a new parish. Emmanuel Parish began worshipping together this summer and I believe they have a wonderful future and their ministry together will have a big impact on the community they serve and the diocese as a whole. In the Saskatoon deanery I believe there is still a need for other amalgamations and I also see a need for new church plants in areas than we do not currently offer ministry. That work has yet to begin. It was also identified that we needed to have an outreach project that we, as a diocese, could work on together in addition to our parish projects. This would help us to throw away our parochial hats and work together to meet whatever need we were called to. A new Outreach Committee was formed and set up with two sub-committees; an External Mission Project Sub-Committee to work on a project outside the diocese, and an Internal Mission Project Sub-Committee. Our External Mission took 29 diocesan members to Baja in Northern Mexico to build two houses. They will be doing a similar mission in the future which you will hear more about in the presentation later in our synod. The Internal Mission project partnered with Habitat for Humanity and worked on building homes in Saskatoon. This is also an ongoing project and the committee is now trying to link with Habitat in one of the rural areas. Both these missions were a great success. Both mission projects have been a wonderful opportunity for us to work together as a Christian family and really make a positive impact on people’s lives. An area that is always a concern for us is youth and
young families. Since our last synod I have appointed a Youth Co-ordinator to offer and coordinate a diocesan youth event each year, liaise with parish youth and assist Sunday School teachers as required. The National Lutheran and Anglican Youth gathering, when about 1000 youth descended on Saskatoon for four days, was quite memorable. They worshipped together, learnt together and partied together - it was quite an event. We also recognized that we have had limited resources for quite a number of years. After a number of conversations with the National Church we were fortunate to be given some seed money to be used towards engaging a stewardship and gift planning officer. To that end, Alex Parson received training and accepted a half-time position. Alex is available to come to parishes and work with your stewardship committee; if you don’t have one he will help you set one up. He is also available to preach and meet with people wearing his Gift planner’s hat. Although our funds are limited the diocese does employ a number of part-time people in additon to our new stewardship officer. Jessica Latshaw, is hospital chaplain. One of the main functions of this chaplaincy is to ensure that the spiritual needs of rural parishioners are met when they come to Saskatoon for medical services. A training officer, Shawn Sandford Beck, is responsible for the training and supervising of our Local Trained Clergy. We assist in the funding of an Ecumenical University Chaplain, Emily Carr, who works part-time at the U of S We give an honorarium to the editor of our newspaper and our archivist, Peter Coolen. All of these people are there to assist you in your ministry in your parish. Please call them and use them. Now there is one area that we are still trying to improve on and that is communications around the diocese. We hear from parishioners or vestry members that they had not heard about an event or some other piece of news. To improve this the diocesan office staff are now sending information to the parish clergy, the parish wardens and the church office in the hope that one of them will post the information or put it in the church bulletin. It is interesting to note that the convening circular for this synod went out on Aug. 16 and
on Sept 10; nineteen of you, lay and clergy, had not opened your email. We will continue to make every effort to get information to you as soon as we can but you as synod delegates must also get your wardens to post information received. At our last synod you were challenged to make some changes and a number of you have. In some of your congregations the changes made were minor and in other they were quite major. Some of you recognize that we cannot continue to do “the same old” over and over but you were not sure how to move ahead. This synod is designed around five workshops — the Re-imagining Church workshops, developed at Wycliffe College — which will challenge us and give us some tools to take back to our parishes and regions: — Brave New World: Looks at changes in our culture and how they affect the church. — What in the world is God up to? What spiritual resources do we have within the Christian faith to enable us to respond? — The School of Jesus: What does it mean to be a Christian today? What does it mean to be a disciple and help others become disciples? — Changing the world, changing church: Some models of how churches have drawn on our spiritual resources in order to respond to changes. — Where do we go from here? Taking all these ideas back to our local church setting. For your parishes and the diocese this could be a very rewarding three days. In your discussion groups or over coffee, a new idea may emerge, a light might go on, and something unexpected may come out of it. This weekend, guided by the Holy Spirit, we may come face to face with some changes and challenges we should consider making. I have a single request; at this synod allow yourself to be open-minded about where we are being called to go and what we are being called to do. Fully engage in the workshops, even those of you who do not really like workshops. Very often the early disciples did not know where the road they were on would lead, but they went on trusting that the Holy Spirit was on the road with them. As we move together through this synod I pray you allow the Holy Spirit be your guide.
The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
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Certificates of Recognition given to members of the Diocese of Saskatoon
At the opening service of the 71st synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon, held in Saskatoon on Sept. 12, Rev. Quenton Little (right) and Bishop David Irving (left) presented Marion Weinhandl with a Certificate of Recognition, for her 76 years of devoted service in ministry as organist for St. Stephen’s Church, Lintlaw. Photo — Peter R. Coolen
At the opening service of the 71st synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon, held in Saskatoon on Sept. 12, Dean Klaus and Margie Gruber were awarded a Certificate of Recognition by Bishop David Irving for their many years of ministry and involvement at the national and diocesan levels, assisting international refugees, both caring for them in their own homes and for helping to bring them into Canada and assisting them to settle here. Photo — Peter R. Coolen
At the opening service of the 71st synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon, held in Saskatoon on Sept. 12, Mary Ann Assailly was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by Bishop David Irving for her many years of service in ministry on behalf of the diocese, as diocesan representative on the provincial and national Truth and Reconciliation committees and for her work in helping to organize and run the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s National Event held in Saskatoon in June 2012. Photo — Peter R. Coolen
Diocesan Executive Archdeacon Henry Comerford (right) and Bishop David Irving (left) presented Rev. Ken Watts (centre) with a Certificate of Recognition for ministry. Bishop Irving also made him a Canon of the diocese for his more than 30 years of ministry and giving and for his service to Jesus Christ. Photo — Peter R. Coolen
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
Two ordinations to the priesthood in Saskatoon By Peter R. Coolen
The ordinations to the priesthood of Revs. Nancy Yee (front left) and Emily Carr (front right) were held at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Saskatoon, on Sept. 29, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. In the picture, Bishop David Irving (back left) presents the two new priests to the assembled congregation, assisted by Rev. Jessica Latshaw (back right). Photo — Peter R. Coolen
SASKATOON – On Sept. 29 on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Saskatoon, deacons Nancy Yee and Emily Carr were ordained priests by Bishop David Irving of the Diocese of Saskatoon, before a large and enthusiastic congregation. Readers for the service were: Rev. John Seib, Mrs. SadowayParsons and Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck. Presenters for Emily Carr were: Revs. Dianne Mesh and Dr. Bill Richards, Sarah Donnelly and Mr. Norman McInnis. For Nancy Yee presenters were: Revs. Canon Colin Clay and Alison West and Barry Rugg and Sylvia Dubeczy. The preacher for the service, Rev. Sanford Beck, used the second reading (Rev. 12: 7-12)
as the basis of much of his message. In the message, he described how the careers of these two new priests will, in future, be involved daily in dealing with the results of the second reading’s description of the war in heaven and the resultant defeat and exile of the forces of evil to Earth. Following the sermon, the Presentation, Examination and Consecration were conducted, and then new priests were vested and each presented, by Bishop Irving, with gifts of a chalice, paten and the Bible. At the conclusion of the ordination, the bishop presented the new priests to the joyous applause of the congregation. Following the Eucharist and the blessing, all those present adjourned to the parish hall for refreshments provided by the women of the cathedral.
Prestigious award for sock-giving man By Charis St. Pierre EDMONTON — For All Saints’ Cathedral’s Gordon Smith, success is counted in pairs. When Smith learned that 85 per cent of those visiting the Boyle McCauley Health Centre’s foot clinic didn’t have clean socks to put on after treatment, he set out to make a difference. He began by talking to friends and students, and right off the bat was given 10 pairs of socks, then 50, then 100. “All of a sudden,” he recalls, “I’m in the sock business.” Eight years later, Smith has collected 65,000 pairs of socks, along with toques, mitts and underwear. He admits he has been pegged by friends and acquaintances as “the sock man,” and has adopted the phrase “Sock it to me, brother!” as the slogan for his work. Smith’s strength comes from networking: communicating with the Elizabeth Fry Society and other organizations about their need and passing that information on to anyone who might be able to help. And help people do. One friend gathered 193 pairs by asking for them in lieu of gifts at a birthday party. A driver Smith met through the Disabled Adult Transportation System (DATS) has collected hundreds of pairs. A lady who knits, donated 120 handmade toques. Smith explains socks are a pressing need often overlooked. For people on their feet all day without
access to laundry, socks are key in preventing infections but wear out quickly. The socks Smith collects are donated to various organizations in downtown Edmonton, such as Boyle McCauley Health Centre, the Herb Jamieson Centre, the Native Friendship Centre, and Women’s Emergency Accommodation Centre. Smith’s home parish, All Saints’ Cathedral, has also gotten involved in collecting and giving away socks, and sometimes Smith will bring pairs along to hand out at the Cathedral Men’s Breakfast. Socks are not Smith’s only community involvement. He has served in the Canadian Forces Reserve Army, was awarded the Silver Acorn by Scouts Canada and has volunteered with the Royal Canadian Legion, Salvation Army and Rick Hanson Foundation. All of this hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. This past year, Smith’s service to the community earned him a prestigious Diamond Jubilee Medal, commemorating major contributions and achievements by Canadians. In the past, he has also been awarded the 1983 Citizen of the Year Award from the City of Edmonton, the Centennial Confederation Commemorative Award for community service from the Government of Canada, and a 75th Anniversary Community Service Award from the Royal Canadian Legion.
How do you like your Scotch? Local Regina group Squeeze of Scotch entertained an appreciative audience in St. Paul’s Cathedral, on a luminous Friday evening in September. The roughly 80 people who attended were treated to such songs as Farewell to Nova Scotia, The Sloop John B and The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond. The event was used as a fundraiser for the Building in Faith project and as a way to welcome congregants back after the summer. The audience was warmly enthusiastic and very appreciative of the band’s performance. There was impromptu dancing across the front of the church and Deacon Michael Jackson was seen waltzing his little three-year-old granddaughter Saleena around the floor, much to the delight of the audience. It was a pleasant, relaxing evening filled with laughter and music as the group once again played at the cathedral in what is becoming an annual event. Photo — Margaret Ball
The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
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It was a joyful celebration on Sept. 8 at St. Stephen’s in Saskatoon, as four young people and two adults were confirmed by Bishop David Irving. From left to right the confirmands are: Ian Rieder, Chad Sampson, Trevor Maylon, Michael Woytowich, Bishop David Irving, Brynn Rieder, Emma Wood and the Incumbent of St. Stephen’s, Rev. Jan Bigland-Pritchard. Photo — Archdeacon Larry Mitchell
Joyful service of confirmation celebrated at St. Stephen’s Church in Saskatoon By Archdeacon Larry Mitchell SASKATOON – On Sept. 8, St. Stephen’s in Saskatoon was the scene of joy and celebration, as four young people and two adults were confirmed by Diocese of Saskatoon Bishop David Irving. Incumbent of St. Stephen’s, Rev. Jan BiglandPritchard, assisted Bishop
Irving. The confirmands were: Ian Rieder, Chad Sampson, Trevor Maylon, Michael Woytowich, Brynn Rieder and Emma Wood. The church was full with members of the congregation, along with relatives and friends of those being confirmed. At the time of the confirmation, the bishop asked the children in the Church
School to come up to the front and sit on the floor, so that they could see what was happening. Bishop Irving spoke to the confirmation class, as well as to those presen,t from two Gospel texts, Luke 14:25-33 and Matthew 16:13-18. From these two texts, he challenged the class and the congregation on what it may mean for one’s life to choose to follow Jesus.
From Luke, he told us that choosing to follow Jesus was a serious commitment and we needed to be aware of what discipleship might cost each of us. The message was discipleship involves setting priorities and being willing to stand up and out for one’s faith, no matter what the cost might be. From Matthew, the bishop’s challenge was to
consider Jesus’ question to His disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” Moreover, the bishop also challenged the congregation to know in their hearts who Jesus is for us and to be able to give their own answer to this question. Afterwards, there was a lunch in the parish hall and a time of visiting and fellowship.
You are a verger, but you may not know it By Rev. Hollis Hiscock Editor, Niagara Anglican NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Most Anglican churches have vergers, they just don’t know it. At least Terry Hughes, one of four vergers at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Burlington, Ont., thinks so, and the Vergers’ Guild of the Episcopal Church supports his view. Today’s vergers are laypersons who serve the church in a ministry of welcome. Often the visitor will see the verger in a suit, simple cassock or a Canterbury-style robe moving about the church preparing for worship. The verger is able to respond to any inquiry concerning the upcoming service, church
facilities or current program offerings. Traditionally, vergers, who have been around since the early days of the church, mainly led processions into the church or cathedral, often having to push through crowds of people and animals. In addition, they kept order during worship, were responsible for the upkeep of buildings and prepared the liturgy. Today they incorporate some of these duties, but their roles have expanded tremendously and are performed by a greater number of laity, and not restricted to one or two individuals. Roughly 35 per cent of Vergers’ Guild members in the United States is female. The precise duties of the
verger will be specific to each parish church. Usually, he or she works under the direction of the rector or vicar to assist in the organization and operation of religious services. For instance, in some parishes the verger will process at all liturgies, and in others, they only process on festival days or not at all. Especially helpful with visiting clergy or special services, the verger also checks on additional seating, hospitality and welcoming newcomers. Most parishes, either small or large, and clergy who have vergers, wonder how they ever did without them. At St. Luke’s Parish, Burlington, Ont., the verger wears many hats. Hughes
describes most of them: “We open and close the church for Sunday services, weddings, funerals and other special services. “We make sure the bulletins and orders of service are in the church and are ready for the sides people to hand out. “We also set the hymn boards and make sure the readings are set at the lectern”; also, “The church lighting, sound system, heating and cooling of the church are also part of our ministry duties. “We are also called upon from time to time to serve at the altar and assist at communion as chalice bearers. “We check the credence table prior to each service-making sure the required elements are
in place and check the candle inserts. “There are many, many other small duties that we vergers carry out at St. Luke’s, but it is most important to remember that the tradition of verging in this parish dates back to the 1800s and the duties of the verger have evolved over time.” For only the second time in its 25 year history, the Vergers’ Guild will meet in Canada in 2014. Roughly 100 members will converge, to hold their yearly conference at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Burlington, Ont. For more info about the conference, contact Terry Hughes at hugest@cogeco.ca, call 905-632-9535, or visit the Vergers’ Guild website at www. vergers.org.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
November 2013
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4 (KJV)
Photo — Ed Samuel
The Lectionary: Reading the Word of God to God’s people By Rev. William Portman REGINA – In every Anglican church building, and those of many other denominations, can be found two pieces of furniture. In the centre is the altar, or holy table, and to one side the lectern, the desk or stand, from which is read the Word of God to God’s people. The relative positions of altar and lectern demonstrate an important truth: that we need both word and sacrament in our Christian lives. This has been the way from the time of the apostles until now. According to the Book of Common Prayer, the Holy Eucharist is the only service at which a sermon is mandatory. Through the Word of God read and preached, we learn – some of us over again, some for the first time – the great truths of God and His Son Jesus, and interpret the opportunities and responsibilities of each generation in their day in the light of the everlasting Gospel. One of the ways the church helps us in our learning of Scripture is through a plan for reading it systematically through the year. It’s called a “lectionary,” which comes from the same Latin word as “lectern.” This is the package of Scripture passages that are an integral part of our worship, no matter what form of service we are using. A lectionary is simply a way to ensure the Holy Bible is wholly taught!
In the past 40 years there has been a tremendous breakthrough in the way Scripture is presented in church. For almost 1,500 years, we had a lectionary that gave an epistle and Gospel reading for each Sunday – the same ones year after year. That exposed people to about 104 short pieces of Scripture – 156 if you include an optional psalm. This was the source for the epistles and Gospels in the Book of Common Prayer – similarly for Roman Catholics and Lutherans. Of course there were some supplementary sets of readings for Morning and Evening Prayer. But the whole thing was pretty piecemeal and designed, frankly, for an illiterate or semiliterate congregation. This was the situation when Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council of Roman Catholic bishops. One of the major findings of Vatican II was the need to read more Scripture in church, in a more systematic way. A panel of high-powered Bible scholars was assigned the job of producing a new lectionary. As told to me by an R.C. priest involved in the implementation process for new directions in worship, the group spent much time spinning their wheels in search of something that would work. Meeting after meeting, everybody became more and more frustrated. Then came the breakthrough. Most of us have experienced meetings
where discussion went around in circles, then out of nowhere someone says something that makes everyone stop and the penny drops. That’s what happened. One man gave a suggestion so obvious, you wonder why the church hadn’t done it centuries ago: Why not work through one of the synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – each year as consecutively as possible and use John all three years to supplement the others? The committee then said to the man who made the suggestion, in effect, “It’s your idea, will you try it out?” and six weeks later he had produced the first draft of a new lectionary. The Gospel set the theme of the day and the psalm was chosen to support that theme. Sometimes the Old Testament reading was linked to the overall theme; the same with
the apostolic writings – the epistles, Acts, the Revelation; at other times the Old Testament readings covered special historical background, like stories of the patriarch Abraham, and Kings David and Solomon. The result: a jump from 104 readings repeated every year – two each Sunday to four each Sunday, in a threeyear cycle, to give 624 Scripture portions in all. It was introduced in the Roman Catholic Church in ‘69. Though this lectionary was created for the Roman Catholic church, it wasn’t long before other denominations around the world realized the R.Cs were onto a good thing, and began to take it up for themselves. The Common Lectionary appeared in 1974; this is the version used in early editions of the Book of Alternative Services. An ecumenical group later developed a revised lectionary,
fine-tuned the start and finish of many readings and added some that covered some themes more intensively, while recognizing important women in the Bible. After nine years of testing, The Revised Common Lectionary was introduced in 1994. That is the one we will be following starting this year on Advent Sunday - Year A built around Matthew’s Gospel. That means among mainstream churches, and some less liturgical groups, Sunday by Sunday we’ll all be studying the same Scriptures, with some denominational variations. Many Sunday School curricula are lectionary based, so young and old are working with the same portions of God’s word, each at an age-appropriate level. This lectionary is probably the best thing to happen to preaching since the Bible was translated into English. It forced preachers out of a rut and made them explore – and teach – the Bible in ways they never did before. Of course, it’s not enough to just hear the Bible read in church. We need, as the collect says, to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” God’s word to us in our own time. And in many places people are taking the study of the Bible more seriously, developing an increased level of biblical literacy in many mainline denominations. William Portman is a retired priest of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle.