The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2011

April 2011 A Section of Anglican Journal

On Eagles' Wings; the Gospel in Motion

By The Right Reverend Rodney Andrews (retired) 'On Eagles Wings' (www.oneagleswings.org) is an airplane-supported ministry that serves more than 30 remote communities in the Northwest Territories, northern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan and Nunavut. It is Christ-centered, ecumenical, theologically faithful to the denominational backgrounds of the sponsoring churches and sensitive to the cultures and diverse traditions of northern Christians. The goal is to provide pastoral care to individuals and groups living in remote northern communities, and to identify, train and encourage northern Christians for leadership and ministry within their own cultural and denominational traditions.

“There have been many changes since the first Christian missionaries came to the north more than 150 years ago.

Once there were many priests and church workers. Now only a few serve this vast land. Although there is a church building in most communities, very few have anything more than occasional pastoral care.

Yet, the Church is very much alive in the lives and culture of northern Christians as they lead and shape their churches and communities for the future.”

Summers are busy for the staff and volunteers of 'On Eagles Wings'.

Teams sponsored by churches lead summer Bible schools in northern communities. They fly to Fort McMurray or Yellowknife. After a short orientation, they are flown in one of the Aztecs to a community where they work with the Christian leaders providing Christian education for the children and a supportive presence for the community. The ministry

Photo- Rod Andrews

The cross by the Roman Catholic mission at Fort Good Hope has stood on the same spot for over 100 years overlooking the mighty Mackenzie River. is truly an “ecumenical partnership of Northern and southern Christians working exciting time as the people of God experinorthern and southern Christians working together as the Body of Christ are comple- ence our oneness as his children, discover together to proclaim Jesus Christ and menting each others' skills and gifts as we new ways to work together and celebrate serve the Church”. proclaim Jesus Christ and serve the our common bond in the Gospel as God 'On Eagle's Wings' is an impor- Church. 'On Eagle's Wings' works cooper- leads us into the future. tant part of those lives as we identify, train atively with others to enhance the ”On 'Eagle's Wings' is a ministry and mentor northern Christians for min- Church's ability to proclaim the Gospel in worthy of your financial support and your istry. The ecumenical nature of northern ways that are theologically faithful to our prayers. Tax deducible donations may be ministry has encouraged all of us to cele- traditions and sensitive to the cultural tra- mailed to On Eagle's Wings 10072- 164 brate our oneness in Christ rather than ditions of northern Christians. This is an Street, Edmonton AB T5P 4Y3. defend denominational differences.

St. Matthew's Continues to Support Hope's Home

by Morley Evans

photo - Morley Evans

Stephanie Kohlruss (centre) of Hope's Home holds a cheque from St. Matthew's Anglican Church. Also pictured (l-r) are Patricia Roberts, Yvonne Clarke, Rev. Carlos Roberts and Kathy Chlopan.

REGINA - St. Matthew's Anglican Church is proud to assist in the support of Hope's Home, which has been established in the neighbourhood to give developmentally challenged toddlers the support they need in a daycare environment. On January 28, Rev. Carlos Roberts of St. Matthew's presented a cheque to Stephanie Kohlruss of Hope's Home on behalf of the parish.

Staffed with nurses, developmental workers, and early childhood educators, Hope's Home has been able to meet the varying and complex medical, developmental, and educational needs of all children attending daycare and preschool.

Based on individual assessments and a total approach of planning and setting goals for each child, it has been exciting to watch so many medically fragile children and their siblings grow physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.

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Easter Messages from our Bishops Our Life Depends Upon Death

by Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson, Bishop of Qu'Appelle Attentive observation is not required to know that Easter services draw the crowds, while the observance of Good Friday is not so big an attraction. Over the course of my years in ministry I have noticed that even amongst some of our regular folk, Good Friday is avoided in favour of moving directly to the celebration of the Resurrection. It isn't surprising, I suppose - the joyous hymns of praise, the flowers and the proclamation of new life all make for a more appealing experience than the solemnity and stark barrenness of a Good Friday service.

Along with this there has been an increasing unease, and sometimes even embarrassment, about talking of Jesus "dying for our sins;" or perhaps more particularly, an aversion to affirming that Jesus's death was in any way necessary for our life in God. Jesus died because the world is captive to the exercise of power and violence - certainly; and Jesus dies because he steadfastly lives out God's way of love in the face of hatred - of course.

But Jesus dying to reconcile us to God so that we might have life?

I am inclined to think that this is because we view our lives as "our own" which we have by "right," and we are autonomous, independent individuals. We have choices to make about how we will live and Jesus has some things to teach us about "good choices," but in the end we have life that will go on, even after death, because it is ours. We think we shouldn't need to postulate another's death as the foundation of our life.

Interestingly, the signature of God's hand upon creation should tell us otherwise. When you consider how we live - that is, how we are fed bodily - it becomes clear that all of human life depends upon the death of other living things. Whether you are omnivore, carnivore, or vegetarian, something must die in order for you to live. Our bodily life is not autonomous, it is entirely dependent; we receive life from outside ourselves. Our physical existence is a constant dependence upon the goodness of God, extended to us through the life and death of creatures of God's making. We are, of course, more than simple physical bodies, but the material reality points to the whole of our life; we do not have "life in ourselves," and we are entirely dependent upon the God who made us. We were made for God, and without God who is the source of our life, we cease to be. Separation from God is death.

The Right Reverend Gregory Kerr-Wilson, Bishop of Qu'Appelle This is not an exact parallel, but rather a sign in creation which points to the deep mystery of human sinfulness and of Christ's death for our redemption. We may talk about the sins that we commit as things that we have done wrong - however, sin, at its heart, is the denial of our need for God, our refusal to accept our dependence on God, our insistence on doing things our way, not God's. Sin is a sundering of that bond that gives us life - a choice we can make because we have been created with freewill; but one which bears consequences. God in the person of Jesus Christ enters our humanity, entering even into our death through his death on the cross, so that the death that comes from sin may be defeated and those who life in faith in him by the gift of his Holy Spirit, may receive divine life within themselves. Jesus dies and the world is changed; through our dying with him in baptism, we live his risen life; and in the Eucharist he becomes the spiritual food by which we live.

There is no doubt that the Day of Resurrection stands as the "feast of feasts," celebrating the single moment in history around which the whole of God's love and work of redemption in Jesus hinges. But from the very beginning of the Church's life, we have declared that there is but one great mystery in the celebration of God's love: the singular event of Christ's death and resurrection by which we truly have life. May you know the joy of this great gift of life this Easter.

Empty Cross and Empty Tomb By the Rt. Rev. Michael Hawkins, Bishop of Saskatchewan The most common symbols of Easter are an empty cross and empty tomb, the instruments of execution and burial.

The Cross was the symbol of condemnation; it was where the condemned were executed. It was where Jesus hanged and died. And he bore our condemnation there that we might be pardoned. The empty cross says boldly, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who

For change of address, undeliverable copies and subscription list updates contact: your parish, circulation@national.anglican.ca or send to Saskatchewan Anglican c/o Anglican Journal, 80 Hayden Street Toronto ON M4Y 3G2 Published by the dioceses of Qu’Appelle, Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.

All submissions must be sent to the Associate Editors by the beginning of the last week of the month preceeding publication.

The Right Reverend Michael Hawkins, Bishop of Saskatchewan are in Christ Jesus. It is God who justifies, who is going to condemn.”

The tomb is where dead people lie. It was where Jesus lay. And he died that we might live. The empty tomb says boldly, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

The empty Cross and the empty Tomb are about Jesus who was condemned and buried for us and who in his own suffering and death overcame sin and death once and for all and how we may share in his victory by faith, receive forgiveness and new life by faith in him who died and rose again for us.

The message of Easter is that Jesus conquered death. And while some may be embarrassed to confess this truth in all its glorious fullness and worldly foolishness, I am not ashamed of his bloody cross or empty tomb, of the real suffering and humiliation of his death or the real resurrection of his body. Jesus did not come back from the grave as some sort of ghost or spirit. He was not just a memory living on in the hearts of his friends.

He did not return to this life as if he had been resuscitated after three days. He did not cheat death or escape death. He conquered death. With a resurrected body, he came forth from the tomb and he was seen by and ate and drank with his friends over forty days. In this resurrection, nothing of his bodily existence was lost except its earthly limitations. In that resurrected body he ascended into heaven, beyond time and space and this created order, and one day, you and I and all of creation itself will be made perfect in our share in his resurrection.

Here and now we know his victory in the forgiveness of our sins, and this victory brings new life to our hearts and souls, to our relationships and families, to our world and communities. His victory plays out and spills over into our lives and our Easters in which we share in his triumph, in friendships restored, in healing and reconciliation, in moral advances, in joyous vindications of hope and trust, and in the dignity and freedom of service and sacrifice.

When we die, our souls shall live with him while our bodies lie in the dust until that last day when we shall be reclothed with

Managing Editor: Fred Stephens, 51 - 10th St. NE, Weyburn SK. S4H 1G8 Phone 306-842-7235 Email: fredrstephens@gmail.com Qu’Appelle: Joanne Shurvin-Martin, 6927 Farrell Bay Regina SK S4X 3V4 Phone: 306-775-2629 Email: wsmartin@accesscomm.ca Saskatoon: Peter Coolen, 820Avenue I South Saskatoon SK S7M 1Z3 Phone: 306-244-0935 Email: ptrcoolen@sasktel.net Saskatchewan: The Reverends Julie and Steven Page, P.O. Box 274, Hudson Bay, SK, S0E 0Y0P Phone (306) 865-3488; Email: HudsonBayArborfield@SaskTel.net

The Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon our own resurrected bodies. Body and soul share in his salvation, in everlasting life. This is our Easter faith. Death remains but it is a pathetic, defeated enemy. It has been declawed, disarmed, defused, defeated. In the end, God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away and all things will be new.

This is our Easter hope. May we all be renewed in Christ's forgiveness and life and in Christian forgiving and living this Easter.

“Brokenness to Wholeness”

by The Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon Thirty-five years ago, my wife and I were given a wonderful dinner service as a wedding gift along with some crystal wine glasses. For many years we only used them on special occasions for fear that our children might break them. One day, while I was carrying a tray with the glasses on it, I slipped and they went crashing onto the kitchen floor. They weren't all broken but the set was irreplaceable. It was broken.

Most of us have heard of the Hubble telescope. It was the most expensive telescope ever built and placed into space; there was a lot of fanfare and scientists worldwide waited to look at pictures of planets never before seen by mankind. But when it was turned on it did not work, it was broken. I cannot remember the exact amount, but the telescope mirror was about one thousandths of an inch out and that made all the difference from seeing and not seeing.

We all live with brokenness every day.

Broken marriages and broken families are some of the most painful kinds of brokenness. Some of you have had experience in that regard. Some of you have had experience with broken congregations, who have split over some issue or other. And since a church congregation is a quasifamily, it can be an extremely painful break.

Published monthly except July and August Published from 51 - 10th Street NE, Weyburn SK S4H 1G8 Printed and mailed from Signal Star Publishing A division of Bowes Publishers Ltd. Goderich ON N7A 4B6 Subscription rate: $10.00 in Canada; $17.00 outside Canada Whole No. 292, Vol. 33, No. 5 A Section of Anglican Journal

The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2011

“Brokenness to Wholeness” (continued from page 2) But we have to live with brokenness every day. We live in a fractured world, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, Muslim and Christian, and the list goes on. We live in a world of broken bones and broken bodies, maimed people lying on the streets of Kandahar and Jerusalem, Saskatoon and Vancouver.

We live in a broken world. But there is one piece of good news. There is one person who has experienced all of our brokenness. There is one who has suffered all things with us, whose vulnerable body was cruelly punched and spit upon, whipped and tortured, nailed and crucified. “This is my body,” he said the night before his crucifixion. “This is my body, broken for you.”. The broken body of that one human being not only symbolizes and epitomizes all the brokenness in the world, but that body actually absorbed and contained all the brokenness of the world.

He was the container for everything that you and I have ever suffered and ever will.

It was contained in him, because he was our Creator, choosing to unite in a miraculous way with his creation, marrying us, as it were, and becoming one with us in our brokenness, so that we could become one with him in his wholeness.

God came, weak and fragile, flesh and blood, in a disposable and dispensable body. With his arms outstretched on the cross God was reaching out to embrace the brokenness of his whole creation, and every single one of his creatures.

The main point is that God did not come among us to take away our brokenness, but to live through it, to live with it as we must live with it, and to die as we must die. Christ came to sanctify our brokenness, in anticipation of his resurrection and ours.

So, we can live with our brokenness, because we know the future, that God will one day mend the entire universe, the entire creation that is now groaning in travail, longing for the liberty of the children of God. We can live with our brokenness, for in due time somehow there will be a birth, birth to a perfect Kingdom of wholeness, when Christ comes again in glory for the final resurrection.

So right now, we can live with our brokenness, because we trust God's power and love, that the work of redemption that Christ began will be completed in God's glorious future.

We can live with our brokenness, and part of that is to take up God's challenge to fight against the brokenness in ourselves and in our world. And there is so much mending to be done.

Living with brokenness is part of our calling, for we are followers of Jesus, whose body was broken for us.

So let us take comfort in the knowledge this is part of God's love. And what a comfort it is; to know that God is with us in our chaos, in our messes, in our lows as well as our highs, in all our brokenness and imperfection. That love will carry us through, now and forever.

Diocese of Saskatoon: Announcements for April, 2011 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, September submissions will be in the November 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.

Integrity/Saskatoon: Meetings are held at St. James', Saskatoon on the second Sunday of each month at 7 p.m.

Babysitting is available during meetings for those with children. For more information contact: Tom and Rose Rogers at: (306) 373-5165; The Reverend Ann Marie Nicklin at: (306) 381-9780 or: benjie60@gmail.com. For further information and to view related articles, links and photographs of Integrity events: www.integri tysaskatoon.blogspot.com.

PWRDF plans a British Quiz Night: the PWRDF Committee is planning on holding a British Quiz Night on the evening of Friday, May 13th. As part of this planning process, they are now seeking a PWRDF contact from each parish as well as a parish hall for use as the venue for the event. More details on this event will be posted in the May issue of the Saskatchewan Anglican. For more information or to suggest contact information and a venue location please contact: Mary Ann Assailly at: (306)382-0766 or Barbara Spurr at: (306)373-4579.

Vital Church Planting West Conference 2011: “reChurch - Take Another Look” Mission-minded church leaders from many denominations across western Canada will come together to view church with fresh eyes at the Vital Church Planting West Conference, “reChurch Take Another Look”. The VCP West Conference, hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, will be held May 26th to 28th, 2011, at Concordia University College in Edmonton, AB. Individuals registering before March 31st, 2011, will receive the Early Bird rate of $230/person. Groups of three or more will also be able to register for $230/person.

After March 31st, individual fees will increase by $50/person. A special student rate of $120 is also available. Meals are included in the registration fee. Register online at www.vitalchurchplanting.com/west. A limited number of rooms are available on campus at Concordia College for $30/person. If interested, please email your name, conference name, and the number of nights you are requesting, along with your contact information to: darren.beach@concordia.ab.ca. For more

information, please visit: www.vitalchurchplanting.com/west.

Eldership Unleashed: An interdenominational conference to equip elders and lay leaders for mission and ministry.

Theme Speaker: Bruce Fraser, Synod Mission Advisor for the Synod of Otago & Southland, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand. May 26th to 29th, 2011; Forbes Church , 9635 76thAve.,Grande Prairie, AB . For conference brochure visit: http://pccweb.ca/eldershipunleashed/detai ls Upcoming Diocesan A.C.W. Events: Spring Conference, “It's Your Time to Bloom”; St. James' Anglican Church, Saskatoon; Saturday, April 2nd.

Eastern Deanery; “Jesus is the Vine, We are the Branches”; St. James', Endeavor; May 25th.

Ladies Retreat; Queen's House of Retreats; September 16th to 18th, 2011 The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism: The 20th Summer Ecumenical Institute “Acting Together From Dialogue To Common Mission”; July 6th to 9th, 2011 Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, SK (see detailed notice elsewhere in this issue) College of Emmanuel & St Chad, Summer School Offerings for 2011: Ancient Languages and Literature: Study the languages and writings of the Ancient Church on the banks of the beautiful Saskatchewan River. Complete a full year of the following ancient and medieval languages in two, three-week, intensive sessions: Biblical Hebrew / Hellenistic (New Testament) Greek; Classical Latin / Church Slavonic / Coptic; Part I: May 9th to 27th and, Part II: June 6th to 24th.

Praying with the Giants: Reading Ancient Texts in Retreat: Topic: Integration and Fragmentation in the Spiritual Life: Evagrius Ponticus, John Cassian, and Maximus the Confessor: Learn contemplative prayer from three ancient masters of the spiritual life, with daily Office, Eucharist, and an opportunity for Spiritual Direction. (This course is also open to anyone wishing to learn the ancient practice of lectio divina without earning academic credit.); May 31st to June 5th.

A Cross-Cultural Immersion Experience in Vietnam: hosted by The Reverend Canon Dr. Beth Marie Murphy; July 25th to August 15th For more information or to register, contact: Colleen Walker, Registrar at: colleen.walker@usask.ca or (306) 9751558

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The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism The 20th Summer Ecumenical Institute “Acting Together From Dialogue To Common Mission” July 6th to 9th, 2011 Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, SK With workshops and a public event sponsored by the Commission on Faith & Witness of the Canadian Council of Churches Early bird Registration up to May 1st: $240 Registrations after May 2nd: $265 Additional banquet tickets: $35 Accommodation: Limited single room accommodation is available at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. De a d l i n e f o r accommodation bookings is June 21st, 2011.

Please note that booking of accommodation is done through the Canadian Light Source; the phone number for bookings is: (306) 657-3500; or (www.lightsource.ca at top of page click on “User Service”, then on “Accommodation”, then on “Housing Registry”, then on “Arrival & Check-in Information”); not through the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism Conference spaces are limited. To avoid disappointment, register early Send registration, with cheque, to: Prairie Centre for Ecumenism.

600 - 45th Street W. Saskatoon SK S7L 5W9 Ph: (306) 384-1349 pce@ecumenism.net; www.ecumenism.net

St. Valentine's Day Tradition Demonstrates Christian Love

by Sue Boxall FORT QU'APPELLE (QuA) Valentine's Day has become a very secular holiday, to the point that people complain it was "invented" by florists and greeting card companies. In fact, the day commemorates an early Roman martyr. A group of women in Fort Qu'Appelle mark the holiday each year with acts of Christian charity.

Each year, on the Sunday closest to St. Valentine's Day, the ACW of St. John's Anglican church makes up plates of donated, homemade cookies and delivers them to 'shut-ins' in the town. This tradition was started “many years ago” says Jean McKenna, who, with support from other ACW members, came up with the idea. These women realised that many of the members of the congregation were getting older and were not able to get around as much as they did before. Some were now in nursing homes, others could no longer get to church and meet old friends. The number of recipients increases and the number of cookie makers seems to have shrunk, yet the appreciative recipients always get their plates of goodies.

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ACTS 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.

By the Reverend Joanne Beacon, Diocese of Saskatchewan.

Part 2 of the 4 part series on the Theme for 2011 as expressed by Bishop Michael Hawkins: Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Devoted to the Breaking of Bread Saskatchewan's Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Michael Hawkins, has said this about the Breaking of Bread in the context of Acts 2.42, “This is one of several words we use for the Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or Holy Eucharist”. These Christians were committed to the Holy Communion which meant being prepared for communion by examining themselves and their lives to know their own sins and faults, being attentive and devout during Communion, recognizing the body of Christ, coming not to eat bread and wine, but to receive Jesus into their hearts by faith with thanksgiving. Being united and holy after communion as those who are really one bread and one body in Christ and who have been redeemed by his blood.

These instructions for the Breaking of Bread are not some new innovation, but are part of the faith of the Church and are supported by texts found in the Book of Common Prayer.

Before Being Prepared: Catechism pg. 552 Catechist: What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper?

Answer: To examine themselves, whether they truly repent of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead the new life; have a living faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death; and be in charity with all men.

During Being Attentive and devout during communion:

A Brief Note on Saskatoon's Diocesan A.C.W. Mission Projects and Social Action

By Wilma Miller Do you collect stamps? Well, if you do and don't know what to do with them, please donate them to the ACW. The ACW then passes them onto the Canadian Bible Society. They, in turn, use the proceeds from these stamps home who are requesting Bibles.

Please help out with this worth-

Articles of Religion XXIX pg.

710. Of the Wicked which eat not the body of Christ in the use of the Lord's Supper. The Wicked, and such as be void of a lively faith, although they do carnally and visibly press with their teeth (as St. Augustine saith) the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ: yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ: but rather, to their condemnation, do eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of so great a thing.

After being united and holy after communion: The Communion pg. 85 And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee. The church will be renewed as each of us becomes willing to undertake these basic requirements of faith.

I hope this article does not provoke another round of excuses.

The challenge that we actually live our lives in spirit and truth, expressing this faith, is clear. If we say we have faith or that we need to be renewed, and are unwilling to perform even these simple acts of dedication, nothing will happen and our Church will die. The way is so simple but it requires that we get serious about The Apostles' Teaching and The Apostles Fellowship, The Breaking of Bread and the Prayers. I have spoken as plainly as possible about the urgency of this call to us. I believe that we have reached a critical junction and that we are at a ``now or never`` crossroad. I pray that we will do as Jesus commanded and receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost this year.

Next month the Saskatchewan Anglican will conclude this series on Acts 2.42 with one last article that will expound on 4th of the requirements of faith of the Church-the Prayers. As we reflect upon the situation we may be inspired to make visible the faith we confess as present ourselves, our souls and bodies. while project.

And, we are turning squares into afgans! The making of afgans, either knit or crocheted, is coming together as a finished project soon. The ACW Spring Conference is at St. James', in Saskatoon, on April 2nd and, at that time, the created afghans will be on display and given to various social organizations around the province. If you have squares which you wish to donate, but can not finish into an afghan, please bring these to our Spring Conference in April and we can finish them as time permits.

Saskatoon Deanery Anglican Women's Fellowship Day “ Be Still and Know That I Am God” Byline: - Marion G. Pope and Elaine Hrycenko, Co-Chairs Diocesan A.C.W., Diocese of Saskatoon SASKATOON - Forty-five women, from the Saskatoon ACW Deanery, gathered with the Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon, for a Fellowship Day at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Thurs., February 24th, 2011, where women renewed old friendships and made new ones; where women learned how ancient female saints boldly proclaimed their faiths during difficult times; where Reverend Debbie Ramage led in a meditation on the theme, “Be Still and Know That I Am God”; where women discussed options for future Fellowship Days; and where Bishop David Irving unveiled diocesan outreach options.

Members of the St. John's St. Cecilia's ACW group graciously hosted the event, and Board CoChairs Elaine Hrycenko and Marion G. Pope coordinated the day's events Women learned that “Be Still and Know That I am God” (Psalm 46: 10) was also the

theme for last fall's National President's Conference for Anglican Church Presidents.

Marion and Elaine reported that the theme was evident throughout all of the Conference, with many exercises focused on listening to what God is calling us to do. A dramatization by Elta Fae Marlor and Marion portrayed our biblical sisters, Mary and Martha, discussing their 'possible' needs for 'faith lifts', and about attending the Women's Retreat scheduled for Sept. 16th to18th, 2011 at the Queen's House of Retreats, Saskatoon.

Theme for the Women's Retreat is, “Fill My Soul, O God: Spiritual Nurture Through Our Senses” (Psalm 63: 1a).

New proposed diocesan outreach projects, coming out of a recent Diocesan Outreach meeting, were highlighted by Bishop David Irving, namely, (1).

Training locally raised clergy: to be licensed / ordained after twoyears of training to lead services and ministry in struggling parishes in their specific areas; (2).

Outreach: internally, through a proposed soup kitchen in the King George area; and externally, through the construction of two homes over a two-week peri

od, somewhere south of the border; and, (3). Diocesan meeting/workshops: for parishes between synods to promote fellowship, education and worship.Diocesan ACW Board Nominating Committee member, Lauren Jardine, gave a motivational talk on getting involved with the church by becoming a member of the Diocesan Board.

A freewill offering (after reclaiming basic lunch costs) was distributed, two-thirds to the Diocesan ACW Travel Fund, and one-third to Station 20 West.

Those present felt the value of fellowship gatherings such as these. It were recommended that future Saskatoon Deanery Fellowship Gatherings be held every second year, beginning October, 2012, with Diocesan Retreats held on alternate years.

Better, still, women from the parish of Holy Trinity expressed an interest in hosting the 2012 Deanery Fellowship Day! At the end the day, Marion led those present in a “Circle of Love” which involves singing “Alleluia” followed by an exchanging of The Peace.

A tour of St. John's Cathedral and the Columbarium was offered for those interested

Induction in Melfort, Saskatchewan

By The Reverend Patricia Langlois MELFORT (Sask) It was not a typical sub-zero winter evening in Melfort. There was a certain electric energy in the air as clergy and laity gathered to go through the last minute details for the Induction of the Reverend Patricia Langlois as Rector of All Saints Parish, Melfort. The Holy Silence settled over the congregation as the processional hymn, Come and journey with a Saviour finished and lay-reader John Wilkstrom began the office of Evensong. After accepting the Bishop's Charge, Mrs. Langlois received keys from the Wardens of All Saints. She was then escorted to her Rector's stall by her Wardens and the Very Reverend Kenneth Davis, Dean

of Saint Alban's Cathedral.

Following, the Incumbent was lead through the worship space beginning at the font where scripture was read by a lay-reader and members of the clergy from the diocese, reciting to the incumbent her duties within the parish; prayer desk for daily prayer, lecturn to read Holy Scripture, the pulpit to preach on the Holy Word and the Altar to frequently celebrate Holy

Communion. Bishop Hawkins gave the homily. He spoke on the importance of the congregation working together with the rector, not to return to the past, rather to look to the future. Following the recessional, The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended; all gathered for fellowship and welcomed the newest member of their parish family.

Photo- Rev. Stephen Harnish

Back Row - Rev. Wilfred Sanderson, Rev. Chris Harper, Rev. Pat Langlois Bishop Hawkins, John Wikstrom, Albert Hilliar Rev. Stephen Harnish Front Row - Rev. Steven Page, Dean Kenneth Davis, Karen Price Jones, Theresa Sanderson, Gloria Stushnoff, Carol Jones

The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2011

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Re[de]fining Church Youth Group Worship at St. James' with the Refinery, Saskatoon Photo- Mary McKay

By Mary McKay - SASKATOON - Since June, 2009, St. James', Saskatoon has had Emily Carr working with youth and children. Out of their gatherings, discussions, and 'making' music together there has developed a group called “Reaching Out” that is made up of guitarists, singers and percussionists. It has played at various worship services in Saskatoon as well as at St. James'.

Also, the youth have worked together at Friendship Inn and at a build for Habitat for Humanity. Starting in 2010 there was held, about once a month, a Sunday evening “youth” service called “Re[de]fining Church”. The name came out of the whole concept of St. James' having been refined, as gold is refined but not consumed, by the fire of 1982 that destroyed most of the church building. It also represents the development of the Refinery, as an Arts and Spirit Centre, being St. James' outreach to the arts community of Saskatoon. Starting in January, 2011 Re[de]fining has been held every Sunday evening.

When I chose to write about Re[de]fining; I asked Emily to give me some 'notes' so that I would have material that would help me to write an accurate and informative article. I attended the service, on Feb. 27th, 2011 to experience the worship, take some photos and appreciate the openness of those who were in attendance. I also met the “Bison”, Armageddon, who when he is received and held gives that person the opportunity to speak. Prior to the service, Brendin Rurak, a guitarist and singer in the St. James' youth band, Reaching Out, played quietly. During the service singing was reverent and soulful; several of us in the circle felt free to harmonize or improvise at will. The reading for the service was Matthew 6:24 to 34. The altar with candles lit, the table with the cookies and the orchid plant were used during the service; the orchid was used to illustrate the Gospel reading. The service of Re[de]fining worship was very meaningful to all those who attended.

This is what Emily Carr wrote (where necessary, clarifications, in brackets, have been inserted by me): The Re[de]fining Church service is…”an 'emergent church' idea. These have begun to spring up all over the place.

They seek to take some of our (Anglican)

Some of the mix of youth and adults who formed the circle of worshippers at the Re[de]fining Church service. The Gospel reading for the service was Matthew 6:24 to 34.

The altar with candles lit, the table with the cookies and the orchid plant were used during the service; the orchid was used to illustrate the Gospel reading.

traditions and rituals and to make them relevant to a generation that is not churched…The liturgy for ours (St. James') is something I morphed out of the Sunday morning youth group program that is inclusive of all people, youth with disabilities etc. …and gives each person a voice and the Native Circle liturgy that had been used with Ethel (Ahenakew) in the Native Ministry up until Christmas.

(2010). We gather in a circle, on chairs or on pillows, light candles, share a big plate of cookies and begin….We start with music from the youth band, have opening prayers, more music, the Gospel reading (of the day)….Then we have talking circle. Everyone gets the opportunity to talk a little about what we've read and how it applies to today….Dianne (the Reverend Dianne Mesh) and I (Emily Carr) provide historical context and theological insight to further the discussion…there are prayers with a sung response, closing prayers, the Lord's Prayer, dismissal and more music….Then we share a pot of soup/curry/something like that and hang around and talk more….The feel of everything is very welcoming, relaxed and open minded…Hope you can join us sometime.

Peace, Emily”

Complex Symplicity Editor's Note: - The following is a reprint of an article which appeared in Volume 27, Issue 1 of “Growing Together' the newsletter of: The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, Saskatoon It's called KISS: Keep It Simple, Smartypants! Sometimes it seems like the world, so full of headlines and slogans and 5-second sound bites, is bent on oversimplifying everything from shopping to voting to making war. At the same time, we often hear how fast-paced and complex our world has become. It's enough to make a person dizzy. How can we keep it simple without acting and feeling like simpletons? We don't always find the answer at church. So many questions, so that the churches that seem to be growing

few simple answers; the mystery of the Trinity, of the Incarnation, of the sacraments. It all sounds so, well, complicated.

As for ministers, they all seem to have learned from Jesus; every time someone asked him a question, he answered with another question! It may be no accident that the churches that seem to be growing most quickly are the ones that keep their message simple and discourage too much inquiry.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Certainly, some of the world's greatest intellects have been stimulated as well as stymied by the mysteries of faith. In addition, many ordinary people of faith are delighted to find that their faith has depths continued on page 8

Photo- Mary McKay

Brendin Rurak, a guitarist & singer in the St. James' youth band, Reaching Out, played quietly before the RE[de]FINING Church service began.

6 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2011

Complex Symplicity (continued from page 5) but that offer little help as we seek to live faithfully in a complex world.

Yes, the Christian faith offers enough depth and complexity to keep any brainiac from getting bored and to challenge the rest of us for a lifetime, if that's what we want. But when it all seems a little too much, take a deep breath and relax. As Robert Fulghum's book puts it, everything we need to know about life, we already learned in kindergarten. Too much simplicity, of course, reduces our faith to the kind of one-dimensional slogans that make good bumper stickers (Jesus Saves!) but that offer little help as we seek to live faithfully in a complex world. What we need is a faith message that is simple without being simplistic.

The prophet Micah asks the question we all ask at some point: “What does the Lord require of me?” The answer is immediate and refreshingly simple: “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) We already know how to do this. Just remember to KISS (Keep It Simple, Smartypants)!

We Can Make a Difference

By Marion Pope, Saskatoon Diocesan A.C.W. Co-President Editor's Note: This article appeared in the February 11th issue of “The Anglican Church Women's Newsletter, Diocese of Saskatoon” The “Guidelines” referred to in the text were provided in the March issue of the Saskatchewan Anglican.

-SASKATOON-Anglican women have done, are doing, and, with God's help, will continue to do amazing things! Our grandmothers and mothers made a difference. Remember tea served in china cups and women wearing hats and gloves; bazaar tables of crocheting and knitting and aprons; they had little money so they made what they could out of what they had; and in those days Bake-less Bake Sales were unheard of. Money was raised to support the ministry of others, for outreach, to furnish churches, buy organs, and assist in the maintenance of church buildings.

What the women didn't necessarily see was the building up of lifetime relationships, and the understanding that the work they were doing was ministry. The Reverend Joyce Sanchez of Ontario tells us that we might have hoped that the women's movement of the 60's and 70's

Retiring Dean Reflects on Qu'Appelle Ministry

by Marian Powell REGINA On a sunny afternoon recently, James Merrett sat down and reflected on his ministry over the past 38 years. Ordained to the diaconate in 1973 and the priesthood in 1974, James took up his appointment as Dean of Qu'Appelle and Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral September 25, 1998, following a curacy at St. Simon's, Toronto (1973-1977); Rector of St. Peter's, Oshawa (1977 - 1981); Church of Our Saviour, Don Mills (1981-1985); and Church of the Holy Spirit, Mississauga (1985-1988), a church which he saw built. From 1988 to 1998 he was Dean of Quebec and Rector of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Quebec City.

Asked what he considered the highlights of his min

would have brought a new respect and appreciation for 'women's' work in the church.

Many younger women embraced feminism; often rejecting anything remotely connected to traditional female roles; they wanted different lives. Some women began to fight for the ordination of women and others left the church altogether. Once ordination of women became a reality within the Anglican Church, many no longer saw the need for women's groups at all.

So where are we as Anglican women today; you and I? We have a huge public relations job if we are going to put the misconceptions about Anglican Church Women behind us. The drafting of our new set of Guidelines is our attempt in reidentifying ourselves; our attempt in uniting all Anglican women and getting everyone involved. Let's put aside some misconceptions right now.

Anglican Church Women are not a secret society. If you are Anglican and you are a woman you are an Anglican church woman. It's time we re-united in support of one another's ministries as we make new and unique contributions in our diocese. Our horizons have already expanded: we sent two of our women to connect with sisters in Christ in our companion Diocese of Guyana; we hosted two women from Guyana in our Diocese; we are doing more hands on support of refugees; we signed petitions in support of Bill C268 on Human Trafficking in a concerted effort to prevent human trafficking, especially at the 2010 Olympics (and it was given Royal Assent!); we sponsored a successful Women's Retreat in 2009 (and are planning another); we joined IAWN (the International Anglican Women's Network) a network of women caring for women. (Think about

istry here, James looked first at his role in the Diocese. He particularly enjoyed strategic planning: developing a strategy to answer critical needs of the Diocese and then being able to act upon it. Another enjoyable experience was leading the Summer School residential program, established in 2001, for the locally ordained and lay people in leadership positions, which set the background for practical ministry in the creative environment of St. Michael's Retreat.

He spoke highly of the Covenant recently signed by the Bishop of Qu'Appelle and the Archbishop of Regina at St. Paul's Cathedral. As co-chair of the joint Anglican - Roman Catholic working group, he felt the completion of this Covenant was “about moving ahead in a

it, while we work at developing new Guidelines, Anglican women around the world are fighting for their lives!). We live in a massively diverse world, and comparatively we have so much.

God counts on us to do what we can to make a difference. So get involved. Consider a position on the Diocesan Board, etc. Emily Carr and Mary McKay of St. James', Saskatoon, taught members of our last Synod to sing an amazing song called “We Can Make a Difference”. Then, at the closing service of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Emily placed a totally new slant on this same song when she sang it with a group of young people. The tune and the words still reverberate in my mind. We can make a difference if we can learn to work together and everyone does his or her part.

Cheers!

constructive way in ecumenism.”

Looking at the Cathedral, James particularly noted that in spending a lot of time on the Building in Faith project, he had learned from the people. He came to realize that the real gift is building community - one soon recognizes “how trivial the building is and how important is the theology.”

Another highlight for James was building a worshiping community in a cathedral setting.

He felt that the vision process that went on within the Cathedral community in 1999 was crucial to the creation of a mission statement, “which is always there and constantly being addressed.” For James, “faith in action needs the theological basis to be transformed and transforming.” He noted especially the introduc

tion of liturgies-“warm and inclusive”- which met a variety of needs through a variety of services. He pointed to the monthly Requiem Eucharist and Saturday @ 5:00, at which he observed “every week there is someone who comes for a particular need.”

What lies ahead for James? He looks forward to taking time out to read and reflect on what he has learned in his ministry. He loves teaching and the discipline of the Scriptures, and helping people make the faith real. His advice to those who feel called to ordained ministry, is “to pursue it and understand that your calling will feed a growing community and change the church in which you will find yourself

St. Luke's Celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

by Nigel Salway Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

REGINA On Sunday, February 6, St. Luke's celebrated the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. This Sunday was the closest to the February 2 feast day. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple marks the end of the Christmas cycle, and in many churches the Christmas crèche remains on display until this day.

The story of the presentation can be found in the Gospel of Luke 2: 22 and following.

Mary and Joseph take the baby Jesus to the temple 40 days after his birth. The purpose of the visit was to complete Mary's purification after childbirth and redeem her first-born son following Old Testament law.

Upon entering the temple, the family met Simeon the Righteous. Simeon held the child and prayed the prayer that Anglicans know best as the Nunc Dimittis. Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon told them about Jesus' future.

Fr. Christopher Snook's homily suggested that this celebration acts like a 'door hinge' in the Church year. On the one hand, it looks back to the message and meaning of Christmas.

Once again we learn that the infant Christ is the light of the world. On the other hand, the words of Simeon anticipate Lent, holy week and Easter by reminding us that this child is born to die.

The Feast of the Presentation is also known as Candlemas. This title comes from the tradition of blessing candles on this day both for use in Christian homes and in the church during the coming year.

After the Eucharist, Father Christopher Snook blessed candles for the parish. Then the congregation joined together to pray the Nunc Dimittis. Sunday School students distributed the candles following the service.

photo - Nigel Salway

Maureen Walker (right) receives a blessed candle from Nelson Heuchert at St. Luke's Candlemas service.

Susan MacPhail (partially hidden) coaches Nelson.

g{Üxx gÜtw|à|ÉÇá: i|xãá Éy `tÜÜ|tzx The Saskatchewan Anglican, - April 2011

LUMSDEN (Qu'A) The fourth annual ecumenical panel discussion at St. Michael's Retreat Centre tackled the ticklish subject of marriage. On January 27, Roman Catholic Archbishop Daniel Bohan, Lutheran Bishop Cindy Halmarson, Anglican Bishop Greg KerrWilson, and Friar Dennis Vavrek ofm (Provincial of the Franciscans of Western Canada) described their respective traditions' understanding of marriage to an audience of just over 20. This was followed by discussion and questions from the audience, lunch, and a short worship service in the chapel.

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The first speaker was Bishop Halmarson, who commented that they had found much agreement in the previous panel discussions, but "our understanding of marriage is a bit different." Bishop Halmarson referred to what Martin Luther wrote about marriage in "The Small Catechism," which is an authoritative statement of what Lutherans believe. She said Lutherans believe marriage to be a gift of God, but not a sacrament.

She described the left-handed work of God, which is creation; and the right-handed work of God, which is redeeming that creation. Lutherans understand creation and the secular realm to all be gifts of God, and all, as stated in Genesis, is good. The secular world is not bad; it may be misguided and we may have perverted God's will through our God-given free will, but the world is still good because it was created by God. Bishop Halmarson explained that Martin Luther and others saw that before the Reformation, the church felt that ordinary human life was not holy, but was something to be escaped from. Marriage and family life were part of this ordinary life. Luther disagreed with this position.

He was a priest and monk who married a former nun, and as a married person celebrated and participated in God's creative work, and had many children. We seek to follow God's love and express God's grace in married life, said Bishop Halmarson.

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Friar Dennis Vavrek ofm explained that the Franciscan order has no official understanding of marriage which is different from the Roman Catholic understanding. He spoke of his experience gathered in more than 15 years in pastoral ministry, and said that he saw that marriage presents challenges and requires sacrifices.

He said there is a gap, "a divorce, if you will" between the wedding and the marriage. The first is a celebration, and the second is what the couple is called to live out.

He said that the scripture most often chosen for a wedding is Paul's epistle I Corinthians 13. Very few couples choose Ephesians 5, with the phrase "wives be subject to your husbands." Fr. Dennis said he really likes to preach on that scripture, however, because he "sorts fact from fiction. It is the deepest expression of marriage in the bible," he said.

Paul shows how marriage must mirror the love between Christ and the church, a metaphor in which the church is the bride.

If the husband is to be the head of the wife, he must first be her servant, must be as Christ to his wife. The church submits to Christ because Christ has proved worthy by His love and fidelity as shown on the cross. The bride sees her husband as worthy of her submission. "The pressure is all on the husband in this view," said Fr. Dennis.

In marriage, he concluded, the couple are to be as Christ to and for each other, with sacrificial life and love. The wedding vows are words, and they have the rest of their lives to put flesh on them.

Archbishop Daniel Bohan also spoke on the Roman Catholic view of marriage, stating that it is very complex.

In the Catechism there are more than 50 statements relating to marriage. Jesus, he said, refers to God's plan for marriage found in Genesis 1: 27 - 28. "In Roman Catholic theology, marriage is intimately and profoundly connected to God's plan," said the archbishop. He pointed out that marriage images bookend the bible, with Adam and Eve in Genesis, to the vision of Christ as the bridegroom in the Book of Revelation.

Archbishop Bohan explained that Roman Catholics do not accept divorce, but do have annulments. An annulment can only happen if the marriage is not considered "valid." He gave examples things which can result in "invalid" marriages, such as people entering into marriage out of fear or coercion, immaturity of one or both partners, or when a partner enters the marriage without intending to follow the vows.

He said that modern society sees marriage as a right, while the church sees it as a calling. The human act of marriage is raised to the level of a sacrament by God's grace. Roman Catholic theology states that marriage has a two-fold purpose: for the good of man and woman and for the procreation and education of children. Therefore, said Archbishop Bohan, same-sex marriage is not valid because procreation is not possible.

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Bishop Greg Kerr-Wilson showed that, as in many other theological subjects, the Anglican Church is the church of the middle way. While Roman Catholics believe marriage to be a full sacrament, and Lutherans do not, Article 25 of the Anglican Articles of Religion developed in the time of Henry VIII, states that baptism and holy eucharist were "ordained of Christ" and as such are sacraments of the Gospel; while matrimony and four others "commonly called sacraments" are not counted sacraments of the Gospel, but are considered minor sacraments. He said that Anglicans have inherited the long tradition of the early church, but also have been influenced by Martin Luther and other reformers.

He pointed out that in Genesis, marriage was instituted before the fall, not in response to mankind's sinful nature. It is, in the words of the BCP, an "honourable estate." He also said that Christian marriage brought a dramatic change in first century society. It united a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, and introduced a level of equality between the sexes.

Anglicans understand marriage to be a life-long union; serial monogamy is not the teaching of the church. But the church also recognizes that sometimes marriages fail due to human sin, and those people may be remarried in the church.

Bishop Kerr-Wilson explained that there has been a slight shift in the understanding of marriage in the history of the Anglican church. In the BCP the purpose of marriage is listed as 1- the hallowing of union "betwixt" man and woman, 2 - the procreation of children and 3- the mutual society, help, and comfort of the man and woman.

7

allow for same-sex marriage, but rather in recognition of marriages of people past their child-bearing years.

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The topic of same-sex marriage and the role of provincial marriage commissioners was also raised in the question and answer session. Bishop Kerr-Wilson said that the Faith, Worship and Ministry committee of General Synod spent considerable time during the last triennium on this subject. Its report lead the General Synod to decline taking a position on the issue at this time. More theological discernment is required before any changes may (or may not) be made.

Bishop Halmarson said that the American Lutheran church will deal with the topic at their upcoming national meeting, but that nothing is planned by the Canadian church. Archbishop Bohan explained that for Roman Catholics a valid marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

Referring to marriage commissioners, both Bishops Halmarson and Kerr-Wilson said that they believed government employees must follow the law of the country, but Archbishop Bohan said that he believed religious freedom, guaranteed under the law, means that a person cannot be forced to do something he or she considers sinful at the risk of losing his or her job.

Archbishop Bohan also pointed out that the church is not homophobic.

"We need to be supportive and compassionate," he said, "without turning away from our beliefs."

The day concluded with a short worship service in the retreat centre chapel, centred on the theme of Christian unity.

In the BAS, the order has been changed, with mutual help and comfort first, the hallowing of union next, and procreation of children appears in brackets.

He was quick to point out that including procreation in brackets was not made to

The archbishop quoted from the second Vatican council's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. The document Gaudium et Spes states, "Authentic married love is caught up in divine love" and speaks of the "sublime office" of being a father and a mother.

photo - staff

Carol Marz (far left) of St. Mary's Anglican Church Regina, talks with Sr. Stephanie Beaulieu (r) and Sr. Liliane Habamenshi of the Myriam Family of the Prairies at St. Michael's Retreat Centre.

8 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2011

Ask and Imagine in Northern Saskatchewan By the Rev. Norbert Haukenfrers, Diocese of Saskatchewan.

A few weekends ago we had over 700 people come to an event we planned in order to raise awareness in our community about Suicide and Teen Pregnancy. Of this 700, roughly 500 were teens and young adults. Now we are being invited to do a similar presentation on Reserves, and other Communities in Northern Saskatchewan; filling high school auditoriums and community halls. “Wow is all I can say”. If you would have asked me two years ago if this was possible, I would have said absolutely not.

It was never that I thought it did not need to happen; it is that I didn't see how it could. All this started when I attended a pre-release screening of the movie 'Fireproof'. A decent movie dealing with a harsh reality many marriages face. I wanted people in my congregation to have the opportunity to see this movie, hoping that it would start some conversation between spouses and friends. In anticipation of the theatrical release, I ordered the bible study material that was developed using clips from the movie, hoping to build excitement about taking their spouse and friends out to a movie. To my surprise, it was never theatrically released in Canada and by the end of the Bible study everyone was dying to see 'Fireproof' and how these clips fit together. They wanted to see it so badly that we purchased the movie licence and rented the public library auditorium for three nights. We made posters and sent them to other churches and posted them on community bulletin boards and waited for people to show up. Over the three nights a few did, but not the crowds we hoped for. Some would have even said that it was a failure, as far as community attendance; they may be right. A little over a year later I realized that it was not a failure at all in the life and ministry of the Bible Study group. This was their first venture out into the community to minister. Currently they are leading our congregation in supplying and serving the 'Soup on Saturday' at the Salvation Army Outpost Cafe, every six weeks.

It is not easy to forget failures and even harder to admit to them. For a year later, I was at a pre-release screening of the movie 'To Save a Life'. I thought this is a movie that needs to be shown in our community.

Suicide is a real and present issue. Again, no theatrical release in Canada. It would have been easy to let it go at this point, yet, I didn't. I went to the Company

with the private release rights in Canada and tried with them to secure a showing in our local theatre, going to the point of four-walling - guaranteeing the cinema profit, a theatre in our local cinema just to get it shown.

They were unwilling to give up any of their evening show times in any of their theatres. While I was talking with others about these frustrations, it became clear to them that I needed to secure a movie licence to show, 'To Save a Life'. I tried a different approach and invited leaders from other churches to get involved. We had Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Covenanters, and Anglicans working together to make this event a success. We changed venues to the second largest theatre space in town as St. Mary's High School opened their doors to us. This time it was going to be a success. It was well received by those who came and watched, nonetheless it didn't have the impact I had hoped. That was in May of last year and with regret I thought that was the end of 'To Save a Life'. Even though the vision I had of it being a catalyst in our community wasn't realised, I put it aside. What else was I to do? In the fall I get an email from a colleague telling me that he has a parishioner who is all 'gung ho' about, 'To Save a Life' and would it be okay if he passed along my e-mail to her. A week later Gen and I were having coffee. She shared with me her own story and her heart to see the issue of teen suicide addressed in a meaningful manner and how she had seen 'To Save a Life' and felt this was something that had to be shared with the community. I agreed and we talked about what I had done in May and the previous February. Adjustments and changes were needed in order to make this next event a success.

First and hardest of all for me was to let it go, because I did not have the time to provide good leadership, nor did I think this required pastoral leadership. If she was willing to take the lead, I would offer her and the group pastoral support. I would stand with Gen, walk beside her, and help her bring this vision to reality. So we parted with another meeting scheduled and we would invite others interested in making this next event possible. We secured the largest performing arts venue in town. We advertised on the radio, television, community bulletin boards, online and by word of mouth. As word spread a few days later, a group of churches, that have a joint Good Friday service, gave us their 2010 Good Friday offering, and the venue costs were almost covered. 'To Save a Life'

viewing in Prince Albert was off to the races and we had nine weeks until show-time.

At that first meeting, we decided that this was not to be a religious event, rather a community event to raise awareness about Suicide Prevention. We began to make appointments with community groups and agencies, inviting them to participate with us in raising suicide prevention awareness. It did not take long and we had the local chapter of Canadian Mental Health, as well as the Health Region, Victim Services, Catholic Family Services, Addiction Services, the Mayor and the Grand Council all on board. We invited support agencies to set up booths in the lobby to raise their profile in the community. The Mayor opened the first evening with moving personal remarks. We gained access to this broad spectrum of agencies by being a being a grassroots organization as we put aside our theological differences, allowing 'the church be the church and work together for the community, not bringing the church forward by promoting any one denomination. “Just people that care and love!” as one executive member of the Community Networking Coalition put it.

From that weekend things have literally exploded as word is now out. Over the next two months, we have events being planned in seven communities with more to come online. Currently we are overwhelmed with a new reality.

We cannot meet the demand ourselves and we have begun the process of looking at ways of making what we are doing here reproducible in other communities. These are exciting times as we see a surge in demand for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) training.

For more information on ASIST training check out http//www.livingworks.net. To see what we are up to check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/ To - S a v e - A - L i f e - P r i n c e Albert/136478169747719.#!/pag es/T Save-A-Life-PrinceAlbert/136478169747719

Complex Symplicity (continued from page 5) they have not plumbed.

Nevertheless, many among Jesus' enemies used their knowledge of the complexities of their faith to use and abuse their power. It was often the poor and illiterate who took his message to heart. “Love your neighbour as yourself.” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” These are not always easy words to live by, but they are simple enough for everyone to understand.

The Apostle Paul, although fiercely intellectual by nature, also had moments when he managed to keep his message simple: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”(Philippians 4:4). On another occasion, he wrote that the life of faith is shown in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

(Galatians 5:22) Surely, these are the same virtues that our parents taught us whenwe were children.

Yes, the Christian faith offers enough depth and complexity to keep any brainiac from getting bored and to challenge the rest of us for a lifetime, if that's what we want.

But when it all seems a little too much, take a deep breath and relax.

As Robert Fulghum's book puts it, everything we need to know about life, we already learned in kindergarten. Too much simplicity, of course, reduces our faith to the kind of one-dimensional slogans that make good bumper stickers (Jesus Saves!)

Film, Faith and Friends By the Reverend Steve Page ARBORFIELD (SASK) Opening scene: A snowy, blowy Sunday afternoon in late January. Eight people gather in a darkened living room. As the camera pans from one face to another, we see expressions of excitement, anticipation, and friendly camaraderie.

Suddenly a plot twist: one of them has brought a feature-length film to watch!

Everyone grabs a beverage and a bowl of popcorn, and they settle in for some movie-viewing over the next two hours.

The group is the Film and Faith group at the Church of the Ascension in Arborfield.

Once every second month, a group of five to eight gathers in someone's home. This month, our hosts were Munden and Linda Coates. Kris and Laura Gendall have also hosted the group in the past.

The group's purposes are to watch a movie, examine it from a specifically Christian perspective, explore its themes and sub-texts, critique them based upon what our faith and the Scriptures have to say about them, practice talking about our faith through the lens of popular culture and, of course, get to better know one another in the group.

At each meeting, one person brings a film, introduces it briefly, then leads the discussion time afterward. This month, it was the turn of the Reverend sacJulie Golding Page, who brought the 2003 British romantic comedy, “Love Actually.”

This sweet and

humorous film presents a surprisingly nuanced view of Love in its m a n y shades: romantic love; love between husband and wife; love strained by betrayal; the differences between love, lust and sex; unrequited love; father-son love; brotherly love; the love of deep friendship; self-rificing love; and barriers to love, of class and language.

The film sparked an at-times animated discussion, and the group wound up ultimately comparing the many shades of love in the film to the so-called “love chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13.

Past films have included “Lars and the Real Girl,” a 2007 drama / comedy that explores the depths of relationships, when a sweet but awkwardly shy man bonds more deeply with an inflatable doll than with many of the people around him; “Tsotsi,” a powerful 2005 story about a small-time South African criminal's tough road to redemption and humanity; and “Ushpizin” a 2004 film set in Israel, showing multi-layered suffering based on religion, social status and gender, framed by optimistic glimpses of hope.

As the final credits rolled on this gathering, everyone left this month's Film & Faith group a little more practiced in examining expressions of popular culture through the lens of our faith, and with an eager anticipation for our next get-together.